Ancient Egypt July 16 & 23 2018

Grand Egyptian Museum to open in 2020

President Abdel Fattah El Sisi has instructed the government to complete the construction work on Egypt's massive new museum and open it to visitors by 2020, Presidency Spokesman Ambassador Bassam Radi said.

The presidential directives were issued during a meeting President Sisi held Tuesday with Prime Minister Dr Moustafa Madbouli and Antiquities Minister Khaled el-Enani, to review the latest developments pertaining to the progress of work on building the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) in Giza.

Hilary Waddington: Lights, camera, action

The Waddington collection in the Lucy Gura archive comprises 3 boxes/files of documents and photographs from the 1930s, which together provide a vivid insight into the experience and practicalities of excavation at Tell el-Amarna (ancient Akhetaten) in Egypt between the wars.

What's Inside This Massive Egyptian Sarcophagus?
Credit: Courtesy Egypt Antiquities Ministry

A massive black granite sarcophagus and a sculpture of a man who may be buried inside have been discovered in a tomb in Alexandria, Egypt.

The granite sarcophagus looks foreboding: It's nearly 9 feet long, 5 feet wide and 6 feet tall (2.7 by 1.5 by 1.8 meters). And, it may be the largest sarcophagus ever discovered in Alexandria, said Mostafa Waziri, general secretary of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities, in a statement released by Egypt's antiquities ministry.

• Opening ancient Egyptian sarcophagus an 'amazing opportunity' — despite rumours of a curse - CBC.ca
• Ancient Egyptian sarcophagus opened in Alexandria - AsiaOne
• Remains of 3 Mummies Discovered After Ancient Egyptian Sarcophagus Is Unsealed KTLA
• In Egypt, Ancient Coffin's Contents Finally Revealed NPR
• Egypt: Sarcophagus remains not those of Alexander the Great Deutsche Welle
• That Massive Black Sarcophagus Was Opened. Here's What's Inside. - Live Science
• Unfortunately opening the ancient Egyptian sarcophagus didn't unleash curse on us - Mashable
• Ancient Egyptian sarcophagus unleashes putrid stench upon opening - The Press

Evil eye talisman: An ancient charm protecting people for centuries

In Ancient Egypt, it was believed that people were protected by mystic eyes. To protect themselves from evil, the ancient Egyptians conducted various rituals including creating talismans to protect them, which is still a practice seen in many cultures today.

Now People Want to Drink the Sarcophagus Juice

In "some sort of carbonated energy drink."

On Thursday, some archeologists over in Egypt decided to go against the threat of a world-ending curse to open up a 2,000-year-old black sarcophagus found in Alexandria. In it they found three skeletons, believed to be of military officials, marinating in a red liquid the Ministry of Antiquities called "sewage." And while the archeologists may not have unleashed an apocalyptic curse upon humanity, they have, however, unearthed at least a couple hundred people who now want to drink the red sarcophagus "juice."

Mummies, embalming equipment discovered south of Pyramid of Unas in Egypt's Saqqara

The Ministry of Antiquities is set to announce the discovery of a number of mummies and embalming equipment at the Saqqara necropolis on Saturday.

The ministry told Ahram Online that the discovery includes a collection of inscribed mummification vessel measuring cups.

• Archaeologists Have Uncovered a Place Where The Ancient Egyptians Mummifed Their Dead - ScienceAlert
• Amazing mummification workshop Discovered in Egypt - Greek City Times (press release) (blog)
• Archaeologists Find 2500-Year-Old Workshop For Making Mummies In Egypt - Tech Times
• Where Mummies Were Made: Ancient Egyptian Embalming Workshop Found
• New Discovery: Mummification workshop installation in Sakkara (video)
• New Saqqara necropolis discovery to reveal secrets of mummification: Egypt Ministry of Antiquities

QUIZ: WHICH ANCIENT EGYPTIAN QUEEN ARE YOU?

They may be ancient indeed, but boy are they fierce! A few simple questions and we'll tell you which Pharaonic matriarch you probably were in your previous life.

