http://homenewshere.com/daily_times_chronicle/news/winchester/article_4562111c-1115-11e5-aadf-47bcfef927ad.html
Egyptian artifact found in Winchester
Egyptian Stone
Local developers discovered this Egyptian offering table several years ago. After showing the artifact to several professors, both from here and California, they discovered it dates back to around 300 B.C.
Posted: Friday, June 12, 2015 12:00 pm
WINCHESTER - It is
not everyday one finds a large 225 pound, authenticated Egyptian
artifact while digging in the yard, but that is exactly what happened in
Winchester, seven years ago.
Local developers,
Barton and Earl, working in Winchester, had just purchased a home built
in the 1940's with plans to knock down the old home and build a new
one.
After razing the home and beginning their work
they noticed a unique, large stone on the ground. What made the stone
unique was a protruding bulbous shape in the center. Intrigued, they
turned the heavy stone over and to their surprise they saw strange
writings and unique carvings.
Not knowing what they have just found, the stone was carefully set aside and the two went back to work. About a year later, Barton contacted a family member, Brett, to have a look at the stone. Upon seeing the large stone, Brett, too, had no idea what it was, but he was very intrigued and wanted to try and figure out what Barton and Earl had found. After many weeks of researching the stone's writing font on the internet, Brett finally discovered that the font lettering that was on the stone dated to around 360 BC and might have Roman origin.
After the lengthy research and making a few contacts, Professor Dr. Patricia A. Johnston from Brandeis University in Waltham agreed to look at the stone. Upon seeing it, Dr. Johnston said one of the words on the stone read "PTOLEMY".
It was noted by one of the experts that after Greece conquered Egypt in 366 B.C., for the next 330 years all of the Egyptian Kings took on the Greek name, "Ptolemy." Though Barton and Earl didn't actually know who or what "Ptolemy" was, it certainly excited Dr. Johnston.
Then Dr. Johnston through a network of her professional colleagues and friends was able to get in touch with Dr. Rita Freed and Dr. Laura Gadberry at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.
It was now April of 2010 and a meeting was arranged with the help from Dr. Johnston and held at the MFA with all involved. Upon seeing the stone Dr. Freed said she was 100 percent positive that the stone was genuine and an authentic Egyptian offering table from Egypt and she also agreed it read a particular name OF PTOLEMY.
An offering table is a highly coveted sacred Egyptian object placed at the burial site of a notable person's tomb and used as a table to hold food offerings for the deceased in the afterlife.
Dr. Freed and Dr. Gadberry also said the Egyptian offering table was between 2,000 to 2,300 years old. The second word on the offering table they thought was possibly a name (Lithionos) but they were not sure; however, they indicated they would double check with someone whom they knew.
In April of 2011, Dr. Freed and Dr. Gadberry set up a meeting with Dr. Ronald Stroud, Klio Distinguished Professor of Classical Languages and Literature Emeritus at the University of California, Berkeley.
When Dr. Stroud came to Boston, he viewed the Egyptian offering table in person at the MFA. Dr. Stroud authenticated the offering table as well, saying the offering table reads: Aethiop son of Ptolemy.
The history books and the MFA web site indicate that during the American Civil War (1861-1865) a Yankee Sea Captain on his way home from the Mediterranean stopped in Alexandria Egypt and acquired Egyptian artifacts to use as ballast on his boat.
Upon arrival to the United States, the boat was captured by the confederate militia and all of the Egyptian artifacts were confiscated and brought to the Customs House in New Orleans. A man named General Benjamin F. Butler, of New Orleans, was in charge of the Customs House and all of the newly confiscated artifacts.
According to the research, General Butler told his brother in law Postmaster General Parker ( of Lowell) about the newly acquired Egyptian artifacts. Parker eventually purchased some of the Egyptian antiquities from the Customs House in New Orleans and brought the artifacts to his home in Lowell and placed them in his yard garden outside his home.
About 60 years later in the 1920’s the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston (ironically) purchased some (but not all ) of Parker’s garden Egyptian artifacts. Parker”s granddaughter, Katherine (Tucke), married Mr. Sidney C. Blanchard of Winchester and the couple made their home in the town of Winchester as well.
Those looking into how the Egyptian offering table might have ended up buried in a yard in Winchester believe that the offering table was initially used as ballast on the Yankee Ship Captains boat and made it to Parker’s garden in Lowell and then Parker’s granddaughter Katherine (Tucke) Blanchard, who lived in Winchester, may have somehow facilitated in the transportation of the offering table from her grandfather's garden to Winchester where she and her husband Sidney had lived.
