Archaeological Discoveries and Restoration Works at Karnak

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Ministry of Antiquities

February 19 at 12:02am ·

Ministry of Antiquities
Press Office
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Archaeological Discoveries and Restoration Works at Karnak
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The French-Egyptian Center for the study of the Temples of Karnak declared through a report presented to the Ministry of Antiquities that its main discovery in 2015 season was a favissa full of statues and objects dating from the Late Period… stated Dr. Eldamaty, Minister of Antiquities.
The conservation and restoration works in the “Northern storerooms” of Tuthmosis III also are mostly finished and this area will be opened soon to visitors. The report also stated that the chapel of tuthmosis III in the Open Air Museum was reconstructed and its huge ceiling blocks were recovered and that the final cleaning will be done in 2016 and the chapel will be opened to visitors.
Eldamaty clarified that the work of the Center in 2015 mostly took place on schedule in accordance with the four years programme 2013-2016 and the decisions of the Scientific Committee which took place in January 2014. Eldamaty added that the epigraphic programme continued at the 8th pylon and at the Philipp Arrhidaeus’ bark-shrine the work is now finished at the field.
On the other hand, Dr. Hesham Elleithy, Director General of the M.A Documentation Center added that in 2015, the Karnak project reached 3.000 hieroglyphic inscriptions of the Temple of Karnak accessible online, within the framework of the online edition of all hieroglyphic texts from Karnak ( the Karnak Project) that started in January 2013. In addition to this, the Cahiers de Karnak 15 has been sent to the M.A Press at Zamalek for publication. The two first volumes of the Ptah Temple were published by IFAO.
© Ministry of Antiquities, Press Office
Wrote Asmaa Mostafa, based on the French-Egyptian Center’s Report.
Translated by: Eman Hossni

Egypt prepares for addition of 4 archaological sites on UNESCO Heritage List - Ancient Egypt - Heritage - Ahram Online

http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/9/40/190050/Heritage/Ancient-Egypt/Egypt-prepares-for-addition-of--archaological-site.aspx

Egypt prepares for addition of 4 archaological sites on UNESCO Heritage List

The Ministry of Antiquities is preparing files on four archaeological sites in Alexandria and Sinai to be submitted to UNESCO

Nevine El-Aref , Thursday 3 Mar 2016

Kom Al-Dikka, Amphetheatre

The Ministry of Antiquities is preparing the required files to have four archaeological sites in Alexandria and Sinai added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List.

The sites, said Minister of Antiquities Mamdouh Eldamaty, are the Old City of Alexandria, the Ptolemaic Temples in Alexandria, and Al-Gundi and Salaheddin fortresses on Pharaoh Island in Sinai.

“Placing these archaeological sites on UNESCO’s World Heritage List is a very important step based on the ministry’s keenness on registering the largest number of Egypt’s archaeological sites possible on the list in order to secure the level of maximum protection which matches their importance and uniqueness,” Eldamaty told Ahram Online

He explained that the sites that would be registered for the Old City of Alexandria include Kom Al-Shuafa, Kom Al-Dikka, the Pompey Pillar and the underwater antiquities in both the eastern harbour and Abuqir.

A collection of Islamic monuments, among them the cistern of Ibn Al-Nabih and the old Alexandria towers, would also be on the documentation list.

Pharaoh Island in Sinai

Ahmed Ebeid, co-ordinator for international organisations in the ministry, told Ahram Online that the ministry’s permanent committee is to meet soon in order to discuss and review the documentation files of the sites before sending them to UNESCO.

He added that the ministry is now organising a number of workshops to train archaeologists and curators on preparing documentation files for other archaeological sites.

The pompey pillar

 

Robot camera discovers old Islamic structures beneath Al-Sultan Hassan Mosque in Cairo - Islamic - Heritage - Ahram Online

http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/9/43/189997/Heritage/Islamic/Robot-camera-discovers-old-Islamic-structures-bene.aspx

Robot camera discovers old Islamic structures beneath Al-Sultan Hassan Mosque in Cairo

The robot camera offered last month by a German engineer has helped archaeologists discover the remains of Islamic structures beneath Al-Sultan Hassan Mosque

Nevine El-Aref , Wednesday 2 Mar 2016

newly discovered structures (courtesy of the Ministry of Antiquities)

During the first operation of the robot camera offered last month by German engineer Friedhelm Kremer, the Ministry of Antiquities uncovered the ruins of a number of Islamic structures beneath Al-Sultan Hassan Mosque in the Citadel area in old Cairo.

