Heritage from Home – October - Current Archaeology

https://www.archaeology.co.uk/articles/heritage-from-home/heritage-from-home-october.htm

Heritage from Home – October

 

Articles, Features, Heritage from Home

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Posted by
Amy Brunskill

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October 1, 2020

Topics
Heritage from home

Over the last month, more and more museums and heritage sites have begun to welcome back visitors, while a huge variety of online resources from around the world offer yet more ways to get involved from home. Amy Brunskill has put together another selection of archaeology-related activities and resources that you can enjoy from your sofa, and places you can visit in person.

Virtual visits

With so many wonderful museums and heritage sites now accessible online, you are sure to find somewhere to visit virtually, whether you are interested in taking a journey on London's old underground postal railway, looking around the Louvre, or learning about Athens' Acropolis.

MUSEUMS

Museum of Ethnology & Museum of Popular Art, Lisbon
https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/museum-of-ethnology-museum-of-popular-art
Explore Portugal's national ethnological museum, with artefacts from more than 80 countries, as well as many examples of Portuguese art and artefacts.

Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge
https://www.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/onlineresources
Enjoy a selection of online exhibitions or delve into the wide variety of artefacts in the collections, from coins and medals to illuminated manuscripts.

CREDIT: Wikimedia Commons, Pedro Szekely

Louvre Museum, Paris
https://www.louvre.fr/en/visites-en-ligne
Take a virtual visit to some of the museum's galleries and exhibition rooms, including the Egyptian Antiquities collection and the remains of the Louvre's moat.

Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum, Xi'an
http://39.104.142.130/html/public/zl/500yvr/bc726d2972a949c180c4f85216e6c5ea.html
Walk among the famous Terracotta Army, buried with the First Emperor of China in the late 3rd century BC, and examine the warriors in detail with this 360⁰ panorama.

The Postal Museum
https://www.postalmuseum.org/make-a-connection/mail-rail-from-home/
Experience a virtual journey on the Mail Rail, London's 100-year-old postal railway, running deep under the streets of the city. It is now part of the Postal Museum.

Tutankhamun: Treasures of the Golden Pharaoh
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKxsDuqoqsk
Discover some of the highlights of the exhibition, which displayed more than 150 original objects from Tutankhamun's tomb, with a short taster video tour from its London location.

HERITAGE/ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES

Palmyra, Syria
www.kaemena360.com/360/PalmyraTour
Visit the ruins of the ancient city, an important cultural centre in the 1st and 2nd century AD, with a 360 ° tour that was created in 2006, before the destruction of much of the site.

CREDIT: Wikimedia Commons, Jebulon

Acropolis, Athens
http://www.acropolisvirtualtour.gr/
Take a virtual tour around the citadel's most prominent monuments: the Parthenon, the Propylaia, the Erechtheion, and the Temple of Athena Nike.

Cadw Open Doors Online, Wales
https://cadw.gov.wales/visit/whats-on/cadws-open-doors-online
Enjoy digital experiences from the historic sites of Wales, with weekly themed packages released across September, including 'Neolithic Tombs', 'Castles of the South', and 'Abbeys and Ironworks

Tomb of Meresankh III, Giza
https://my.matterport.com/show/?m=d42fuVA21To
Explore a 3D model of the beautifully decorated and well-preserved Tomb of Queen Meresankh III, which lies in the shadow of the Great Pyramid.

The Becket Story, Canterbury
http://www.thebecketstory.org.uk/canterbury/visiting-cathedral
See how the four main sites associated with Thomas Becket in Canterbury Cathedral may have looked to pilgrims visiting in 1408 in these short reconstruction videos.

Göbekli Tepe, Turkey
https://artsandculture.google.com/story/g%C3%B6bekli-tepe/OALyoXJ7tDcpLA
Learn about one of the world's oldest archaeological ruins, and explore the architectural remains and artefacts discovered there.

