Rare Discovery: Engraved Gemstone Carrying a Portrait of Alexander the Great

Originally published September 15, 2009 | Physorg

The following is an excerpt from Physorg; click on the above link to read the full article:

A rare and surprising archaeological discovery at Tel Dor: A gemstone engraved with the portrait of Alexander the Great was uncovered during excavations by an archaeological team directed by Dr. Ayelet Gilboa of the University of Haifa and Dr. Ilan Sharon of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

This sort of intricate artwork reminds me of artwork on grains of rice. So unlike Ramesses the Great, Alexander put his image on even the tiniest of material. I'm not surprised this artifact ended up in Israel; after all, Alexander traveled to many faraway places.

Filming the Mummy Asru at The Manchester Museum

Originally published September 10, 2009 | Egypt at the Manchester Blog | by Karen Exell

A German team visited the Manchester and took footage of the mummy Arsu with Prof. Rosalie David (a great author, to boot, so read her books!). The short film will come to Germany in October, chronicling pharmacy and medicine in ancient Egypt. I sure hope it gets released in the States.

Picture - Groundwater Testing Under the Great Sphinx

Originally published September 10, 2009 | Zahi Hawass' Photo Blog | photo credited to Sandro Vannini

A team at Giza drills to test groundwater levels underneath the Sphinx. In 2008, a project was initiated to protect the Sphinx from the rising water table in the area.

Hawass Debunks Collins' Cave Controversy

Originally published September 9, 2009 | Zahi Hawass' Blog | by Dr. Hawass

Dr. Hawass describes in detail why Andrew Collins' observation about a "cave complex" under the Giza Plateau. Hawass is right to call the theory out for what it is: hokum, if you know anything about the Giza Plateau; although I think his words are a bit snooty. Not everyone is a scholar like you and I dear reader ;)

He provides an example of good reading, and I will provide just the opposite because I think it is a terribly amusing book, albeit very old, out of date, and a sign of the times: Everett W. Fish's, The Egyptian Pyramids, an Analysis of a Great Mystery.

Modern Review of a 1936 Review of Human Adventure

Accessed September 8, 2009 | The New York Times

James Henry Breasted's The Human Adventure, a short documentary about the excavation and research activities of the University of Chicago's Oriental Institute, received a rather dour review from the New York Times in 1936, according to Archaeopop, but I think it's charming. To read the 1936 review, you have to sign in (it's free) to the NY Times.

Governor Stirs Controversy Over Great Pyramid of Giza

Originally published September 6, 2009 | Gulf News | by Ramadan Al Sherbini

Zahi Hawass, head of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities, has objected to the governor of Giza’s announcement of an annual "Giza Day" on August 23. He objects because we don't know the exact day the Great Pyramid was built. I wouldn't mind a "Giza Day;" it doesn't have to reflect the exact day of construction (or completion for that matter), just a day that is dedicated to the structure. I'm sure if Farouk Hosni proposed it that way, Dr. Hawass wouldn't raise any objections.

Museum's Egypt Exhibition Follows in Footsteps of Victorian Traveler

Originally published September 3, 2009 | Yorkshire Post

The Francis Frith's Egypt exhibition, opening next Wednesday, September 9, will feature photographs and ancient objects, including a mummy's mask, jewelery, pottery and textiles. There will be two sets of photographs, those taken by Victorian photographer Francis Frith during the 19th century and those by Egyptologist Bob Partridge of modern times. Partridge's photographs will showcase how Egyptian monuments have changed since Frith's time.

Scholars' Colloquium Days at the ROM

Accessed September 4, 2009 | Royal Ontario Museum

November 6 and 8, 2009 will bring to the ROM a free event, known as Scholar's Colloquium Days, where those interested in attending can "enjoy a wide variety of short papers on all aspects of ancient Egypt, from reports on recent digs to careful consideration and re-evaluation of religion, art, history, literature and politics." Program information including location, contacts, and date/time is given; click the above link to view this information.

The Society for the Study of Egyptian Antiquity's 35th Annual Symposium

Originally published September 2, 2009 | SSEA (Society for the Study of Egyptian Antiquities)

The following is the description for the SSEA's upcoming annual symposium:

Egypt is intimately connected to three great religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. It is the backdrop for some of the most well-known stories of the sacred books of all three, including the Exodus, Joseph, and Abraham. Join a panel of distinguished scholars from all over the world as they illuminate the history behind the holy texts.

To register for this event and to find event and contact information, visit the Royal Ontario Museum web site.

The Egypt Exploration Society's Flickr Treasures

Originally published September 2, 2009 | Heritage Key | by Ann

Ann gives her reactions to five of her favorites from the early days of Egyptology, from the archives at EES on Flickr (and you can read my comment at her blog post to boot lol).