The home that was razed seven years ago is not believed to be the Blanchard's home.
For inquiries, kindly contact ptolemyofferingtable@gmail.com.
(The names Barton, Earl and Brett in this story are not their real names; however, the actual people who purchased the home and found the offering table in Winchester are certainly excited about their discovery and wanted to share that excitement and their enthusiasm with the general public. )
© 2015 Homenewshere.com. Not knowing what they have just found, the stone was carefully set aside and the two went back to work. About a year later, Barton contacted a family member, Brett, to have a look at the stone. Upon seeing the large stone, Brett, too, had no idea what it was, but he was very intrigued and wanted to try and figure out what Barton and Earl had found. After many weeks of researching the stone's writing font on the internet, Brett finally discovered that the font lettering that was on the stone dated to around 360 BC and might have Roman origin.
After the lengthy research and making a few contacts, Professor Dr. Patricia A. Johnston from Brandeis University in Waltham agreed to look at the stone. Upon seeing it, Dr. Johnston said one of the words on the stone read "PTOLEMY".
It was noted by one of the experts that after Greece conquered Egypt in 366 B.C., for the next 330 years all of the Egyptian Kings took on the Greek name, "Ptolemy." Though Barton and Earl didn't actually know who or what "Ptolemy" was, it certainly excited Dr. Johnston.
Then Dr. Johnston through a network of her professional colleagues and friends was able to get in touch with Dr. Rita Freed and Dr. Laura Gadberry at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.
It was now April of 2010 and a meeting was arranged with the help from Dr. Johnston and held at the MFA with all involved. Upon seeing the stone Dr. Freed said she was 100 percent positive that the stone was genuine and an authentic Egyptian offering table from Egypt and she also agreed it read a particular name OF PTOLEMY.
An offering table is a highly coveted sacred Egyptian object placed at the burial site of a notable person's tomb and used as a table to hold food offerings for the deceased in the afterlife.
Dr. Freed and Dr. Gadberry also said the Egyptian offering table was between 2,000 to 2,300 years old. The second word on the offering table they thought was possibly a name (Lithionos) but they were not sure; however, they indicated they would double check with someone whom they knew.
In April of 2011, Dr. Freed and Dr. Gadberry set up a meeting with Dr. Ronald Stroud, Klio Distinguished Professor of Classical Languages and Literature Emeritus at the University of California, Berkeley.
When Dr. Stroud came to Boston, he viewed the Egyptian offering table in person at the MFA. Dr. Stroud authenticated the offering table as well, saying the offering table reads: Aethiop son of Ptolemy.
The history books and the MFA web site indicate that during the American Civil War (1861-1865) a Yankee Sea Captain on his way home from the Mediterranean stopped in Alexandria Egypt and acquired Egyptian artifacts to use as ballast on his boat.
Upon arrival to the United States, the boat was captured by the confederate militia and all of the Egyptian artifacts were confiscated and brought to the Customs House in New Orleans. A man named General Benjamin F. Butler, of New Orleans, was in charge of the Customs House and all of the newly confiscated artifacts.
According to the research, General Butler told his brother in law Postmaster General Parker ( of Lowell) about the newly acquired Egyptian artifacts. Parker eventually purchased some of the Egyptian antiquities from the Customs House in New Orleans and brought the artifacts to his home in Lowell and placed them in his yard garden outside his home.
About 60 years later in the 1920’s the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston (ironically) purchased some (but not all ) of Parker’s garden Egyptian artifacts. Parker”s granddaughter, Katherine (Tucke), married Mr. Sidney C. Blanchard of Winchester and the couple made their home in the town of Winchester as well.
Those looking into how the Egyptian offering table might have ended up buried in a yard in Winchester believe that the offering table was initially used as ballast on the Yankee Ship Captains boat and made it to Parker’s garden in Lowell and then Parker’s granddaughter Katherine (Tucke) Blanchard, who lived in Winchester, may have somehow facilitated in the transportation of the offering table from her grandfather's garden to Winchester where she and her husband Sidney had lived.
The home that was razed seven years ago is not believed to be the Blanchard's home.
For inquiries, kindly contact ptolemyofferingtable@gmail.com.
(The names Barton, Earl and Brett in this story are not their real names; however, the actual people who purchased the home and found the offering table in Winchester are certainly excited about their discovery and wanted to share that excitement and their enthusiasm with the general public. )
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