Tomb restoration completed - Heritage - Al-Ahram Weekly - Ahram Online

https://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/50/1207/565929/AlAhram-Weekly/Heritage/Tomb-restoration-completed.aspx

Tomb restoration completed

Nevine El-Aref , Tuesday 14 Apr 2026

The restoration of three tombs in the Al-Khokha Necropolis at Luxor has now been completed

In the Al-Khokha Necropolis on the West Bank of the Nile at Luxor, where the desert cliffs guard centuries of ancient history, three ancient Egyptian tombs have been restored, two of which are set to open to visitors for the first time in the coming months, reports Nevine El-Aref.

The initiative forms part of a broader national strategy to preserve Egypt’s archaeological heritage while expanding the range of accessible sites for both local and international tourists, as well as enriching the visitor experience and reinforcing Egypt’s global standing as a premier destination for cultural tourism.

The three tombs date back to the New Kingdom, one of the most artistically rich periods in ancient Egyptian history. Both tombs, TT416 and TT417, will be opened to the public for the first time since their discovery in 2015. 

TT416 belongs to Amenhotep, also known as Rebuia, who served as a gatekeeper of the god Amun at Karnak during the reign of King Thutmose III. Nearby, TT417 is the tomb of his son, Samut, dating to the reign of Thutmose IV. The third tomb, TT52, belonging to Nakht, a scribe of granaries under Thutmose IV, has already been opened following extensive restoration.

Hisham Al-Leithy, secretary general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA), said the restoration was carried out using advanced scientific techniques and by specialised conservation teams and had a dual objective – to preserve the integrity of the tombs while making them accessible in a safe and sustainable way.

The tombs themselves offer vivid insights into ancient Egyptian life and beliefs. Their walls are adorned with scenes of agriculture, daily routines, and funerary rituals, hallmarks of New Kingdom artistry. In the tomb of Rebuia, a rare depiction shows offerings being presented to the goddess Renenutet, associated with harvest and nourishment.

Despite being incomplete, Samut’s tomb features remarkably refined decorative elements, underscoring the craftsmanship of the period.

Beyond the conservation work, the project has also introduced a range of visitor-friendly upgrades to the tombs. Wooden walkways, modern lighting systems, and newly constructed stone staircases now guide visitors through them, and informational signage, shaded seating areas, and bilingual guide materials have been added to enhance accessibility and comfort.

In TT52, restoration teams have replaced outdated glass barriers with modern materials that better protect the delicate wall paintings while improving airflow inside the tomb. The site has also undergone thorough cleaning and structural treatment to address cracks and accumulated debris.

Architecturally, the tombs follow the classic T-shaped layout typical of the 18th Dynasty, with transverse halls leading into longitudinal chambers centred around statue niches. Some were reused in later periods, incorporating additional rooms and burial shafts and adding layers to their historical narrative.

For Egypt, projects like the one at the Al-Khokha Necropolis are more than preservation efforts; they are investments in the future of tourism. By opening lesser-known sites like this one, the authorities hope to diversify visitor traffic beyond the most frequented landmarks and encourage longer, more immersive stays in Luxor.

As preparations continue for the official opening of the newly restored tombs, the West Bank once again proves that even after many millennia it still has new stories to tell.

---

* A version of this article appears in print in the 16 April, 2026 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly.

Short link:

Sent from my Linux system.

Ancient Egyptian stone monument depicting a Roman emperor as a pharaoh discovered in Luxor | Live Science

https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/ancient-egyptians/ancient-egyptian-stone-monument-depicting-a-roman-emperor-as-a-pharaoh-discovered-in-luxor

Ancient Egyptian stone monument depicting a Roman emperor as a pharaoh discovered in Luxor

News

By Margherita Bassi published April 12, 2026

A stone slab depicting the Roman emperor Tiberius was found during restoration work at the Karnak temple complex in Luxor.

An ancient Egyptian stela that depicts the Roman emperor Tiberius (right) next to the Egyptian deities Amun, Mut and Khonsu. (Image credit: Courtesy of the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities)

Archaeologists in Egypt have discovered a 2,000-year-old sandstone monument depicting a Roman emperor as a pharaoh.

