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CONTENTS
features ANCIENT EGYPT www.ancientegyptmagazine.com
October/November 2006 From our Egypt Correspondent VOLUME 7, NO 2: ISSUE NO. 38 9 Ayman Wahby Taher with the latest news from Egypt and details of a new museum at Saqqara. EDITOR: Robert B. Partridge, 6 Branden Drive Knutsford, Cheshire, WA16 8EJ, UK Friends of Nekhen News Tel. 01565 754450 Renée Friedman looks at the presence of Nubians Email [email protected] 19 in the city at Hierakonpolis, and their lives there, as revealed in the finds from their tombs. ASSISTANT EDITOR: Peter Phillips The New Tomb CONSULTANT EDITOR: Professor Rosalie David, OBE in the Valley of the Kings EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS: 26 The fourth update on the recent discovery and the final clearance of the small chamber. Victor Blunden, Peter Robinson, Hilary Wilson EGYPT CORRESPONDENT ANOTHER new tomb in the Valley Ayman Wahby Taher of the Kings? 31 Nicholas Reeves reveals the latest news on the PUBLISHED BY: possibility of another tomb in the Royal Valley. Empire Publications, 1 Newton Street, Manchester, M1 1HW, UK Royal Mummies on view in the Tel: 0161 872 3319 Egyptian Museum Fax: 0161 872 4721 35 A brief report on the opening of the second mummy room in the Egyptian Museum, Cairo. ADVERTISEMENT MANAGER: Michael Massey Tel. 0161 928 2997 The Ancient Stones Speak Pam Scott, in the first of three major articles, gives a SUBSCRIPTIONS: 36 practical guide to enable AE readers to read and understand the ancient texts written on temple and Mike Hubbard tomb walls, statues and stelae. PRINTED BY: Warners (Midlands) plc, The Maltings, The Rekhyt Bird Manor Lane, BOURNE, Lincolnshire, Kenneth Griffin explains how the many representa- 45 tions of the lapwing are much more than a simple PE10 9PH, UK image of a bird; they have a more significant meaning. DESIGN AND SETTING: Peartree Publishing and Design, Per Mesut: for younger readers 56 Albert St, Manchester M11 3SU, UK 54 In this edition, Hilary Wilson looks at pomegranates. FRONT COVER DESIGNED BY: David Soper Main image: Face of a coffin from tomb KV63. Photo: courtesy of the University of Memphis Mission.
regulars TRADE DISTRIBUTION THROUGH: Diamond Magazine Distribution Ltd. From the Editor 4 Subscribe 56 Rye Wharf Road, Harbour Road, Maps of Egypt 4, 5 Back Issues 57 Rye, East Sussex TN31 7TE, UK Timeline 5 Book Reviews 58 Tel: 01797 225229 Bits and Pieces 6 Egyptology Society Details 62 Fax: 01797 225657 Readers’ Letters 52 Events Diary 64 Subscribers’ Competition Winners 55 Netfishing 67 ISSN: 1470 9990
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From the EDITOR
y schedule of articles for inclusion in AE was duced some remarkable discoveries, so we wish all the completely disrupted this year by the discovery expeditions well for another productive season. Mof a new tomb in the Valley of the Kings, tomb Whilst foreign missions only work in Egypt for rela- KV63. tively short periods, the work of the Egyptian Supreme I am not really complaining, for I was as fascianated as Council of Antiquities is an all-year-round operation and anyone to find out what the contents of this tomb might often the opportunity is taken in the quiet season, when be. Thanks to the splendid cooperation of members of tourists are limited, to carry out much routine mainte- the University of Memphis Team and with images sup- nance and inspection of the sites. It is always fascinating plied by them and the Egyptian Supreme Council of when returning to Egypt to spot the many changes and Antiquities, I have been especially pleased to have been improvements being made. able to include a total of four articles in consecutive edi- You will have all read about the huge amount of civil tions, telling readers of the progress of the excavation. engineering and archaeological work being undertaken The fourth and final account of the discovery and in the centre of Luxor and around the temples of Luxor clearance of the tomb is included in this edition, and I and Karnak. Most of the work is due to be completed by am surprised to find that this means we have devoted a the start of the tourist season. I am looking forward to total of twenty-five pages to the discovery, undoubtedly seeing what has been going on when I make my planned the best and fullest account of the find so far, and sec- visits at the end of this year. ond-best only to any official and more formal book pub- One of these visits will be our magazine trip to Cairo lished by the team (in the not too distant future we hope). in September (this issue had to be completed before the Work on the contents of the tomb will continue when trip, so I will bring you news of it in the December issue). the new season begins and if there are any new develop- If this trip goes well (and there is no reason to assume ments, I hope to be able to bring them to you. I am sure otherwise) we will consider other trips in the future, pos- you will have found the articles of interest. My main frus- sibly a week in Luxor. tration was the time delay in getting the latest news to Prices for trips to Egypt and to Luxor in particular you, which is always the problem with a bi-monthly pub- have been remarkably cheap this summer and I know a lication date. number of people who have taken advantage of this. For Almost literally as I was putting the finishing touches to those willing to put up with the building works in Luxor the last KV63 article came news of another possible and the very high temperatures, the rewards are great, previously unknown tomb in the Valley of the Kings. notably being able to visit the main sites without the Nicholas Reeves, Director of the Amarna Royal Tombs huge numbers of visitors there in the peak season. Project has written an article on the information avail- Tourist numbers have increased dramatically, although able at this stage. The prospects are exciting, but also, as on-going concerns about the political stability of coun- you will see from his article, challenging. The news has ries around Egypt may have influenced the decision of already caused some interest and debate and rather than some to travel at this time. It is, however, nice to see the make my own comments here, I will let you read both sites full of people, and if you happen to be there at a the KV63 article and the article by Nicholas Reeves first busy time you just need to bear in mind that most groups and add my comments and observations (for what they spend a surprisingly short time there, and it is quite easy are worth) after. No doubt AE readers will have their to find some peace and quiet at the larger sites. own views. RP I know some of you have noticed (and commented favourably upon) the fact that our “News from Egypt” Detailed Map of Thebes section has been spreading over an increasing number of pages in recent issues. I was squeezing Ayman’s reports into a fixed and lim- ited number of pages, and they really warranted more space. I have now decided that the quality and amount of information from Ayman deserves as much space as I can manage. The number of pages allocated is not now set in concrete and will vary depending on the amount of news and photos available. Most articles are not time-critical; I suppose it is one of the “joys” of being Editor that, having reached the stage when an issue is full, I often find out about new discov- eries and information. If it is clear that readers would want to share this news as soon as possible, some shuf- fling around of articles is inevitable. By the time this October issue lands on your doorstep, the excavation season in Egypt will be back in full swing, with the onset of the cooler weather. The last season pro-
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MAP of EGYPT Time-line
Periods Famous Pharaohs Dynasties
Maps and Time-line by Peter Robinson.
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BITS and PIECES
News and views from the world of Egyptology
News of an award Professor Gaballa Ali Gaballa of the University of Cairo spoke on the work of Ahmed Fakhry, an Egyptian ongratulation to Professor Gaballa Ali Gaballa, archaeologist who pioneered research in the desert and who has just been awarded one of the highest was amongst the first to realise the importance of the Chonours in Egypt, the 2005 “State Prize for sites, as well as the problems they faced. Social Sciences”. This is awarded by the Higher Council Tony Mills and other members of the Dakhleh Oasis of the Supreme Council of Culture. Project covered their long-term work at the Oasis, and Professor other speakers covered communication between the Gaballa worked Oases and the Nile valley. for many years at It was clear from the presentations that, far from being the University of provincial backwaters, the Oases were an important Cairo and from part of Egypt; over the last few years, our knowledge of 1997 to 2002 was the area has increased dramatically. the Secretary Many of the sites are remote, some are being dam- General of the aged by simple erosion, others are in close proximity to Supreme Council modern towns and villages and are in danger of being of Antiquities. He lost beneath modern buildings, and others are being is now a Professor deliberately damaged and vandalised. at the University It was, however, in the closing remarks by Rudolph of Cairo and is a Kuper from the University of Cologne, that the real special consultant problems facing the many sites were highlighted. and advisor to the Tourism in the Oases has increased, and this presents Minister of real problems at many of the sites, which are often less Culture. than secure and open to anyone. The award is in An increased population in the “New Valley”, with recognition of his people being encouraged to move to the Oases from the many years of Nile Valley, has meant that, whereas the local inhabi- work, especially in tants were familiar with their monuments and appreci- the area of cul- ated them, others new to the area often realise the ture and antiqui- “value” of them, and damage and looting has increased. ties. The presence of more archaeologists often exacerbates this problem, for the implication is that there must be something of value there. The discovery of a hoard of British Museum Colloquium gold in the temple of Dush in Kharga Oasis a few years and Sackler Lecture, 2006 ago did not help. Only recently at least two mud-brick temples have been flattened by a bulldozer, in an f you are ever planning a holiday in the UK and attempt to discover such treasure. want to guarantee a sunny week, then you can do lit- Further south, one of the most remote hieroglyphic Itle better than choose the same dates as the annual inscriptions has been deliberately vandalised, and this British Museum Colloquium and Sackler Lecture, held has to have been done by someone in a tour group vis- each year in mid-July, which invariably enjoys (or suffers iting the area, for that is the only way anyone can get from) the hottest and sunniest weather of the year. there. This year was no exception; on one of the days This news was quite depressing, but on the positive London experienced its hottest July temperature on side, measures are now being put in place to secure the record. The air-conditioned lecture theatre was proba- sites, and the Gilf Khebir, in the south west corner of bly the best place to be for the evening lecture and two- Egypt, is to be made a National Park, which will restrict day Colloquium. and control visits to the site. The Sackler Lecture, given this year by Dr Laure In Dakhla, there are plans for a new museum dedicat- Pantalacci, set the scene for the theme of the ed to the Oases of the Western Desert and it is hoped Colloquium, “Egypt’s Great Oases: the Archaeology of that a programme of education will encourage all the Kharga, Dakhla and the Roads of the West”. people who live in the area to see the antiquities as part At the Colloquium, a series of lectures by experts from of their own heritage, important for their livelihood and around the world presented papers on various aspects of for tourists, rather than something to be plundered. the archaeology of the Oases, and much new informa- The annual British Museum Colloquium and Sackler tion and research was revealed. Lecture is open to anyone. Tickets usually go on sale in
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June each year. Details of the 2007 Colloquium will be included a photograph of the best preserved example, included in AE, when available. and it is the second lion that was cast), reveals this to be correct. Hourig was not certain when the plaster cast was More on the Lion of Amenhotep III made, or when the lion was placed at the Citadel. Older guide books about the citadel state that two lions were n AE 33 (Dec. 2005/Jan. 2006) an article featured located there at the base of the steps of the Police a “new “ lion of Amenhotep III, at the Citadel in Museum, but only one is there now. Perhaps casts of ICairo, which was very similar to the two well-known both lions were once located there? lions of Amenhotep III from Soleb, now in the British The Soleb lions came into the collection of the British Museum in London.. Museum in 1835. It does seem an extraordinary amount Two other similar lions of Amenhotep are known of work to mould the lions in the UK and to send a cast from Tanis, but the question was raised, where did this (or casts) to Egypt, so it is possible that the lions were example come from? One of the Tanis lions was moved cast when they were still in Egypt, en route to the UK.
to Cairo and I did wonder if this was the one now at the However, at the end of the nineteenth century and in Citadel. the early years of the twentieth, many international In AE issue 34 (Feb./Mar. 2006), the lion was men- museums exchanged plaster casts of some of their best- tioned again as, following a visit to Cairo, the Tanis lion known objects. This was a time when few travellers went was spotted in a garden at Zamalek, in Cairo, leaving to Egypt and when there were hardly any books on the the issue of the original location of the Citadel lion wide subject; museums were quite happy to display casts. The open. British Museum sent casts of many of its objects all I am pleased to say that the problem has been solved, around the world, as far afield as Australia. In return, thanks to Hourig Sourouzian, the Director of the casts of objects in other collections were sent back and, Colossi of Memnon and Amenhotep III Temple in the main sculpture gallery, the Museum displayed for Conservation Project. many years a number of casts of statues from the Hourig saw the article in the magazine, and her Egyptian Museum in Cairo. knowledge of the sculpture of Amenhotep III meant As museums filled up with newly-excavated statues, that she knew that the “Citadel lion” was actually a cast the casts were removed and placed in storage. of one of the British Museum Soleb lions! Close exam- It is most likely, therefore, that the lions were cast as a ination of the less-well preserved of the two lions (I special request from the Egyptian Museum, in return for
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examples of The original their main lion was dam- exhibits. The aged and in casts of the several pieces, Soleb lions and has been (and other stat- repaired in the ues) may have British Mus- been sent to the eum (the best- Egyptian preserved lion Museum. is still in one When such piece). Parts of casts were the statue have removed from been restored, display, they but an ancient were often sent repair to the to other institu- base, visible in tions and this is the original, is probably how, not part of the and when, the Soleb lion casts were moved to the cast. Citadel. The question remains, though … what has happened I am not sure what sort of plaster was used, but it is to the other cast? There have been many improvements clearly very hard, for the Citadel example is undamaged and restorations at the Citadel and if the other lion has (other than ancient damage seen on the original). The survived, perhaps it is still there somewhere. The Citadel exposure to the air and the pollution in Cairo over a peri- is a fascinating place to visit and there is now a great od of a hundred years, or possibly even more, has given deal to see there; AE readers should keep their eyes the lion a unique and well-weathered patina, which is open for the missing lion! why I thought it was carved from limestone (unlike the originals, which are carved in pink granite). RP
Cairo Return £139 rtn Alexandria Return £149 rtn Luxor Return £235 rtn
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From our EGYPT CORRESPONDENT
News from Egypt
Touring Exhibition in Japan from the Re-Opening of the Coptic Museum Egyptian Museum in Cairo in Cairo
special Exhibition has been put together that will t the end of June, President Hosni Mubarak for- tour ten Japanese cities over a period of two mally re-opened the Coptic Museum in Cairo, Ayears. This is a token of gratitude for Japan’s Afollowing a major refurbishment that has cost major support for the establishment of the new Grand over £E30 million. Museum of Egypt to be built at Giza. In his address during the opening ceremony, the Minister of Culture Farouk Hosni said the Coptic Museum is one of Egypt’s most important museums, with a collection of over one thousand three hundred objects on display in twenty-six galleries. Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA) Zahi Hawass said, during a tour of the museum conducted by the President, that the restoration project included the addition of a new gallery devoted to the history of churches in Old Cairo and that a special gallery for temporary exhibitions has also been built. The restoration began in 2003 and meant that the museum was closed for almost three years. The Museum has an important collection of manu- scripts, some of which date back to the fourth century AD, including thirteen bibles. The collection also fea-
The Egyptian Minister of Culture Farouq Hosni tures textiles, icons and woodwork, as well as many large explained that the Exhibition of over three hundred pieces of stone sculpture and carvings from sites around pieces would include many objects discovered during Egypt. the last forty years by the Japanese Waseda University’s archaeological mission to Egypt. One of the objects, a Middle Kingdom cartonnage New Appointment by the SCA mask (shown above, photo: J. Rutherford) was temporarily on display in the new Imhotep Museum at Saqqara. r Zahi Hawass is pleased to announce a new Found at South Abusir and belonging to a man called appointment, that of Adel Hussein Mohamed Senw, it was in a very damaged and delicate state. To Dto the post of General Director of Sharkia. Adel enable it to go on the tour, it has been expertly con- began his career with the Supreme Council of served, by conservators Richard and Helena Jaeschke, Antiquities in 1979, where he worked as an Inspector in using the latest techniques for the conservation of car- Minia; in his later career he held Directorships of the tonnage (linen and plaster). New Valley, Ain Shams, Saqqara and the Giza
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from our Egypt Correspondent
Pyramids. Adel brings much expe- rience to his new job in the Nile Delta, which is rich in antiquities. He is responsible for six missions work- ing together with Egyptian archaeol- ogists on the main sites at Tell Basta, Tanis and Qantir. I am sure many of our readers have visited these sites and will continue to do so in the future. The Serapeum at Saqqara Adel is extremely happy to be in his new role and he is looking forward to his Egyptian colleagues and mis- n AE issue 33 (December 2005) I mentioned the sions uncovering more ancient artifacts from this area. huge restoration and conservation project being ANCIENT EGYPT magazine wishes him every success Iundertaken by the SCA at the Serapeum at for the future. Saqqara. The Serapeum (the burial vaults of the sacred Apis Bulls), which has been closed to visitors for many years New Development Plan for Saqqara now, has been in serious danger of collapse and the impressive and costly repair work by the SCA is still on- he SCA has recently announced a development going. The scale of the work can be seen from these pic- project for Saqqara, following the opening of the tures. Initial restoration included the building of stone TNew Imhotep Museum. The project is to be arches inside the vaults to prevent the collapse of the completed in thirty months and will cost £E40 million. roof, but this was not enough and heavy steel girders are The work will be in three stages: now being fitted in the damaged parts of the vaults. Work like this, out of sight and not noticed by visitors, is 1. Preparing the area for improved systems for tourism. 2. Building new administration offices, conservation laboratories and improved security systems. 3. Cleaning modern graffiti from tombs, providing humidity systems and testing equipment for them.
