An archaeological mission from Cairo University uncovered the tomb of Ptah-M-Wia, head of the treasury during the reign of King Ramses II, during excavation work at the Saqqara necropolis, a statement by the Egyptian Tourism Ministry said on Saturday.
King Ramses II
According to Mostafa Waziri, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, the discovery is important because of the several titles the tomb owner possessed in life. He was the royal scribe, the head of the treasury, the supervisors of cattle and was responsible for sacrifices to the deities at Ramses II temple in Thebes.
He pointed out that the area where the new discovery was made includes the tombs of top officials of the New Kingdom, among with is the tomb of the renowned military commander Haremhab.
Mohamed Othman El-Khosht, Head of Cairo University, explained that this is another important discovery made by the university's mission in Saqqara, highlighting the top priority the institution affords to field work alongside research and scientific work.
Other important discoveries made by the mission include the tomb of the mayor of Memphis, Ptah-Mas; the royal ambassador to foreign countries, Basir; and the supreme commander of the army, Eurkhi.
The head of the archaeological mission, Ola El-Egazy, added that the tomb architecture is similar to its neighbours. This style is known as a tomb-temple because it consists of an entrance in the form of an edifice, followed by one or more courtyards. The tomb ends at the western side with a shrine for deities headed by a pyramidion.
The entrance of the tomb is the only uncovered part and it is carved in stone engraved with scenes depicting the tomb's owner, she added.
The entrance leads to a first hall with painted walls showing scenes depicting the offerings processions.
Many stone blocks were found under the sand, as well as several Osirian columns, some of which are still lying in sand while others are standing in their original place. "All these pieces will be studied to be put back in their original places inside the tomb," El-Egazy said, adding that the mission had completed all the required work on the tomb of the supreme commander of the army during the reign of King Seti I and his son, King Ramses II.
Ahmed Ragab, dean of the Faculty of Archeology, said that excavation work in Saqqara began in the 1970s at the New Kingdom cemetery south of the road leading to the pyramid of King Unas. Headed by Professor Sayed Tawfiq 1983-1986, this mission resulted in the discovery of many tombs dating back to the Ramesside period, including the tomb of the royal vizier Nefer-Ranpet.
The university's current mission, headed by Ola El-Egazy, started in 2005 and has continued through the present.
Dr. Patrick Hunt, AIA Stanford Society President, has extended an invitation to ARCE-NC members to attend the following Zoom lecture by Dr. Cedric Gobeil. The chapter last heard Dr. Gobeil at an ARCE-NC talk at Stanford co-sponsored by Dr. Anne Austin some years back. You won't want to miss this lecture!
Note that registration is required. You can register by clicking on the underlined word "registration" below. If that doesn't work, follow this link: http://aia-stanford.org/CedricGobeil.html
Glenn
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Dr. Cedric Gobeil
"In the footsteps of Ernesto Schiaparelli. The Museo Egizio's current research at Deir El-Medina"
Dr. Gobeil will be joining our Stanford AIA Chapter on Friday, October 29 at noon on zoom. Lecture is free and open to the public; registration is required to receive a link.
Researchers discovered Khuwy's richly painted tomb in 2019. Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities
A new analysis of an ancient Egyptian mummy suggests that sophisticated techniques for preserving the dead may be 1,000 years older than previously believed. The discovery centers on the tomb of a high-ranking Old Kingdom official known as Khuwy, reports Kamal Tabikha for the National.
Archaeologists excavated the mummy at the Saqqara necropolis, south of Cairo, in 2019. Hieroglyphs on the wall of the tomb where the deceased was laid to rest show that the burial took place during the Fifth Dynasty period, which spanned the early 25th to mid-24th century B.C.E. Pottery and jars used to store body parts removed during the man's mummification also appear to date to the time of the Old Kingdom.
Researchers discovered Khuwy's richly painted tomb in 2019. Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities
A new analysis of an ancient Egyptian mummy suggests that sophisticated techniques for preserving the dead may be 1,000 years older than previously believed. The discovery centers on the tomb of a high-ranking Old Kingdom official known as Khuwy, reports Kamal Tabikha for the National.
Archaeologists excavated the mummy at the Saqqara necropolis, south of Cairo, in 2019. Hieroglyphs on the wall of the tomb where the deceased was laid to rest show that the burial took place during the Fifth Dynasty period, which spanned the early 25th to mid-24th century B.C.E. Pottery and jars used to store body parts removed during the man's mummification also appear to date to the time of the Old Kingdom.
