A Lavish Resource

Countless generations found their debt belonging to the ancient aristocracy for creating tombs most of the people could not afford however the owner is dead and depending on reverences the grave fell into disuse within a generation or two with its reuse only a matter of practicality.

By the end of the sixth dynasty and again the twentieth dynasty the sacred burial grounds were teaming with not forgotten deposits of treasure with these past elites leading the way with fancy monuments but whether it was the grandsons and great grandsons of the parlours who dug up their own it would be most practical for the priests who forefathers buried the lord to have their sons undue the work.

The enthusiasm of the workers who are placed in charge of the dis assembly of the sacred necropolis's and their sacred objects appear in the time of Piankh from a letter in the British museum to be an extremely important events with King Piankh saying in his letter that the tomb found should remain sealed until he can get there.

Rulers like Herihor and Pinudgem I relished their positions within the reorganizing of the sacred vaults particularly in the royal valleys. Both men wanted to be associated with their handling's of the Kings but what became of those harems of the individual rulers their are large amounts of Queens burials and mummies now missing perhaps as the unfortunate result of placement during the reorganization at the beginning of 21rst dynasty.

The same too may be the natural response of priests at the fall of the old kingdom back at the end of the sixth dynasty. It is not unreasonable that the priests of Giza an Saqqara may have also rounded the royal mummies together for safe keeping and to relieve the noble corpse of their possessions.

This activity probably reached its zenith during the reign of the Tanite king Psussenes I after this recycling high the slow dissent began. A society dependent upon destroying the art created by their ancestors for those who they venerate they now destroy their legacy for gold.

The following generations of necropolis officials must certainly had faced the sacrilege of what they were doing as the pickings became slimmer and slimmer and the sons job not nearly so.

The restoration of the necropolis's created generational occupations of destruction.

When db358 was discovered the tombs original occupant Meryetamen had been robbed of all her valuables including 3 of her alabaster canopic jars? The tomb is probably the finest restoration of a mummy that has come down to this day. Many hours were spent by workers in the uncomfortable environment beautifully re wrapping the mummy covering it in garlands even painting Meryetamen's two surviving coffins.

One wonders how "official" the robbery of the Queens tomb was and what roll Meryetamen's riches played in King Herihor's Renaissance.

Ptolemaic Bath

Here an article on a bath discovered and a quay at the Karnak temple complex.

http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2009/932/fr1.htm

Amarna Fake Princess

Bolton museum wishes to put on display the fake Amarna princess which is in police custody. The statue was purchased for L440 000.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/duped-council-hopes-to-display-fake-statue-1518727.html

A Reconstructed Fable

The fleshing of skulls is a shaky science at best and ignores the weathering of time that occurs to not only bone but soft tissue especially.

Here we have a reconstruction of an ancient Egyptian who just happens to look like Quasimodo.

http://www.3news.co.nz/News/NationalNews/Whos-your-mummy-High-tech-wizardry-reveals-face-of-ancient-aristocrat/tabid/423/articleID/88775/cat/64/Default.aspx

A Farewell to the Warrior and His Canopic Chest

When the eighteenth dynasty Pharaoh Thutmosis III decided to be buried in the Valley of the gates of the Kings the valley was still relatively free from human activity as far as tombs go so his secret tomb hidden in the barren hostile valley made sense even if a big man made gash could clearly be seen above the tomb of Thutmosis predecessor Hatshepsut.

Thutmosis cartouche shaped burial chamber is truly the first wonderful room created in the valley so that at the end of the kings life he was placed into his beautiful quartzite sarcophagus, many feel it is the most beautiful sarcophagus ever created in Egyptian history. There he was laid to rest surrounded by statues of the gods of whom he would remain in their presence forever with oars laid around on the floor to aid Thutmosis on his eternal celestial journey with the sun god Re.

Well at least that was the plan the eighteenth dynasty kings lying in their hidden chambers within the valley however the establishment of nineteenth dynasty the right to be buried in the valley became a political tool with ever growing and decorated entrances the kings of the twentieth dynasty's announced the right in ever larger entrances.

When the priests of the twenty first dynasty show up a half a millennium has passed and though the warrior lies in his secret tomb his fame more likely made his tomb the worst kept secret among the officials of the necropolis who would have passed the information down the generations as to where the cemeteries most prestigious eighteenth dynasty king was.

