Wednesday, May 29, 2019

Sisi orders upgrading tourist attractions to befit Egyptian heritage - Egypt Today

http://www.egypttoday.com/Article/1/70997/Sisi-orders-upgrading-tourist-attractions-to-befit-Egyptian-heritage

During the meeting, President Sisi ordered upgrading the tourist attractions including museums nationwide – Press photo

Sisi orders upgrading tourist attractions to befit Egyptian heritage

Wed, May. 29, 2019

CAIRO – 29 May 2019: President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi ordered upgrading the tourist attractions, including museums nationwide, in a way that reflects the history and civilization of the North African country, according to a statement by presidential spokesman Bassam Radi.

This came during the Sisi's meeting with Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouli and Minister of Antiquities Khaled al-Anani on Tuesday.

During the meeting, President Sisi referred to the plan to transfer royal mummies from Tahrir's Egyptian Museum to the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization in Cairo's Ein as-Seirah, affirming the importance to highlight such event in a suitable way that befits the ancient heritage of Egypt.

Renowned Egyptian archaeologist Zahi Hawass earlier revealed that the mummies will be transferred to the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization in a great parade on June 15.

The mummies are for acclaimed ancient Egyptian kings Amenhotep I, Thutmose I, Thutmose II, Thutmose II , Ramses I, , Ramses II, Ramses III, among others.

Anani reviewed the latest updates concerning the recent archaeological discoveries and discussed his ministry's efforts to restore the Egyptian antiquities smuggled abroad. He also referred to the Egyptian exhibitions organized in other countries including the temporary exhibition "King Tut: Treasures of the Golden Pharaoh" in Paris that inaugurated in May to display the treasures of Pharaonic King Tutankhamun.

He also informed the president of the updates of the projects implemented by the ministry including upgrading the Giza Plateau, the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization, and Baron Empain Palace in Cairo's Heliopolis.

Also, the minister reviewed the efforts to upgrade a number of museums nationwide including Mohamed Ali Palace in Shubra, the Eliyahu Hanavi Synagogue in Alexandria, and museums in Kafr al-Sheikh and Tanta.

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Egypt Centre Collection Blog: "Wonderful Things" Conference Review

https://egyptcentrecollectionblog.blogspot.com/2019/05/wonderful-things-conference-review.html
On 05/27/19 04:35, Ken Griffin wrote:

"Wonderful Things" Conference Review The Wonderful Things conference was held over two days and was opened by Pro-Vice-Chancellor Martin Stringer. The focus of the conference was to showcase the objects from the Egypt Centre collection, and it did not disappoint. The conference featured sixteen speakers, with the topics ranging in date from the Predynastic Period through the nineteenth century. First up was Wendy Goodridge (Assistant Curator at the Egypt Centre) who provided an excellent overview of the history of the Egypt Centre, highlighting the diverse range of activities and outreach that the collection has been involved in, including some lovely anecdotes about the early days of the museum (fig. 1). Ken Griffin (Collections Access Manager at the Egypt Centre) presented the history of the Tjenti lintel (W491), which served as a good example of the complex life cycle and journey of the object through numerous collections across the world, as is often the case with many of the Egypt Centre objects.

Fig. 1: Wendy Goodridge presenting on the history of the Egypt Centre collection

Kasia Szpakowska (Associate Professor of Egyptology at Swansea University) gave a fascinating talk on the wooden bed legs (W2052a & W2052b) and the nature of the daemons featured upon them, comparing them stylistically to other examples to establish what kind of bed they belonged to, and who may have owned it. Phil Parkes (Senior Conservator at Cardiff University) provided a run-through of the progress on the conservation of an Egypt Centre coffin (AB118), with examples of some of the painstaking work carried out by their students. Troy Sagrillo (Senior Lecturer in Egyptology at Swansea University) explained the rarity of the depiction of Third Intermediate Period pharaoh Djehutiemhat on a faience scribal palette (EC2018), along with an overview of the chronology of the period—an often overlooked period of Egyptian history (fig. 2). Carolyn Graves-Brown (Curator of the Egypt Centre) explored some of the more obscure depictions on the coffin of Iwesemhesetmut (W1982), using comparative evidence to identify the unusual deities (as well as a bag of onions!) assisting Iwesemhesetmut on her journey to the afterlife.

Fig. 2: Model scribal palette of Djehutiemhat (EC2018)

Amr Gaber gave an in-depth analysis of the stela (W946 bis) of the mother of the Buchis Bull, dating to the time of Commodus, including highlighting an unusual image of a mummiform Isis (fig. 3). This stela was discovered by the Egypt Exploration Society at Armant. Paul Nicholson (Professor in Archaeology at Cardiff University) continued on the theme of bull burials and Armant by using the coffin clamps to highlight the issues with the mummification processes and burial practices of bovines.

Stela of Commodus (W946 bis)

On the second day, Dulcie Engel (Egypt Centre volunteer) opened proceedings with some of the objects collected by the Reverend John Foulkes Jones, emphasizing the kinds of things that were considered important to the Victorian collector for inclusion in their 'cabinets of curiosity'. This included a metal object labelled as the "summit of Cheops" (EC1920)! John Rogers presented a Bes bell (WK44), and a unique object currently described as a whistle (W247), which originates from the William MacGregor collection (fig. 4). The latter object generated a lot of discussion as to its origins. If any readers know of parallels, John would be very keen to hear about them!