As Dalya Alberge reports for the Observer, researchers previously believed that high-quality linen dressings and resin of the kind employed in Khuwy's mummification weren't used until much later.
"Until now, we had thought that Old Kingdom mummification was relatively simple, with basic desiccation—not always successful—no removal of the brain, and only occasional removal of the internal organs," Salima Ikram, an Egyptologist at the American University in Cairo, tells the Observer. "Indeed, more attention was paid to the exterior appearance of the deceased than the interior."
Ikram and her colleagues are set to share their initial findings in an upcoming episode of the National Geographic series "Lost Treasures of Egypt." The team plans to conduct additional tests on the mummy, investigating the possibility that it may not be Khuwy, or that the tomb was repurposed for a different burial much later.
"I remain hesitant until we can conduct carbon-14 dating," Ikram tells the National.
She adds, "If this is indeed the mummy of Khuwy, this will truly be a unique discovery that dramatically shifts our understanding of the history of the Old Kingdom."
The findings will be featured in an upcoming episode of National Geographic's "Lost Treasures of Egypt" series. National Geographic / Windfall Films
The tests, which will take six to eight months to complete, will offer a more definitive answer regarding the mummy's age. If dated to the Old Kingdom, the find would expand scholars' understanding of Fifth-Dynasty trade networks, suggesting extensive trade with neighboring empires. The resin used to preserve the body would likely have been imported from Lebanon.
Tom Cook of Windfall Films, which is producing the National Geographic series, tells the Observer that Ikram was initially skeptical of the idea that the mummy dated to the Fifth Dynasty.
"[Researchers] didn't think the mummification process [then] was that advanced," he says. "So her initial reaction was 'This is definitely not Old Kingdom.' But over the course of the investigation, she started to come round."
The tomb where the mummy was found features remarkable wall paintings rendered in "royal colors"—a choice that suggests Khuwy may have been related to Fifth-Dynasty pharaoh Djedkare Isesi, reported Jessica Stewart for My Modern Met in 2019. The L-shaped tomb's architecture, particularly a tunneled entrance more typically found in pyramids, further indicates that Khuwy was a person of high status, per Jack Guy of CNN.
The team's findings will appear in a November 28 episode of "Lost Treasures of Egypt" titled "Rise of the Mummies."
Livia Gershon is a daily correspondent for Smithsonian. She is also a freelance journalist based in New Hampshire. She has written for JSTOR Daily, the Daily Beast, the Boston Globe, HuffPost and Vice, among others.
As Dalya Alberge reports for the Observer, researchers previously believed that high-quality linen dressings and resin of the kind employed in Khuwy's mummification weren't used until much later.
"Until now, we had thought that Old Kingdom mummification was relatively simple, with basic desiccation—not always successful—no removal of the brain, and only occasional removal of the internal organs," Salima Ikram, an Egyptologist at the American University in Cairo, tells the Observer. "Indeed, more attention was paid to the exterior appearance of the deceased than the interior."
Ikram and her colleagues are set to share their initial findings in an upcoming episode of the National Geographic series "Lost Treasures of Egypt." The team plans to conduct additional tests on the mummy, investigating the possibility that it may not be Khuwy, or that the tomb was repurposed for a different burial much later.
"I remain hesitant until we can conduct carbon-14 dating," Ikram tells the National.
She adds, "If this is indeed the mummy of Khuwy, this will truly be a unique discovery that dramatically shifts our understanding of the history of the Old Kingdom."
The findings will be featured in an upcoming episode of National Geographic's "Lost Treasures of Egypt" series. National Geographic / Windfall Films
The tests, which will take six to eight months to complete, will offer a more definitive answer regarding the mummy's age. If dated to the Old Kingdom, the find would expand scholars' understanding of Fifth-Dynasty trade networks, suggesting extensive trade with neighboring empires. The resin used to preserve the body would likely have been imported from Lebanon.
Tom Cook of Windfall Films, which is producing the National Geographic series, tells the Observer that Ikram was initially skeptical of the idea that the mummy dated to the Fifth Dynasty.
"[Researchers] didn't think the mummification process [then] was that advanced," he says. "So her initial reaction was 'This is definitely not Old Kingdom.' But over the course of the investigation, she started to come round."