Virtual Reality May Help Save Ancient Egypt's 'Sistine Chapel'

A new virtual reality experience may help save an ancient Egyptian tomb built for Queen Nefertari whose paintings are so beautiful that it has been compared to Italy's Sistine Chapel.

Built around 3,250 years ago for the favorite wife of pharaoh Ramesses II (who reigned from 1279 B.C. to 1213 B.C.), the Tomb of Nefertari is located in the Valley of the Queens, near Luxor. The tomb is open to just small groups of visitors, because the increase in humidity that comes when people enter can damage its paintings.

2-headed ancient Egyptian mummy shown to public for 1st time 

A bizarre mummy from ancient Egypt combining the heads of a girl and a crocodile was photographed for the first time. Before its picture was published in the media, the mummy was hidden from the public eye for more than a century.

The first ever photo of the unusual mummy was unveiled by the Turkish daily Hurriyet. Experts told the paper that the mummy was composed of the head of an unidentified ancient Egyptian princess and the head and body of a Nile crocodile.

Ancient Egypt September 29

Lots of news this week required a second edition.

Astounding Animation Glimpses Into Amarna, The Royal Egyptian City Of Akhenaten

The royal city of Amarna was a relatively ‘new’ settlement if viewed from the perspective of Ancient Egyptian history. Built almost 1,200 years after the Great Pyramid (circa 1346 BC), the entire city was actually constructed on a virgin site, on the orders of the Pharaoh Amenhotep IV – who was later known as Akhenaten. And while this urban scope was situated almost midway between Cairo (Giza) and Luxor, on the east bank of the Nile River (presently in the Egyptian province of Minya), the city both inspired and instigated various sections of the Egyptian elite – since it was dedicated to

How the Met Convinced the U.S. Government That the Temple of Dendur Belonged in New York
The Temple of Dendur in situ, ca. 1865–1885. Photo by Antonio Beato. Courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

In the summer of 1968, a freighter set sail from the Mediterranean Sea to New York City. Stowed in its hold were canned tomatoes, maraschino cherries, wheels of cheese—and a centuries-old Nubian temple, dismantled and packed away into 640 crates for its international voyage.

These ancient sandstone blocks, 800 tons in total, were a gift from Egypt to the United States. A year earlier, President Lyndon B. Johnson had declared that the Metropolitan Museum of Art would serve as the Temple of Dendur’s new home; this month marks the 50th anniversary of that decision. For the occasion, the museum has cleaned the temple’s sandstone facade and unearthed a wealth of archival material.

Exhibit illustrates magical powers of Book of the Dead in ancient Egypt

Photo by

Jean Lachat

In ancient Egypt, you did not go to the afterlife empty-handed. The Book of the Dead, a collection of spells and charms, was there to guide you.

Starting Oct. 3, visitors to the Oriental Institute at the University of Chicago will have a unique opportunity to peruse copies of the Book of the Dead: Two 2,200-year-old papyri, each more than 30 feet long and beautifully illustrated with texts and images. They are on display in their entirety for the first time at a museum, accompanied by the mummy of a woman who lived over 2,000 years ago, as well as statues, stelae, scarabs, magic bricks, ushabtis (small funerary figurines) and other artifacts.

6 of Egypt's most fascinating archaeological discoveries

For numerous reasons, Egypt is a fascinating country.

In terms of history, it's one of the richest countries in the world and there is no shortage of places to visit to experience that wealth.

Egypt thrived for thousands of years as an independent nation whose culture was famous for great human advances in every area of knowledge, from the arts and sciences to technology and religion.

What it's like to crawl inside a 3,500-year-old Egyptian tomb

A man in a gray robe and white headscarf brushes the dust, undisturbed for thousands of years, off a human skull, one of many messily discarded by grave robbers.

"They were searching for gold and jewelry, and when they didn't find it they just threw everything over here," says Ali Farouq al-Gaftawi, the veteran foreman at the excavation at Draa Abu Al-Naga, a barren desert hillside overlooking the lush, green Nile Valley.

Grand Egyptian Museum receives artefacts ahead of launch

Ten ancient Egyptian artefacts, including a part of the Sphinx’s beard, were moved to the new Grand Egyptian Museum in Cairo on Wednesday.