DigVentures
www.youtube.com/watch?v=YauJMJKH6jc
Take a walk around DigVentures' excavation of one of the earliest Roman settlements ever discovered in East Yorkshire.

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Learning in lockdown

Take advantage of the huge variety of resources available online to expand your knowledge about an area of archaeology, heritage, or history that catches your eye, whether that's a conference about the archaeology of islands, a podcast that goes behind the scenes at a museum, or a Twitter-tour of a necropolis.

EVENTS AND EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES

Land, Sea and Sky: the archaeology of coasts and islands
https://archaeologyireland.ie/
Register for the annual National Monuments Service conference, which will be held online this year, with a programme of lectures looking at the connections between islands and mainlands.

CREDIT: Wikimedia Commons, Mike Peel;

Egyptology in Lockdown
https://www.mmfromhome.com/egyptology-in-lockdown
Join Dr Campbell Price, Manchester Museum's Curator of Egypt and Sudan, for a live discussion of important objects in the museum's collection every week, or catch up on previous episodes.

Prehistoric Activity at Torrs and Carlingwark
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/prehistoric-activity-at-torrs-and-carlingwark-tickets-117620095873?aff=erelpanelorg
Find out about the archaeology of the lochs and bogs that once surrounded Castle Douglas in this online lecture by Dr Fraser Hunter and Dr Michael Stratigos.

Ancient Rome Live
https://ancientromelive.org/
Sign up for a programme of free online lectures about ancient Rome this autumn, or browse the existing seminar videos available online.

Curator's Corner
www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0LQM0SAx601_99m2E2NPsm62pKoSCnV5
Discover what it's like to work with objects in the British Museum's collections from the curators themselves, with stories about everything from 18th-century hot-air balloon tickets to ancient Egyptian fashion.

PODCASTS AND RADIO

CREDIT: Gareth James

Outliers: stories from the edge of history
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/outliers-stories-from-the-edge-of-history/id1310165230
Enjoy this historical fiction podcast from Historic Royal Palaces, which examines significant events through the eyes of characters who have traditionally been confined to the shadows.

The Empty Cases
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000lyyd
Explore the discussions taking place among Britain's curators about how we represent Britain's historical moments, and which objects are acceptable for display in museums in 2020.

Amplify Archaeology
https://www.abartaheritage.ie/amplify-archaeology-podcast/
Listen to a series of interviews with some of Ireland's archaeologists and specialists, and learn from them about the key discoveries and techniques that help us understand Irish archaeology.

HMSC Connects! Podcast
https://hmsc.harvard.edu/podcast
Go behind the scenes of Harvard's Museums of Science and Culture and meet the researchers, collection keepers, exhibit designers, and other individuals who keep the university's museums running.

You're Dead to Me
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p07mdbhg/episodes/downloads
Join Greg Jenner and a variety of comedians for this BBC podcast, which brings a wide selection of stories from the past to life in an entertaining way.

BLOGS AND SOCIAL MEDIA

CREDIT: Wikimedia Commons, TomZoy

Glasgow Necropolis
https://twitter.com/womenslibrary/status/1297858881121595396
Take a virtual tour of monuments in Glasgow Necropolis in this Twitter thread by one of the Women's History guides from Glasgow Women's Library.

Historic Royal Palaces
www.instagram.com/historicroyalpalaces
Enjoy games and resources like 'Who said it: Queen Victoria or Victoria Beckham?' and 'Sir Walter Raleigh's top tips for avoiding isolation boredom' on HRP's Instagram stories.

British Museum
https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?v=1006477163114306&ref=watch_permalink
Take a look around the newly reopened British Museum with a video tour released live on Facebook to welcome back visitors.

#ironworkthursday
https://twitter.com/hashtag/ironworkthursday
Browse Twitter every Thursday for pictures of people's favourite examples of ironwork, which range from old church gates to 19th-century cannons.

