Minor Menu Changes to Egyptological Site
As the site matures we are trying to make the ever-increasing amount of content easy to find. Over the next few months expect a few changes to various pages to try to make Egyptological even better and both quicker and easier to use. In today’s change, we have removed Colloquy from the menu (although the [more…]
By Kate
Editorial – Journal Edition 2 and Magazine Edition 3
Welcome to our latest editions of the Journal and Magazine sections. There is a great mixture of topics, which we hope will provide something for everyone. In the Journal section Etienne Vande Walle has contributed more of his research into the legal terminology of Ancient Egypt, this time focusing on the significance of two titles [more…]
By Andie
Comparison of the stelae of wsrimn (Fisher Collection, Detroit) and of ddwsbk (Louvre C240 and BM566) of Dynasty XII
Abstract
The 12th Dynasty (Middle Egytian) judicial system was surprisingly modern in its approach and composition, but our knowledge is assembled by a process of deduction. Most of the key evidentiary sources are testimonial stelae which list the titles held by senior officials during their lifetimes. The nature of an individual’s role in the judicial process can be postulated from the combination of titles held, in turn allowing a picture of the overall operation of kingly justice to emerge. “The paper considers the titles and history of two such individuals, comparing and contrasting the titles they held to build a picture which reveals the existence of investigative judicial processes. [more…]
Who Is King Scorpion?
Abstract
The ‘Scorpion’ Mace-head is one of the most significant objects from the main deposit at Hierakonpolis. Unlike the Narmer Mace-head, it is not a complete mace-head but only part of one. Apart from the dominant figure after whom the palette is named, the surrounding scenes are partial; however excellently these have been conserved. This makes the object even more enigmatic and difficult to interpret than usual in the context of the development of Early Dynastic royal iconography. [more…]
This article re-examines the evidence and suggests an alternative identification for King Scorpion. [more…]
The contributions of A.J. Arkell to eastern Saharan prehistory
Abstract
Anthony John Arkell (1898 – 1979) was a pioneer of Sudanese archaeology, a precise and conscientious surveyor and excavator whose publications are still invaluable today. His work provided the framework within which conversations about the prehistory of the Sudan are discussed. When he returned to live and work in England Arkell was responsible for restoring the collections of the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology, its contents having been packed into 800 boxes during the Second World War. He went on to research and write about the Egyptian Predynastic, helping to revive interest in the pre-Pharaonic period. Anthony Arkell’s contribution to the archaeology of the Eastern Sahara is explored with reference to both his own publications and to comments made by other researchers about the range and value of his work. [more…]
Hatshepsut, King of Egypt (1479–1458 BC)
By Barbara O’Neill. Published on Egyptological, December 7th 2011, Magazine Edition 3. “There’s a world of difference between truth and facts. Facts can obscure the truth” (Maya Angelou) In the Beginning Most people first learn about Hatshepsut on discovering her elegant mortuary temple at Deir el Bahri. Some visitors to the site may [more…]
Ancient Egyptian Religion, Part 3 – Temples, Festivals and Personal Piety
By Brian Alm Published on Egyptological, Magazine Edition 3, December 7th 2011 Introduction Thus far we have covered the fundamental concepts and ideologies that informed the religion of ancient Egypt — cosmic order (maat), the duality of paired principles, and divine magic (heka) — and how theology explained Creation and equipped humankind with the [more…]
By Brian Alm
An Introduction to The Coptic Period in Egypt. The Early Christian era 1st Century AD – 7th Century AD
By Howard Middleton-Jones. Published on Egyptological, Magazine Edition 3, December 7th 2011. First in an occasional series about Coptic heritage by Howard Middleton-Jones. Introduction The Middle East is a region of remarkable achievements, captured in literature from the 19th century onwards, often expressed in superlative terms. Readers will be familiar with the ‘Cradle of [more…]
AWT Conference 2011 Review: Glass Faience and Pottery Making at Amarna (Paul Nicholson)
O45.1: An Ancient Industrial Estate Review by Kate Phizackerley. Published on Egyptological, Magazine Reviews, Edition 3, 7th December 2011 Introduction As described in the overview of the 2011 AWT Conference which I co-authored with Andrea Byrnes (see bottom of this review), Dr Paul Nicholson spoke about his excavation of the Amarna site designated O45.1, which [more…]
AWT Conference 2011 Review: Curse of the Pharaoh’s DNA (Jo Marchant)
Review by Kate Phizackerley. Published on Egyptological, Magazine Reviews, 7th December 2011 (Edition 3). Introduction Many people were looking forward to hearing Jo Marchant speak about the DNA tests undertaken by Drs Zink, Pusch et al, and she didn’t disappoint. She was an outstanding speaker. She opened her talk by describing DNA itself, a [more…]
Book Review: Gifts of the Nile – Ancient Egyptian Faience (Florence Dunn Friedman)
Faience was celebrated in the exhibition “Gifts of the Nile, ” which was organized by The Museum of Art, Rhode Island School of Design in Cleveland (U.S.), where it opened in 1998 before it then travelled to the Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth in Texas (U.S.). Published to accompany the exhibition, the book Gifts of the Nile brings together academic insights, an exhibition catalogue, and colour plates. [more…]
Fatimid Rock Crystal in the V&A Museum, London
There are three items on display at present, although the V&A inventory implies that there are other similar objects on display in their collection. They can be found on the ground floor to the left of the central lobby in the Islamic Art section. Multiple views of the large rock crystal ewer have been provided [more…]
By Sarah Preece
Notes on the Goddess Pakhet
In her article on Hatshepsut in the December 2011 edition of the Magazine, Barbara O’Neill mentions the deity Pakhet. The following introduces what little is known about this elusive deity. Pakhet was represented in the form of a woman with a lion’s head (figure 1- click to see the bigger image). She looks very like leonine representations of Sekhmet and Bastet and was often associated with them. [more…]
Bust of Ptolemy I – British Museum
In addition to the usual variety of our photo albums, occasionally I like to add a small album of photos of a single item which can be used as a rescource for those writing about the topic. We know first hand how hard it can be to source images. So the images in this album [more…]