The tomb where the mummy was found features remarkable wall paintings rendered in "royal colors"—a choice that suggests Khuwy may have been related to Fifth-Dynasty pharaoh Djedkare Isesi, reported Jessica Stewart for My Modern Met in 2019. The L-shaped tomb's architecture, particularly a tunneled entrance more typically found in pyramids, further indicates that Khuwy was a person of high status, per Jack Guy of CNN.
The team's findings will appear in a November 28 episode of "Lost Treasures of Egypt" titled "Rise of the Mummies."
Livia Gershon is a daily correspondent for Smithsonian. She is also a freelance journalist based in New Hampshire. She has written for JSTOR Daily, the Daily Beast, the Boston Globe, HuffPost and Vice, among others.
Egypt's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities said that a project to develop Amada and Al-Soboua archaeological sites in Nubia is about to complete.
Amada and Al-Soboua s archaeological sites on Lake Nasser
Egypt's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities said that a project to develop the two archaeological sites of Amada, which dates back to the 18th Dynasty, and Al-Soboua, which dates back to the 19th Dynasty, in Nubia is about to be complete.
The project comes as part of the ministry's efforts to upgrade all the archaeological sites in Egypt and make them more accessible to visitors to enhance their visits.
The development of both sites includes the installation of a new inner lighting system working with solar power along with providing informative signage, visiting paths, seats, and sunshades, according to Ahmed Ghoneim, the executive head of the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization and Head of Nubia Fund.
The temple of Amada, which is dedicated to the gods Amun and Ra-Horakhty, is one of the most important temples in Nubia. The core of the temple was built by Kings Thutmose III (c.1479–1425 BC), Amenhotep II (c.1427–1400 BC), and King Thutmose IV (c.1400–1390 BC), who built the hypostyle hall in front of the edifice.
Some additions were made to the temple by several kings of the 19th Dynasty. King Merenptah (c.1213–1203 BC) carved a text boasting of his victory against an attack on Egypt while Amenhotep II carved another one recording his victory over enemies in Syria.
The ancient Egyptians were carrying out sophisticated mummifications of their dead 1,000 years earlier than previously thought, according to new evidence which could lead to a rewriting of the history books.
The preserved body of a high-ranking nobleman called Khuwy, discovered in 2019, has been found to be far older than assumed and is, in fact, one of the oldest Egyptian mummies ever discovered. It has been dated to the Old Kingdom, proving that mummification techniques some 4,000 years ago were highly advanced.
The sophistication of the body's mummification process and the materials used – including its exceptionally fine linen dressing and high-quality resin – was not thought to have been achieved until 1,000 years later.
Professor Salima Ikram, head of Egyptology at the American University in Cairo and a leading expert on the history of mummification, told the Observer: "If this is indeed an Old Kingdom mummy, all books about mummification and the history of the Old Kingdom will need to be revised."
She added: "This would completely turn our understanding of the evolution of mummification on its head. The materials used, their origins, and the trade routes associated with them will dramatically impact our understanding of Old Kingdom Egypt.
"Until now, we had thought that Old Kingdom mummification was relatively simple, with basic desiccation – not always successful – no removal of the brain, and only occasional removal of the internal organs. Indeed, more attention was paid to the exterior appearance of the deceased than the interior. Also, the use of resins is far more limited in the Old Kingdom mummies thus far recorded. This mummy is awash with resins and textiles and gives a completely different impression of mummification. In fact, it is more like mummies found 1,000 years later."
It is among major discoveries to be revealed in National Geographic's documentary series, Lost Treasures of Egypt, starting on 7 November. It is produced by Windfall Films, and the cameras follow international archaeologists during the excavation season in Egypt. The mummification discovery will feature in episode four – entitled Rise of the Mummies – on 28 November.
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Painting on the wall of Khuwy's tomb. Photograph: Ian Glatt/National Geographic/Windfall Films
Ikram appears in that episode with fellow archaeologist Dr Mohamed Megahed, who says of the latest discovery: "If it's really Khuwy, this is a breakthrough in Ancient Egyptian history."
The mummy's discovery in a lavish tomb in the necropolis at Saqqara was filmed in National Geographic's earlier season. The investigation into its dating and analysis emerges in the new series. Hieroglyphs revealed that it belonged to Khuwy, a relation of the royal family who lived over 4,000 years ago.
Tom Cook, the series producer for Windfall Films, said: "They knew the pottery in the tomb was Old Kingdom but [Ikram] didn't think that the mummy was from [that period] because it was preserved too well. They didn't think the mummification process [then] was that advanced. So her initial reaction was: this is definitely not Old Kingdom. But over the course of the investigation she started to come round [to the idea]."