Victoria & Albert Museum
www.vam.ac.uk/blog
Explore a wide selection of blog posts with updates from behind the scenes at the museum and discussions of objects in the V&A's collections.

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Family fun

If you're looking for fun and educational ways to entertain the whole family, look no further! Here you can find a selection of activities, from online games about the Roman Baths to jigsaws of famous paintings, and TV shows covering subjects from Stonehenge to Pompeii.

CRAFTS AND ACTIVITIES

Roman Baths
www.romanbaths.co.uk/online-games
Learn about Roman life through the Baths' online games, create your own Roman coin to add to the virtual hoard, or play Roman numeral bingo.

Historic Royal Palaces
https://twitter.com/HRP_palaces/status/ 1299309101474820096
Follow the choose-your-own-adventure Twitter thread to find out whether you could survive your first day working as Page of the Cellar at Hampton Court Palace in 1537.

Hyde 900
www.hyde900.org.uk/resources/activity-package-july-2020/
Find several activity packs created to celebrate Hyde in Winchester, including ideas like creating an archaeological treasure map or designing a new Hyde Abbey for the 21st century.

Archaeology Games
http://planeta42.com/archeology/
Enjoy archaeology-themed online games including 'Coin Match', 'Dig for Weapons', 'Inca Treasure', and 'Skulls Puzzle'.

CREDIT: Wikimedia Commons, Guillaume 1995

Royal Museums Greenwich
www.rmg.co.uk/family-activities
Explore the museum's family activities and learn how to make a ship in a bottle or a stained-glass window, colour in the Armada Portrait, or embroider the figurehead of the Cutty Sark.

Barnsley Museums Jigsaw
www.jigsawplanet.com/BarnsleyMuseums
Join in with the daily jigsaw challenges and try to put together the portraits of historical figures, or photographs and paintings of buildings and landscapes.

TV SHOWS

The Flying Archaeologist
www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01s1ll4/ the-flying-archaeologist-1-stonehenge
Learn about how aerial surveys of the Stonehenge landscape led to new information about the monument and its use; now available on BBC iPlayer again.

CREDIT: Wikimedia Commons, Francisco Anzola

Secrets of Egypt's Valley of the Kings
www.channel4.com/programmes/ secrets-of-egypts-valley-of-the-kings
Follow an international team of Egyptologists as they explore the rich archaeology of the Valley of the Kings.

Treasures of Ancient Ulster
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03ycspm
Explore the treasures of ancient Ulster, discover how the ancient province came to be, and learn about the lives of its occupants.

Fact or Fiction
www.channel4.com/programmes/fact-or-fiction/episode-guide
Join Tony Robinson as he uncovers the real stories behind some of history's best-known figures, including Boudica, Robin Hood, and King Harold.

Pompeii: the new revelations
www.channel5.com/show/pompeii-the-new-revelations
Discover new information about the Roman city in this documentary, which offers special access to recent excavations.

Britain's Biggest Dig
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000mmrd
Find out about the forgotten stories of the rich and poor in Georgian London with the excavation of a huge cemetery in advance of the construction of HS2.

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Open Again

As of this month, many more museums and heritage sites are open to visitors again. Take a look at this section to discover some more of the places that you can now visit in person, and the measures that they have put in place for everyone's safety.

MUSEUMS

CREDIT: Wikimedia Commons, Shadowssettle

Science Museum
www.sciencemuseum. org.uk/visit
The Science Museum has reopened to visitors, with the exception of a few of the most highly interactive spaces. Free tickets must be booked in advance.

Ashmolean Museum
www.ashmolean.org/plan-your-visit
The museum has reopened its permanent galleries to visitors, as well as the Young Rembrandt exhibition, which has been extended until November. Tickets to both the museum and exhibition must be pre-booked.

The People's History Museum
https://phm.org.uk/visit/register-to-visit-reopening-information/
The PHM in Manchester has reopened its two main galleries, the 2020 Banner Exhibition, and a recently installed digital activity. Visitors must register for timed entry.