The project will also help to improve the documenta- tion of tombs with the help of the Italian Mission and may involve about six hundred tombs in the area. At present only seventeen tombs are open to visitors and this number will be increased. A new storage museum with improved security will be built to house objects from excavations. This will help students of Egyptology and secure and conserve the antiquities.
Above left: the new General Director of Sharkia, Adel Hussein Mohamed. Photo: J. Rutherford. Above right: the entrance to the Serapeum at Saqqara. Photo: RP. Right: view of one of the corridors inside the Serapeum, showing the new stone arches to support the roof, the additional scaffolding now needed as a temporary measure and some heavy girders waiting to be fitted into place as a more permanent measure. Photo: J. Rutherford.
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from our Egypt Correspondent
essential to ensure the long-term survival of this impor- tant monument and, hopefully, to allow visitor access once more.
Neferhotep at Karnak
n AE 32 (October 2005), I reported on the finding of a statue of Neferhotep I in the temple of Karnak. IFound beneath the foundations of the obelisk of Queen Hatshepsut, the figure of the king had then been only partly revealed, but it was clear that it formed part of a double statue with the second figure of Neferhotep still buried. The statue was covered up again, but new excavations have now taken place by archaeologists from the Centre Franco-Egyptian d’Etude des Temples de Karnak (CFEETK) and more of the statue has been uncovered, including the superbly preserved second figure of the king.
Top left: one of the burial vaults in the Serapeum at Saqqara. The heavy girders are needed to prevent the roof of the vault from collapsing. Beneath the girders can be seen the wooden protective covering over one of the great granite sarcophagi of the sacred bulls. Photo: J. Rutherford. Top right: the double statue of Neferhotep I as revealed by new excava- tions. The second figure of the king, to the right, is still partly buried. Right: detail of the face of the second image of the king. Photos: courtesy of the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities and the Centre Franco-Egyptian d’Etude des Temples de Karnak (CFEETK).
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from our Egypt Correspondent
Neferhotep is shown holding hands with a double of Discoveries in the “Hidden Valley” at himself, probably his ka. The statue, as can be seen from Farafra Oasis the photographs, is buried deeply; its large size and the fact that it is an integral part of the foundations of the he “Hidden Valley” is a five-hundred-metre- temple mean that it is not certain that it can be removed square valley located sixty kilometers north east from the site. Tof Farafra Oasis, and is not a well-known area, AE issue 34 (Feb. 2006) featured an article on even to people who live in the Oasis. Neferhotep I. An Italian team from Naples University has recently discovered there a settlement from very ancient times. The team was headed by Prof. Barbara Barich and More on the Foundation Deposits recently Giulio Lacarini and has been successful in finding shel- discovered at Karnak ters, knives and bracelets. Carbon dating of objects sug- gests a date of around 7700 BC. n the last issue of AE, I reported on the discovery of Archaeologists believe that the shelters formed a small foundation deposits with objects bearing the name community of about twenty people. A cave, thought to Iof Thutmose III and Hatshepsut. be sacred, was also found cut into a nearby mountain. All the objects, which included pottery (now restored, Inside, there were a number of rock art representations as much of it was broken when found), models of cop- of sheep, gazelles and ostriches, together with hand- per or bronze chisels, and gold and faience cartouches, prints and some graffiti. have been removed from their find site, and I can now bring you some photographs of them: Treasures of Dakhla Oasis
he Fifth International Conference of the Dakhleh Oasis Project took place in the summer Tin Cairo. It was well attended with an interna- tional gathering of scholars who have excavated and studied at the Oasis and were able to talk about their fields of work. Papers were also given on a range of sub- jects from Dutch, French, German and Egyptian experts on rock art, graffiti, pottery and studies carried out at Kellis, the ancient Roman Period village now called Ismant Al Kharab. The head of the Dakhleh Oasis Project is Anthony J. Mills, who has worked in the Oasis for nearly thirty years – the team has carried out research in the Oasis since 1978. At least twenty-five Roman temples have been found in Dakhla, the best-preserved being the Temple of Deir el Hagar, which, under a team headed by Anthony Mills, was restored during the 1990s. Some graffiti on a mud-brick wall still remain there – the names of team members from an expedition visiting the site the late1800s. To mark the opening of this year’s conference, Dr Wafaa El Saddik, Director of the Egyptian Museum in
Left: the foundation deposits recently discovered in the Temple of Amun at Karnak, by the Centre Franco-Egyptian d’Etude des Temples de Karnak (CFEETK).
From top to bottom: - Restored pottery objects from the deposit. Note the green faience car- touches in some of the bowls, which is probably how they were origi- nally buried. - A closer view of some of the faience cartouches. - Details of some of the many bronze or copper chisels found in the deposit. Photos: courtesy of the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities and the Centre Franco-Egyptian d’Etude des Temples de Karnak (CFEETK).
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from our Egypt Correspondent
Cairo, and Dr Zahi Hawass, head of the SCA, organ- ised an exhibition in Room 44 of the Egyptian Museum entitled “Treasures of the Dakhleh Oasis”. Some objects have never been on display to the public before, so I went along to see this small but very beautiful dis- play of objects from the Old Kingdom, Late Period and Roman times. I have chosen two objects out of the collection to write about. The first is the anthropoid coffin that was found with four others in a single chamber of a tomb at Ein Tirghi in 1986, and is from the First Persian Period. The other coffins from the same tomb are in the Royal Ontario Museum, Canada. It was probably a family tomb, because the inscrip- tions on the coffin lids show a family relationship. This particular coffin was displayed in a glass case and was the main feature of the exhibition, due to its well-placed position in the room. The excellent lighting attracted me to it straight away. The coffin is highly decorated and brightly painted, especially the facial features, wig and trunk of the body. It is made out of small pieces of wood, a common fea- ture during this period, because wood was scarce. Some analysis of children’s bodies found at Ein Tirghi shows that they suffered from anaemia. A small percentage of children died at birth. Adults were short in height and the average life expectancy was the mid-twenties.
The second exhibit is a collection of seven glass vessels I was informed that room 44 in the Egyptian Museum found at the Roman village of Kellis (Ismant al- will hold all temporary displays and exhibitions on a Kharab). The one I want to mention is the “Gladiator rotation basis, so be sure to check out this room on your Jug”, which is highly decorated on all sides and is paint- next visit to the museum. ed in beautiful colours on pale and darker green glass. It My thanks to Dr Hawass and the Director of the depicts a scene of a gladiator in combat; he has dark Egyptian Museum, Dr Wafaa El Saddik, for allowing curly hair and is stretching out his left hand holding his me to take photographs of this very special exhibition. shield. In his right hand he is holding a dagger. In anoth- er scene a gladiator is shown wearing a helmet and Above left: the head of a painted coffin from the First Persian Period, crouching down. The referee, depicted in white cloth- found at Dakhla Oasis. ing, waves his rod or stick. Looking at the vase closely you will see many colourful floral motifs around the Above: the glass “Gladiator Jug” also from Dakhla. neck and base of the vase. To me this is the very best of Photos: Ayman Wahby Taher, courtesy the SCA and the this glass vessel collection. Egyptian Museum, Cairo.
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from our Egypt Correspondent
The Mortuary Temple of Amenhotep III at Luxor
In AE issue 35 (April 2006), we reported on the remarkable finds made by the Colossi of Memnon and Amenhotep III Temple Conservation Project, under the Directorship of Hourig Sourouzian. Many significant finds of fragmentary statues of Amenhotep III have been found and also a large num- ber of granite statues of the goddess Sekhmet. The dis- coveries were a surprise to all concerned, at a site that has been plundered and excavated since antiquity and that many thought would reveal nothing new. Hopes will be high of more discoveries when the new excavation season gets underway at the end of the year.
Above top: view of the Sekhmet statues as first uncovered. Above: moving a large block. Right top: a closer view of one of the Sekhmet statues. Right: lifting some heavy blocks. Note the face of a colossal statue of Amenhotep III.
Photos: courtesy of the SCA.
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from our Egypt Correspondent
The Imhotep Museum at Saqqara was also venerated in late pharaonic Egypt as a wise man and patron of medicine. gypt’s first “site” museum was opened in late I myself couldn’t wait to see this outstanding museum, April this year. The idea of a series of new muse- so I went along early one morning to do my own explo- Eums at specific archaeological sites in Egypt was ration tour for readers of AE. suggested in the early 1990s but it was kept under wraps Built of stone, the new museum is built right at the until 1997. base of the Saqqara plateau. Many of you will know where the ticket office for the site is (or actually was, for it has moved), opposite the Valley Temple of King Unas. The new museum is to the right of the road, past this point and on the edge of the cultivation. The ticket office has been moved to this area too and there is space for visitors’ coaches and cars to park. The architects of the new building have incorporated elements of ancient Egyptian architecture in their design, notably many dating to the Old Kingdom. Parts of the exterior and interior design pay homage to the ancient architects and builders, but result in a splendid modern building, spacious and attractive and a superb setting and home for the objects it contains.
When Dr Zahi Hawass took office some four years ago as the Supreme Council of Antiquities’ Secretary General, several museum projects had already been put on hold. Dr Hawass has strong beliefs about the preser- vation and protection of Egyptian monuments and he wanted to pursue the idea and ensure that visitors to the great sites could also see objects found there. In the past objects were either moved to the Egyptian Museum in the heart of Cairo, or simply placed in storage at the sites. Continuous excavations and lack of space in the Egyptian Museum meant that many objects worthy of display, which helped to tell the history of the monu- ments and sites, were hidden from view. With support from the Culture Minister, Farouk Hosni, Dr Hawass developed the plans for the first of the site museums, to be built at Saqqara. At the same time, plans for the extension to the Luxor Museum were drawn up, and the completion of this extension is some- thing of which the SCA is justly proud. The new museum at Saqqara has been called the “Imhotep Museum” in honour of the Vizier of King Djoser. It is believed that Imhotep was the architect for the king’s great funerary complex and pyramid and he
Top left: the entrance to the Imhotep Museum at Saqqara. Left: the base of a statue of king Djoser. Photos: J. Rutherford.
Above: a splendid Old Kingdom wooden head with inlaid eyes, moved to the Imhotep Museum from the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. Photo: RP.
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from our Egypt Correspondent
the early Dynastic Periods right up to Greek and Roman times, and even beyond into the Coptic era. (I had bet- ter mention that the last two Egyptologists on the list are very much alive and well, and still working.) This hall, named the “Saqqara Missions”, also has a display of discoveries by Dr Hawass. The two of his I would like to mention are the anthropoid painted coffin cased with gold from the Late Period and the copper medical instruments from the tomb of Qar the physi- cian. The third hall, named “Saqqara Style”, displays the various styles of art found in the history of Saqqara, fea- turing a collection of stone vessels used for cosmetics
On arrival, I was asked if I wanted to see the special documentary film before going into the museum, but I was so keen to see the display I declined this invitation, for the moment, and went into the museum first. The electronic doors opened and I walked into the cool air conditioning of the main hall. Firstly, you encounter the solid base of a statue of the Third Dynasty king Djoser, on which are inscribed the king’s name and titles and also Imhotep’s name. The feet are shown stepping on the nine bows of Egypt, which represent foreign countries. The base is on a four- month loan from the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. The Museum’s major objective is to display the most significant artifacts discovered on the Saqqara site, those that help explain the history and purpose of this huge archaeological site. Apart from one or two moved from the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, all the objects have come from antiquities storage magazines and have never been on display to the public before. In the second hall, high up on the wall, is a list of archaeologists who have excavated in Saqqara from 1850 to 2006. Many of the names will be familiar to AE readers; they include some of the best known deceased and living Egyptologists, such as Auguste Marriette, Gaston Maspero, Jean Phillippe Lauer, Walter B. Emery, Alain Zivie and Geoffrey T. Martin – archaeologists who have made discoveries dating from
from the Early Dynastic period. Amongst other objects are clay vessels and huge alabaster pots in various shapes. More than forty thousand vases carved from hard stone were found beneath the Step Pyramid. Many of these are from the First and Second Dynasties and it is believed Djoser placed them in his tomb.