Ancient embalmers bathed bodies in expensive resins from tree sap, preserving the flesh before they wrapped the corpse. This mummy is impregnated with high-quality resins and wrapped in the highest-grade of bandages.
Ikram says in the programme: "It's extraordinary. The only time I've [seen] so much of this kind of good quality linen has been in the 21st dynasty." The 21st dynasty of Egyptian Pharaohs reigned more than 1,000 years after Khuwy lived.
Carolyn Payne, National Geographic's commissioning editor, said that what makes this series so unusual is that it follows a whole group of different archaeologists across a season: "We did see some amazing finds."
The documentary observes: "With every new body archaeologists unearth, the story of the mummies of Egypt becomes clearer."
A collection of amphoras and lamps from the Byzantine era have been uncovered over the past month under the Tawfiq Andraos palace.
From the artifacts uncovered under Androas Palace in Luxor (Photo: Supreme council of antiquities)
The discovery is one of several ancient treasures uncovered beneath the palace after its demolition a month ago, including a collection of bronze Roman coins, remains of a Roman wall, and a collection of icons from different ages, according to Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities Mostafa Waziri.
The decision to demolish the palace was taken by the Luxor governorate after the committee assigned to investigate its condition decided that its unstable foundation threatened both the neighbouring Luxor Temple and pedestrians walking along the Nile cornice since it could have collapsed at any time.
The palace is not considered a monument as it is not listed on Egypt's Heritage List.
Andraos Bishara was one of the most prominent figures in Luxor in the early 20th century. Upon his arrival in Luxor from his hometown of Qus in the 1880s, he decided to build his family home in the precincts of the Luxor Temple with a view across the Nile to the Theban Necropolis.
He invested part of his fortune in buying land that extended as far as the Colossi of Memnon on the west bank at Luxor. His son Tawfiq gradually became a key figure in the town and built his own house beside his father's, which was earlier demolished.
The son's palace was inhabited by the Andraos family until 2013 when the bodies of Tawfiq's two daughters were found dead, believed to have been murdered, inside. Since then, the palace has been abandoned.
First exhibition of its kind in 4,500 years, the contemporary art exhibition 'Forever Is Now' was launched on Thursday at Giza Plateau and will continue until 7 November
"Love these that my friend @jr just sent from Egypt," American famous actress Angelina Jolie wrote in an Instagram post.
Forever Is Now is held under the auspices of the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities and Tourism, Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the patronage of UNESCO.
The exhibition represents a merging of ancient heritage and contemporary art at the oldest and last remaining of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, which today survives as a UNESCO world heritage site.
"Forever Is Now is an international art exhibition that both reflects the profound, global influence of ancient Egypt and draws on the ongoing inclusiveness of contemporary cultural practices," reads the Art D'Egypte website, adding that the display of works underscores how art is cross-cultural and how ancient Egypt has been a monumental source of inspiration for artists throughout history.
In the notes Nadine A. Ghaffar, French-Egyptian founder of Art D'Égypte comments that "I have always been in awe of this extraordinary ancient civilization that has influenced generations with discoveries in the sciences, arts, math, social justice, cultural development, and innovation. It is a civilization that managed to invent and build monuments that we as human beings to this day cannot fathom and have not been able to replicate. Egyptian culture is a gift to humanity."
The artists participating in the exhibition include names such as Alexander Ponomarev, Gisela Colón, João Trevisan, JR, Lorenzo Quinn, Moataz Nasr, Sherin Guirguis, Shuster + Moseley, Stephen Cox RA and HRH Prince Sultan Bin Fahad.
A curator responsible for award-winning exhibits at Manchester Museum has been celebrating after being appointed to a key position in the world of Egyptian archaeology.
Egyptologist and author Dr Campbell Price has been announced as the new Chair of Trustees at the Egypt Exploration Society (EES) – the UK's leading charity supporting archaeological fieldwork and research in Egypt.
Dr Campbell Price, 36, who lives in Liverpool, Merseyside, has been Curator of Egypt and Sudan at Manchester Museum for the last decade where he has redeveloped some of their galleries and organised some award-winning exhibits.
The museum is home to one of the UK's most significant Egyptology collections.
Originally from Glasgow, Dr Price was awarded a Blue Peter badge for mummifying an orange live on children's television.