Minister of Antiquities Mamdouh Eldamaty told Ahram Online that the newly discovered structures were stumbled upon by chance as a team of archaeologists were carrying out a survey on the foundations of the mosque to determine the causes of a depression of the ground beneath it. 

Initial investigations of the structures, he explained, reveal that they date to an age older than the mosque.

According to Al-Sultan Hassan Mosque's construction document, the mosque was originally built on the remains of Islamic structures that are not identified.

Ahmed Motawea, director of the Islamic antiquities section at the ministery's technical office, said that the work team took samples of the ground beneath the mosque in order to analyse and determine the causes of the depression. They will also explore the area further, in order to identify the origin and nature of the discovered structures.

Excavation work at the foundation of Al-Sultan Hassan Mosque (courtesy of the Ministry of Antiquities)

Al-Sultan Hassan Mosque is a gigantic Mameluk edifice built in 1356 AD and includes a mosque and a madrassa (Quranic school) for the four Sunni schools: Shafii; Malki; Hanafi and Hanbali. 

At the time of construction the mosque was considered remarkable for its fantastic size and innovative architectural components.

German summer bookings for Turkey, Egypt, Tunisia drop 40 percent | Egypt Independent

http://www.egyptindependent.com//news/german-summer-bookings-turkey-egypt-tunisia-drop-40-percent

German summer bookings for Turkey, Egypt, Tunisia drop 40 percent

Thu, 03/03/2016 - 15:36

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Al-Masry Al-Youm

Reuters

German travellers' bookings for summer holidays in Egypt, Tunisia and Turkey have dropped around 40 percent compared with a year ago, reflecting tourists' concern over security, German travel association DRV said on Thursday.

 

Once-popular destinations such as Egypt and Tunisia have suffered a series of attacks including the suspected bombing of a Russian aeroplane and a shooting at a beach resort, forcing tour operators such as TUI and Thomas Cook to seek alternatives.

 

"Overall, bookings are currently down by a single-digit percentage, and that decline is due to the fact that we have bookings in these volume markets that are not satisfactory," DRV President Norbert Fiebig told journalists.

 

Turkey, traditionally popular with German tourists, unveiled a plan last week to support its tourism sector, including a 255 million lira (US$87 million) grant and a facility to allow tourism firms to restructure debt.

 

Fiebig said bookings for summer holidays in Turkey were down 40 percent year-on-year. Declines in Egypt and Tunisia were at about the same level and in some areas a bit worse, he said.

 

He said, though, that bookings for these destinations had significantly improved over the past two weeks and he expected a rally over the coming weeks.

 

"Our goal is that bookings overall won't be significantly below the 2015 level. But that is nearly entirely dependent on how these three volume markets develop, especially Turkey and Egypt," he said.

 

Bookings to Greece have meanwhile held up well overall, despite the arrival of hundreds of thousands of migrants. "Of course there are some islands that are especially affected, like Lesbos and Kos. But overall we are still seeing a decent development in Greece," Fiebig said.

4,200 yr old artifact repatriated from Switzerland to Egypt | Cairo Post

http://thecairopost.youm7.com/news/197372/news/4200-yr-old-artifact-repatriated-from-switzerland-to-egypt

4,200 yr old artifact repatriated from Switzerland to Egypt

Mar. 03, 2016 14:20

The Egyptian Embassy in Switzerland received a 4,200 year old limestone wall relief, which was reportedly stolen from antiquities ministry’s storerooms in Saqqara in 1997, the foreign ministry stated Wednesday.

By Rany Mostafa

CAIRO: The Egyptian Embassy in Switzerland received a 4,200 year old limestone wall relief, which was reportedly stolen from antiquities ministry’s storerooms in Saqqara in 1997, the foreign ministry stated Wednesday.