Top left and above: view of the “Imhotep Architecture” hall, which includes examples of relief and stone architectural features from the Step Pyramid complex. Ribbed columns are shown and also elements of a “palace façade” feature. Left: some of the fine alabaster vessels from the site. Photos: J. Rutherford.
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from our Egypt Correspondent
The fourth hall, named “Imhotep Architecture”, which is open-plan and the largest of the galleries, dis- plays the architectural style of Djoser’s funeral complex at the site. Items include the remains of columns, and a frieze of cobras brought from the façade of the Southern Tomb’s cult chapel for protection. When you visit the complex of Djoser, many of the elements of the building have been restored. The museum display shows original blocks, the way in which fallen blocks were pieced back together, and also how the buildings were originally con- structed. Visiting this gallery will make a visit to the pyramid complex at the top of the plateau much more rewarding. Some larger objects dominate the centre of the gallery, including a headless statue of King Djoser, and an unusual “Snake Pillar” which Dr Hawass has pub- lished under the title of “A Fragmentary Monument of Djoser from Saqqara”. This publication has helped many Egyptian scholars including myself with their studies.
Above: the painted wooden head of a woman from one of the New Kingdom tombs at Saqqara, discovered by Alain Zivie.
Left: a fine example of an Old Kingdom statue from one of the tombs at Saqqara. Most of the monuments open to visitors at Saqqara date to the Old Kingdom, but the site was in continuous use from before this time right up to the Roman Period. Photos: J. Rutherford.
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from our Egypt Correspondent
At the back of the fourth hall stands a full-sized copy dedicated to him and his life’s work at Saqqara, espe- of the blue-tiled wall of the Step Pyramid’s Southern cially his efforts in restoring the Step Pyramid complex. Tomb, showing King Djoser in a ceremonial dress for Here there is a wonderful display of some of his per- his jubilee, known as the Heb-Sed. The Southern Tomb sonal belongings, which include his hat, camera, com- is closed to visitors, so this exhibit provides an opportu- pass and tools. He worked in Egypt for around seventy- nity to see the unique reliefs of Djoser and the stunning five years until his death in 2001. Be sure not to miss this blue colour of the tiles. Many of the tiles in this display room because it is so different from the others. are originals. As I walked back out of the air-conditioned museum I think the masterpiece of this gallery is a small bronze into the brilliant sunshine, I decided to seek some rest in statue showing Imhotep seated and holding a papyrus the Visitors’ Centre to watch the ten-minute documen- stem. No contemporary image of Imhotep is known and tary film on Saqqara, produced by National Geographic in most of the representations we have date to the Late conjunction with the SCA. The room is very spacious Period of Egyptian history. His tomb, which many with comfortable seating on all three sides. believe has to be at Saqqara close to that of Djoser, has In the middle of the room stands a small model of the not been found, despite the efforts of archaeologists for Step Pyramid complex and behind this is the wide almost two hundred years. screen. The film is in English and is narrated by the The fifth hall, named “Saqqara Tombs”, provides you Egyptian film star Omar Sharif. Dr Hawass gives a short with information about the contents of the tombs. On introduction to Saqqara Museum and Dr Alain Zivie show is a coffin with remains of blue colours, and a cof- talks briefly about his discoveries. I found the film very fin text inscribed on its inner sides painted in black on a informative and well worth the time. yellow base. A rowing boat was also found, and this is During my visit, I saw a reasonable number of tourists on display above the coffin. This room pays tribute to and visitors, but in my opinion it needs many more to the many archaeologists at Saqqara who have made dis- come to the museum. coveries of funerary ware such as offering tables, false If you visit Saqqara with a tour, there will probably doors and amulets, all of which can now be seen, many not be time to visit the museum and it is doubtful if for the first time. many of the more popular tour companies will include The sixth and final hall, named “Lauer’s Library”, is the museum on their itineraries. Hopefully, the more serious and specialist tour companies will see the new museum as an absolute must for visitors. It is easy to make a special visit to Saqqara, but if you are making your own way there, then do make sure you have the time to visit the museum and can spend as long as you like there. The facilities are of the highest stan- dard, consisting of restrooms, shops, and a cafeteria. The complex is well designed and features a walk through palm-tree-lined paths to the museum entrance. The ticket price is £E15 for tourists for the museum only and I believe you can also buy a combined ticket, which will include the museum and the other sites at Saqqara. It doesn’t matter what time of the day you visit the museum because all the buildings are fully air-con- ditioned. The important thing is not to miss it. Ayman Wahby Taher
Ayman is currently a full-time lecturer in Egyptology at the University of Mansura, Egypt. Prior to this he Above: a fine blue/green faience broad-collar from one of the tombs at worked for the Supreme Council of Antiquities for Saqqara. Photo: J. Rutherford. seven years under the guidance of Dr Zahi Hawass. He is also a qualified tour guide in Egypt.
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AAEE SupporSupportingting EgEgyptoloyptologicalgical Causes:Causes: 20062006 TThhee FFrriieennddss ooff NNeekkhheenn
AE brings you the fifth report on the excavations and research at Hierakonpolis (ancient Nekhen), supported by the Friends of Nekhen. Renée Friedman, the Director of the Hierakonpolis Expedition, looks at Nubians at Hierakonpolis.
hen embarking on a project at a site as large cate diamond pattern, which thanks to modern consoli- and at least superficially featureless as the desert dants, we were able to recover still in position. Wportion of Hierakonpolis, the first order of Despite the disturbance of the graves, we found a sur- business is to conduct a surface survey and figure out what prising amount of new information about the appearance you’ve got. This is exactly what Walter Fairservis and and profession of the Pan Grave people. Many graves still Michael Hoffman did in the early years of the Expedition contained remnants of leather garments, often dyed red beginning in 1964, making inventories of, and assigning and occasionally decorated with charming leather tassels, locality numbers (HK6, HK29, etc.) to, the various fea- in addition to elaborately woven fringed cloth with which tures identified throughout this immense site. These sur- they apparently lined their leather kilts. Large quantities veys revealed not only interesting facets of the Predynastic occupation, but also the presence of three discrete cemeteries of the Nubian inhabitants of Hierakonpolis in the Middle Kingdom and Second Intermediate Period: HK21A and HK47 located at oppo- site edges of the site; and HK27C in the centre, near the Fort. All three were assumed to belong to the Pan Grave cul- ture – Nubian mercenaries, probably the Medjay of Egyptian sources, who were brought in to defend Egypt during the troubled times of the Second Intermediate Period. Cemeteries of this distinctive culture have been detected all along the Nile Valley, but the people remain a mystery. We still do not know for certain who they were, where they came from, and where they went when the job was done. They were first discovered by Flinders Petrie, who coined the name “Pan Grave” because their shallow round graves resembled frying pans, and indeed some of them do. Test excavations at HK21A in 2001 uncovered six of these pan-like graves, all unfortunately badly plundered, but with enough of the characteristic incised pottery and jewellery to mark their presence. Far richer and better preserved were the graves at HK47, which had been dug deeply into the loose white sand and lined with multi-coloured goat and cow skins. Although all of the burials had been plundered, the funer- ary offerings left outside the graves escaped untouched. These above-ground offerings are typical of Nubian funerary practices and here included a number of pots (Egyptian and Nubian) and baskets as well as a little bot- tle, which had been deposited together with a leather bag containing a kit for making carnelian beads. The leather of the bag had deteriorated, but still preserved was the band of woven beads that once adorned it. White, blue, and dark blue faience beads were used to create an intri- Excavating a pan-shaped grave in the Pan Grave cemetery at HK21A.
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Left: an offering deposited outside one of the Pan Graves included a little jar and a leather bag containing a bead-making kit. Photo: J. Rossiter. Above top: the C-Group cemetery in the shadow of the Fort. Photo: J. Rossiter. Above: a Thirteenth Dynasty scarab, our first find from the C-Group cemetery. Photo: J. Rossiter. Below left: the woven bead pattern on the leather bag from the Pan-Grave offering. Photo: J. Rossiter. Below: the plaque bead armlet after conservation.
of beads were also found, some still on their string, thus little doubt about their day jobs. Examination by physical preserving the original pattern. These included a com- anthropologists shows that the people interred here were plete bracelet of stunning garnet beads, and an armlet of mainly young men, seventeen to twenty-five years of age, rectangular mother-of-pearl plaque beads, one of the of over-average Egyptian stature, (171 to180 centimetres; most characteristic elements of Pan Grave attire. By piec- 5' 6" to 5' 9"), with strong muscle attachments in their ing together the bits of raw hide thong remaining in one legs, as one might expect of military professionals. set of beads, conservator Fran Cole was able to recon- Colourfully adorned with tasselled leather garments, struct the armlet revealing its original curve over the arm. fringed kilts, and bespangled with beads at neck, arms, A leather bow grip, bow string and arrow shafts with the wrist and ankle, they must have been an impressive sight. trimmed feather fletching remarkably still in place leave Intriguing as this Pan Grave cemetery was, it was no
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match for the surprises in store for us at HK27C, the cemetery by the Fort. Our first surprise was the exquisite scarab found on the first day of our test excavations in 2001. Our second revelation was that this cemetery actu- ally belonged to the Nubian C-Group, probably the last of its kind in existence after the waters of Lake Nasser flood- ed the heartland of this indigenous Nubian culture. Although these Nubians (called Nehesy in Egyptian sources) were also prized for their fighting skill, and in the employ of nomarchs in the First Intermediate Period, it seems that they either adopted Egyptian funerary prac- tices or returned home at death. During the Middle Kingdom, when Egypt occupied Lower Nubia to the Second Cataract with a series of imposing forts built to control a people they called “wretched” and “vile”, lack of evidence for their presence suggested that these particular Nubians were not welcome north of Aswan. Thus, a C- Group cemetery, located over one hundred kilometres north of the political border, was definitely an unexpect- ed discovery. Excavations in 2001 and 2003 uncovered twenty-three out of an estimated one hundred graves, revealing dis- tinctive funerary architecture, still intact above-ground offering places, delicate decorated pottery, exquisite jew- ellery and colourful leather garments typical of this Nubian culture, showing that at least in death the inhab- and a itants proudly displayed their cultural links, despite being positioned within Egyptian territory. Dating from the Eleventh Dynasty through early Second Intermediate Period (2055-1700 BC), the wealth tery. of the graves suggests these people were not slaves or pris- ffering. oners of war, but members of a community that was res- ident at the site for several generations. The reason for their presence, their lifestyle and their interaction with the Egyptian population are issues that we are exploring and further excavations are planned for winter 2007. As elsewhere, none of the graves had entirely escaped plunder, but organic preservation in a select few was spec- tacular. In one instance, the preservation of the skin of an older woman allowed us to reconstruct the pattern of her elaborate tattoos. A diamond of short dashed lines adorned her left hand, and a pattern of dots and dashes ran down the back of her left arm. Skin adhering to the ribs preserved a dotted zigzag line along the front of the torso, with a more elaborate lattice pattern of dotted squares running down along the abdomen, up over the hip and onto her back. Tattooing is typical of Nubian cul- tures, and it is from Nubia that the Egyptians adopted the practice in the Middle Kingdom. Who would have imag- ined we would have a cemetery of such trend-setters! The same tomb also contained copious amounts of leather. Unique to this burial were delicate fragments of cut-work leather of differing quality. One mass of leather, perforated with a pattern of parallel rectangles (c. 5mm x
Right top: feather fletching still in place on the Pan Grave arrows. Right centre: the tattooed skin of a Nubian dancer(?) from the C-Group cemetery. Right bottom: the remains of leather garments with carefully made perforations; a loincloth on the left and a hairnet on the right.
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2mm), looked so incredi- Other garments made bly fragile, yet turned out of a patchwork of brown, to be sufficiently supple beige, pink, red and yel- for Fran Cole to examine low leather panels were the construction of the found in several graves, garment from which it but almost exclusively originated. Composed of those of women; they a patchwork of pre-cut probably derive from panels with a specific their multicolour skirts. number of cut-out rec- Leather kilts with blue tangles per row, it appears faience beads sewn at the most similar to a loin- seams and edges were cloth, a light but hard- found in the graves of wearing garment worn by men. soldiers, sailors and work- In addition to typical men to protect their linen Nubian clothing and tat- kilts, and again is a fashion that the Egyptians adopted toos, we also observed characteristic Nubian funerary from Nubia. Although generally a garment restricted to architecture.The most elaborate was the well-built ring or the male wardrobe, there are some exceptions. tumulus of mud-brick, four courses high, around Tomb A Ramesside ostracon depicts a dancing girl wearing a 17. After its construction, several large boulders were cut-work loincloth, apparently as her special (and only) rolled in, and between them a platform or offering chapel performance costume (see above).The similarities between of specially selected bright yellow fieldstones was erected. the tattoos that adorn this dancer and those found on our As was the Nubian custom, numerous offerings of pottery Nubian lady are certainly intriguing, and, despite the time were left above ground on all sides of the tumulus. We difference, this combination of loincloth and tattoos may found pots, both Egyptian and Nubian, under almost be more than coincidental. Although our lady was well every rock, nestled in brick cists or simply left up against into her forties and had lost all of her upper teeth, a the side of the brick ring. The final appearance must have localised injury to her lower back suggests that in her been a dazzling tribute to the young man, twenty to thir- youth she may well have done a back flip or two. ty years of age, buried within. Age apparently also brings modesty, as our lady was But it wasn’t just pottery that they left as above-ground buried with far more clothing that the girl on the ostra- offerings. A short length of beads just below the surface con. Impressions on the skin of the ear and chin suggest soon revealed itself to be part of a string of over one that finer-quality leather, with perforations less than 4mm thousand six hundred tiny blue faience beads wrapped in length (making for an astonishing forty-two slashes per around an iridescent shell pendant. Painstakingly collect- square centimetre), may be the remnant of a leather hair ed in small clusters for restringing in their original order, net that was tied under the chin. Her other garments they produced a result that is an elegant addition to any include a leather top with brown and white, horizontally outfit. striped, flaring sleeves that connected to a bodice of pink Despite being so far north in what we consider to be leather with yellow appliqué. A colourful combination Egyptian territory, the occupants of the cemetery appear indeed! to have made few concessions to Egyptian influence other
Above: a Ramesside ostracon of a tattooed dancing girl. (ostracon IFAO 3779). (After W.H. Peck, Egyptian Drawings, New York 1978, pl. 68). Below left: a typically Nubian tumulus around Tomb 17. Below right: a hand-made Nubian pot with incised decoration; a hallmark of the C-Group Nubians.