It probably should not have surprised anyone upon entering the kings burial to find they were not the first to visit the kings house of eternity it having been brutally robbed the warriors mummy torn apart and the pieces scattered around the chamber. The statues of the Gods smashed against the chambers walls and the sarcophagus badly damaged.

In the chamber the warriors inner coffin trough lay nearby with its lid, the priests rounded up the remains of the King along with four oars and removed him to safety elsewhere where they scrapped off the coffins gold leaf and removed its eye inlays.

The enigma of the tomb is the complete lack of a canopic chest. The suggestion that the canopic chest remained undamaged in a pillaged tomb and was removed for re-use by members of the elite of dynasty twenty one would seem unlikely but is perhaps what happened.

The other thought is that 200 years earlier Rameses II who appropriated everything from other Kings to his own glory may have ordered the great warriors tomb open so that he may visit, just as Julius Caeser would visit Alexander the greats mummy millenia later, and during that visit Rameses acquired the canopic chest for his own now destroyed burial.

This visit having alerted robbers to the tombs location and it being plundered after great King Rameses left and hundreds of years before the great recycling of the necropolis.

Second Pier at Karnak

A pier used during the dry season at the Karnak temple complex has recently been identified.

http://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFJOE50P0PQ20090126?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews

Brooklyn's Dig

Here is Brooklyn's dig diary at the Temple of Mut.

http://www.brooklynmuseum.org/community/blogosphere/bloggers/2009/01/23/our-first-week/

Dig Diary

Here we have the John Hopkins Temple of Mut dig diary.

http://www.jhu.edu/egypttoday/

World of the Pharaoh's

This excellent slide show is of objects on loan to the Museum of Idaho from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

http://www.museumofidaho.org/Pharaohs.php

Mummy Reconstruction

Here an Egyptian mummy will have a facial reconstruction though I do not know how since its jaw bone is missing.

http://www.pal-item.com/article/20090124/NEWS01/901240314/1008

Mummification Museum Lecture

Here we have another post from Luxor News.

http://luxor-news.blogspot.com/2009/01/mummfication-museum-lecture-look-into.html

Questionable

A collection of objects in Sweden that were collected in the early part of the 20th century are said to be returned to Egypt.

http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2009/931/he1.htm

Predynastic Fantastic

The find comes from the North east delta and consists of gold plate and carved figures of hippo tusk.

http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2009/931/he11.htm

Aeragram 9

The most recent newsletter from the fine folks at Ancient Egypt Research Society.

http://www.aeraweb.org/PDFs/aeragram9_1_2008.pdf

King Kasekhemwy

Here is Archaeological magazines Hierankonpolis dig diary with lots of great pictures of the enclosure of the IInd dynasty King Kasekhemwy.

http://www.archaeology.org/interactive/hierakonpolis/field08/2.html

At the Bottom of the Lake

This excavation promises to be very fascinating.

http://www.ascribe.org/cgi-bin/behold.pl?ascribeid=20090122.054843&time=08

New Discovery in Valley of Kings

A painted eye has been found which some think may have come from a new tomb or may come from one of the numerous shrines in the surrounding hills.

http://www.kv64.info/2009/01/eye-of-horus-discovered-in-valley-of.html

15th Century Manuscript

A lovely photo of the manuscript found on a tourist.

http://www.dailystaregypt.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=19215

Would You Like Fries with That?

This is another article on those 200+ artifacts Egypt wants back from Sweden. Dr. Hawass is such a drama queen you would think the antiquities were being displayed above the deep fryer at the local Burger King.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/arts_and_culture/7842594.stm

Bulgaria Say's No to Extradition

The Lebanese dealer convicted in absentia in Egypt for smuggling will not be handed over to Egyptian authorities.

http://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFJOE50J04H20090120

Dr. Salima Ikram Lecture

Here we have a lecture by the always charming and interesting Dr. Ikram on the North Kharga Survey.

http://luxor-news.blogspot.com/2009/01/mummfication-museum-lecture-north.html

The Valley of Kings by Otto Neubert, ca.1957

This fascinating book is filled with unusual highlights from excavations in the first half of the twentieth century. Complete with a mention of the recently found mask of Kanefernefer before it was noticed in 1959 as missing, now at the center of a scandal between Egypt's S.C.A. and the St. Louis Art museum.

The authors chronological history is off of course it is 50 years later but his view is interesting when his attitudes are not annoying. Mr Neubert's vision of Akenaten is a Christ like figure as opposed to a tyrannical egomaniacle despot.