The object was chipped off the 6^th Dynasty (2345B.C.-2181B.C.) Pyramid of Pharaoh Teti in Sakkara in 1997. It bears a hieroglyphic inscription of the name of a high official, said foreign ministry spokesperson Ahmed Abu Zeid.

The wall relief in question was purchased by a Swiss woman from an antiquity collector. The buyer decided voluntarily to donate it back to Egypt, as when she purchased it, she did not know it was a stolen and illegally smuggled to Switzerland, said Abu Zeid.

The object was seized by the Swiss federal police within the framework of a bilateral agreement between Egypt and Switzerland, signed in April 2010, that prohibits the illegal import and export of cultural properties, said Abu Zeid. The artifact will return to Egypt during the next few days, he added.

 The artifact also contains a list of ancient Egypt’s seven sacred oils, which according to archaeologist Sherif el Sabban, were used in mummification and the “Opening of the Mouth ritual for the anointing of the mouth and eyes of the statue or mummy of the deceased.”

Egypt’s political turmoil has led to a security lapse at archaeological sites and storerooms and museums nationwide, leaving Egypt’s treasures vulnerable to looting. The Egyptian museum and Malawi museum are among the sites that have been affected.

During the past four years, Egypt has recovered over 1,600 artifacts and is currently working on other cases in many European countries, Ministry of Antiquities Museums Sector former head Ahmed Sharaf previously told The Cairo Post.

“It is impossible to provide an accurate number of the artifacts that have been stolen since the January 25 Revolution,” he added.

Egypt struggles to halt sale of artifacts at Dutch auction house | Cairo Post

http://thecairopost.youm7.com/news/197171/news/egypt-struggles-to-halt-sale-of-artifacts-at-dutch-auction-house

Egypt struggles to halt sale of artifacts at Dutch auction house

Mar. 02, 2016 13:00

3,200 year-old wooden Ushabti of Sedjem-ash Hesymeref currently put up for sale at a Dutch auction house. Photo courtesy of www.pinterset.com

By THE CAIRO POST

CAIRO: CAIRO: Cairo is in a battle to stop the sale of a set of ancient Egyptian artifacts up for sale in an auction houses in Maastricht, Netherlands, scheduled for March 11-20, the Ministry of Antiquities announced Wednesday.

The ministry instructed the Egyptian embassy in the Netherlands to contact the Tefaf auction house and ask for the suspension of the sale until the legitimacy of the artifacts in question is proven, said Antiquities Ministry Mamdouh al-Damaty.

Photos of the artifacts were sent to all museums, archaeological sites and antiquities storerooms across the country to check if those pieces were stolen or taken during illegal excavations so as to take the necessary measures to repatriate them, said Damaty.

3,200 year-old wooden Ushabti of Sedjem-ash Hesymeref currently put up for sale at a Dutch auction house. Photo courtesy of www.pinterset.com

The auction house in Netherlands has provided photos of some of the artifacts including an 18th Dynasty (1580 B.C.-1390 B.C.) Ushabti (a funerary figurine usually placed in ancient Egyptian tombs to act as a servant or minion for the deceased.) The figurine bears the name of Sedjem-ash Hesymeref a worker whose tomb was found at Deir al Madina in the west bank of Luxor, according to the website.

The auction house claims the acquisition of the artifacts was legal and provided its provenance (document that traces an artifact’s chain of ownership back to its excavation.) The artifact was part of the private collection of Omar Sultan Pacha (1806-1871,) according to the website.

In case of proving that the archaeological objects were illegally smuggled outside Egypt, legal procedures to repatriate them will start immediately, Damaty said.

Egypt’s political turmoil since the January 25 Revolution in 2011 and its consequent security lapse have left the country’s cultural heritage vulnerable to looting.

During the past four years, Egypt has recovered more than 1,600 artifacts and is currently working on other cases in many European countries, Ahmed said.