Fig. 4: Whistle (W247)

Christian Knoblauch (Lecturer in Material Culture at Swansea University) provided an in-depth study of a Predynastic vessel with an animal frieze (W415); another unique item, considering the authenticity of both the pottery vessel itself and its painted decoration (fig. 5). Katharina Zinn (University of Wales Trinity Saint David) gave an excellent overview of wooden headrests, including AB80 from the Egypt Centre. She discussed the individual nature of these objects and the importance of experiential archaeology—which included lots of delegates testing out some model headrests. After lunch, Nigel Pollard (Associate Professor in Ancient History at Swansea University) used a selection of Imperial Roman coins to demonstrate the significance of depictions of Roman Imperial women on these objects, explaining the significance of the legends and choice of images well for those of us who are more comfortable in dynastic Egypt!

Fig. 5: Nagada III D-Ware vessel (W415)

Ersin Hussein (Lecturer of Ancient History at Swansea University) presented an overview of the current progress on a SURGE funded metals project using Egypt Centre material to evaluate the cultural value and significance of metals, using X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) to help determine provenance and chronologies of metal objects. Mark Humphries (Professor of Ancient History at Swansea University) explained the iconography of object EC1473, which depicts the Roman Emperor Constantine and his mother Helena holding the true relic of the cross identifying the obelisk of Thutmose III and the serpent-headed column flanking them (fig. 6). Finally, Syd Howells (Volunteer Manager at the Egypt Centre) gave a highly entertaining overview of Dr William Price based around the medal (EC1149) commemorating the cremation of his son Iesu Grist (Jesus Christ), and poster (EC1943) announcing the birth of his second son of the same name, and discussing the influence of Egypt on this very unique individual.

Fig. 6: Plaque depicting Constantine and Helena in the Hippodrome at Constantinople (EC1473)

Unlike other conferences, during the breaks there was an opportunity to handle some of the object being discussed, which really helped to bring the topics to life (fig. 7). The object-centred approach added cohesion to the day, and served as a reminder that the museum really does hold "wonderful things". As Wendy Goodridge pointed out, there are many stories held within the collection that deserve the opportunity to be told. Equally, there is enormous scope for further research on the objects, which will hopefully provide many more stories for years to come. The informal atmosphere (and excellent buffet!) sparked some interesting discussions around the objects, with the consensus being that an annual event highlighting research on Egypt Centre objects would be of enormous value!

Fig. 7: Delegates with the "summit of Cheops" (EC1920)

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Fwd: New book by Dr. Malleson “The Fayum Landscape”

http://www.aeraweb.org/news/new-book-by-dr-malleson-the-fayum-landscape/
On 05/28/19 14:15, admin wrote:

New book by Dr. Malleson "The Fayum Landscape"

We are pleased to announce that Dr. Claire Malleson, AERA's archaeobotanist and Giza lab manager, has published her first book. In addition to her work at Giza, Dr. Malleson has been working in the Fayum for many years and her book focuses on the history of this important region.

"Located some one hundred kilometers southwest of Cairo, the Fayum region has long been regarded as unique, often described in terms that conjure up images of an idealized Garden of Eden. In An Egyptian Landscape, Claire Malleson takes a novel approach to the study of the region by exploring the ways in which people have, through millennia, perceived and engaged with the Fayum landscape.

Distinguishing between the experienced landscape of state and bureaucratic record and the imagined landscape of myth, meaning, and observers' personal influences and expectations, Malleson questions in detail where those perceptions come from. She traces religious practices, follows the tracks of myths and traditions, and investigates the roots of stories found in texts from the pharaonic, classical, and Medieval Islamic periods. She also reviews many, more recent travel writings on the region from the seventeenth to the nineteenth centuries. The work of each author is presented in its historical and cultural context, and Malleson integrates what is known about ancient activities in the Fayum, based on the archaeological evidence from the many monuments and ancient settlements that exist in the region."

The Fayum Landscape: Ten Thousand Years of Archaeology, Texts, and Traditions in Egypt is published by the AUC Press and available on Amazon.

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Ptolemaic House Discovered in Tuna El Gebel - Luxor Times

Ptolemaic House Discovered in Tuna El Gebel

Khloud Hosny May 28, 2019

0 1,559 1 minute read

An archaeological mission following Al Hafayer School has discovered Remains of an archaeological house, were part of a Ptolemaic residential complex in Tuna El Gebel, in the first season of excavations works.

Gamal al-Samstawi, director general of Egypt’s Middle Antiquities, said the excavation also included cleaning the surface of the modern layer of the site. He pointed out that during archaeological excavations within three rooms of the house turned out to be the house was designed in the tower style of houses, a common style during the Ptolemaic era.

The mission also found remains of amphorae from the first century BC and the first century AD, remains of animal bones of horses and donkeys, and a number of four Ostrachot written text in Greek and demotic line.

A group of silver coins was also found inside a bed of linen placed below one corner of the house. The study of these coins shows that it dates back to the period between King Ptolemy IX and King Ptolemy XI.

Ahmed Hammad, director of the site of the school of Hafir, pointed out that the trainers were trained in the methods of preserving the production of fossils from animal bones and their classification in terms of bones of mammals, birds, fish and reptiles, and methods of differentiation between them.

It is worth mentioning that this is the first excavation school organized by the Ministry of Antiquities in the area of Tuna El Gebel, in cooperation with the Scientific Center for Training in the Archaeological Middle Egypt Region, to train 15 inspectors from different sectors of the ministry (Egyptian-Islamic-Restoration) on equipment and modern technology, under the supervision of a group of qualified trainers.