National Museums Wales
https://museum.wales/
Booking sites for all seven of NMW's museums are now live, with the museums open to differing degrees and on differing weekly schedules. Please check individual websites for details.

Havering Hoard
www.museumoflondon.org.uk/museum-london-docklands/ whats-on/exhibitions/havering-hoard-bronze-age-mystery
This new exhibition about an enigmatic late Bronze Age hoard (see p.18) is now open. Entry is included with free general admission tickets to the Museum of London Docklands.

HERITAGE/ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES

National Trust Scotland
www.nts.org.uk/stories/our-plans-for-re-opening-properties
More than 40 NTS sites are now open to visitors again, including the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum, the Hill House, and many castle gardens and grounds.

Stonehenge
www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/stonehenge/
The stone circle, exhibition, and visitor centre are all open, with limits on visitor numbers and a circular route to the stones and back introduced. Tickets must be pre-booked.

CREDIT: Stephen Branley

Historic Environment Scotland
www.historicenvironment.scot/reopening
More sites have reopened across Scotland in September, including Fort George, St Andrews Cathedral, and Jedburgh Abbey.

National Trust
https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/features/how-to-book-your-visit-and-what-to-expect
More than 135 gardens and parks and 28 houses across England and Northern Ireland are now open again, in addition to hundreds of coastal and countryside places.

Fishbourne Roman Palace
https://sussexpast.co.uk/properties-to-discover/ fishbourne-roman-palace
The Roman palace and gardens are now open to visitors several days a week. Tickets are required, but pre-booking is not essential.

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Even more ideas
You can find more ways to explore the past from your armchair on a new page of our website: www.archaeology.co.uk/heritage-from-home.

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This article appeared in CA 368. To find out more about subscribing to the magazine, click here.

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(20+) Virtual museum of Egypt المتحف المصري التخيلي | Facebook

Many interactive visuals here. Glenn

https://www.facebook.com/Virtual-museum-of-Egypt-المتحف-المصري-التخيلي-1396112393971987

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Egypt’s New Administrative Capital Museum, a highly-anticipated archaeological gem - Egypt Today

https://www.egypttoday.com/Article/4/92501/Egypt's-New-Administrative-Capital-Museum-a-highly-anticipated-archaeological-gem

Egypt's New Administrative Capital Museum, a highly-anticipated archaeological gem

BY

Mustafa Marie

Tue, 29 Sep 2020 - 02:18 GMT

Egypt's New Administrative Capital Museum - ET

CAIRO – 29 September 2020: Egypt's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities is working on finalizing the Administrative Capital Museum as part of the ministry's plan of archaeological openings during the coming period.

 

Egypt's Minister of Tourism & Antiquities Khaled el-Anani is constantly following up on the developments of the museum's workflow in preparation for its inauguration soon.

 

The New Administrative Capital Museum is built on an area of 8,500 square meters, within the City of Culture and Arts. It consists of two floors, a ground and first floor, and includes a main exhibition hall and subsidiary exhibition halls.

 

It should be noted that the museum narrates the history of the Egyptian capitals, as it consists of a main hall in which the artifacts of a number of ancient and modern Egypt capitals are displayed, with a total of nine capitals that come as follows: First, to the right of the visitor, there are four capitals, namely Memphis, Thebes, Tal el-Amarna, and Alexandria.

 

Secondly, to the left of the visitor, there are four capitals: Fustat, Fatimid Cairo, Modern Egypt, Khedivial Cairo. Thirdly, in the second level, behind the statue of King Ramses II, a group of different collectibles that depict life in each historical period are displayed separately, such as toiletries, tools of war, and various correspondences.

 

The second section of the museum consists of a wing that shows the importance of the after-life in ancient Egypt. This wing comprises Toto's tomb, in addition to the hall of mummies, coffins and canopic vessels.

 

The museum's external display area will also be developed to exhibit some artifacts and create a landscape design for green areas to be planted with papyrus and lotus flowers, the symbol of the north and the south in ancient Egypt.