The small rectangular monument, called a stela or stele, was found during restoration work at Karnak temple complex in Luxor (ancient Thebes). The slab, measuring about 23.6 by 15.7 inches (60 by 40 centimeters), dates to Tiberius' rule (A.D. 14 to 37), indicating that it features the powerful emperor, according to a translated statement by Egypt's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.

When Tiberius came to power, Egypt had already been a province of the Roman Empire for 44 years. Tiberius was therefore the ruler who was responsible for maintaining ma'at, or the principle of cosmic order in ancient Egyptian religion, according to Egyptologist Abdelghaffar Wagdy, general director of Luxor's Antiquities and co-director of the Egyptian-French Archaeological Center leading the mission.

"To fulfill this role, the ruler needed to be shown performing traditional rituals in a form that the gods would recognize — namely, as a pharaoh," Wagdy told Live Science in an email.

The image on the newly uncovered stela features Tiberius standing in front of Amun, Mut and Khonsu, gods worshipped in Luxor, whose presence alongside the Roman emperor is important. "By offering Maat to them, the emperor is shown fulfilling his duty toward the local divine order," Wagdy said. "The triad also represents a divine family (father, mother and son), which mirrors the structure of kingship itself and reinforces the emperor's legitimacy."

By presenting Tiberius as a pharaoh, the Egyptians enabled his incorporation into the province's religious system. Egyptian-style representation of Roman emperors was common in religious settings. But the emperors retained their Roman style in coins and official Roman statues, according to Wagdy.
 

The site at the Karnak temple complex in Luxor, where archaeologists found the 2,000-year-old monument. (Image credit: Courtesy of the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities)

The incorporation of Egypt into the Roman Empire has been closely tied to three famous figures: Augustus (formerly Octavian), Mark Antony and Cleopatra VII. After discarding the third member of their triumvirate, a general named Marcus Aemilius Lepidus, Augustus and Antony each aimed to take control of the entire empire. Anthony allied with Cleopatra, ancient Egypt's last pharaoh. Augustus, Rome's future first emperor, ultimately defeated the two lovers at the Battle of Actium near Greece in 31 B.C. Egypt became a Roman province the following year.

By signing up, you agree to our Terms of services and acknowledge that you have read our Privacy Notice. You also agree to receive marketing emails from us that may include promotions from our trusted partners and sponsors, which you can unsubscribe from at any time.

Augustus was succeeded by his stepson, Tiberius, who exerted authority in Egypt via envoys and never set foot in the province, a common practice for Roman emperors. Tiberius' name appears on Egyptian monuments associated with temples as a way of preserving the region's religious institutions, Wagdy explained.

The stela "reflects a standard ideological and administrative system, in which emperors were presented as pious builders and protectors of temples, regardless of their actual level of involvement," he said. "The monument expresses what a king should be in Egyptian terms, rather than documenting his personal achievements."
 

Researchers showcase the 2,000-year-old stela at Luxor (ancient Thebes). (Image credit: Courtesy of the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities)

The stela was uncovered during a recent restoration of a gate north of the Karnak temple complex, which was constructed from about 4,000 years ago up until Roman times. Coincidentally, the stela also features five lines of hieroglyphics detailing the renovation of the Temple of Amun-Ra's wall, according to the statement.

"It is highly likely that the stela originally functioned as a fixed architectural marker, embedded in the outer face of the enclosure wall, commemorating the restoration of that very section of the gateway," Wagdy said. Its days of public display aren't over, however. Two millennia later, the stela's new home will be in a museum, Wagdy said in the statement.

---

Margherita Bassi

Live Science Contributor

Margherita is a trilingual freelance writer specializing in science and history writing with a particular interest in archaeology, palaeontology, astronomy and human behavior. She earned her BA from Boston College in English literature, ancient history and French, and her journalism MA from L'École Du Journalisme de Nice in International New Media Journalism. In addition to Live Science, her bylines include Smithsonian Magazine, Discovery Magazine, BBC Travel, Atlas Obscura and more.

-- 
Sent from my Linux system.