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Left and above: an offering of a beautiful shell pendant wrapped round with beads appears, just below the surface in the C-Group cemetery. Below: the shell pendant restrung – an elegant addition to any outfit.
than a general use of Egyptian pottery, mud-brick instead “Let us take for her feathers of the back(s) of ostriches, of stone for their tumuli, and in some cases simple wood- which the Libyans slay for you with their throw sticks …” en coffins. In death, at least, they dressed like Nubians, With this hymn as well as graphic representation from constructed Nubian funerary architecture, and deposited the site itself of an ostrich and throw stick, it is not hard Nubian grave goods above ground in traditional Nubian to imagine this ostrich-feather deposit as an offering from fashion. The population of the cemetery, which includes the Nubian tribesmen who were celebrating the annual an even spread of men, women and children, was obvi- return of Hathor. The unique discovery of the actual ously a wealthy one, with most of the inhabitants living remains of this popular celebration is an exciting new into their forties and beyond in relatively good health. explanation for the activities at the site and of the Nubian Caries and abscesses with relatively minor arthritis are the population, be they resident or mobile. most common pathologies. The Egyptian pottery indi- The return from the south of the distant goddess was a cates a date ranging from the Eleventh Dynasty into the popular celebration also for the Egyptians and corre- Second Intermediate Period, suggesting a long-term pres- sponded with the coming of the Nile flood in late ence at the site and this is not the only evidence for June/early July. While a desert location such as HK64 Nubians at Hierakonpolis seems an odd place to celebrate the inundation, it was in Other evidence for C-Group presence is found at an fact the natural place to greet it. The millennia of silts isolated sandstone knoll on the northern edge of the site deposited by the Nile on its banks meant that the flood known as HK64. Adorning this hillock is a vast array of incised petroglyphs, many of which can be attributed to the Nubian C-Group culture, as well as one of the rare examples of rock painting north of Aswan, depicting a boat and a quadruped in black pigment (see overleaf). Surrounding this rock-art hill was a series of superim- posed campsites/fireplaces containing Nubian pottery and quartz cobbles, suggestive of Nubian lithic technolo- gy. What exactly this all meant remained a mystery until the excavation of one campsite revealed a rounded pit, fifty centimetres in diameter and twenty centimetres deep, containing a carefully laid mass of ostrich feathers. The long tail feathers lined the pit, while filling it were several layers of smaller feathers. Carefully nestled between these layers was a small stone with an inscription that provides an intriguing explanation for this deposit and the recur- rent visits to this remote site. The stone reads: “The Golden One, she appears in glory” and is a reference to the goddess Hathor in her solar function. As the Eye of the Sun, Hathor left Egypt after her drunken humiliation while trying to exterminate mankind, and still angry she roamed the deserts of the far south in the form of a bloodthirsty lioness. Various deities sought her out and tried to entice her back to Egypt. Ritual texts relate that when Hathor finally agreed to return, a large entourage was assembled. Among those who escorted her back to Egypt were various Nubian tribesmen. They danced for her and made specific offer- ings in her honour. A stanza from a ritual papyrus reads:
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plain was actually higher than the low desert that sur- growth of desert flora induced by the rising ground water, rounded it. Before the Nile flooded its banks, a rise in were responsible for the remains at HK64. This may still ground water would be noticeable in the low desert. Even be the case, their arrival acting as a potent signal of the today at HK64 the high water table is evident and there coming flood to their urban kinsmen as well as the is a perennial well nearby, whose waters are reputed to be Egyptian population. The ritual texts suggest that, effective in curing skin complaints. Old habits appear to although officially despised, Nubians eventually became die hard, as those who make use of the well are still in the symbols of Hathor’s return and came to play key roles in habit of leaving behind offerings of soap and combs. this and other celebrations. Prior to the discovery of the C-Group Cemetery, it was All the evidence indicates that a good time was had at suggested that desert-pastoralists, attracted by the rapid this place; a hearty feast, song and dance, and perhaps even a little rock music. Recent research in Sudan has demonstrated that the quartz cobbles with abraded ends found around many petroglyphic sites were not used to make the rock art, but to play the rock art. While the sand- stone of our hill may not respond to a percussion beat as musically as Sudanese granite, such a usage would explain the large number of quartz cobbles in the camp- sites at HK64. Clearly a bit of experimental archaeology is called for in the near future to find out for sure. Such celebrations may have served as a way for the Nubian population to renew its ethnicity by interacting with kinsmen; it also may have acted as a recruiting ground, or job market, as inscriptions of several senior army and caravan leaders at this rock suggest far more
Above: the painted boat at HK64, one of the rare examples of rock painting north of Aswan. Left: dedicated to Hathor, a deposit of remarkably preserved ostrich feathers and an inscribed offering stone. Photo: J. Rossiter.
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interaction between Nubians and Egyptians than the official documents have hitherto allowed us to acknowl- edge. The C-Group cemetery at Hierakonpolis is the northernmost one now known. In New Kingdom times, Hierakonpolis was adminis- tered as part of Nubia under the con- trol of the Viceroy of Kush. The rea- son for its inclusion in the land of Nubia may well have been because of its sizable and varied Nubian popula- tion. As work continues we hope to understand more fully the relations between the different Nubian peoples, their place within Hierakonpolis and, indeed, all of Egypt.
Acknowledgements Excavation and study of the Nubian localities was made possible by grants from the National Geographic Society and the Michela Schiff- Giorgini Foundation, with additional funds from the Friends of Nekhen. Renée Friedman
Unless otherwise stated, all photo- graphs and images are by the author. School of Archaeology & Ancient History About the Friends of Nekhen Please help support the work of the Hierakonpolis Expedition by becoming a member of the Friends of Explore the past...by distance learning Nekhen. Introductory courses in archaeology As a member you will receive an annual newsletter, the Nekhen News, produced exclusively for Friends. This con- • Archaeology of Egypt, • Saxon and Medieval tains all the latest news and research from the site (much Nubia and the Middle Nile Archaeology more than we can include in AE). Membership also enti- • Aims and Methods • Post-medieval Archaeology tles you to special rates on Expedition publications. • Early Prehistory • South Asian Archaeology Your contribution (which is tax-deductible if you live in • Later Prehistory • African Caribbean the United States) will support vital research that might • Classical Archaeology Archaeology not otherwise be possible and is an ideal way of sharing the excitement and commitment of the Hierakonpolis Complete six modules for a Certificate in Archaeology Expedition. Undergraduate Diploma in Archaeology courses now available. For more information visit the web site: Modules include The Mediterranean in the Medieval www.hierakonpolis.org World, The Rise of States in the Old World and or send an email to: [email protected] Archaeological Theory. or contact: Contact the Distance Learning Unit on The Hierakonpolis Expedition, tel +44(0) 116 252 2772, e-mail: [email protected] Dept. of Ancient Egypt and Sudan, or visit www.le.ac.uk/archaeology/dl/ quoting The British Museum, ref AE2006 London, WC1B 3DG.
Above right: a petroglyph of a hunted ostrich from near the ostrich feather deposit A Leading Research at HK64. and Teaching University
ANCIENT EGYPT August/September 2006 25 AEKV63Part4.qxd 13/02/1950 19:25 Page 26 KV-63 Update: the final stage
AE brings you the fourth and final article on the latest tomb discovered in the Valley of the Kings. Will we finally know the answer to the question “is this a tomb or a funerary cache?”
ince March this year, when the discovery of the mally the closed season for work in Egypt, temperatures new tomb in the Valley of the Kings (KV-63) was soared in the Valley of the Kings, and the few fans intro- Sformally announced, the team from the University duced into the shaft and chamber will have done little of Memphis and their Egyptian colleagues have been more than circulate hot air. For the excavators it was working hard to clear the small chamber and to make hot, uncomfortable and dusty work. some sense of the contents. The appalling condition of the woodwork in the tomb The excavating season, which should have ended in was perhaps more apparent in the TV programme. Four the Spring, was extended. The Director of the excava- of the coffins had been badly attacked by termites and tion, Dr Otto Schaden, was the last member of the team were in an extremely fragile condition. The termites had to leave Egypt, at the end of July, for a well-deserved treated the thick black coating on the coffins like tree break, having overseen a season that lasted a record bark, and had tunnelled into the wood beneath this seven months. layer. The last report ended with the chamber cleared of all The result was that the black pitch was in some cases the storage jars and with just two of the seven coffins all that was keeping the powdery wood together. This remaining. Up to that point no bodies had been found, situation was not helped by the fact that the coffins were although the coffins and jars contained a wide range of packed with heavy items, which exerted pressure on the objects and materials, which included pottery, linen, coffin walls from the inside, causing them to split and natron, stone fragments, six feather-filled pillows or the lids to collapse inwards. Interestingly, the faces of cushions and a small gilded coffin. five of the coffins are relatively well preserved and are The clearance of the tomb was filmed by the not affected by termite damage. The faces were not cov- Discovery Channel and many AE readers may have ered in black pitch, just yellow paint on the carved wood had the chance to see the first programme, if not both. surface. It is unusual for an excavation of this type to be record- The unsung heroes and heroines of archaeology are ed and presented in this way, and it gave a unique (if, of the conservators, and their work often goes unnoticed. necessity, selective) view of the work. Chief Conservator Nadia Lukma faced an amazing The programmes highlighted three aspects of the challenge – to conserve the wood in situ, so that the work that are not necessarily apparent from the written coffins could be removed from the tomb. accounts and the photographs released so far. It was important to keep the coffin fragments togeth- It was clear that work in the confined space was far er in panels or sections as far as possible. A number of from easy, and that the working conditions were equally techniques were used, which included the use of bad. When the excavation extended into what is nor- Japanese tissue paper. This is very thin, but very strong
Above left: plan showing the layout of the tomb contents. All the storage jars have been given reference numbers and each of the coffins allocated a reference letter. Plan: courtesy of the University of Memphis Mission. Above right: view into the tomb, showing the coffins and storage vessels still in situ. Photo: courtesy of the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities.
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and was carefully stuck to the wooden surfaces, proba- concern, as many of the coffins included natron in their bly using something like a water-soluble cellulose-based contents. This absorbs moisture, expanding in the adhesive. This paper can easily be removed at a later process and potentially causing further damage. time. Perhaps the most interesting thing that the TV docu- Gaps in the wood were carefully packed with cotton mentary showed was the excitement and pure delight of wool, soaked in a special solution that hardened. Both the team members when they made their discoveries. It techniques enabled the damaged fragments to be is easy to forget, when reading a formal excavation removed in larger pieces and will enable further conser- report, that archaeology can be exciting, and any find, vation and possible restoration of the coffins at a later be it a piece of pottery or something more substantial, stage. can be a source of delight and wonder and an amazing Such a major attack by termites is not necessarily rare, experience for those few trained experts privileged, but is a first for a tomb in the Valley of the Kings. Just experienced and lucky enough to be in the right place at imagine (though perhaps it is better not to) the conse- the right time. quences if similar damage had occurred in the nearby With just two coffins left, the small infant coffin (coffin tomb of Tutankhamun or the almost contemporary D) and the larger coffin (E) against the rear wall of the tomb of Yuya and Thuya, also filled with many splendid chamber, hope remained that there might be bodies in funerary items and coffins. the chamber. Both coffins, unlike all the others, still The conditions inside the chamber did not help the appeared to be sealed. work of conservators. From the moment the tomb was The team used an endoscope (a small camera with a opened, the team had to work quickly, but as safely and light attached) to look through holes in the last two diligently as possible. The wood would begin to suffer coffins to see if they could determine what, if anything, from the changes in temperature and the increased might be inside. The results were disappointing: it was humidity in the confined space. The latter was a major possible to see only bits and pieces of flowers, pottery shards and dirt. Above: view of coffin E with the lid removed, revealing the floral collars. The infant coffin was empty. It was discovered that Note the Japanese tissue paper applied to the outside of the coffin to hold it this well-made coffin was covered in gold and later together and also the cotton wool used to fill and consolidate some of the gaps. painted with a thick layer of black pitch, which virtual- Photo: courtesy of the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities. ly obscured all the details. The face and head area
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appear to be in good condition and elaborately execut- The coffin base was too large to be lifted from the ed, but the remainder of the wood is in poor condition chamber with all the contents in place, as its fragile state due to termite damage. The coffin measures around meant that it could not take the weight of the contents; forty-six centimeters in length, just a little longer than they were much heavier than a mummy would have the gilt coffinette found inside coffin G. been. Attention turned then to the final coffin. Lying close There was little choice but to clear the coffin in the to the wall, at the head and feet of this coffin, two more tomb, an excavation in its own right, and then to remove pillows or cushions were found, bringing the total found its base from the chamber. The coffin was carefully emp- in KV63 to eight. tied, revealing more of the same types of objects found The exterior of the base and parts of the lid were cov- in the other coffins, but no mummy or any human ered in Japanese tissue paper, to strengthen it before the remains. lid was carefully removed. A carved inscription deco- Once the coffin was removed it was possible to sweep rates this coffin, but it is covered by thick black pitch and the floor of the chamber to ensure that nothing had has not yet been read. been missed and to be certain that there were no other Everyone was hoping for a mummy, but what was chambers to be found. revealed was a coffin packed full to the brim with the Now that the chamber has been cleared, a new same variety of objects found in the other coffins. perimeter or enclosure wall has been built around the However, on top of the debris were a number of elabo- shaft and the tomb has effectively been closed. rate floral collars. Made using real flowers, stitched onto All the objects were removed to the nearby tomb of a papyrus backing, they also incorporated beads and Amenmesse, used as a laboratory and storage area dur- gold. They had been laid rather carelessly in the coffin ing the excavation (although a few of the larger objects and were crumpled and partly squashed by the coffin have been moved to the SCA storage magazine in lid. These delicate objects will present another huge Luxor), where they will be safe until the new season challenge for conservator Nadia Lumka. starts early next year, when conservation work and study Similar collars have been found before in the Valley, in of the objects can continue. 1907/08 in the so-called embalming cache of All the evidence from the tomb points to a date during Tutankhamun, which also contained pottery, linen, and the reign of Tutankhamun, though speculation and a jars and bundles containing natron. variety of theories abound as to why and when this
Above: view inside the coffin, showing the crumpled floral collars, beads and the glitter of gold. Photo: courtesy of the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities.
