The newsletter of The Southampton HOTEP Ancient Egypt

Issue 13: November 2016 Society

Review of the October Meeting

On 15 October our speaker was David Marriott, a long standing member of the society and committee member. The title of his talk was ‘Egyptian Odyssey, Ancient Egypt in 90 minutes’, no small task for a civilisation that lasted for some 3,500 years. David began by giving some facts and figures, which included a time line for those new to The content is well-chosen with each the subject. Rather than a chronological of the six weeks devoted to topics such as overview, David chose instead to travel up the History and Chronology, The Pharaoh and Nile from north to south starting in Alexandria Kingship, Gods and Mythology and The and finishing at Abu Simbel. This made Pyramids and the Sphinx. Each topic is excellent use of his photos from numerous covered by a series of short videos narrated visits to Egypt. There by Silverman, who is shown standing in the were well known main Egyptian gallery of the Penn Museum, sites such as the augmented with images, mostly still photos, pyramids at Giza and of related sites and museum artefacts. But no those more off the matter how interesting and informative beaten track such as Silverman’s talks are they are spoiled by his El Bersha. The object uninspiring delivery and a lack of variety in of this talk was to the presentation. I would have liked some give an introduction input from other archaeologists mentioned, to Egyptology and such as Josef Wegner of the Penn Museum encourage new Abydos Project, or to have some of the visitors which it artefacts, of which we see tantalisingly The sole remaining accomplished fleeting glimpses, discussed in greater detail. brilliantly. column of Taharqa’s The list of image credits at the end of each colonnade at Karnak video is useful but there are some glaring

errors in the captions – wrongly numbered MOOC News dynasties, Amenhotep confused with

Amenemhet etc. In spite of promising The long-awaited MOOC ‘Introduction to privileged access to the on-line Penn Ancient Egypt and its Civilization’ hosted collection and others, the web-links to by Pennsylvania University on the Coursera museum collections are only what you can platform, finally got underway on 1st find for yourself with any search engine. November – only seven months late! 1800 students introduced themselves

in Week 1 but the discussion forums are https://www.coursera.org/learn/introancient egypt/home/welcome nowhere near as active as I have experienced

on other MOOCs and I have seen no There has been no explanation for why the interaction with members of the course team course start was so delayed. I had hoped that other than Dr Silverman. This is a great it was because Dr David Silverman, the shame as this is just the sort of course that presenter, was making sure the course was Egyptophiles have been waiting for. what we all hoped it would be. Sadly I have been disappointed. Hilary Wilson

Bahri, a job which took 6 years. Answers to October’s Quiz In between his work for different Fund 1) The sailing boat with its distinctive lateen projects, he relaxed by drawing the wildlife sail is a felluca. found in Egypt, especially 2) Khnumhotep II was a 12th Dynasty the birds. In 1899 he was nomarch or provincial governor who was offered the post of buried in a cliff tomb at Beni Hasan. Inspector in Chief for Monuments for Upper Egypt and Nubia based in Luxor, where he documented and mapped the Necropolis on

