Ancient Egypt December 3

Mummifying a Beetle Is a Lot Easier Than Mummifying a Cat
The King Userkaf complex held dozens of mummified cats. KHALED DESOUKI/AFP/GETTY IMAGES

THE RABBIT HAD LOOKED BETTER. Two days dead, it was swollen and rank, and riddled with holes to let gases escape. Five days later, it swarmed with beetles. Its head had exploded, and the pelt pulled away from its bones. To approximate the result of baking under the desert sun, it had been sitting on a bed of natron, a type of salt, and perched on a laboratory rooftop.

Huge Tutankhamun show set to tour world

Four decades after the boy pharaoh caused a sensation in the US and Europe, treasures from the tomb of Tutankhamun are to tour the world again -- many for the first time.
More than 50 of the 150 artworks from his tomb in the show will only ever leave Cairo once, say the Egyptian authorities, who are organising the tour in the run-up to the 2020 opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza. See Treasures of the Golden Pharaoh Exhibit (with video)

Eight Late Period mummies discovered in Dahshur necropolis in Giza

During excavation work in the area to the northeastern side of King Amenemhat II’s tomb in the Dahshour necropolis in Giza, an Egyptian archaeological mission has stumbled upon eight graves from the Late Period.
Mostafa Waziri, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, explains that the graves contain limestone sarcophagi with mummies inside, three of which are in very good conservation condition.

Ancient Egypt: Eight Mummies Discovered in Ornately Decorated Sarcophagi - Newsweek

Eight 3000 Year Old Ancient Egyptian Mummies Discovered In Pyramid - LADbible

Eight Ancient Painted Mummies Discovered in Egypt - Geek

Egypt unearths eight ancient mummies - Jakarta Post

Nike to Release Dope New Basketball Shoes Inspired by Ancient Egypt

It's not uncommon for sports brands to collaborate with sportsmen-and-women or celebrities, but the most recent more than caught our eye - because it's inspired, maybe a little abstractly, by Ancient Egypt.

Made by Nike, Concepts (a store that works with brands specifically on collaborations) and NBA All-Star, Kyrie Irving, the 'Ikhet Nike Kyrie' doesn't exactly scream Pharaohs, but the Boston Celtics point guard has revealed some very adept knowledge of the symbolism of Ancient Egypt which he has used.

What Egyptians Ate: Did the Cuisine of Ancient Egypt Reflect the Tastes of Today?
 
The ancient Egyptians enjoyed a variety of foods, not unlike what we enjoy today. Nevertheless, compared to many other ancient civilizations, the ancient Egyptians had access to better foods. The Nile River provided irrigation for crops and water for livestock. Generally speaking, bread and beer were the staples of ancient Egyptian cuisine. Fruits, vegetables, and fish were commonly eaten by the poor, while meat and poultry were more often eaten by the rich.

How the Ancient Egyptian Economy Laid the Groundwork for Building the Pyramids
The Abusir pyramids and necropolis remains. Chanel Wheeler / wikipedia, CC BY-SA
In the shadow of the pyramids of Giza, lie the tombs of the courtiers and officials of the kings buried in the far greater structures. These men and women were the ones responsible for building the pyramids: the architects, military men, priests, and high-ranking state administrators. The latter were the ones who ran the country and were in charge of making sure that its finances were healthy enough to construct these monumental royal tombs that would, they hoped, outlast eternity.

Ancient Egypt’s Missing Tombs Are Waiting To Be Found – Could One Still Be Intact?
Dr Chris Naunton examining a reconstructed coffin in the Egyptian Museum, Cairo (Photo: Chris Naunton)

It seems incredible to think the tombs of Alexander the Great and Cleopatra are still waiting to be discovered in Egypt. The world’s oldest cheese, mummified cats and the skeleton of a pregnant woman buried 3,500 years ago have all been uncovered by Egyptologists in recent months. But the final resting places for some of ancient history’s greatest figures are in a different order altogether.

Egyptian Archaeologists Unveil Newly Discovered Luxor Tombs
 CREDIT: MOHAMED ABD EL GHANY/REUTERS

Egyptian authorities on Saturday unveiled a well-preserved mummy of a woman inside a previously unopened coffin in Luxor in southern Egypt dating back more than 3,000 years.