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chamber was filled. The hard evidence from the tomb is limited and frustratingly fragmentary – an inscription on a jar mentions Year Five of a king’s reign, but with no name, and elsewhere the end of a name “… pa Aten”, Ankhesenpaaten perhaps? The cache of objects, for it is clearly not a tomb, con- tains unique artifacts, and there may be more surprises to come when the detailed study of them continues. It is possible that the chamber once contained a bur- ial, for the doorway was sealed. This original sealing was broken down when, possibly, some or all of the original contents were removed. The chamber was then filled with the coffins and storage jars and the doorway re- sealed for the last time. The mass of material clearly comes from a burial or an embalming cache and the indications are that they were not simply swept up from the floor of this small chamber, but were brought from elsewhere. Fragments of one pot were found in two separate coffins, which would indicate a fairly rushed clearing-up process. If all the objects were from an important burial, then this might explain why they were treated so respectfully. We know Tutankhamun acquired objects for his own burial that may have come from the royal tombs at Amarna; perhaps when these tombs were cleared and the burials moved back to Thebes, the items of little or no intrinsic value were also collected and moved to this
Top right: Dr Zahi Hawass visited the tomb when the final coffin was opened; here he examines the contents. Photo: courtesy of the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities. Right: Dr Otto Schaden, the Director of the excavation, shown holding the small gilded coffin. Photo: Elise van Rooij. Below: comparable material – pottery and a floral collar – from the “Embalming Cache of Tutankhamun” discovered in the early twentieth century and now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Photo: RP.
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chamber. The coffins appear to have been used simply Kings and a fascinating era of ancient Egyptian civilisa- as storage chests, though they could not have been low- tion. ered down into the chamber full. The work in filling this A special study season will begin early next year when chamber would have been extensive and indicates the more work and conservation on the objects will be car- importance the objects had, to someone. ried out by the Memphis team. There will no doubt be many theories about where these objects came from and who they were made for. If RP we are lucky, the answer may be revealed by the study of the material. This does, of course, pose an intriguing AE would like to thank Dr Otto Schaden and the question. If this chamber is a cache of funerary equip- KV-63 team for providing information and photographs ment and items from Amarna, then where are all the of their work, and in particular Roxanne Wilson, who bodies? There is the distinct possibility that the Valley of wrote the second and third articles on the discovery. the Kings is far from exhausted and there may, as some AE has made a donation to the expedition’s funds for people have argued, be Amarna cache tombs still to be each article published. found there. Visit the official Websites: The Memphis team and their Egyptian colleagues KV-10.com and KV-63.com have laboured long and hard on this tomb and are to be congratulated on their work. Inevitably in the world of Below (and main cover image): the face of coffin F, the best-pre- Egyptology, the excavation has posed more questions served in the tomb, and nicknamed “The Princess” by team Chief than given answers, but has nevertheless added a new Conservator, Nadia Lukma. and important chapter to the history of the Valley of the Photo: courtesy of the University of Memphis Mission.
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IsIs thertheree ANOANOTHERTHER newnew tombtomb inin thethe VVallealleyy ofof thethe KingsKings –– “KV64”?“KV64”?
Just as the clearance of tomb KV63 in the Valley of the Kings has been completed comes news from Dr Nicholas Reeves, Director of the Amarna Royal Tombs Project, of another possible new tomb in the heart of the Valley.
n Friday 10 February 2006, Egypt’s Supreme new tomb to have been found in the royal Valley since the Council of Antiquities made public at last what discovery of Tutankhamun by Lord Carnarvon and Ohad been rumoured among Egyptologists for Howard Carter in 1922. many months: the discovery of a new and completely Six months later and the KV63 chamber stands fully undisturbed tomb in the Valley of the Kings, located cleared, revealed (to evident media disappointment) not beneath ancient workmen’s houses outside the entrance to as a burial proper but as an embalmers’ cache of surplus the long-known sepulchre of pharaoh Amenmesse. coffins and mummification refuse dating from the very KV63, as it soon became known, represented the first end of the Amarna period. It is an interesting find – and
Tutankhamun
Rameses VI
Plan of the central part of the Valley of the Kings, showing the areas excavated by the Amarna Royal Tombs Project and the approximate position of “KV64” as established by the ground radar survey. Map by Shin’ichi Nishiyma, copyright and courtesy of the Amarna Royal Tombs Project.
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far more significant than the commentators seem to have realised. For what KV63 clearly signals is the existence in the Valley of the Kings of yet another tomb – one con- taining the burial(s) to which these embalming materials relate. And this further tomb is one upon which the Amarna Royal Tombs Project (ARTP) is potentially able to shed some intriguing light. Observant followers of the KV63 story will have noticed that ARTP had some small involvement in that particular find – not as the tomb’s physical discoverers, who were of course a University of Memphis mission led by Dr Otto Schaden, nor as KV63’s excavators, but as the team that first pinpointed the existence of an anomaly at this spot in 2000, using ground-penetrating radar (GPR). The KV63 anomaly looked to us at that time very much like a void – a tomb – but we could not be certain. Time, we believed, would tell: it was a feature we had earmarked for future investigation as and when our project, working systematically, reached that particular part of our conces- sion. But then – crisis! Politics intervened, and ARTP found itself out in the cold. However disappointing it was for ARTP to have missed the chance of excavating KV63, the physical location of that tomb by Schaden’s team was for our project immensely helpful. Not only did it confirm that the theo- ry of further Amarna burials, which had been driving us these past years, was indeed soundly based, but it provid- ed also the vital corroboration needed properly to evalu- ate the output of our 2000 GPR survey. After the uncov- ering of KV63, it was possible to assess, with a great deal more insight than previously, what our team’s GPR had and had not revealed. The practicalities of GPR survey are straightforward enough; the key to the process is a sober analysis of the data generated. ARTP were lucky: through friends and colleagues in Japan, we were able to enlist the services of Hirokatsu Watanabe, one of the most experienced GPR specialists in the field, with impressive results to his credit at sites in Japan itself and at the rich royal cemetery-site of Sican in Peru. Watanabe’s radar survey was not only systematic and thorough, taking in most of the ARTP concession and other parts of the Valley also, but extremely measured in its conclusions. The GPR equipment Watanabe employed for the ARTP Valley survey was a customized 400 MHz system. The way the technology works is as follows: an electro- magnetic wave is emitted downwards (at pulse intervals of six nanoseconds) from a boxed antenna dragged along the ground; the reflection echo is received and displayed on a monitor as a traverse profile. This raw data is recorded for subsequent laboratory processing – the disentangling of what is actually there from a multitude of confusing reflections. The images generated do not represent the actual form or dimension of the object detected, but are mere pat- terns, to be analysed as aggregates of arcs with the display colours varying according to the force and velocity of the various reflection echoes. The basic trick is that different types of underground features produce distinct screen patterns: a pipe, for example, will generate a couple of
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nested arcs; a ditch a cross-pattern above a couple of nest- drawn, either for the preparation of his own burial, or for ed arcs; and a void or underground chamber a distinctive the refurbishment of Akhenaten’s, before the young king pattern of radiating arcs. re-interred the ladies’ bodies close by. The most recent of ARTP’s GPR readings to be It is a question bound to be asked: could it be that the analysed by Watanabe is shown opposite. It is an image radar image now before us represents not only a tomb, that has caused much excitement in recent weeks because but a tomb containing the body or bodies of one or more its radiating arcs clearly indicate a void – which in a ceme- of these missing Amarna women – the burials for which tery context almost certainly means a tomb. The feature ARTP had been searching since 1998? It is at least a pos- itself is located not far distant from KV63, at a significant sibility, and all the more fascinating since the site has depth adjacent to the southeast corner of the modern clearly not been disturbed since antiquity. flood-barrier erected around Tutankhamun. For ease of The temptation to investigate this new and potentially reference ARTP has labelled this void “KV64” – the significant feature in the Valley of the Kings will undoubt- inverted commas acknowledging the obviously tentative edly be strong. If Egyptology decides to do so then let it nature of the identification at this stage. be cautiously, in the right way and at the right time, and The possibility of yet another tomb in a cemetery which not at the expense of the immensely important overlying was merely presumed to be exhausted should cause no stratigraphy. surprise: Belzoni wrongly declared the Valley to be The work requires a strategy; there is an obvious need worked out in 1820; several tens of tombs later Theodore to consult widely in advance; and the excavators – who- Davis incorrectly ventured the same opinion in 1912; and ever they may be – must be certain, before any work it is an assessment most have tended tacitly to assume begins, that they are physically capable of attaining all since the finding of Tutankhamun in 1922. possible objectives, with adequate funding, expert staff, By 1997, I had become convinced, from a library-based and access to every sort of technology. analysis of the situation, that beneath the Valley floor The Valley of the Kings is no ordinary site; the stakes were concealed still one or more additional Amarna-peri- here are incredibly high. It was the fifth Earl of od reburials – reburials analogous to that of the heretic Carnarvon, Carter’s sponsor, who commented that you pharaoh Akhenaten discovered in 1907 in tomb KV55 in either find great things in the Valley, or nothing at all. the central part of the Valley. This belief inspired me to ARTP may have found nothing – that possibility surely set up the Amarna Royal Tombs Project to investigate exists; but then again we might, in all seriousness, be in selected parts of the site afresh, beginning in 1998. the presence of a second Tutankhamun – another find of My particular quarry at that time (though priorities quite extraordinary importance, containing a wealth of changed when we discovered the extraordinary state of magnificent burial equipment; a tomb hermetically sealed preservation of the archaeological record beneath the and preserving air samples, smells, pollen, insects, tourist paths) was the burial place of Nefertiti, microbes, dust – an entire ancient environment of ines- Akhenaten’s wife and co-regent, but also the whereabouts timable scientific value. We should recall that in the case of Akhenaten’s secondary consort Kiya and his second of Tutankhamun the treasure was rescued, but the poten- daughter Meketaten. These were all women upon whose tial of the tomb’s more fugitive data was lost forever when funerary furniture, I had concluded, Tutankhamun had the excavators excitedly broke through the sealed door-
Opposite top: Hirokatsu Watanabe, the GPR specialist, with his equipment in the Valley of the Kings in 2000.
Opposite bottom: “KV64” as revealed by the ARTP’s 2000 radar survey. Images copyright, and courtesy of, the Amarna Royal Tombs Project. Rameses VI
Right: the entrance to the tomb of “KV64”? Tutankhamun Rameses VI and the retaining wall around the entrance to the Tomb of Tutankhamun, show- ing the approximate location of possible tomb “KV64”. This photo was taken before the latest flood-protection measures were introduced and a “roof” built over the entrance to Tutankhamun’s tomb. Photo: RP.