 

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Fwd: Monthly Updates from ARCE

U.S AMBASSADOR COHEN TOURS LUXOR'S WEST BANK On September 17, U.S Ambassador Jonathan R. Cohen and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Egypt Mission Director Leslie Reed visited Luxor's cultural heritage preservation sites accompanied by ARCE's Executive Director, Dr. Louise Bertini, Deputy Governor Mohamed Abdel Kader and U.S. Embassy Defense Attaché Major General Ralph H. Groover. The tour included USAID-funded projects at Karnak Temple, Valley of the Kings, Dra Abu El Naga, and Theban Tomb 110.U.S. U.S Ambassador Jonathan R. Cohen's visit to Luxor. Photo: U.S. Embassy in Cairo (Maged Helal)  EXPLORE ARCE'S LATEST  VIRTUAL TOURS This month, ARCE launched a virtual tour for The seated statue of King Nebhepetre Mentuhotep II. In 1900, Howard Carter while on horseback stumbled upon Bab el-Hosan, a subterranean chamber found in the center of the deified King Nebhepetre Mentuhotep II's mortuary complex forecourt. During this encounter, he discovered the seated statue of Mentuhotep II. The seated statue of King Nebhepetre Mentuhotep II A fine example of a 21st Dynasty yellow coffin is the inner coffin of Tanakhtnettahat (Tahat for short). Tanakhtnettahat was a chantress in the temple of the god Amun at Karnak; a high rank in ancient Egypt. The coffin is currently housed in the Michael C. Carlos Museum at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. It was previously displayed at the Niagra Falls Museum in Ontario and was among a number of coffins and mummies brought to Canada in the mid-19th century. The collection remained at Niagra falls for 150 years before it was moved permanently to its current location.  The Coffin of Tanakhtnettahat FELLOWSHIPS APPLICATIONS OPEN OCTOBER 1  ARCE is pleased to open applications for its Fellowship Program 2021-2022 from October 1 to January 18. ARCE provides fellows with funding, administrative support and easy access to Egypt's museums, monuments, archaeological sites, collections, libraries and archives. For more information on the program and the guidelines for applying, click here. FOURTH PODCAST LAUNCH  OCTOBER 2   ARCE's fourth podcast will launch on our website on October 2, featuring Dr. Maggie Bryson that will be speaking about the aftermath of King Tutankhamun's Reign. If you have any suggestions for future topics that you would like to see addressed in ARCE's podcast series, please email us at podcast@arce.org ARCE WELCOMES NEW DIRECTOR FOR CULTURAL HERITAGE PROJECTS Dr. Nicholas Warner is an architect and architectural historian trained at Cambridge University, UK, and the Graduate School of Design, Harvard University. He has lived and worked in Egypt since 1993, where he has participated in and directed numerous projects related to the documentation, preservation, and presentation of heritage sites from all periods. Amongst these are: the Quseir Fort Visitors' Center; the Saqqara New Kingdom Necropolis Project; the tombs of Anen (TT120) and Menna (TT69) in Luxor; the North Kharga Oasis Survey; New York University's excavations at Amheida, Dakhla Oasis; the Red and White Monasteries in Sohag. His work in Cairo includes the Cairo Mapping Project (a new map of Historic Cairo showing the plans of approximately 550 buildings in the mediaeval city); open air museums in the South Roman Tower of the fortress of Babylon and Matariyya; and the restoration of the Gayer-Anderson Museum. Outside Egypt, Nicholas has also worked as a consultant for a variety of heritage projects in Morocco, Tunisia, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Ethiopia. Welcome to the team, Nicholas! MEMBER EXCLUSIVE LECTURE BY IMAN R. ABDULFATTAH Time: October 18, 2020 at 3:00 PM ET/ 9:00 PM EET Lecture Topic: Maurice Nahman: Antiquities Collector, Dealer and Authority The late 19th-early 20th century saw a proliferation of collectors and museums acquiring objects from the Middle East. What was being collected by these individuals and institutions was largely shaped by the connoisseurship of a well-connected network of dealers in possession of vast assemblages of antiquities. One such figure was Maurice Nahman (1868–1948). The objective of this lecture is to reconstruct his biography and professional trajectory through the lens of his relations with art historians, curators, collectors and buyers, with a focus on post-pharaonic material. For more information and to register, click here. MEMBER EXCLUSIVE LECTURE BY TARA PRAKASH Time: October 25, 2020 at 3:00 PM ET/ 9:00 PM EET Lecture Topic: Putting them back together again: The story of the old kingdom Prisoner Statues in the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the British Museum During the late Old Kingdom, pharaohs had nearly life-size statues of kneeling, bound foreign captives erected within their pyramid complexes.  Today two unprovenanced examples of these unique statues, which are known as prisoner statues, are in the Metropolitan Museum of Art while a third one is in the British Museum. All three arrived at these museums fully reconstructed and restored.  This lecture will discuss both the ancient and recent history of these statues. For more information and to register, click here. OPEN ACCESS LECTURE           BY TAYLOR MOORE Time: October 31, 2020 at 1:00 PM ET/ 7:00 PM EET Lecture Topic: The Curse of the Black Eggplant: Reconstructing occult economies in late Ottoman Egypt Occult objects and services were a central part of the economic marketplace in late Ottoman Egypt. Sudanese magicians read palms and told fortunes in open markets. Charms, talismans, and ingredients for magical recipes were available for purchase at the local 'attar. Anxious women bribed the gatekeepers of Khedival gardens handsomely to access the black eggplant—a natural amulet that cured (or inflicted) infertility in any who traversed its fertile patches. Yet, these are not the actors we generally cast in histories of capitalism and political economy in the Middle East.  In this talk, Moore uses the "amulet tale" of the black eggplant as a frame to reveal the occult economies that were a robust—if not integral—part of Egypt's economic market in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.  For more information and to register, click here. CONNECT WITH US! Facebook   Instagram Contact Info: American Research Center in Egypt 909 N Washington Street STE 320 Alexandria, VA 22314 United States info@arce.org