His inclusion in the excavation of the tomb of Tutankhamen has its interesting points however the accuracy of his words is not good and this failing becomes more apparent as the book goes on.

The book contains a lot of unsubstantiated theory including that King Tut's brains and heart were placed in one of his four canopic jars. The books ends with a roundup of ancient history in the middle east and Mesopotamia with the final conclusion of the book on Christian theology.

The author was all over the place in this book his nuggets of information which made the start of the book so interesting were totally called into question by the regular misinterpretations later on and for me ruined the impact of his words.

The Valley of Kings was not great and certainly the best words I can give for it are average and dubious.

No second read for this puppy!

Nebamun's World

Here we have a video and article on the recent installation in the British museum.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/culturecritics/richarddorment/4290640/The-tomb-chapel-of-Nebamun-at-the-British-Museum-review.html

Give Me Back My Stuff

Here Dr. Zahi Hawass asks a Swedish institution for a return of objects obtained by a collector in the 1920's.

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2009/01/19/news/ML-Egypt-Sweden-Antiquities.php

In the Valley of Kings

Are these photo's of soon to be discovered tombs only time will tell hopefully if there are and hopefully they are not filled with garbage like KV63.

http://www.kv64.info/

Tombs of the Courties and Oxyrhynkhos

I have blogged this document before but I think it has been a couple of years. The graves occupants seem to have moved during burial definitely one of my favorites by Sir Flinders Petrie.

http://www.etana.org/coretexts/15142.pdf

A Round Up

Here is an overview of recent discoveries in Egypt.

http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2009/930/he2.htm

Return to Baghdad

Here is an article on the return of that lovely bronze to the Iraq museum.

http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2009/930/he1.htm

The Economic Downturn

Egypt with all it has to offer has an economy largely based on tourists coming from countries experiencing economic troubles.

http://www.zawya.com/story.cfm/sidZAWYA20090111070217/The%2520Coming%2520Storm

Hopkins in Egypt

Well the sacred lake at the Mut temple has been drained time to start work.

http://www.jhu.edu/egypttoday/index.html

Antiquities Smuggler Arrested

An antiquities smuggler sentenced in absentia for smuggling Egyptian antiquities has been arrested.

http://www.guardians.net/hawass/Press%20Releases/apprehended_antiquities_trader.htm

Ramses Head

This article is a round up of a number of stories going on in Egypt.

http://travelvideo.tv/news/more.php?id=16444_0_1_0_M

First Intermediate Discovery

This article has a wonderful image of one of the recently found false doors.

http://www.guardians.net/hawass/discoveries/First_Intermediate_Period_Discovery_at_Ehnasya_El-Medina%20.htm

Middle KIngdom Site Discovered

Here we have the recent discovery at Ain Sokhna

http://www.guardians.net/hawass/discoveries/New_Discovery_in_Ain_Sokhna.htm

Queen Sesheshet and Her Nine Grand Daughters

Apparently King Teti named all his daughters after his mom, great lady total mommas boy!

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/01/090114-mummy-egypt-queen.html

Dating the Sphinx

Long has the riddle of the sphinx's age been in question though I doubt it will be proved anyway. I personally believe the face is that of Djedefre mainly because of a head of that king in the Louvre.

http://mgu.bg/geoarchmin/naterials/64Manichev.pdf

Another Victim of the CT scanner

This lovely coffin and mask belong to a woman who died in the Ptolemaic period and was probably no beauty when she died.

http://www.odt.co.nz/your-town/dunedin/39257/mummy-facing-more-scrutiny

The Temple of Mut

The Brooklyn museums dig diary at the temple of Mut has long been one of my favorite sites to visit. A new dig season begins!

http://www.brooklynmuseum.org/features/mut/index.php

Middle Kingdom Site Discovered

Dr. Hawass announced the discovery of a site containing middle kingdom remains.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-01/14/content_10653832.htm

Tombs of Eternity

This exhibition is touring Canada and hopefully will find its way west.

http://en.epochtimes.com/n2/content/view/10117/

Nebamun Rising

Here we have a lovely video of the Nebamun chapel paintings.

http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/visual_arts/article5503003.ece

Tutankhamun Son of Akenaten

This is not a new post but rather an old "Dig days" by the fine doctor. I put it in again as the doctors proof of fatherhood being Akenaten is not proven by the evidence the doctor displays.