Dr Campbell Price (Image: Julia Thorne-Tetisheri)
He has published widely on ancient Egyptian material culture and has lectured extensively throughout the UK and internationally and regularly comments and advises on Egyptological themes for TV and radio.
Dr Price explained: "I am taking on the Chair at the EES at an incredibly exciting time for Egyptology. Next year marks both the bicentenary of the decipherment of hieroglyphs and the centenary of the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun.
"And it is in Egypt that the most significant developments are taking place – including a range of newly opened museums and heritage sites. This includes the world-class Grand Egyptian Museum at Giza which will showcase material from Tutankhamun's tomb. Some of the most significant objects in Egyptian and international museums were uncovered in the course of EES excavations and it was the EES that first sent a young Howard Carter to Egypt, where he was to become arguably the world's most famous archaeologist.
"As the EES reaches its 140th anniversary in 2022, it is an important chance to contextualise the work of the Society and its practitioners in terms of our understanding of Egyptian heritage today.
Judicial authorities have launched intensive investigations after a man climbed the obelisk of Tahrir Square and attempted to destroy one of the ancient Egyptian rams in the middle of Tahrir Square.
The security personnel in charge of securing Tahrir Square arrested the suspect while he was in the process of using a hammer to vandalize the ram statue, sources told Al-Masry Al-Youm.
After the police conducted an inspection, traces of hammer blows were found on one of the rams where the suspect hit the bottom of the ram's nose.
Investigations added that during interrogations, the accused did not comment on the incident, and showed signs of psychological disturbance as he babbled about destroying the artifacts.
Judicial authorities seized the hammer used in the incident and detained the suspect for 24 hours until the completion of investigations.
A video of the incident went viral on social media.
Sources in the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities stated that restoration specialists moved quickly and the statue was repaired.
The sources added the fracture will only appear on very close inspection, and that the man could only hit this part of the four statues.
The Restoration Department of the Antiquities Ministry decided to conduct a comprehensive restoration process for all the rams of Tahrir Square, and the obelisk of Ramses II in the middle of the square, following the incident.
For nearly 40 years, Mehrdad Sadigh sold prized artifacts from ancient civilizations spanning from Mesopotamia to the Byzantine Empire and beyond. Or so his unsuspecting clients thought. Now, Sadigh has pled guilty to seven felony counts—including forgery and grand larceny—in New York's State Supreme Court.
During court proceedings last week, prosecutors drew on evidence gathered by the Manhattan district attorney's antiquities trafficking unit and Federal Homeland Security agents to paint a picture of what they estimated to be one of the biggest antiquities-forging operations in the country based on sales figures and longevity.
Inside the showroom of Manhattan antiquities dealer Mehrdad Sadigh.
Photography courtesy Manhattan District Attorney's Office
From a workspace located behind his Manhattan showroom, Sadigh developed an involved process to pass off common crafts as recently unearthed archaeological finds. Investigations show that he varnished, spray-painted, and belt-sanded fakes in order to fetch thousands, creating the illusion of "an antique patina through paint, chemical processes, and the addition of dirt to their surfaces," as noted by The New York Times.
Presented with a mountain of evidence exposed after two undercover federal investigators paid $4,000 each for two artifacts of supposed Egyptian and Roman origin, Sadigh admitted in court that he "sold thousands of fraudulent antiquities to countless unsuspecting collectors" over a three-decade period. Sales, which were made in person and via mail order, came complete with phony certificates of authenticity.That roster of collectors may have included the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum, which cancelled an exhibition of Egyptian and Mesopotamian artifacts after an art history professor cast doubts on the collection's authenticity. That's not to mention more run-of-the-mill dissatisfied customers, whose negative reviews Sadigh paid an outside service to hide from those digging into the authenticity of his wares online, the dealer admitted in court.
It's suspected to have been word-of-mouth marketing that ultimately led to Sadigh's undoing. Dealers accused of trafficking looted artifacts tipped off the district attorney's antiquities trafficking unit to Sadigh, saying they hoped the unit would investigate "the guy selling all the fakes."
Now, that guy is likely out of the business for good. The Manhattan district attorney's office filed a sentencing memorandum asking for five years' probation for Sadigh, and a permanent ban from dealing antiquities "both genuine and fake." As for those who've always had a sneaking suspicion that the sarcophagus purchased a few blocks from the Empire State Building might not be the real deal, it might be time for a closer look.
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