Statue of god Nefertum unearthed in Egypt's Saqqara necropolis - Ancient Egypt - Heritage - Ahram Online

http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/9/40/386410/Heritage/Ancient-Egypt/Statue-of-god-Nefertum-unearthed-in-Egypts-Saqqara.aspx

Statue of god Nefertum unearthed in Egypt's Saqqara necropolis

Nevine El-Aref , Thursday 1 Oct 2020

A carved statue of the god Nefertum was unearthed in Saqqara necropolis on Thursday, alongside a group of intact wooden coffins which the antiquities ministry has said it will reveal more details about on Saturday.

The Egyptian archaeological mission working at Saqqara, which is led by Mostafa Waziri, secretary general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, uncovered a bronze statue of the god lying beside the 26th Dynasty coffins.

Waziri said that the statue is one of several that the mission found during the excavation work inside an 11 metre-deep burial shaft.

The statue will be displayed on Saturday during the announcement.

The statue is made of bronze and inlaid with precious stones red agate, turquoise, and lapis lazuli. It is 35 centimetres tall and its base is engraved with the name of its owner, "Badi Amun," who is from the 26th Dynasty.

Two weeks ago a collection of 27 intact and sealed coffins were unearthed inside two burial shafts. A third shaft was also found with more discoveries inside.

The ministry will make another major announcement soon.