A sacred basin in the sands: Pelusium’s water temple rewrites history - Ancient Egypt - Antiquities - Ahram Online

https://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/9/40/565678/Antiquities/Ancient-Egypt/A-sacred-basin-in-the-sands-Pelusium%E2%80%99s-water-templ.aspx

sacred basin in the sands: Pelusium’s water temple rewrites history

Nevine El-Aref , Thursday 9 Apr 2026

After six years of excavation at Tell El-Farama in North Sinai, archaeologists have uncovered a rare water-centred ritual complex dedicated to the deity Pelusius—reshaping long-held assumptions about the ancient city of Pelusium and its role in antiquity.

After six years of excavation, a mission from Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA) has revealed a structure unlike any previously identified temple. The newly uncovered remains point to a sacred installation devoted to water rituals, challenging earlier interpretations of the site and opening a new chapter in understanding Pelusium’s historical role.

Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Sherif Fathy described the discovery as a testament to the archaeological richness of North Sinai, emphasizing that the region continues to hold vast, untapped potential. He added that sustained excavation efforts and rigorous scientific research remain essential to deepening historical knowledge and advancing academic inquiry.

Hisham El-Leithy, Secretary-General of the SCA, noted that the find underscores Pelusium’s historical role as a crossroads for the exchange and diffusion of ideas across the ancient world. Architecturally, the structure presents a striking synthesis of styles, blending ancient Egyptian traditions with Hellenistic and Roman influences—an indication of the dynamic cultural interactions that shaped Egypt in later periods.

At the heart of the complex lies a circular basin measuring approximately 35 metres in diameter. Connected to the Pelusiac branch of the Nile, it was filled with silt-rich water symbolically associated with the god Pelusius, whose name derives from the Greek word pelos, meaning “mud.”

Encircling the basin is an elaborate system of water channels designed for drainage, while a square platform at its centre likely supported a monumental statue of the deity. Archaeological evidence suggests that the structure remained in use for nearly eight centuries—from the 2nd century BCE to the 6th century CE—with only minor modifications over time.

According to Hisham Hussein, supervisor of the mission, the interpretation of the site evolved significantly. Initial excavations in 2019 uncovered only a quarter of a circular red-brick structure, leading researchers to believe it was a senate building. Continued excavation, however, revealed a far more complex layout, featuring multiple entrances and an extensive hydraulic system.

He added that the research team combined meticulous fieldwork with comparative analysis of similar structures from the Hellenistic and Roman worlds, prompting a reassessment of the building’s function. This reinterpretation was further reinforced through scholarly exchanges with international experts, including Jean-Yves Carrez-Maratray of Sorbonne University, who confirmed that the structure was not civic in nature but rather a sacred complex tied to water-based religious rituals.

The discovery not only redefines the architectural identity of the site but also restores Pelusium’s status as a vital centre of religious innovation and cultural exchange in the ancient Mediterranean world.

 Short link:

 

-- 
Sent from my Linux system.

Mystery item spotted in 2,000-year-old Egyptian child mummy | Popular Science

https://www.popsci.com/science/child-mummy-egyptian-mystery-item/

Mystery item spotted in 2,000-year-old Egyptian child mummy

Critical information about this unknown boy was destroyed during World War II.

Andrew Paul

Published Apr 13, 2026 11:45 AM EDT

CT scanning and X-ray imaging allowed archaeologists to examine the mummy in extreme detail. Credit: Marzena Ożarek-Szilke / University of Wrocław

Archaeologists in Poland are finally solving an over 2,000-year-old mummy mystery. After modern warfare erased vital information about the ancient Egyptian child, researchers were unsure about the boy’s origins and life. Now, they’ve discovered a striking detail while examining the delicate remains—a once-hidden ritual object resting on the boy’s chest. Their findings published in the journal Digital Applications in Archaeology and Cultural Heritage are now helping fill in the gaps of our understanding of ancient burial practices, while also underscoring how much is left to learn about the complex art of Egyptian mummification.

The child’s precise origins are an unfortunate casualty of war. Although the mummy has remained a part of the Archdiocesan Museum in the city of Wrocław since 1914, its records were lost during World War II. The well-preserved body remained in the museum’s archives for decades, but archaeologists only began a first comprehensive analysis in 2023. Led by historian Agata Kubala at the University of Wrocław, the team utilized techniques including CT scanning and X-ray imaging to create highly detailed, 3D images of the mummy and its decorated casing known as the cartonnage. This allowed them to gain unprecedented looks at the specimen without damaging it.