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way to peer in. In 1922 they knew no better; Egyptologists Dr Nicholas Reeves is Director of the Amarna Royal today have no such excuse. Tombs Project, which excavated in the Valley of the If there is to be another Tutankhamun, then we must be Kings between 1998 and 2002. His books include Valley of prepared. Whatever “KV64” eventually turns out to be, the Kings: the decline of a royal necropolis (KPI, 1990) The we have, for the present, to take it seriously; we cannot Complete Tutankhamun (Thames and Hudson, 1990) and risk selling it short. (with Richard H. Wilkinson) The Complete Valley of the Kings (Thames and Hudson, 1996). Nicholas Reeves For further information on the excavations and work of the ARTP in the Valley of the Kings, visit the web site www.valleyofthekings.org
Editor’s Comments This news, and Nicholas Reeves’s views, seem, so far at least, not clear and, today, clearing a similar tomb could well take longer. to have created as much interest as might have been expected. Conservation of objects would be critical, and all the resources There have been the beginnings of a healthy debate on the sub- necessary would need to be in place from day one. Carter used a ject in some of the on-line Egyptology chat rooms, and reports nearby tomb as a “laboratory” for his conservation work, and the have appeared in the press, although not everyone is necessarily Memphis team also had to do this. Conditions and facilities in in agreement. such temporary laboratories are less than ideal, and it could be There is, of course, the possibility that the radar images may argued that there would be the need for a purpose-built, state-of- be misleading, and there may be no tomb at all, or that any tomb the-art conservation laboratory to be provided before any work might be empty, so perhaps no one should get their hopes up too is started. much at this stage, pending further investigations. There would be a desire for any objects to be put on display as The news, though, has to be good for the SCA. Further exca- soon as possible, as was done with the Tutankhamun objects. vation in the Valley of the Kings is probably inevitable, especial- This may not be possible now, for there is limited room in the ly after the discovery of KV63, and to be able to plan and under- current or planned museums – another factor that needs to be take future work, with the knowledge that there might be a tomb allowed for; and, of course, all of this will take time and cost a (possibly intact) in the area, can only be helpful. great deal of money. The first decisions to be made are if and/or when any investi- One way forward might be for further surveys to take place. A gation or excavation should take place. There is even the time painstakingly thorough open excavation of the overlying area is and the opportunity to arrange, as some people have suggested, essential before digging down to any tomb – the information an international conference of archaeologists and experts to pool within the stratigraphy is crucial, arguably more important than ideas and opinions. another tomb, although excavations by Carter in this area may Should “KV64” be Investigated? have already disturbed some of the historical layers. Although there may be a new tomb in the Valley, it has lain there If a sealed tomb is found, it might be possible to drill into it untouched for over three thousand years, and a decade or more without disturbing any air-tight seal for tests on the ancient air of delay in excavation is but the blink of an eye in the historical and for any micro organisms, although this would be a difficult context. There will undoubtedly be, however, pressure and a exercise. (It was done at the sealed second boat pit at Giza sever- genuine desire to excavate to see what is there. The nature of the al years ago.) It would also be possible, in theory, for cameras to contents of an Egyptian tomb are well known and our knowl- be used to look into the tomb without demolishing any doorways edge of the likely state of preservation of any contents means or breaking seals. that the necessary archaeological techniques and technical skills In this way, it would be possible to see what, if anything, the are substantially available now worldwide. tomb contained and then to plan a more leisurely excavation, When Should it be Excavated? with better knowledge about the tomb contents and their condi- Whilst, therefore, it might be possible to excavate now or in the tion and with all the above problems addressed in full. near future, the matter is not that simple. The SCA could pull together a team of Egyptian and inter- The eyes of the world would, quite literally, be on any excava- national archaeologists and technicians and there would proba- tion. Over eighty years ago, the media caused the excavators of bly be no shortage of people willing to offer their professional the tomb of Tutankhamun many problems and the media fren- skills. zy would undoubtedly be worse today, given the desire for In the meantime, the knowledge that something might be “instant” and “live” news. there may, for example, help to plan any future developments in There would be the practical problems of access to the Valley the centre of the Valley and the efforts there to ensure water run- and any excavation, and of allowing visitors to still see at least off avoids tomb entrances. some of the other tombs. The location of the new tomb, its prox- To excavate or not to excavate? It is, and will be, a difficult imity to Tutankhamun, and its depth could pose a physical threat decision to make. Caution and planning should be the watch- to that tomb in the event of a flash flood. words, but the temptation will be strong to see what this radar If the tomb is opened, and is found to be intact, then it could scan really shows ... and what a tomb at the heart of the Valley, conceivably contain many more objects than the recently-found close to the tomb of Tutankhamun, might reveal about the fas- KV63. This tomb was cleared in a matter of months, but the cinating history of the end of the Eighteenth Dynasty. Tomb of Tutankhamun took Howard Carter over four years to RP
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Royal Mummies in the Egyptian Museum, Cairo
he second Royal Mummy room in the Egyptian rent museum, built in 1902. Many of the major pieces Museum in Cairo has recently been opened and from this collection will, in a few years’ time, be moved Tseveral mummies that have not been on view to back to Giza, to the new Grand Egyptian Museum, the public for many years, if at all, are now included. where building work has just started. Some mummies have been moved from the first room, The smaller photo, taken in the current museum in the which now houses the mummies from the Eighteenth early years of the twentieth century, shows the and Nineteenth Dynasties. On view are: Sequenenre, unwrapped mummies of Yuya and Thuya, the in-laws of Amenhotep I, Queen Meritamun, Thutmose I, II and Amenhotep III. Their virtually intact tomb was discov- III, Amenhotep II, Thutmose IV, Sety I, Rameses II and ered in the Valley of the Kings in 1905. These mummies Merenptah. have been on and off display too, but have not been on In the new room are mummies from the Twentieth view to the public now for many years. They remain in and Twenty-first Dynasties: Rameses III, IV, V and IX, their coffins in the museum. Pinudjem II, Queens Istemkheb, Maatkara and RP Henttawy, Princess Nesikhonsu and Priest Djedptahiufankh. A separate entrance charge is made for each of these rooms. The plan is for all the royal mummies to be moved in a few years’ time to a new museum of the his- tory of Egypt, currently being built at Fustat, not far from the Citadel. The royal mummies have been on display intermit- tently since they were discovered at the end of the nine- teenth century. Most were found in the two famous caches, one at Deir el-Bahri in 1881 and one in the tomb of Amenhotep II in 1898. The photograph below (supplied by AE reader Brian Playfair) shows the display of the royal mummies in a room in the old museum, which was housed in a royal palace at Giza. This replaced an earlier museum at Bulaq. The Giza museum was later replaced by the cur-
ANCIENT EGYPT October/November 2006 35 AEhieroglyphs1.qxd 13/02/1950 19:25 Page 36 The Ancient Stones Speak
In the first of a three-part series, Pam Scott offers an approachable introduction to reading hieroglyphic inscriptions on monuments and museum objects.
Finely-carved hieroglyphs from the Middle Kingdom “White Chapel” of King Senusret I, in the Open Air Museum at the Temple of Karnak. Photo: RP.
nyone visiting Egypt or museums with Egyptian script probably did begin as simple pictures. In some collections, or even reading magazines such as instances this pictographic use of signs continued, so AANCIENT EGYPT, cannot fail to be aware of the huge number of hieroglyphic inscriptions to be found that the symbol of a bull , for example, could be both on the monuments and on objects of all kinds. Since the decipherment of the hieroglyphic script in used to represent the word “bull”. Early on, however, the early nineteenth century, these texts have added the technique was developed of using pictures to repre- immeasurable to our knowledge of the ancient Egyptian sent other ideas that were not as easily expressed in pic- civilisation. For most people, however, these inscriptions torial form, but happened to have a similar sound. A remain a tantalising mystery. In this three-part series, I will introduce the basic principles of the hieroglyphic good example of this is the familiar ankh sign . It is script and show you how you too can begin to make “the ancient stones speak”. actually the picture of a sandal-strap (imagine the loop going around the ankle, the crossbar across the instep and the post between the toes), the word for which was The signs ankh in ancient Egyptian. However, the word ankh (or To the uninitiated, the hieroglyphic script appears to be something very similar) also meant “live” and other a series of unrelated pictures – birds, animals, human related words so, in order to express this rather more figures and objects – and indeed the ancient Egyptian complex concept, the ancient scribes used the picture of
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a sandal strap to spell out the sound of the words for In order to know where to start reading an inscription “live”, “life” and so forth. you simply need to remember that signs representing Hieroglyphic is therefore known as a mixed script, people, animals or parts of these almost always face the with signs being used both pictographically to repre- beginning of the word. In other words you read into sent objects, and phonetically to represent sounds. the front or faces of the signs. Signs which are used pictographically are known as Look at the lintel of Senusret III, now on display in ideograms or sense signs; those which are used the Open Air Museum in the Temple of Karnak (see phonetically are called phonograms or sound signs. below, Photo: Pam Scott) on which you will see two lines Some signs, however, like the ankh symbol, can be used or registers of text. both as ideograms and as a phonograms, depending upon the text.
Vowels The hieroglyphic script shows only the consonants that make up a word; vowels are not written. Of course vow- els would have been essential in the spoken language, so some words, although they may look the same, would probably have been pronounced quite differently. Imagine writing the word “cat” without its vowels: as well as “cat” it could mean “cot”, “coat”, “cut”, “cute” or even “acute”. Only by looking at the context of the word could we establish the meaning. It is the two pintail ducks on the lower register that A study of Coptic, the language and script used by the give us the clue to the orientation of the text. Since they early Egyptian church, has been useful in supplying the are facing the beginning of the text we see that there are likely pronunciation of some Egyptian words, but for two inscriptions, each beginning in the centre with the practical purposes we usually supply a short “e” in order ankh sign, like mirror images of each other. Thus the to be able to pronounce the consonants represented by decoration of this architectural feature would have pre- the signs. Thus “p+r” is pronounced “per”; “n+b” is sented a pleasing, harmonious symmetry when in situ pronounced “neb”. above a doorway. The same piece also demonstrates that the ancient Egyptians rarely strung out their inscriptions in a long Direction and layout of inscriptions line in the way that we do in English. Instead, signs were As a monumental script, hieroglyphic was extremely grouped to fit neatly into imaginary rectangles with flexible, fitting into the available space and changing its signs of different sizes carefully placed so as to give bal- orientation to suit to the scenes it accompanied. ance to the whole. So, for example, the name of the god Osiris could be Notice, for example, how the circle representing the written in four different directions: sun god Ra is tucked in neatly above the back of the duck, and how in the upper register the three pairs of raised arms in the oval cartouche are arranged in a tight In a vertical column, reading from top to bottom, facing left: triangle , making a compact group.
Although this arrangement of signs gives a much more aesthetically pleasing effect, it makes it a little more difficult to decide in which order the signs should In vertical columns, reading from top be read. to bottom, facing right: As a general rule of thumb, however, upper signs are read before lower ones. Hence the name of the
god Ptah, written , should be read in the In horizontal lines, reading from right to left: order , while that of the god Amun,
In horizontal lines, reading written , should be read in the order from left to right:
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words could have been written using only these signs, . but in practice only a limited number were.
Unfortunately for us, the Egyptian scribe did not leave any space between individual words. As we shall see, Transliteration however, there are clues to be found from the context In order to record what consonant(s) each symbol rep- and in the structure of the words themselves. resents, scholars use a process known as translitera- tion, which involves writing the appropriate sound value of each sign using the equivalent letters of the The Egyptian “alphabet” alphabet. As we have seen, hieroglyphic signs fall into two broad The sign of a horned viper, , for example, is categories – phonograms (sound signs) and transliterated as “f ”, its nearest equivalent sound. ideograms (sense signs). Like the ankh sign, howev- Sometimes the sound represented by a hieroglyphic sign er, some symbols can, and often do, play the role of both cannot easily be represented using only the letters of the ideogram and phonogram, depending upon the word in alphabet. In these cases special symbols are used for which they appear. transliteration. Phonograms can represent either one, two or three In the following table of one-consonant signs each consonants. The most frequently used are the twenty- sign is shown with its transliteration and approximate four one-consonant signs (also called uniliteral or pronunciation. Although the first five appear to us to be alphabetic signs) which make up what is sometimes more like vowels, they were not used as such in the called the Egyptian “alphabet”. In theory, all Egyptian script.
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Sign Object Trans- Sound Depicted literation
Left: hieroglyphs on a funerary papyrus in the British Museum in London. Photo: RP.
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Here are some examples of gods’ names, written using “alphabetic” signs, together with their transliteration:
Write your name in hieroglyphs A popular souvenir from Egypt is a T-shirt or a pendant bearing your name written in hieroglyphic characters. To write modern names in hieroglyphs you can use the “alphabetic” signs, plus one or two extras for sounds that were not present in the ancient Egyptian language. You will be following in the footsteps of some of The following kings wrote their names using only Egypt’s later, foreign, rulers who used these phonetic alphabetic signs ( is a late adaptation of a hiero- signs to inscribe their names on their monuments. glyphic character sometimes used in foreign names, transliterated as “l”). The royal names are enclosed in Here are a few tips: an oval “frame” known as a “cartouche”. Use for “a”; for “i”; for “o”; for “w”
or “u”; for “f ” or “v”; and for “l”.
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You can omit short “e”s or unstressed vowels altogether, Two-consonant signs are frequently accompanied by one or two one-consonant signs that repeat all or part of their sound value. These are known as phonetic com- but if an “e” is stressed, use or , whichever plements and as such are neither transliterated nor pronounced. The name of the god Amun, for example is written sounds the closest, e.g. = “Peter”. , using the one-consonant sign , followed
Draw a woman at the end of a feminine name, by the two-consonant sign , mn, and another one- consonant sign , n, which is acting as a phonetic complement for the second consonant in mn. The result- and a seated man at the end of a masculine name. ing transliteration is imn (not imnn, since the final n is a phonetic complement and does not add to the sound value of the word). Follow the ancient scribes’ example of writing in neat Some more royal and divine names written using one- rectangles, rather than stringing the signs out in a single and two-consonant signs and phonetic complements line. are: Two-consonant (biliteral) signs As well as the one-consonant signs, ancient Egyptian also used symbols that represent two and three conso- nants. The sign , for example, represents the conso- nants “m+n”, is transliterated as mn and pronounced “men”. Below are some of the more commonly used two-consonant signs, with their transliteration and approximate pronunciation.
Opposite left: cartouche with the name of King Amenhotep II, from a block in the Open Air Museum at Karnak. Photo: RP. Opposite right: painted inscription from the roof of the temple of Rameses III at Medinet Habu, showing the royal titles. Photo: Pam Scott.
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Three-consonant (triliteral) signs phonetic complements may be omitted altogether. Phonetic signs representing three consonants are the Below are some Egyptian words that contain three-con- least common type. Below are some of the more fre- sonant signs and phonetic complements quently used ones:
Ideograms or Sense Signs As we have seen, signs can be used to represent ideas as well as sounds. These are known as ideograms or Like the two-consonant signs, those with three conso- sense-signs and these may be used in one of two nants are often accompanied by phonetic complements. ways. The sound values that are repeated vary from sign to As logograms or whole-word signs, that rep- sign. For example: resent pictorially the object, person or animal that is being referred to. The sound value of these signs cor- has the third consonant repeated and should be responds to the name of the object they depict. transliterated , These are sometimes followed by a stroke known as a stroke determinative, which indicates that here we are dealing with the object depicted, or a very has the second and third consonants repeat- closely related concept. For example: ed and should be transliterated as nfr. rprib Sometimes, however, for example in monumental inscriptions, where space is frequently at a premium, sun mouth house heart.
Carved relief with elaborate hieroglyphs, from the tomb of Sety I in the Valley of the Kings, now in the British Museum in London. Photo: RP.
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As determinatives used to express or determine Using the list of determinatives below, see if you can the general sense of a word spelled out using sound divide the line of hieroglyphs at the bottom of this page signs. Determinatives are placed at the end of the into the words listed above them. word and are not transliterated or pronounced. You have now met all the types of signs that appear in hieroglyphic texts, although of course only a small pro- For example, the word , “woman”, portion of the seven hundred or so signs that were com- monly in use in Middle Egyptian, the “classical” stage of consists of two alphabetic signs, which give its sound the writing, have been introduced. value, followed by the determinative of a seated Have a look at the photographs that are included in woman, which helps to define the word. this article (and others in this edition of AE) and see Many determinatives, known as generic determi- how many signs you can identify. natives, are used in several different words that have One of the “tricks of the trade” when approaching related meanings. hieroglyphs is to be aware that most of the inscriptions you come across are either names or standard formulae For example, the words , “sun”, “day” that are repeated over and over again. In temples, for example, it is the king’s names and titles that are ever- present, together with those of the gods with whom he and , “rise”, “shine” both have the is shown in company. In tombs and on funerary objects it is formulae for sun as a determinative. ensuring the continued existence of the deceased that In the table below are some of the more commonly are most often found. used generic determinatives together with the concepts with which they are associated. As was mentioned earli- er, in the hieroglyphic script no space was left between In the rest of the series (there will be two more parts, individual words. Since a determinative invariably ends the next one in the February/March edition) we will be a word, it can be a useful clue to identifying where one looking at both royal and funerary inscriptions. By mas- word ends and another begins. tering a few simple principles and familiarising yourself
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with some of the most commonly occurring forms you Faulkner, Raymond O. A Concise Dictionary of Middle will surprised how many inscriptions you will be able to Egyptian. Griffith Institute, Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, read. 1988. An invaluable translation tool for the more Pam Scott advanced student.
