Nefertiti Moved With Care

Originally published October 5, 2009 | The Straits Times

This author uses quotes around "with extreme care." Apparently s/he isn't buying either the museum's excuse that Nefertiti is too fragile to transport her back home to Egypt. She seemed to travel well, being placed on display in her new home at the Neues. Perhaps the German scholars should have used this excuse: they feared her sinking to the bottom of the Atlantic à la (the) secret mummy aboard the Titanic.

Ancient Coptic Church Discovered at Luxor Temple

Originally published August 16, 2009 | eTurbo News | by Hazel Heyer

This discovery, although not of the Pharonic Era, has strong connections with it, being found built over the top of an ancient Egyptian site (that of Ramesses II). The following is an excerpt from eTurbo News. Follow the above link to read this article in its entirety.

Meanwhile, in a separate development, last June, the Al Watani International said that at the Imam Abu-Haggag Luxor mosque and shrine, built on top of the open courtyard of Ramesses II in the Luxor Temple, the Supreme Council of Antiquities had launched a renovation project which, apart from repairing the damage from the fire, yielded some surprising finds. During restoration work the restorers came upon the remains of a Coptic church and some rare pharaonic inscriptions, the most remarkable of which were engravings picturing the erection of the two obelisks built by Ramesses II outside the Luxor Temple itself. The church and the mosque, said Sana Farouq.

Putnam Museum Unwraps New Egyptian Mummy Display

Originally published August 11, 2009 | Quad-City Times | by Kay Luna

Save the date! August 22 will be the opening of a newly renovated mummy exhibition at the Putnam Museum, which hadn't changed since the 70s. A new feature includes updated information gleaned from CT scans of the mummies.

The article continues on to describe the process took to renovate the exhibit and the new way the mummies and their information will be presented--almost like you're an Egyptologist discovering them!

Help name the Putnam's Egyptian Gallery

Originally published July 15, 2009 | Quad-City Times

The Putnam Museum's most iconic gallery is about to undergo a renovation, and officials at the Davenport venue want the public's help in giving it a new name to go with the new look.

A Day in Alexandria

Originally published July 16, 2009 | Zahi Hawass' Blog | by Zahi Hawass

Last week I went to Alexandria to see the work currently taking place to improve the museums there, and to get an update on the current status of these various projects. When I first became Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities many of the museums in Alexandria were run-down, and so I decided that they needed to be closed for renovation, in order to improve them and to turn them into world class museums. Many people did not want the museums to be closed, but I told them that they needed to be fixed and that action needed to be taken immediately.

Berlin's Neues Museum Announces Grand Re-Opening

Originally published July 7, 2009 | Travel Video News

This article announces the re-opening of the Neues Museum in Berlin and chronicles what the museum will house in terms of collections and exhibits (particularly its most popular item: the bust of Nefertiti) and background information on the museum and the development project.

The Mummy Returns - More on the Ulster Museum Mummy

Originally published June 30, 2009 | Belfast Today

After three years of renovations at the Ulster Museum, many pieces, including the most popular resident (a mummy named Takabuti), are slowly making their way back. There isn't a set date for the re-opening of the museum, but they expect a throng when it does. A little background on Takabuti is chronicled in this article, among other things.