the West Bank of the Nile at Carter’s painting of a Thebes, including the Horus falcon Valleys of the Kings and ‘The Cat in the Marshes’ from the tomb of Queens (4 years). Khnumhotep II, painted by Howard Carter 1891-3 After an incident at Saqqara which led to his dismissal, Carter found himself 3) The Black Pyramid at Dashur was built unemployed at the age of 31, with no formal education, no profession and few prospects. for the 12th Dynasty King Amenemhet III. For two years he earned a living as a draughtsman and selling paintings to rich As seen on TV tourists, before meeting with Carnarvon when Inspired by the recent four-part TV drama the latter returned to Egypt for his health and Tutankhamun, Susanne Cooke has been applied for a concession to excavate. After researching Howard Carter’s career before his being palmed off initially with rubbish mounds most famous discovery. at Sheikh abdel-Gurna, Carnarvon was able to choose a site leading to the temples of Deir Tutankhamun on ITV told the story th el-Bahri where he discovered an important of how the 5 Earl of Carnarvon and Howard th 18 Dynasty tomb of a king’s son who Carter got together and discovered the world became Mayor of Thebes, the earliest famous tomb treasures in November 1922. reference to the office of Mayor. But I wonder how many people are aware The explorations at Thebes from 1907 to that, even if they’d never discovered the tomb 1911 by Carnarvon and Carter were recorded of the Boy King, their work in Thebes, the and published Delta, and other sites along the Nile in 15 in 1912 with years of archaeological collaboration was a analytical considerable achievement and contributed contributions significantly to the advancement of from many knowledge of Ancient Egypt? distinguished Howard Carter began his career in Egyptologists. Egypt in 1891 as a draughtsman logging Their findings details of the tombs of Beni Hassan in Middle included tablets Egypt. This led to an introduction to Flinders Carter’s painting of Deir el-Bahri discovered in Petrie to whom he became assistant when the Deir el-Bahri valley which were the first to working on the temple of Akhenaten at Tell record the conflict 3500 years ago between el-Amarna. During the next few years Carter th the Hyksos and 17 Dynasty King Kamose of had different jobs Egypt. Deep below Queen Hatshepsut’s with the Egyptian Valley Temple were rock hewn pits and tombs Exploration Fund, from the 12th Dynasty, nearly 4000 years old; later to become the these had been plundered but they were able Egypt Exploration to cut through further rock debris to examine Society, beginning them, and identified two types of tomb. They first by recording the also found unique pieces such as an unusual paintings and wooden boat, leather sandals, bowls, as well inscriptions at as an ivory gaming board, and a necklace of Queen Hatshepsut’s Carter’s painting of gold-capped obsidian. Carter restored a Queen Ahmose, from Temple at Deir el- Hatshepsut’s temple of Deir el-Bahri smashed casket of ivory, ebony and In the last Hotep (Oct 2016) Hilary Wilson cedarwood, enabling deciphering of the asked inscription of the 7th king of the 12th Dynasty. Whatever happened to Zahi Hawass? They found 65 coffins and miscellaneous On 2 November we received this reply from items in a large chambered tomb. two SAES members holidaying in Luxor. During the Great War, when ‘Further to your newsletter about Carnarvon returned to England and was Hawass, he's with us! Actually there is a engaged in military aerial photography, Carter tourism conference at our hotel and he spoke remained in Egypt. In between occasional very briefly to us. He's on Hardtalk next week services in Cairo for British Intelligence, he and then on to give a talk in Oxford. continued some excavation work at Luxor. In From your roving reporters!’ October 1916 Carter heard about the Rosemary Nassoori and Dianne Bunce discovery of a tomb, exposed in torrential rain, half way down a cliff face; one evening at midnight he descended down a rope into Next Meeting: Saturday 10 December the tomb to persuade the robbers he found Glenn Worthington will give a there to leave. After a team worked clearing suitably seasonal talk on Theban the debris, a chamber was found which Holidays, looking at how the Egyptians contained a magnificent sarcophagus for celebrated some of the major religious Queen Hatshepsut, though not used. He festivals held in and around Thebes. This hoped to sell it to raise funds but was refused permission to take it out of Egypt. will be followed by our Christmas Social More details of the activities and with a Hounds and Jackals achievements of both men can be found in tournament. As in previous the book Carnarvon & Carter, the Story of years you are welcome to the two Englishment who discovered the bring along homemade Tomb of Tutankhamun by Fiona, 8th produce or handicrafts for sale. Countess of Carnarvon. All we ask is a contribution Portrait of Howard Carter from your profits to Society painted by his brother in funds. 1924 Hounds & Jackals board; a cross between Ludo and

Snakes & Ladders

And finally…..Quiz time.

1) What was the name of the notorious brothers who were caught by Carter raiding the mummy cache at Deir el-Bahri?

2) Where in the UK can you see a collection Carter and Carnarvon in of Howard Carter’s watercolour the Valley of the Kings paintings?

The seat of the Earls of Carnarvon is about 30 miles up the A34 from Southampton 3) Howard Carter at Highclere Castle. At one time the negotiated on behalf of Egyptian collection there was the largest in which Museum for the the UK, and today there is also a replica tomb purchase of the Treasure of Tutankhamun and various collections in the of the Three Princesses? basement. Luckily I visited it years ago before the advent of Downton Abbey, as it is now almost solidly booked in advance every summer with visitors from around the world. Answers in the next issue of Hotep.