Between Prague and Cairo. 100 years of Czech Egyptology | Český egyptologický ústav

https://cegu.ff.cuni.cz/en/2019/07/30/between-prague-and-cairo-100-years-of-czech-egyptology/

Between Prague and Cairo. 100 years of Czech Egyptology

30.7.2019 News News from Prague

Karolinum, Prague, 2^nd August – 8^th September 2019

This year a century will pass since the first lectures in Egyptology, which associate professor František Lexa held at the Charles University in the summer semester of 1919. Czech Egyptology has made giant strides forward since then, and the Czech Institute of Egyptology of the Faculty of Arts, Charles University, the only institution of its kind in our country, commemorates the anniversary of this journey by an exhibition organized in cooperation with the Charles University in the exhibition premises of the Karolinum.

The exhibition first guides the visitor through the harsh beginnings, when a new scholarly discipline was born in the humble conditions of the university in the first half of the 20^th century. Only thanks to the great personal effort and indomitable spirit of František Lexa could Egyptology be established at the university. Through the efforts of his pupils, it then developed from a purely armchair academic seminar in Prague into a real scholarly institution excavating in Egypt, the fieldwork being enabled by the acquisition of a permanent license to excavate in Egypt.

The second part of the exhibition offers a glimpse into the years 1960-2019, when the institute already organized archaeological excavations directly in Egypt and the Sudan. The main focus lies on Abusir, today the main archaeological field of Czech Egyptologists. Period photographs show not only the changes of the archaeological site itself, but also of the neighbourhood, which transformed dramatically through the centuries. The satellite image shows the extent of the area and its archaeological potential for the next generations of researchers.

Abusir is not the only site that has been explored by the Czech Institute of Egyptology in the course of the last decades. The exhibition presents also other temporary and long-term projects, like the participation in the UNESCO campaign in Nubia and explorations in the Western Desert or in today's Sudan.

Besides the story of unearthing various sites, attention focuses also at the specific tasks performed by members of the Czech exploration team. Egyptological work is often understood as discovering new monuments, but that is only the initial step of the extensive research activities that follow after the work in the field. The projects thus present the possibilities of interpretation offered by the individual discoveries and artefacts, and their contribution to the study of not only the ancient Egyptian civilization itself, but also to the comparative study of civilizations and development of the environment in the long-term perspective.

The festive opening will take place on the 1^st of August 2019 and the visitors from among the general public will be welcome in the Karolinum exhibition premises between the 2^nd August 2019 and 8^th September 2019, daily from 10 AM to 6 PM.

 

View of the Abusir pyramid field with a number of hitherto unexcavated structures © archive of the Czech Institute of Egyptology, Faculty of Arts, Charles University

Portrait of the founder of Czech Egyptology, František Lexa © archive of the Czech Institute of Egyptology, Faculty of Arts, Charles University

The first pupils and followers of professor Lexa, Jaroslav Černý and Zbyněk Žába, in front of the portrait of their teacher © archive of the Czech Institute of Egyptology, Faculty of Arts, Charles University

The catamaran "Friend of Nubia", which served as the base of the Czechoslovak team working in Nubia in terms of the UNESCO salvation campaign © archive of the Czech Institute of Egyptology, Faculty of Arts, Charles University

View of the partially reconstructed facade of the mastaba of Ptahshepses with a pair of re-erected columns © archive of the Czech Institute of Egyptology, Faculty of Arts, Charles University

Egyptian workmen during the exploration of the pyramid of Khentkaus II © archive of the Czech Institute of Egyptology, Faculty of Arts, Charles University

The most beautiful of the royal statues of King Raneferef discovered in his funerary temple © archive of the Czech Institute of Egyptology, Faculty of Arts, Charles University

The richly decorated false door of the judge Inti with an offering altar was the place where the living brought offerings to the dead © archive of the Czech Institute of Egyptology, Faculty of Arts, Charles University

Excellently preserved polychrome limestone statues of the official Nefer were among the surprising finds of 2012 © archive of the Czech Institute of Egyptology, Faculty of Arts, Charles University

The name and image of Kaires, perhaps one of the oldest ancient Egyptian sages, was brought back to life thanks to last year's excavations on the pyramid field © archive of the Czech Institute of Egyptology, Faculty of Arts, Charles University

 

Published 30.7.2019 News News from Prague

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