Pam is a tutor in Egyptology at the University of Gardiner, Sir Alan. Egyptian Grammar, 3rd edn. Griffith Manchester, where she regularly gives courses in Institute, Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, 1957. Rather Egyptian hieroglyphs for the Centre for Continuing out of date now, but for many years the standard work Education. for the study of Egyptian grammar. The sign list is essen- tial if you are serious about learning to read hieroglyphs. Inscribe 2004, by Saqqara Technology, has been used to reproduce the hieroglyphs in this article.
Further Reading Allen, James P. Middle Egyptian: An Introduction to the Language and Culture of Hieroglyphs. Cambridge University Press, 2000. A substantial work, this provides an up-to- date alternative to Gardiner, complete with exercises, a sign list and a dictionary.
Collier, Mark and Manley, Bill How to Read Egyptian Hieroglyphs: A Step-by-Step Guide to Teach Yourself. British Museum, 1998. One of the best and most recent books on how to read hieroglyphs which, surprisingly, made it into the best-seller lists! This is an extremely useful, prac- tical introduction concentrating mostly on funerary inscriptions. It includes several exercises, reference An inscribed block from the Open Air Museum at Karnak. Photo: RP. tables, vocabulary and sign lists.
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Images of the Rekhyt from Ancient Egypt The lapwing was represented in ancient Egyptian art for a period of over three thousand years, but these images are much more than just a representation of the bird, as Kenneth Griffin reveals.
Above: a rekhyt rebus: The rekhyt bird raises arms in adoration of Rameses II as represented by his double cartouche. Carving on a column in the temple of Amun at Karnak. Photo: RP.
he lapwing (Vanellus vanellus), has, for a period of over three thousand years, been abundantly represented in both Egyptian art Tand hieroglyphs. The lapwing can be identified by its characteris- tic short pointed bill, rounded head, long squared tail and especially by the long crest on its head. To the Egyptians the bird was referred to as rekhyt. They were often depicted in Egyptian art in papyrus marshes, perching on their nests. It is generally accepted that the rekhyt people are to be identified as the lowest class of society in ancient Egypt and have been called “subjects”, “common people”, “plebeians” or “mankind”. However, other scholars have suggested that the rekhyt peo- ple were actually foreigners who had settled in Egypt.
The lapwing first makes an appearance in Egyptian art ars as depicting Scorpion’s victories over the people of the during the Protodynastic Period. The bird is depicted on Delta, who are depicted as the rekhyt people. However, the the deck of a boat, on a fragment of slate palette known scene could also depict the sovereign’s control over all the as the “Plover Palette”, which is housed in the Egyptian people of Egypt. Museum in Cairo. The earliest depiction of the rekhyt bird during the Old From the same period comes the limestone ceremonial Kingdom comes from the statue base of the pharaoh mace-head of “king” Scorpion, on which a series of stan- Djoser. This base, which is on display in the Egyptian dards with lapwing birds hanging from their necks are Museum in Cairo, depicts three rekhyt birds, each with depicted. This scene has been interpreted by many schol- their wings intertwined, under the feet of the pharaoh. As
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from flying, but also from walking; they cannot stand properly, so consequently lie on their legs. Images of the rekhyt birds in the mastabas of the Old Kingdom are quite common. In the majority of cases, the birds are depicted in the marshes, either flying or sitting upon their nests. One relief from an Old Kingdom mastaba that does stand out comes from the Fifth Dynasty mastaba of Nefer at Saqqara. Here the tomb owner is accompanied by his wife or daughter who holds a lotus blossom in one hand, while in the other she clutches a rekhyt bird by its wings. It has been suggested Above: well as the three rekhyt birds there is also by Partick Houlihan that the rekhyt in detail of the Scorpion macehead a depiction of the “nine bows”, which this depiction was a pet or plaything. showing rekhyt birds hanging from were a symbol used to denote the ene- He points out that children often carry the standards in the top register. mies of Egypt; thus the rekhyt people in their pet birds, the hoopoe being the Drawn by Sam Channer. (After Cialowicz, 1997 this instance are closely linked with most common, while accompanying Protodynastic Egypt.) Egypt’s enemies, a theme that remains their parents. until the end of pharaonic history. Occurrences of the rekhyt birds from Depictions of the rekhyt birds with the Middle Kingdom are rare. with only their wings intertwined in an act of sub- one relief worthy of comment. Below: mission, were frequent in Egyptian art. The relief, which is on display in the the base of a statue of Djoser, showing rekhyt birds Even in the markets of Egypt today it is Egyptian Museum in Cairo, depicts two before the feet of the king. possible to find live ducks in this posi- images of Amenemhat I seated on his Photo: RP. tion. This prevents the birds not only Sed-festival pavilion. Beneath the pavil- ion there are seven representations of the rekhyt bird in an act of praising. It is likely that there were originally nine birds depicted, but unfortunately the left side of the relief is missing. Nine in ancient Egypt was a significant number, which appears many times. One cre- ation myth revolves around nine deities, known in Greek as the ennead, while the “nine bows” symbolises the tradi- tional enemies of Egypt. Depictions of the rekhyt during the New Kingdom are numerous. Above all, the most common depic- tion of the rekhyt is the rekhyt rebus, which first makes an appearance during the reign of Hatshepsut and continues to be depicted through to the Graeco- Roman Period. A rebus is an artful intertwining or decorative arrangement of hieroglyphic and other pictorial elements. At first glance, a rebus looks like a picture, but it is meant to be read as a phrase or clause. The use of the rebus was fairly common in ancient Egypt, where writing and art were never really separated. This rebus appears on many of the temple columns, with over one thousand exam- ples in the Hypostyle Hall at Karnak alone. The rebus, made up of a number
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of hieroglyphic signs reads “all the rekhyt people worship N” (N being the name of the king in whose reign the relief was carved). The most important element of the rebus is the rekhyt figure itself. The figure is usually depicted resting upon a hiero- glyph in the shape of a basket, meaning “all”. This reminds one of the nests upon which the lapwing bird would commonly be seen by the ancient Egyptians. Another element of the rebus is the hieroglyph in the shape of a five-point- ed star, meaning “worship”, which is usually placed just in front of the face of the rekhyt figure. The act of worshipping is confirmed by the depiction of upraised human arms which often form part of the rebus. While the simplest form of the rekhyt rebus depicts the lapwing bird with human arms raised, in an act of adora- tion, and wings pinned back, in an act of submission, it was possible to have vari- depicts a kneeling rekhyt figure that has Above: ants. the body of a human and the head of a a rekhyt rebus from Luxor Temple. The most common variations are lapwing (see below left). Author’s photo. depicted in the temple of Rameses II at From Luxor Temple there are also a Abydos. These include rekhyt figures number of depictions of rekhyt figures depicted with a human body and the that are completely human in appear- Below left: a column from the third tier of the head of a lapwing; a human body with ance and can only be identified by their mortuary temple of Hatshepsut, a lapwing crest; or a complete human accompanying hieroglyphs.. Deir el-Bahri, depicting a kneeling with only the hieroglyphs in front of the Perhaps the most intriguing examples rekhyt figure. figure identifying it as a rekhyt person. of the rekhyt rebus come from the mor- Author’s photo. These variants are not unique to this tuary temple of Rameses III at Medinet temple. Habu. High up on the outside walls of Below right: In fact, the earliest form of the rekhyt the Migdol entrance gate there are sev- detail of a rekhyt bird from the base rebus, which is located on the third tier eral depictions of a kneeling human fig- of the Djoser statue. of Hatshepsut’s temple at Deir el-Bahri, ure who can be identified as a rekhyt by Photo: RP.
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Of the six temple forecourts exam- ined by this author, where the rekhyt rebus is located, five have hieroglyphic inscriptions specifically mentioning that the rekhyt people have access. This includes an inscription from the fore- court of the temple of Khnum at Elephantine which states, “He (Amenhotep II) made [this], for his father Khnum, who dwells in Elephantine. He made a festival hall in order that all the rekhyt people may see that which he makes for him.” In opposition to the belief that the rekhyt rebus was used to designate areas accessible by the “common people” it was observed that of the four hypostyle halls, and five inner sanctuaries or shrines, where the rekhyt rebus was locat- Above: the lapwing’s crest projecting from the ed, only the great hypostyle hall at the “People’s Gate” at Luxor back of his head. The hands of the fig- Karnak has a direct inscription stating Temple, which has a depiction of ure are raised in adoration, as is the case that it was accessible to the rekhyt people. a number of kneeling rekhyt people. in the previous examples, and the five- If the function of the rekhyt rebus was Note the small lapwing between the two figures. pointed star hieroglyph is placed in not to signify the areas of the temple Author’s photo. front. What is intriguing about these accessible to the rekhyt people, what was images is that the depictions seem to its function? depict the pharaoh Rameses III as a There are two possible answers. rekhyt person. He wears royal attributes Firstly, it is possible that the rebus was including the nemes headcloth, divine no more than a “filler” used by the beard, shendyt kilt and the bull’s tail. sculptors. However, it is hard to believe So what function did the rekhyt rebus that the Egyptians would have gone to have? all the trouble of using this rebus this It has been suggested by a number of way if it had no significance whatsoever. Egyptologists, including Bell, Wilkinson The other possible function of the and Brand, that the function of this rebus, and the one that I believe is rebus was to indicate the areas of the much more likely, is that it signified that temples that were accessible to the the rekhyt people were present in the “common people”. Peter Brand, whilst temple metaphysically and not physi- discussing the examples from the cally. hypostyle hall of Karnak, says that the The Egyptian temple, representing Below: rebus was “a visual sign to the public the cosmos, needed to include all classes a statue base of Nectanebo II. that they had access to this part of the of society in order to maintain maat, cos- A statue of the king would have temple” and that “the illiterate could mic order. fitted into the slot in the top of the base. Note the rekhyt bird easily be taught to recognise this design Baines says that the rekhyt, along with on the left of the base. as a visual sign meaning ‘you may stand two other classes of society known as the Author’s photo. here’ ”. However, a study of the various pat and henmemet “form a quasi-mytho- areas of the New logical description of the peoples of the Kingdom temples, where Egyptian cosmos, excluding non- this rebus is present, sug- Egyptians”. Moreover, foreigners and gests otherwise. enemies were frequently depicted on the It is the belief of most temple walls, although in all cases they Egyptologists that the are being defeated by the pharaoh or “common people” would brought before the gods as captives. have had access to only These themes were necessary depic- the forecourts of the tem- tions, which maintained maat and ples and even then it is helped banish isfet, “chaos”. debatable whether this During the New Kingdom it became was allowed all year very common to depict the rekhyt under round or just during festi- the feet of the pharaoh in the same way vals. as the “nine bows”.
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A large number of faience tiles depict- ing the rekhyt, many originating from the temple of Rameses III at Medinet Habu, have also been found. These tiles were believed to have decorated the floors of the palace of the pharaoh or perhaps the dais from where the king would greet his people. The theme of these depictions was thus to emphasise that the pharaoh was in complete control and that the rekhyt people were subjugated and inferior. This theme of control can also be seen throughout the temples of the New Kingdom where there are images of the pharaoh holding a rekhyt bird in his hand. The bird is usually directed towards the deity facing the king who in turn presents the emblems of kingship to the pharaoh, his reward for maintain- ing maat. During the Graeco-Roman Period, it became common to depict the rekhyt fig- ures as part of a frieze around parts of various temples. These friezes consist of a large number of rekhyt figures, each with their hands raised in adoration and There were various different methods sitting on the nb sign, similar to the rebus of doing this. Statues of the pharaohs discussed earlier. However, the appear- often had the rekhyt depicted on their ance of the birds is most striking and it bases, a practice which continued is often difficult to tell for certain if they through to the Late Period. represent the rekhyt people. The birds Tutankhamun depicted the rekhyt on are usually very stout in appearance, the footstool of one his thrones now in highly decorated and often missing the the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. distinctive crest of the lapwing bird. A relief from the tomb of Kheruef Clearly the artists of the period were depicts Amenhotep III and his wife Tiye trying to duplicate the New Kingdom seated under a canopy, the base of examples, but in their own style. which has fourteen depictions of the With the emergence of Christianity rekhyt rebus. the Egyptian temples were shut down
Above left: a painted relief from the Temple of Sety I at Abydos, showing the king receiving the emblems of kingship from Amun-Ra. Note that the pharaoh is holding a rekhyt bird in the direction of the god. Author’s photo.
Above right: a coloured faience tile depicting a rekhyt rebus, from the temple of Rameses III at Medinet Habu and now in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. Photo: RP.
Left: a frieze of rekhyt birds in the Temple of Deir el-Haggar, Dakhla Oasis. Photo: Cheryl Hanson.
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deliberate damage inflicted on many reliefs, despite the fact that they would have contradicted Christian ideology. Kenneth Griffin
Kenneth is a Student of Egyptology at the University of Wales, Swansea, where he recently completed his Masters in Ancient Egyptian Culture. His area of study was the rekhyt rebus in New Kingdom temples. He will be continuing his study of the rekhyt for his Ph.D., also at Swansea.
Further reading: Bell, Lanny (1998) “The New Kingdom ‘Divine’ Temple” in Temples of Ancient Egypt, ed. Byron E Shafer. London: Cornell University Press. Pp.127-84. Houlihan, Patrick F and Goodman, Steven M. (1988) The Birds of Ancient A relief from the Migdol Gateway and images of the gods and pharaohs Egypt. Cairo: American University in in the Temple of Rameses III at were mutilated. Surprisingly though, Cairo Press. 93-6. Medinet Habu, showing images of the rekhyt, with the appear- Nibbi, Alessandra (1986) Lapwings and the king as a rekhyt person. Author’s Photo. ance of a bird complete with human Libyans in Ancient Egypt. Oxford: DE hands, seem to have been spared the Publications.
