Conference: Between Geb and Nut - the Egyptian View of the World

Published June 11, 2010 | El Blog Del Nilo - MARQ | by MARQ and presented by Marina Escolano Poveda | The following is an hour and a half-long video of the June 9th conference presented by Marina at the MARQ. She presents her lecture in Spanish. There is also a link to more videos on the exhibit, The Enigma of the Mummy, provided.

Course in Egypt - The Life and Works of the Theban Royal Tomb Makers

Accessed February 6, 2010 | Bloomsbury Summer School/Academy | Join John Romer, Renowned expert on Deir el-Medina and the Valley of the Kings, for a week-long series of lectures in the heart of Luxor November 10 - 17, 2010. Here is the course description:

The extraordinary achievement of the royal tombs of Thebes cannot be fully appreciated without an understanding of the environment in which they were made. John Romer will re-explore with you the world of the Theban New Kingdom. He will consider how and why the first royal tombs were made at Thebes, and how the tomb makers who lived at Deir el Medina elaborated that tradition to create the great tombs of the Valley of the Kings. He will also explore the purposes and meanings of these tombs - and something also, of the lives and times of the archaeologists and Egyptologists who have shaped our present understanding of them. Finally, in the light of fresh and, as yet, largely unpublished evidence, he will outline a new history of the ending of the Valley of the Kings and of the remarkable community of those who worked there.

Click the above link to find a list a suggested reading, booking and programme information, and registration fees.

Upcoming Workshops at the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum

Accessed February 4, 2010 | Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum | The following are a few upcoming and recurring workshops at the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum about mummification, jewelry, and hieroglyphs - each are linked to the events page on the Rosicrucion Facebook Page (click the above link to visit the museum's web site):

• Date: February 6, 2010
  Lecture: Ancient Egyptian Mummies (1st Saturday of the Month)
  Time: 12:30pm - 1:00pm
  


• Date: February 7, 2010
  Workshop: Hieroglyph Workshop (every Sunday at 11:30am and every Thursday at 4:00pm)
  Time: 11:30am - 12:00pm
  


• Date: February 7, 2010
  Lecture: Ancient Egyptian Jewelry (1st Sunday of the Month)
  Time: 12:30pm - 1:00pm
  

King Tutankhamun's Senet Game Board in Photos

Originally published February 2, 2010 | Heritage Key | Heritage Key is working closing with Sandro Vannini to bring visual representation of Tutankhamun's senet board games, which were found in his tomb, possibly denoting his love for the game. In addition to giving a short history of the game and its significance to the ancient Egyptians, the article provides loads of great resources on the matter: a Senet Board slideshow, King Tut Virtual, a video of Vannini's photography, and more.

On TV - Riddles of the Sphinx on PBS' NOVA

Accessed January 15, 2010 | Providence Pictures and NOVA/PBS | by Ben Sweeney | A special thanks goes to Ben Sweeney for sending me a direct link to the bonus videos of the upcoming television show entitled Riddles of the Sphinx, which will premier on NOVA/PBS Tuesday, January 19 (check your local listings - Chicagoans can view it at 8pm on WTTW-11). Here is a brief synopsis of the program:

For over 4,000 years, the Sphinx has puzzled all who have laid eyes on it. What is this crouching lion, human-headed creature? Who built it and why? To unlock its secrets, two teams of scientists and sculptors immerse themselves in the world of ancient Egypt — a land of pharaohs and pyramids, animal gods and mummies, sun worship and human sacrifice.

Ancient Animal Graves From Private Zoo?

Originally published September 14, 2009 | National Geographic News | by Patrick Walters

High-Tech Scanner Reveals Mummy's 2,500-Year-Old Past

Originally published August 21, 2009 | San Francisco Chronicle | by David Perlman

Tutankhamun and Meresamun were a few of the first mummies to be CT scanned. Add to the list a Late Period priest named Iret-net Hor-irw. His technological undergoing is a direct result of a new exhibit that will be opening in October at the Palace of the Legion of Honor in San Francisco called Very Postmortem: Mummies and Medicine, which will examine ancient medical care and death in Egypt.

The next few paragraphs of this article discuss the CT scanning process, reactions of those involved, and the results.