Curator Barbara Tannenbaum on “Pyramids & Sphinxes”

http://www.craveonline.com/art/952401-exhibit-curator-barbara-tannenbaum-pyramids-sphinxes

Exhibit | Curator Barbara Tannenbaum on "Pyramids & Sphinxes"

Explore the mysteries of ancient Egypt through art and examine the relationship between tourism, commerce & representation in the age of mass reproduction.

by Miss Rosen Feb 22nd, 2016

Study shows how excavations in Sudan reveal the transformation of Egyptian and Nubian culture.

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA - SANTA BARBARA—In a middle-class tomb just east of the Nile River in what was Upper Nubia, a woman offers a glimpse of how two met civilizations met, mingled and a new pharaonic dynasty arose. Her tomb was Egyptian, but she was buried in the Nubian style—placed in a flexed position on her side and resting on a bed. Around her neck she wore amulets of the Egyptian god Bes, the protector of households.

The Nubian woman is, according to Stuart Tyson Smith, a professor of archaeology and chair of the Department of Anthropology at UC Santa Barbara, a prime example of "cultural entanglement," the process by which colonizing powers and indigenous people influence one another and change over time.

In a paper published in American Anthropologist, Michele Buzon of Purdue University and Smith explore cultural identity and transformation in the ancient village of Tombos in what is now northern Sudan. "Entanglement and the Formation of Ancient Nubian Napatan State" details the findings from Smith and Buzon's excavations of cemeteries in Tombos, which became an important colonial hub after the Egyptians conquered Nubia around 1500 BCE.

"You get this really interesting entangled culture blending different elements in really different ways, but also there seems to be a lot of individual choice involved," Smith explained. "It's not just a matter of the two cultures mash up and then you get this new hybrid thing that's consistent. There seems to be a lot of individual choice—whether or not you want a Nubian bed and/or an Egyptian coffin and/or to be wrapped like a mummy or whether or not you want an Egyptian-style amulet and/or Nubian ivory jewelry."

Smith and Buzon, an associate professor of anthropology whose focus is bioarchaeology, are in their second year of excavations at Tombos as part of a three-year National Science Foundation (NSF) grant. Earlier fieldwork at the site was funded by a previous NSF grant and grants from the National Geographic Society, the Schiff-Giorgini Foundation, the Brennan Foundation and private donations. Their excavations are centered in graves from the New Kingdom (c. 1550-1070 BCE) and the Third Intermediate Period (c. 1070-615 BCE).

By measuring craniofacial features, Buzon is able to establish biological relationships and mixing between Nubians and Egyptians at Tombos. By analyzing skeletons, burial practices and contents of the graves, Smith and Buzon have been able to piece together a period of shifting cultural identities that led to the Nubian conquest of Egypt and the 25th Dynasty of Egypt (Napatan Period c. 750-650). Indeed, the shift was so complete the Nubians presented themselves as more culturally authentic Egyptian than the rulers they overthrew.

"We're looking at the social dynamic from which those Nubian pharaohs emerged," Smith explained, "and how that blended culture might have contributed to the cultural dynamic that allowed the pharaohs to come in, not just as conquerors, but as the legitimate restorers of the proper order of things in a decadent time. That's exactly how they presented it."

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 The face of a statue of king Shebitku or Shabataka of the Nubian 25th dynasty of Egypt. Shebitku was succeeded in power after his death by Taharqa.  Flop Eared Mule, Wikimedia Commons

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Smith and Buzon's work also upends much conventional thinking about the dynamics of conquest. The graves of Tombos show that rather than the Egyptians simply imposing their will on the Nubians, which Smith calls "the old model," cultural entanglement was a much more potent force shaping both cultures. Intermarriage and cultural pluralism in colonial Nubia gave rise to a new identity and the development of the Nubian pharaohs.

"What we're looking at is a more nuanced model of Egyptian and Nubian culture entangling, and how individual choices drive this kind of ethnic and cultural change, and ultimately enable these Nubian pharaohs to take over," Smith said. "The local people, and the colonists coming from Egypt who become locals over time, are driving the trajectory of the civilization as much as larger policies of colonial Egypt or, later on, these emerging pharaohs. That goes over very well with the local population. They like that idea. It's not just Egypt imprinting their culture on Nubia; the local people are really influencing things and making it possible for the Nubians to eventually rule Egypt."

Source: University of California, Sanata Barbara, news release.