The boy likely came from a middle-class family during the Ptolemaic Period. Credit: Marzena Ożarek-Szilke / University of Wrocław

Kubala and her team determined the boy was around eight years old when he died based on his teeth development. However, without any obvious signs of disease or physical trauma, his exact cause of death remains unclear. Despite these gaps, they still could confidently assess other details about the mummy. Preparers extracted his brain through the nasal cavity using traditional methods, but also removed most of his vital organs via some unconventional routes. Mummification frequently relied on organ removal via abdominal incision, but in this case, they appear to have done so through the rectum. The body itself was then partially filled with textile materials, but lacked a large amount of resin. Taken altogether, researchers say these details point to a middle-class family’s burial during the Ptolemaic Period (about 332–30 BCE).

Although the historical records are gone, the mummy’s cartonnage offered numerous clues about its origins. It included iconography and thematic images of rosettes, a winged scarab, and lotuses all point to Upper Egypt—more specifically the area near Kom Ombo or Aswan. There is even the depiction of a hybridized deity carrying a mummy. The study’s authors theorize this may be the primordial snake god, Nehebkau.

But according to the archaeologists, the most intriguing find isn’t the mummy’s preservation techniques or cartonnage design. During 3D imaging, experts noticed an unknown object placed on the child’s chest. Attempting to physically examine the item is far too risky given the overall state of the remains. While a definitive answer isn’t possible just yet, the archaeologists think the item is possibly a papyrus scroll containing personal information on the boy—maybe even his name. The researchers are undeterred, and plan on exploring alternative methods to reveal the object’s secrets.

“This is not the end of the research,” Kubala said in a university statement. “We are still working on the mummy.”

-- 
Sent from my Linux system.

Guardians, Tricksters, Terrors: Demons of Ancient Egypt, Wednesday, Apr 15 from 7 pm to 9 pm | Eventbrite

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/guardians-tricksters-terrors-demons-of-ancient-egypt-tickets-1986103975455

Guardians, Tricksters, Terrors: Demons of Ancient Egypt

ByClio's Books

Clio's BooksOakland, CA

Wednesday, Apr 15 from 7 pm to 9 pm

A seminar with Rita Lucarelli.

When we hear the word demon, we often imagine malevolent, evil beings. But in ancient Egypt, demons could be protectors and punishers, guardians of sacred spaces or terrifying creatures lurking in the underworld. They appeared in spells, tomb paintings, and magical texts, shaping how people understood and experienced danger, illness, justice, and the afterlife.

Please join Rita Lucarelli at Clio's on April 15th to explore the fascinating world of Egyptian demons: strange hybrid beings with knives, animal heads, and supernatural powers who stood at the borders between life and death, order and chaos, safety and threat. Discover how ordinary Egyptians tried to control these forces with magic, why some demons protected mothers and children, and how others tested the souls of the dead.

With vivid images and stories from ancient texts, Rita will lead us through a hidden side of Egyptian religion—one rich in mystery and imagination, and populated by creatures that were neither gods nor monsters but something in between and beyond. This is an evening for anyone curious about ancient beliefs, mythology, and the dark corners of the ancient world.

Rita Lucarelli is an Associate Professor of Egyptology at UC Berkeley and Faculty Curator of Egyptology at the Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of Anthropology. Her research centers on ancient Egyptian religion, especially funerary texts, demonology, and the modern reception of ancient Egyptian religion. She is currently completing a monograph on ancient Egyptian demonology and teaches courses on Egyptian and comparative religion through the Mount Tamalpais College program at San Quentin Rehabilitation Center. Her work highlights an interdisciplinary approach that blends digital innovation, public scholarship, and the study of ancient religious thought.

Good to know

Highlights

• 2 hours
• all ages
• In person
•   Tickets $10
•   Get tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/guardians-tricksters-terrors-demons-of-ancient-egypt-tickets-1986103975455

  Doors at 6:30 PM

Refund Policy: No refunds

Location

Clio's Books

353 Grand Avenue
Oakland, CA 94610

For a scrollable map, please click on the eventbrite web page link at the top of this email. 