The new museum is set to be the world’s largest archaeological museum when it opens in 2018.

“Ten heavy artefacts are being moved from the Egyptian museum in Tahrir to the Grand Egyptian Museum. These artefacts will be displayed near the grand staircase which will lead to all of the main exhibition halls,” said Tarek Tawfiq, General Supervisor, Grand Egyptian Museum

How were the Egyptian pyramids built? Why and when were they constructed, how many are there and who built them?
Image-Getty Contributor

THEY'RE one of the most impressive sights on Earth, and the only remaining Ancient Wonder of the World. Here's everything you need to know about the incredible Egyptian pyramids

Clues to ancient past—baby mummy, dinosaur skulls scanned

The mummified remains of a 7-month-old baby boy and pieces of skull from two teenage Triceratops underwent computed tomography (CT) scans Saturday, Sept. 16, at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, in hopes researchers could learn more about the ancient past. The project is a collaboration between the Saint Louis Science Center and the School of Medicine.

Sphinx, Baboon and Cat Statues Found in Ancient Egyptian Burial

After years of being washed, perfumed and fed in ancient Egypt, the statue of a revered Egyptian deity was given a proper burial with other "dead" statues more than 2,000 years ago, a new study finds.

Ancient Egyptians buried the statue of the deity Ptah — the god of craftsmen and sculptors — with other revered statues, including those of a sphinx, baboon, cat, Osiris and Mut, in a pit next to Ptah's temple.

Kinross Wolaroi School musical takes audiences back to ancient Egypt

Year 5 and 6 students from Kinross Wolaroi School have put on a singing and dancing spectacular as part of their school music and there is one show left of Slaves.

Year 6 teacher Romko Hordynsky has been writing and directing the schools musicals for about 30 years and this year was no different.

Along with writing the plot, Mr Hordynsky also created the musical score for the latest production, Slaves, set in Ancient Egypt.

Under the Protection of the Gods painting by 'Howard Carter 1908'

Ancient Egypt September 18

Ancient Egypt’s Book of the Dead exhibition at Chicago

he Oriental Institute of University of Chicago will host an exhibition about Ancient Egypt’s Book of the Dead from October 3, 2017 to March 31, 2018.

More than 50 objects define and explore the Book of the Dead will be displayed in the exhibition.

“The show features two spectacular Books of the Dead—one 41 feet long—which are shown in their entirety for the first time in nearly a century,” according to the museum’s official website.

ANCIENT EGYPT: GAMING’S NEGLECTED SETTING

Ancient Egypt is one of the most fascinating times in human culture. It is one of mystery, in which we strive to learn more about. It has given us iconic images in the forms of the pyramids and the sphinx, pharaohs, grand palaces, mummies and more. Things both real and imaginary have captured our fascination and imagination of this world for thousands of years. People can recognise names like Cleopatra, Ramses and Tutankhamun, as well as fictional with the likes of the Egyptian gods Anubis, Osiris, Thoth and Ra. It is a time with a distinct look, with gold, hieroglyphs, boats on the Nile, the sun setting over Giza, ancient burial chambers, treasure and more being what we think of when we think of Ancient Egypt.

Paris hosts Egypt’s celebration of Abu Simbel relocation anniversary

Antiquities Minister Khaked al-Anani expressed his full appreciation for the efforts exerted by the Egyptian government in cooperation with UNESCO in the relocation and rescue of the Abu Simbel temples during the last century, which was part of the international campaign to save the monuments of Nubia in 1962.

In ancient Egypt, scribal school was the path to the priesthood and the good life

At this moment, I am teaching a section on ancient Egyptology and droning on about burial practices, pagan gods, pyramids and the development of hieroglyphic writing. But I also point out to them what it would have been like to be students in the old days. And I can assure you it was a lot harder back then in the good old days on the Nile than it is now.