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50 ANCIENT EGYPT October/November 2006 AEletters38.qxd 13/02/1950 19:25 Page 51
DEAR AANNCCIIEENNTT EEGGYYPPTT
readers’ letters
Dear AE, the application of heat to wine makes brandy (over-sim- I was very interested to read Dylan Bickerstaffe’s article plification, I know!), which even today tends to be drunk (Issue 36) about the confusion he uncovered between the out of fancier glassware than wine. Could the mysteri- lids of two sarcophagi, those of Rameses III and Setau. ous shedeh therefore have been a (?mulberry-based) It is fascinating to see how errors that crop up are then brandy? repeated in other publications. I’m not in the habit of writing letters to editors, but I personally get quite amused when I read in this one bugged me. Sorry! Egyptology books published in English, that the word “cartouche” comes from a French word which means Joan Alam cartridge; this is then followed by some theory about North Cave, East Yorkshire. Napoleon’s soldiers supposedly thinking that they looked liked their own cartridges. I am not sure that sol- Ed: There is no doubt from scientific testing that the diers, particularly at that time, would have been at all jars in Tutankhamun’s tomb contained wine and shedeh, interested in un-deciphered texts. and that both were made from grapes. In fact the “Robert” French dictionary has cartouche as I can understand your comments about the image I two separate words and entries: selected for use in the article. It comes from the tomb of 1. Cartouche, masculine noun, first appears as “car- Sennofer and is a very stylised version of a grape vine toche” in 1547. It describes a “sculpted or drawn orna- and bunches of grapes (see below). ment ... designed to receive an inscription, a motto or The artists have painted life-sized bunches of grapes coats of arms”. Later, it came to refer to the “elliptical and very simplified vine leaves on the rough ceiling of frame” containing hieroglyphs. the underground chamber, where lumps of rock, too 2. Cartouche, feminine noun, first appears as “car- hard to cut away, protrude from the surface. The grapes tuche” in 1571. It describes the “conical or cylindrical are represented by a coloured base with the individual cardboard or metal wrapper for the charge of a grapes shown on top. The scale shows they are grapes, firearm”. but if one didn’t know the size, as reproduced to a small- In other words, these are two words which merely look er scale in the magazine, they do look like mulberries. alike; their different gender (and date) is the proof that they are not the same word. Sorry to disappoint you about Napoleon’s Grande Armée. Dear AE, Please keep up the good work of unearthing and I read with great interest the article on Ancient Egyptian exposing inaccuracies. Wine in your June/July issue, but surely the mystery sur- rounding the drink named shedeh is easily explained? Micheline Edwards Its not all that different from wine – it’s actually a very Sittingbourne, Kent. superior kind of sherry, that was served only in upper- crust households, as in “May deah, would you care for a Ed: Thanks, Micheline. As someone who has used muz- glass of shedeh before dinnah?” zle-loading muskets and paper cartridges, I have never been convinced by the connection. Thanks for putting Mick Oakey the record straight and showing that those who selected Sussex Egyptology Society. the word for the frame for royal names actually knew what they were doing.
Dear AE, In the recent article on Egyptian wine (Issue 36) on page 18, “bunches of grapes” are illustrated. I’m only an interested layperson in Egyptological terms, but I have to say that I’m not seeing bunches of anything; I’m not even seeing grapes – since when do grapes have their seeds on the outside? Seriously, the fruit looks far more like mulberries to me. Now, the mulberry is heat-tolerant (I lived with it in Pakistan) and its juice makes a very pleasant and refresh- ing drink. Most fruit juices can be made into wine, and
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readers’ letters
Dear AE, We spent several months discussing the detail of the itin- We were intrigued by the article in Issue 36 entitled erary with our guide. “Visiting Middle Egypt”, particularly as I and my wife had made a similar journey in April this year. The major Tony & Margaret Marson difference between our visit to Middle Egypt and Ann Boreham, Essex. Eglintine’s was that ours was part of an itinerary taking in selected sites in Upper Egypt around Luxor as well as Ed: Unless you travel with a specialist tour company Middle Egypt. We embarked on our trip from Cairo, that organises tours to Middle Egypt, this is a good way driving down from Cairo on the first morning, spending of getting there, and the services of Egyptian guides are a day and a half in Minya. essential. Many of the tour guides for tour companies This was only our third visit to Egypt, so we are not as will undertake private tours like this, too. comfortable with independent travel as Ann is and we used an English-speaking tour guide who is also a qual- ified Egyptologist, called Mahmoud. After testing him Dear AE, out last year, we decided to arrange a custom itinerary I was so interested in your lead editorial in this month’s taking in sites in Middle and Upper Egypt. magazine (Aug./Sept.). Having tried to read some of Mahmoud arranged all transport (an air-conditioned Christian Jacques’ works I have wondered if many of minibus), access to sites, security and accommodation. the problems encountered were due to poor translation. The security included obtaining the pre-requisite per- However, having researched extensively in ancient missions to cross from one Governate to another, Tourist Egyptian medicine, I can only wonder at his fantastic Police escorts (for our minibus) and a plain-clothed knowledge and “discoveries” that we, the plebs, have not policeman who accompanied us to all the sites we visit- yet unearthed (Beneath the Pyramids)! ed around Minya. In Minya we stayed at the Mercure I find it quite common for people to accept every word Minya, (otherwise known as the Nefertiti Hotel), which they read, or programme they see or hear on TV and is located on Corniche El Nil Street, for two nights. The radio as the gospel truth. We have all seen this exhibited Mercure Minya is comfortable hotel, set in lush green recently in Dan Brown’s Da Vinci Code, a rip-roaring grounds. Our room had a view of the Nile. During our yarn, but yarn only! day and a half in Middle Egypt we visited Beni Hasan, I find some WEA learners and groups I give talks to, Tuna el-Gebel, Hermopolis and Tell el Amarna. new to Egyptology, often have confused fact with fiction We visited Beni Hasan after arriving in Minya. This – “Well, they said on that programme ...” – so I encour- was the busiest of the sites we visited; there were two age them to read my copies of the magazine, or better groups of tourists (ourselves and a French couple) visit- still to subscribe themselves. ing the tombs at the same time. Apparently these two I am reminded of a story my father told me as a child groups (the French and ourselves) were the only tourists many years ago (back in the 50s) concerning an episode that had visited Beni Hasan all day, although there were in the Archers when Grace was killed in the stable fire. a number of tourists staying at the Nefertiti. Scores of floral ributes and wreaths were delivered to The next day, we set off early to visit Tuna el-Gebel, the BBC for her funeral. People didn’t understand then Hermopolis and Tell el Amarna. At Tuna el-Gebel and the difference between fact and fiction anymore than Hermopolis we saw no other tourists. At Tell el Amarna many of the populous today. we visited the Northern Tombs (Ahmose, Meryre, Pentu Keep up the good work dispelling these silly fables and and Panehesey), The Royal Tomb, Boundary Stela, The dumbing-down of facts. Small Aten Temple, Thutmose’s Studio and the Tomb of Ay. We were escorted around by the Supreme Christine Humber Council of Antiquities’ Inspector in charge of the Herne Bay, Kent. Amarna site. At Tell el Amarna, there was another group being shown around but we had the impression that they were not tourists, but visiting archaeologists. Dear AE, The day after we set off for Luxor via Abydos; this trip In the absence of any Egyptology Societies or meetings took us twelve hours, with at least eight changes of in the North East of England, if there is enough inter- Tourist Police escort. est I would like to form an Egyptian interest It is difficult to put a cost to our time in Middle Egypt group/Egyptology Society in the Durham area. Please as it was part of a larger trip; I can only say that it is like- contact me at ly to be more expensive than travelling by rail from 33 Alder Park, Luxor. Brandon, This type of arrangement provides a more “comfort- DURHAM DH7 8TU able” alternative, and takes the pain and uncertainty out or phone 0191 378 2047. of independent travel. It is certainly not an approach that can be embarked upon on the spur of the moment. Kelly Thompson
52 ANCIENT EGYPT October/November 2006 AE2007 Calendar ad.qxd 13/02/1950 19:25 Page 53
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– Dying to be Egyptian – Ancient Hierakonpolis Elisabeth Kerner looks at some of the lesser-known In the last of her series of six articles on work at funerary monuments of London. Hierakonpolis supported by the Friends of Nekhen, Renée Friedman looks at the numerous finds from the – The Tomb of Harwa at Thebes site, at how they have been conserved and how they can Christopher Naunton reports on excavation and con- reveal much about life in the ancient city. servation work being undertaken in one of the largest tombs in the Theban necropolis. Harwa was an important official of the Twenty-fifth Dynasty and his splendid tomb – The Ancient Stones Speak reflects his high status. Pam Scott continues her series of articles on how to read and understand ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs. The second – Technology Innovators article looks at royal names. of Ancient Egypt or “How did they do that?” Denys Stocks has adopted a hands-on approach to ancient technology, which, coupled – Ancient Egypt and The Bible with his engineering background and detailed research, Michael Tunnicliffe investigates the closely intertwined now means that he can re-create the ancient technology to history of ancient Egypt and the Holy Land and the ways cut and carve some of the hardest of stones for statues, any evidence can be interpreted. jars, sarcophagi and buildings. This, the first of what will be a series of three articles, looks at the earliest periods of Egyptian history up to the beginnings of the Dynastic Period. Plus Reviews ... Events ... etc., etc.
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ANCIENT EGYPT October/November 2006 53 AEpermesut38.qxd 13/02/1950 19:25 Page 54
PER MESUT
for younger readers
Pomegranates It seems that pomegranates were first grown in Egypt in the early New Kingdom but, since models of the fruit hese days we are encouraged to eat and drink sen- have been found in Middle Kingdom tombs, travellers sibly and some foods are advertised as being more must have known about it for some time before it was suc- Thealthy than others: pomegranates for instance. cessfully grown in Egyptian gardens. The pomegranate is a fruit in a category all of its own. It is neither a citrus fruit, like an orange, nor a stone fruit, like a peach. On the outside it might look a bit like a rosy apple, but on the inside it is completely different, even though the German word for pomegranate is granatapfel. In French it is known as grenade. You might think that this is because the fruit resembles an old-fashioned grenade or hand-held bomb, like the badge of the Grenadiers’ Regiment, but of course, it is the other way round. The pomegranate was around for thousands of years before the invention of gunpowder, so the hand grenade was named after the fruit. When I was a child, you only saw pomegranates in the shops around Christmas time, and then they were bought as a special treat. My grandmother remembered picking out the red seeds with a hatpin. We were always warned not to get the juice on our clothes because it stained and the bitter-tasting pith could turn your fingers yellow. The Egyptians knew a thing or two about pomegran- ates, though the tree was not a native of Egypt. It origi- nated in the region south of the Caspian Sea and the first evidence for its cultivation comes from places like Turkey, Syria and Iran. The Israelites were familiar with the attractive shape and colour of the fruit, and it was used in decorative weaving or embroidery on the hems of priest- ly robes, (Exodus 28:33) as well as in the carved capitals of The first mention of a pomegranate tree in Egyptian columns in the Temple of Solomon, (I Kings, 7:20). inscriptions comes from the tomb of Ineni, an official at the court of Thutmose I, who recorded all the different types of tree that he wanted to have planted on his estate. A dried pomegranate was found among the food offerings left in the tomb of Djehuty, a butler who served Queen Hatshepsut. Thutmose III recorded many plants and trees at the Karnak Temple, in a room now known as the Botanical Gallery because of these scenes. Unfortunately there are no inscriptions with these reliefs, and the paint has gone, so we can only guess at what some of the plants are. However, the pomegranate tree is quite distinctive. In the famous tomb painting of Ipuy, showing a gar- dener working a shaduf to raise water, several trees and plants are clearly shown, with leaves and flowers of the right shapes and painted the correct colours. The pome- granate tree is identified by its trumpet-shaped red flow- ers. The tree blooms in the hottest part of the year and the bright scarlet flowers were ideal for use in floral wreaths and bouquets. Beads shaped like pomegranate flowers were threaded into multi-coloured necklaces and collars. In Above: a pomegranate. Photo: HW. Tutankhamun’s tomb, pomegranate leaves were woven Above right: a silver vessel in the shape of a pomegranate, into a garland and an elaborate funerary collar made from the tomb of Tutankhamun. Photo: RP. entirely of natural materials.
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per mesut
Tutankhamun also owned a large silver vase in the dis- tinctive shape of the pomegranate fruit. Engraved around the body of this vase is a frieze of pomegranate flowers. The fruit’s shape is easily recognised among the offerings of food presented at temples and in tombs. At the Abydos Temple of Sety I, the king is shown offering to the gods a tray of bread, fruit and roast ducks. In the centre of this tasty meal is a pomegranate, painted in realistic colours. The pomegranate has a thick rind, yellow blushing to red. There is a bitter pithy layer between the tough outer skin and the mass of seeds inside. Each seed is surround- ed by a deep pink or red jewel-like capsule of juicy flesh. Pomegranate tastes of pomegranate – there is no other way to describe its flavour. It has a slightly acid sweetness that is very refreshing. Above: a faience collar from the tomb of Tutankhamun, Now, with all the pomegranate health drinks on the with beads representing pomegranates (the round yellow ones). Photo: RP. market, you can taste it for yourself. The ancient Below left: modern products made from pomegranates. Egyptians also drank pomegranate juice and it is still a You can taste the fruit enjoyed by Tutankhamun. Photo: HW. favourite drink in Cairo. The cordial or syrup made from pomegranate juice is known as grenadine and this, or an low. The bark and root of the tree were recommended in artificial version of it, traditionally provides the red part medicinal prescriptions for getting rid of parasitic worms. of a “tequila sunrise” cocktail. Dried pomegranate seeds, It seems that the pomegranate, once it had become used as a spice, and a thick, brown syrup, made from established as an Egyptian tree, quickly earned a place under-ripe fruit, are popular ingredients in some Middle among the sacred plants of Egypt. The red colour of the Eastern and North African cookery. The syrup is used to fruit was the colour used for the sun’s disc crown, emblem give a sweet-and-sour flavour to dishes and is particularly of Ra. The many seeds it contains were symbolic of plen- good with chicken or duck. ty and fertility. In the setting of the tomb, the offering of It has been suggested that the ancient Egyptians made pomegranates would be seen as a way to promote the a wine from pomegranates as a cheaper alternative to rebirth of the dead person to life in the next world. All in grape wine. This drink, known as shedeh, is mentioned in all, the pomegranate tree was a useful and significant love poems where a girl’s kiss is said to be sweeter than plant as well as being very attractive. shedeh, but the link between pomegranates and shedeh has not yet been proved (see AE36). The skin and pith of the Further reading: pomegranate fruit were used as dyes to turn leather yel- The Garden in Ancient Egypt by Alix Wilkinson An Ancient Egyptian Herbal by Lise Manniche Hilary Wilson
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