Wi-Wi-Wi – How the Quail’s Call Influenced Hieroglyphs — University of Bonn

https://www.uni-bonn.de/en/news/wi-wi-wi-how-the-quails-call-influenced-hieroglyphs

In his new book, Egyptologist Prof. Ludwig Morenz traces the "long road to writing"

In the age of voice messages and videos, writing is easily forgotten. Yet for millennia, it has been the central medium of our cultural memory: it stores knowledge and tells stories. Simple symbols give rise to entire worlds in the mind—almost like cinema without popcorn. Whether painted or carved in stone, it lasts an astonishingly long time. Without it, we would know little about the past. Even before humans could read, they interpreted signs: they read animal tracks, navigated by the stars, and determined the time of day by the sun's position. Egyptologist Prof. Ludwig Morenz of the University of Bonn describes the long road to writing in his new book. 

Interplay of image, pictographic symbols, and writing: - detail from a royal field scene at Wadi el Malik (4th millennium BCE): Figurative bulls as images, above them the hieroglyph ARMS denoting an early king's name (Ka = "bull"); to the left of it, a bull's head as a pictographic symbol for the cow goddess Bat. © Redrawn by Johann Thiele

Download all images in original size The impression in connection with the service is free, while the image specified author is mentioned.

The origins of writing date back more than five millennia. Written characters emerged more or less simultaneously in the Nile Valley and Mesopotamia. "I don't view the development of writing as a single, isolated event, but rather as a process that spanned half a millennium and involved a correspondingly large number of participants who remain nameless to us," says Egyptologist Prof. Dr. Ludwig Morenz of the University of Bonn. Hence the title of his new book, "The Long Road to Writing."

No Straight Path

Accordingly, the development of writing did not follow a straight path, but rather a series of simple steps. Initially, these served to solve specific problems—such as the phonetically accurate recording of proper names. Gradually, however, they revealed a potential that led from various concrete individual solutions to the "system of writing." Researchers often seek a single reason for the emergence of writing. "In fact, however, we see various and interwoven socio-cultural drivers of the emergence of writing," says Morenz. These included both the staging of authority and administration, as well as communication about, with, and for the gods and the dead.

The book offers an attempt at a comprehensive cultural history of Egyptian writing, in which questions of media archaeology are explained in concrete terms using artifacts and placed within a cultural-historical context. "In doing so, I (re)construct 'significant small steps' along a developmental line that leads from image-as-representation and image-as-meaning to word-image and ultimately to sound-image," says the scholar, who is also a member of the transdisciplinary research area "Present Pasts" and the Cluster of Excellence "Bonn Center for Dependency and Slavery Studies" at the University of Bonn. 

The Quail's Call as a Model

Despite decades of research, Prof. Morenz still encountered surprises: "I was amazed to discover that some monosyllabic signs, whose origins had not yet been explained by previous research, can be interpreted as onomatopoeic imitations of animal sounds." For example, the quail's call "wi-wi-wi" above the bird hieroglyph QUAIL represents the sound "w." The owl ("m") and the vulture ("alef") are also frequently used single-consonant signs. Because these bird images are so striking, Egyptian writing was even referred to from the outside—for example, in Arabic—as "bird writing."

For the scientist at the University of Bonn, single-consonant signs are, so to speak, the keystone in the long process of the phoneticization of the image. "They embody the phonographic principle of one sound value—one consonant. In doing so, they introduce an elementary phonetic dimension into the pictographic signs." This initially began in a very sporadic manner and as a means of problem-solving. The complete inventory of all phonologically relevant consonants then required an understanding of the phonetic structure of the language. "It was only about 300 years after the first beginnings of phonetic marking—around 2950 B.C.—that this developed into a 'system.'"

Away from the center, toward the periphery

For the author, the work of various archaeological missions, as well as his own research both north of Aswan and in the southwest of the Sinai Peninsula, has led to a shift in perspective: In addition to major centers such as Abydos or Hierakonpolis, from which the central monuments of early writing originate, the Egyptologist is increasingly turning his attention to the socio-cultural periphery and highlighting the relatively significant role of the surrounding regions in the development of writing.

Morenz envisions a long-term history of writing as a distant research goal, spanning from the beginnings of Egyptian hieroglyphic writing (as a mixed pictographic-phonetic script) and alphabetic writing (as largely phonetic) through the return of pictorial elements in pictographic scripts since the Renaissance to the present day, amidst digits, emojis, and pictograms. Morenz: "I find it truly sensational to get to the bottom of the origins of a communication technology as central today as writing."