Soulful Creatures: Animal Mummies in Ancient Egypt
Mummified Ibis, 30 B.C.E.–100 C.E. Animal remains, bronze, linen, 295⁄16 x 413⁄16 in. (74.5 × 12.3 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of the Egypt Exploration Fund, 14.655

Soulful Creatures is the first major exhibition to focus on one of the most fascinating aspects of ancient Egyptian culture and religion—the mummification of animals. Drawing on the Brooklyn Museum’s renowned Egyptian collection, this presentation includes 30 mummies on display alongside 69 masterworks of Egyptian art related to the ritual use of animal mummies.

The Met Acquires Ancient Egyptian Gilded Coffin
 Image © The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

The Metropolitan Museum of Art announced Tuesday that it has acquired an ancient Egyptian gilded cartonnage coffin from the first century B.C. The highly ornamented lid of the coffin is displayed prominently in the Museum's Lila Acheson Wallace Galleries for Egyptian Art (gallery 138), where it will be seen and enjoyed by millions of visitors.

Exhibition at l’Hôtel Cabu, Musée d’Histoire et d’Archéologie, Orléans.

From the Petrie Museum Unofficial Page - Facebook: The Egyptian collections of the museums of Orléans which have been in storage for nearly 70 years will now be on display from the 16th of September to 11th of March 2018 in a new exhibition - Du Nil à la Loire. It will count more than 300 objects among which an exceptional collection of funerary cones (121 of them)!

Several conferences and a Colloquium will also be offered. Read more here: OR here.



Ubisoft drops new trailer for Assassins Creed: Origins introducing the Order of the Ancients

The latest installment in the Assassins Creed's series called Assassin's Creed: Origins was first unveiled at the E3 event this year. While the game, set in ancient Egypt and Roman times, has release scheduled for 27 October, the game's developers Ubisoft have released a trailer which reveal more on the primary antagonist group in the game called as the Order of the Ancients.



Peek inside Egypt's latest tomb discovery

CNN looks at the latest discovery of a tomb found in Luxor, EgyptSource: CNN

Ancient Egypt September 4

Labor Day in Ancient Egypt

Labor Day is a holiday in the United States, and one most of us look forward to celebrating. (Who doesn't like a day off work?) This link is to a post I did last for Labor Day 2015; to be perfectly honest, not that much changed in ancient Egyptian labor practices since last year.

The Egyptian Museum of Barcelona

The Egyptian Museum Barcelonaopened in 1994 to display the Egyptian collection of Jordi Clos and introduce the public to 1,100 Egyptian artefacts and various temporary exhibitions. It forms part of the Clos Archaeological Foundation, which also funds archaeological expeditions and training.

The museum is served by the efficient Barcelona metro and easily found between Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia masterpiece and the Passeig De Catalunya, where many other modernist buildings are located. The museum is clean, tidy and well lit and the exhibits are displayed across three floors.

Formwerk3D helps 3D scan rare bust of Ancient Egyptian pharaoh Akhenaten

Up until now, if you wanted to see the rare Ancient Egyptian bust of Akhenaten you would have had to bustle through a crowd at Hannover’s Museum August Kestner and peer past a casing of protective glass. Now, thanks to 3D scanning technologies, you don’t even have to make the trip to Germany to see the stunning artwork.

The Pharaoh’s Magic – Imagery and Diplomacy in the Late Bronze Age

Today we imagine Egyptian magic through the lenses of the Bible and films. But what was the ‘actual’ role of ancient Egyptian magic in the royal palace when the king received foreign delegations?

Imagine you are an upper class Hittite. In your own country you serve your king and live a comfortable life in a spacious estate surrounded by many exotic luxury goods. You have the respect of your peers and command the service of the rest of the population. As a friend of the king of Hatti you are also well-versed in foreign politics, and so you are assigned to visit the king of Egypt and deliver gifts.

A Royal Children’s tomb discovered in the West Bank’s Valley of the Kings in Luxor
By I, Nikater, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2635512

According to Dr. Abdel Hakim Karrar, Archaeologist in Egypt, the excavations carried out by the Swiss archaeological delegation of the University of Basel in the Valley of the Kings in Luxor’s West Bank have uncovered several rooms inside tomb KV.40 that were apparently used by the children of the royal family, specifically sons of the Kings Thutmose IV and Amenhotep III (1400-1350 B.C.)