How do I not know that the inscription of Tut's father are not talking about Smenkara, no king is mentioned as the father of Tutankhamun.

The mention of the father of Ankhesenpaaten does not imply fatherhood of king Tut, rather the lack of king Tut's fathers attribution is more telling and probably Ankhesenpaaten's lineage is a consolidation to stabilize an already badly damaged monarchy.

http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2009/929/he2.htm

Goddess Goes Home

Here is a video of Dr. Hawass handing over that lovely bronze to ambassador for Iraq but first you will have to suffer through that stupid dog whisperer advertisement again!

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/01/090112-statuette-video-ap.html

Egypt Hands Over Stolen Statue to Iraq

This article has a number of interesting pictures of the lovely statue.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-01/12/content_10642277.htm

The Siwa Oasis

An article from Al Ahram on the history of the oasis that Alexander the great insisted upon visiting.

http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2009/929/tr1.htm

Salahedden the builder

Here an article on the great 12th century ruler.

http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2009/929/he1.htm

The Body of the Queen

Here we finally have the mummy of the old kingdom mother of the Pharaoh Teti. The picture is great but the hieroglyphic coins are highly suspicious as no coins bearing hieroglyphs are known before dynasty 30?

http://www.pyramidofman.com/blog/body-of-queen-sesheshet-found-in-new-pyramid/

TT16

Unfortunately the tomb was never gated and a number of the tombs paintings have been hacked from the walls of Panehsy's tomb.

http://luxor-news.blogspot.com/2009/01/mummfication-museum-lecture-tt16.html

Queen Sesheshet Found?

A despoiled mummy of what appears to be the mother of the old kingdom ruler Teti has recently been found within the burial chamber of her ruined pyramid.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090108/sc_nm/us_egypt_mummy

and here:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7818735.stm

Meet Meresamun

The coffin and mummy of the temple singer Meresamun will be on display at the wonderful Oriental institute in Chicago this year.

http://oi.uchicago.edu/museum/special/meresamun/

Lecture on TT147

This is an interesting lecture from Luxor's Mummification museum on tomb tt147.

http://luxor-news.blogspot.com/2009/01/mummfication-museum-lecture-tt147.html

Nebamun Restoration Complete

The eleven beautiful panels from the tomb chapel of Nebamun have been conserved and are now on display at the British museum.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2009/jan/04/british-museum-egyptian-nebamun-tomb

British museum: The Nebamun panels

http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlights_all_relationships.aspx?Title=Room+61%3a+Ancient+Egyptian+life+and+death&ContentType=Gallery&PageId=15127

Thutmosis III Mortuary Temple

These images from the mortuary temple of Thutmosis III show that little remains and what does can't get no respect.

http://luxor-news.blogspot.com/2009/01/tuthmosis-iii-mortuary-temple.html

Egyptian Year

Here we have a review of the year in Egyptology in Egypt.

http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2009/928/heritage.htm

Mummies Under Snow

This show in Gatineau Quebec sounds nice even though the sound of Gatineau in the winter or even spring sounds colder than any Egyptian mummy would ever want to feel.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090102.wegypt0103/BNStory/Entertainment

Amarna Royal Tombs Project

Here we have a summary of the radar scans done in the Valley of kings in the year 2000. as we know Mr. Reeves and his team were not able to finish their project due to false allegations of smuggling.

http://www.nicholasreeves.com/item.aspx?category=Events&id=160

Dr. Granvilles Mummy

A very interesting article on an early autopsy of a late period lady mummy and the candles made from the mummies adipocere. Now that's just gross.

http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20026877.000-what-killed-dr-granvilles-mummy.html?page=1

A Pilots Loot

This article provides a nice image of some of the artifacts taken from a museum.

http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2008/927/he1.htm

New Discovery

The first intermediate period is a little known age and so the Spanish teams discovery is interesting.

http://www.sis.gov.eg/En/EgyptOnline/Culture/000002/0203000000000000001087.htm

Best of 2007

The death of the town of Guorna:
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/12/16/africa/ME-GEN-Egypt-Tomb-Evictions.php

This year King Tut was Ct. scanned:
http://www.guardians.net/hawass/articles/King_Tut_CATscan.htm

and was moved to his antechamber:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/7078045.stm

and those less famous also had dates with the Ct. scanner:

Nesperennub:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/london/7136135.stm

Djedmaatasankh and friends:
http://www.thestar.com/News/article/273888