The Nile Valley in the Fourth Millennium – divine symbols replace verbs: - An anthropomorphized Seth-beast (bottom left) hands a bow and arrow to the archer King Horus (right); a Horus falcon with a human arm holds conquered land—personified by a head—on a rope. The scene is intended to visualize divine activity in the human world. © Illustration: Ludwig Morenz/David Sabel

Publication

Ludwig D. Morenz: Vom langen Weg zur Schrift – Über Abstraktion und Sedimentierung im Niltal des Vierten Jahrtausends. Thot. Beiträge zur historischen Epistemologie und Medienarchäologie, EB-Verlag, 176. S, 38,00 Euro

Contact

Prof. Dr. Ludwig D. Morenz
University of Bonn
Department of Egyptology
Tel. 0228/735733
Email: lmorenz@uni-bonn.de 

• 
  

--   Sent from my Linux system.

Ancient monastic complex uncovered in Egypt's Nile Delta - Christian Today

https://www.christiantoday.com/news/ancient-monastic-complex-uncovered-in-egypt-s-nile-delta

Ancient monastic complex uncovered in Egypt's Nile Delta

Egyptian archaeologists unearthed a 1,500-year-old monastic complex in the Nile Delta, Egypt's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announced. (Photo: Egypt Ministry of Tourism and Archives)

Egyptian archaeologists have unearthed a 1,500-year-old monastic complex in the Nile Delta, including a fifth-century building believed to have served as a reception facility for pilgrims, Egypt's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announced.

The discovery was made at the Al-Qalāyā site in Beheira Governorate, where an Egyptian mission from the Supreme Council of Antiquities has been excavating since 2023, according to the announcement.

Officials called the find significant for understanding the origins of organized monastic life.

The newly uncovered structure contains 13 rooms that served multiple functions, including individual and communal monastic cells, spaces for hospitality and education, a kitchen, and storerooms.

Architectural elements added during later historical periods were also identified, indicating the building was modified and repurposed across subsequent phases of use.

A large hall in the northern section of the building features stone benches decorated with botanical motifs and was likely used to receive visitors, including senior monastic figures and those seeking to study monastic life. The building extends along a north-south axis, with a prayer room oriented to face east. A limestone-carved cross is set within the eastern wall.

Hisham El-Leithy, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, identified Al-Qalāyā as the second-largest known monastic gathering site in the history of Christian monasticism. He said its architectural style reflects "the earliest nucleus of monastery establishment."

El-Leithy said the decorative motifs and illustrations found at the site are among the most significant sources for the study of early Coptic art, offering historical and archaeological evidence about the nature of monastic life and artistic development in its earliest stages.

The discovery also shows the evolution of monastic architecture from solitary dwelling to communal housing and, ultimately, to facilities designed to receive visitors, he added.

Wall paintings recovered from the site depict monks, identifiable by their clothing, alongside geometric and plant-based decorations. These include braided ornaments in red, white, and black, as well as an eight-petaled flower. Officials said the works point to the richness of symbolic expression in early Coptic art.

One prominent mural shows two gazelles surrounded by vegetal motifs within a double circular frame, which is believed to carry symbolic meaning, Basilica News Agency reported.

The site offers evidence of a transition from eremitic life, in which monks lived in isolation, to communal monastic organization. The development occurred in a region distinct from the desert areas of southern Egypt, which have long been regarded as the cradle of early monasticism.

A complete marble column measuring 2 meters in length was also recovered, along with column capitals and bases. Pottery fragments bearing vegetal and geometric motifs, ceramic pieces inscribed with Coptic letters, bone remains of birds and animals, and a collection of oyster shells were found across the site. The bone remains and shells are consistent with food preparation and daily activities at the complex, according to officials.

Samir Razaq Abdul-Hafiz, head of the excavation mission, said researchers found a rectangular limestone piece at the entrance of one chamber bearing a Coptic inscription. An initial translation suggests the text is a funerary stele. The inscription refers to the death of an individual identified as "Apa Kyr, son of Shenouda," confirming continued human presence at the site during a period of flourishing monastic development in the region.