When Egyptology was in its infancy, the survey techniques were not yet well developed (consider the fact that Belzzoni must have destroyed dozens of unidentified mummies as he crawled over them and had Theodore Davis and Edward Ayrton took a little more time and done a better job of excavating KV55, it would be less mysterious) and it's very interesting to realize the dramatic difference between then and now. The same goes for the examination of mummies, when archaeologists discovered them: a modern Egyptologist, anthropologist or any other "ologist" would gasp at the thought of conducting a "mummy unwrapping party" (how Victorian!), where you'd have to actually take the mummy's bandages off!

Personally, my favorite picture is of John Pendlebury, one of the more charming and exciting archaeologists--that goes for his glass eye too! lol Can you believe the gall (I use that term with loving admiration) of this man! Why take a boring picture of an artifact when you can jazz the photo up by modeling it yourself?!

Course - History and Archeology of the Egyptian New Kingdom

Accessed September 3, 2009 | Instituto Valenciano De Egiptología

The Valencian Institute of Egyptology (IVDE) will offer a 20-hour course called History and Archeology of the Egyptian New Kingdom, given by José Lull, Egyptologist, from 28 October to 2 December 2009. The course consists of 10 2-hour sessions Mondays and Wednesdays from 7pm to 9pm at the Training Center TAES - Advanced Techniques Study.

Click on the above link to learn more about the course description and enrollment and contact information.

The following is a direct link to the web site in its original language (Spanish): Curso de "Historia y Arqueología del Imperio Nuevo egipcio" en Valencia

Swiss Anatomy Experts Mummify Human Leg

Originally published September 2, 2009 | Heritage Key | by Keith Payne

The following is an excerpt from Heritage Key, which chronicles a Swiss team's efforts to perfect the exact same mummification process the Egyptian's used thousands of years ago, to examine how much the mummification process degrades DNA, how tissue reacts during the process, and how ancient cultures tried to preserve their loved ones after death:

So far the Swiss team has met with mixed results. After 440lbs (60kg) of salt mixture and 80 days, magnetic resonance still shows signs of moisture within the tissue. Dr. Rühli had expected the process to take around 70 days, and plans to continue for another month. Sometime this winter the team will attempt to mummify another body part, this time accounting for the role heat plays in mummification.

The article states that the Swiss team is basing their salt mixture on "a mid-1990s United States study, which tried to determine the 'magic formula' used by ancient Egyptians to dry out bodies before burial," but the details of the U.S. study are not given.

If Emily Teeter were in charge of that U.S. team back in the 90s, there would have been detailed notes and documents of how they went about mummifying an entire body using ancient methods (no offense to that team, of course). What is the purpose of keeping information to yourself? There's no progress in that. And how do you know you're progressing or just repeating experiments needlessly without such references?

The following is a direct link to an article at the Journal of Turkish Weekly, which gives more details of the Swiss Mummy Project.

The Oriental Institute Back in Nubia

Originally published September 2, 2009 | The Oriental Institute Blog | by Charles Ellwood Jones

The Oriental Institute announces that it will be back to the archaeological fields of Nubia, which began in 2006. The following is a direct link to the OI's Nubian Expedition pages, which chronicles its efforts done there, from the early years in 1905-1907 to today.

New Discovery Links Ancient Egypt and Jordan Valley Site

Originally published September 2, 2009 | The Jerusalem Post | by Judy Siegel-Itzkovich

Excavations at Tel Bet Yerahcarved (a settlement along the ancient highway that connected Egypt to the rest of the Near East) yield a most unusual find: a stone plaque bearing archaic Egyptian signs, which are rare in Egypt (let alone anywhere else!). The find suggests the people of the Jordan Valley and Egypt (circa Dynasty I) had stronger ties than previously believed. Alas, a shining example of the reason for archaeology: not only to learn more about certain peoples (their habits, worldviews, lifestyles, technology, etc), but also to learn more about the connectivity they had with each other. I'd like to give lip service to Kara Cooney's series on the Discovery Channel, Out of Egypt; through the ancient Egyptian culture(s) she examines others around the world and throughout the ages.

More on Site Management and Restoration at Luxor

Originally published September 1, 2009 | Zahi Hawass' Blog | Dr. Hawass

Zahi Hawass supplements Nevine El-Aref's article at Al-Ahram Weekly Online concerning major developments to monuments and archaeological sites at Luxor; this time, it straight from the source. Less site pollution at Deir el-Bahri; a new lighting system has been tested to dazzle visitors to the Valley of the Kings, the Valley of the Queens, the mortuary temples, and Deir el-Bahri at night; the future opening (significantly dated for November 4th) of Howard Carter's rest-house; and more are detailed in Hawass' post.