The following are links chronicling the same story, each a different rendering, but revealing the same facts:

• Newsday.com - Stanford Scientists Scan 2,500-Year-Old Mummy, by Brooke Donald (Associated Press)
• Fox News - High-Tech Scanner Could Reveal Mummy's 2,500-Year-Old Past
• The Associated Press/Google - Stanford Scientists Scan 2,500-Year-Old Mummy

Touring the New York City Obelisks

Originally published August 19, 2009 | Archaeology Magazine Online | by Morgan Moroney

Below is an excerpt from this article at Archaeology Magazine Online, which features descriptions and expandable pictures of Egyptian obelisks around the world, including Cleopatra's Needle in London, England and Ramesses II's obelisks at Place de la Concorde in Paris, France. At the bottom there are links to previous and further stories on obelisks (not necessarily Egyptian):

The obelisk originated during Egypt's Old Kingdom (2584-2117 B.C.) as a small solid structure associated with the sun-deity Re. Pharaoh Senworset I (1974-1929 B.C.) constructed the first giant obelisk at Heliopolis during the Middle Kingdom (2066-1650 B.C). Giant Egyptian obelisks weigh hundreds of tons and are composed of solid pieces of granite quarried at Aswan in southern Egypt. Modern obelisks, big and small, are found all over the world and the U.S. from the Washington Monument, to war memorials, to the grave markers of presidents (Washington, Jefferson, and Lincoln's tombs all include obelisk memorials). New York City is filled with obelisks, and a tour of them will take you all over Manhattan and beyond to view monuments, tombstones, and even an authentic Egyptian original, known as Cleopatra's Needle. But how and why did the obelisk become and remains so popular?

It may seem a bit morbid (and certainly too soon to be considering this), but I'd like to have an obelisk for a tombstone, complete with hieroglyphic inscriptions and my name bound in a cartouche. With that, no, I do not want to be mummified! Everyone always asks me that :/

Brief History of Sheep and Wool

Originally published August 13, 2009 | Fibre2Fashion | by Jenne Giles

This article features a brief paragraph or two about Ancient Egypt's role in the history of sheep and wool. Below is an excerpt:

Sheep first entered the African continent via Sinai and were present in Ancient Egypt between 6000 to 5000 BCE, said to have migrated down Africa from Egypt. Sheep were present in ancient Egyptian society between 6000 and 5000 BCE. The ancient Egyptians revered the male sheep, the Ram, for its virility and war-like attributes. Priests were forbidden from wearing wool garments or eating mutton. Similarly, the dead were not buried with wool, nor were sheep's milk and meat offered to the dead in ceremony. It is unsure whether this is because the sheep were considered impure or whether the sheep were manifestations of important gods that prohibited the use of sheep products in Ancient Egypt.

Gender Representation in Ancient Egyptian Tomb Art

Originally published August , 2009 | Indianapolis Examiner | by Kim Jackson

Ms. Jackson discusses typical New Kingdom tomb art, focusing on the reality of fashion and its significance in art; each genders' roles in tomb art and the significance of each genders' activities; and the purposeful selection of certain every day activities by artists, which was less a handbook to life in Egypt and more of a way to portray certain distinctions in the physical world.

The author ends the article with a link to an article at the Tour Egypt web site on the Amarna Period.

History and Meaning of the Ancient Egyptian Ankh Symbol

Originally published August 1, 2009 | Examiner - Chicago | by Kristen Wilkerson

I may get into trouble if I say anything about this topic, so I'll let the article speak for itself.

Upon researching the meaning of the Egyptian Ankh, a cross with a loop at the top, it appears to have been used with multiple intentions. Originally, a historian thought the ankh was merely the symbol of a sandal, due to its shape, with its loop going around the ankle. Although many modern historians find this to be accurate, Egyptian academics at the University of Cairo, interpret that the ankh is representative of the pivotal role of the Nile. The oval head is said to represent the Nile delta, with the vertical mark representing the path of the river and the East and West arms representing the two sides of the country and their unification. Many others claim the ankh has a much deeper significance in its historical roles, however. This article explores some of the ankh's deeper claims to fame.