Since excavations began in 2023, the mission has also uncovered multiple clusters of monastic cells known as manshubiyyat, groupings of pottery vessels associated with monks' living quarters. Auxiliary service buildings were also found, indicating the presence of a large and organized monastic center.

Research at the site is ongoing.

© The Christian Post

--   Sent from my Linux system.

Northern Cal. Egyptology Lecture April 19 - Ecology, Mimesis, and Humor: Shining A Different Light on Ancient Egyptian Frog Lamps

The American Research Center in Egypt, Northern California chapter, and the UC Berkeley Department of Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures invite you to attend a lecture by Clara McCafferty Wright, Cornell University: Ecology, Mimesis, and Humor: Shining A Different Light on Ancient Egyptian Frog Lamps Sunday, April 19, 2026, 3 PM PDT Room 223 Dwinelle Hall, UC Berkeley This is an in-person lecture, not virtual. The lecture will not be recorded. Lamp decorated with frog legs and wheat ears, baked clay - Museo Egizio Turin P 2126 (Courtesy Wikimedia Commons) About the Lecture: In the Greco-Roman period, a rather curious form of oil lamp emerged—the Egyptian frog lamp. Much of the scholarship about "frog lamps" focuses on potential religious symbolism in Egyptian associations with frog deities, and how frogs as symbols might have functioned in early Christianity in Roman Egypt. In this presentation, I do not attempt to refute these lines of research, but rather to propose a different perspective, informed by Egypt's ecology and by other examples of mimesis in Greco-Roman Egyptian antiquity. From these comparisons, I investigate how we might move beyond sacralizing approaches to more wholistically understand the function frog lamps had in Greco-Roman Egypt. This paper explores the many ways in which frog lamps mimic the real frogs and toads of Egypt. Additionally, by comparing the effect of Egyptian frog lamps to other mimetic, humorous artifacts from the ancient world, I argue that there is room for interpreting frog lamps as objects of visual humor—not merely humble light sources or objects of religious significance. About the Speaker: Clara McCafferty Wright is a graduate student at Cornell University in Classical Archaeology and Art. Her primary research foci include Ptolemaic and Roman Egypt, and Greco-Roman reception of Egypt. She recently completed an MPhil degree in Egyptology at the University of Cambridge with a dissertation entitled, "Reconsidering Cleopatra VII: The Lost Narrative of Egypt's Last Queen." Clara earned her A.B. at Bryn Mawr College in 2019, where she double majored in Classical and Near Eastern Archaeology & Classical Cultures and Societies. At Bryn Mawr, she was a Hanna Holborn Gray Research Fellow and authored a thesis on Cleopatra VII's political influence on the Isis cult in Italy. During her undergraduate degree, she also studied in the Egyptology programs at the University of Pennsylvania and the American University in Cairo. In addition, she established The Bryn Mawr College Magic Lantern Slide Digitization Project. Clara currently serves as the Public Outreach Officer of The American Research Center in Egypt—Missouri Chapter, and a team member of the Egyptology State of the Field Survey Project. Clara is passionate about diversifying our understanding of the ancient world to one which includes the narratives of disenfranchised members of societies, including women, enslaved people, and the working class. She has a strong interest in using the study of the past to empower people today by making information on the ancient world accessible to rural and underprivileged communities. --------------------- Parking is available in UC lots all day on weekends, for a fee. Ticket dispensing machines accept debit or credit cards. Parking is available in the Lower Sproul garage near Dwinelle Hall, and in other nearby lots. A parking map of the campus is available at https://pt.berkeley.edu/sites/default/files/campus_parking_map_august_2025.pdf. To find out how to get to room 223 in Dwinelle Hall, go to this website: https://dkess.me/dwinelle/. Not all entrances to the building will be unlocked, so it's best to start from the main entrance. About Northern California ARCE: For more information, please visit https://www.youtube.com/@NorthernCaliforniaARCE, https://www.facebook.com/NorthernCaliforniaARCE, https://arce-nc.org, https://bsky.app/profile/khentiamentiu.bsky.social, and https://khentiamentiu.org. To join the chapter or renew your membership, please go to https://arce.org/membership/ and select "Berkeley, CA" as your chapter when you sign up.