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Queen Tiye and Amenhotep III shared power to rule Egypt

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/magazine/2020/09-10/king-tut-grandparents-tiye-amenhotep-egypt-royal-couple/

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Nader Sadek to release 'The Serapeum' EP | NextMosh: Rock and Metal News

https://nextmosh.com/nader-sadek-to-release-the-serapeum-ep/

Nope, not a recommendation. In fact, it's, well, horrible, but still qualifies as Egyptomania. Glenn

Nader Sadek to release 'The Serapeum' EP

September 30, 2020 NextMosh StaffNews

Share the post "Nader Sadek to release 'The Serapeum' EP"

Egyptian-American artist, director, and death metal musician Nader Sadek has announced his four-track EP titled 'The Serapeum.' Set for release on November 20, 2020, the effort marks Nader's first release since 2014's 'The Malefic: Chapter III' EP and serves as a teaser for Sadek's upcoming 'Malefic' full-length record (due out in early 2021).

Here's full info from today's official reveal:

The Serapeum features principal members Karl Sanders (Nile), Derek Roddy (Serpents Rise), and Mahumud Gecekusu (Perversion), who visited Egypt in 2017 at the invitation of SADEK and Cairometal.net, alongside a host of equally notable guests. Marking Sanders' and Roddy's first ever visit to the ancient land, the EP is monikered after an ancient Egyptian subterranean burial chamber and reflects the collective's deep inspiration by the grounds explored. SADEK himself recorded the vocals inside the Pyramid of Snefru.

The first version of the track, "The Serapeum: Black Osiris," adapts the style to which followers of SADEK have grown accustomed: savage death metal featuring guitar harmonies and black metal-inspired avant-garde melodies. It also contains choral chanting by Morean (Dark Fortress, Alkaloid) while Shaun LaCanne (Putrid Pile) backs SADEK up on the chorus. Bass duties are handled by Benoit Claus (Gorod). Gecekusu plays all rhythm, while Sanders adds a guitar solo.

The second version, "The Serapeum: Polluted Waters," features Sanders' signature tone on rhythm guitar yet offers a different angle of experimentation, with the inclusion of eastern harmonies and drones provided by Alex Zubair (Nephelium), and instead of chants, Nancy Mounir, among Egypt's top musical talents, adds the ever haunting theremin to the mix. Dominic "Forest" Lapointe (Augury) plays the low end, and Gecukusu swaps solo spots with Sanders on this version. Both versions feature Roddy's staggering drum work along with SADEK's ferocious vocal delivery and his first ever in-studio vocal recording. To complete this musical encounter with the archaeological wonders of Egypt, SADEK recorded the vocals inside the inner chamber of Dahshur's "Red Pyramid."

"ReSarcophogus," recorded inside a sarcophagus at the Serapeum, appears between the two versions and used binaural mixing by Ahdy Khairat while the final track represents the first (and last time) "The Serapeum" was performed live, and features Zubair, Jim Ross (Bandwhore), Kevin Paradis (Benighted), and George Maier (ex-Pestilence).

Thematically, NADER SADEK's The Serapeum draws inspiration from the contrast between the wondrous mystery of the Serapeum and its undervalued status today as simply a tomb for bulls. As an underground complex of twenty-four eighty-ton sarcophagi, many archaeologists consider it a stranger and more complicated legacy than the pyramids. Notes SADEK, "By recording in the Serapeum and the Red Pyramid, not only did we want to take advantage of the amazing acoustic effects of these ancient structures, we wanted to explore how the powers that be arrogantly dismiss that which they don't understand." SADEK explores this theme and draws parallels in the lyrics like, "Bull tomb uncovered, fallacy discovered / The reign of lambs begotten," and, "Dead Serapis' decay, sands triggered, shall pay / Serapeum! Rise! and confront us with the truth's majesty." These lyrics symbolically portray the relationship of modern to ancient Egypt, once the greatest civilization, now a cesspool of poverty and dilapidation. The Serapeum, like the musical performances on this single, will find its admirers in those who reject the shallow and superficial comforts of the familiar.

'The Serapeum' EP track listing:
1. The Serapeum: Black Osiris
2. ReSarcophogus
3. The Serapeum: Polluted Waters
4. The Serapeum (Live)

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