In Photos - 18th Dynasty sarcophagus reveals well-preserved mummy in Egypt’s Luxor
L'Egypte dévoile un tombeau et des sarcophages à Louxor (photos)

Egypt unveils ancient Luxor tomb 'with very nice paintings' - The Times of Israel

Egypt unveils previously unopened ancient female sarcophagus in Luxor - Arab News

Egypt unveils ancient tomb and sarcophagi in Luxor - The Express Tribune

Ancient Egypt November 5

Luxor Celebrates 96thAnniversary of Tutankhamun Discovery

The governorate of Luxor, starting from Sunday, November 4 until the end of the month, is celebrating the 96th anniversary for the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb.

The government celebrates November 4 as the national day of Luxor.

New Facts about the Construction of the Pyramids

Scientists have discovered a special 4500-year-old system to extract and move huge stones in an ancient quarry in the Eastern desert of Egypt on the territory of Hatnub – reports Live Science.

The device is well-crafted slope surface with steps at the edges and numerous holes in the soil. These holes appeared on the wooden poles that were fixed mounts. Around them around the bundles. The ends were tied to a special sled, to which was attached a rock. Workers pulled the harness, and the unit is gradually raised.

This Primitive Ramp Could Have Helped Build Egypt's Great Pyramids - ScienceAlert

Discovery may solve mystery of how Egypt's Pyramids were built - Newshub

New Discovery Finally Explains How The Egyptians Built Their Great Pyramids - IFLScience

Ancient Egypt stunner: Possible ramp used to build Great Pyramid found- Fox News

Have Scientists Finally Revealed How Egyptian Pyramids Were Built? - Sputnik International

This 4500-Year-Old Ramp Contraption May Have Been Used to Build Egypt'sGreat Pyramid -Live Science

Video: New technology reveals history and face of Aberdeen uni’s Ancient Egyptian mummy

Academics have used X-rays to visualise an Ancient Egyptian mummy that has been part of an Aberdeen university collection for more than 200 years.

A chance to see the face of an ancient Egyptian - Scottish Field

Will the London Obelisk Return to Egypt?

We need to take a stand on the condition of Egyptian antiquities abroad.

I traveled to London in October, to participate in the American University of Cairo’s fundraising campaign to help students who were financially-disadvantaged, yet gifted. I decided to take a taxi to Times Square, to see the Egyptian obelisk there.

National Museum of Scotland Launching New Galleries

The National Museum of Scotland -- the most-visited attraction in the UK outside of London -- has announced the opening date for three new galleries dedicated to East Asia, Ancient Egypt and ceramics.

Set for February 8, 2019, the opening of the galleries 100 days from now will mark the completion of a 15-year transformation of the National Museum of Scotland that has involved restoring the Victorian building and displaying more of its holdings.

Engraving in Minya Quarries Could Reveal How Ancient Egyptians Moved Stone Blocks in Khufu Period
Photo: Al-Ahram

A French-British archaeological mission from the French Institute for Oriental Archaeology and the UK's Liverpool University have discovered ancient engravings alabaster quarries in Tel El-Amarna that could help reveal how ancient Egyptians managed to move stone blocks from alabaster quarries during the Khufu period.

Joseph Fiennes & Sir Ranulph Fiennes Journey Down The Nile For Three-Part Exploration Series For Nat Geo

The Handmaid’s Tale and Shakespeare in Love star is teaming with the explorer, who is his cousin, in Fiennes: Return to the Nile. The pair will journey down the river in Egypt to re-visit the locations that Ranulph explored on his first expedition 50 years ago.

Natalia Vodianova Celebrated Halloween as an Egyptian Goddess

Suited for holiday, Vodianova chose a very original wearing a green dress to the floor and decorating his head with the accessory in the form of a Golden bowl shaped like a throne, she appeared in the form of the Egyptian goddess ISIS. (The name ISIS translates as “throne”.)

Ancient Egypt August 27

A New Tradition is Born
Léo, master baker at the Intercontinental, shaped bread dough into mummies, falcons and vases to serve the traditional French ‘poule au pot’.

This July, in Cairo, the Institut Français d’ Egypte, invited Hopla Studios (a culinary design studio based in France), the French Embassy in Cairo, the Intercontinental Hotel City Stars, and Slow Food Cairo to collaborate in recreating heritage foods with a modern twist. Inspired by the important role of food in Ancient Egypt, and of bread in particular, the week-long event orchestrated by Hopla Studios, included round table discussions, presentations and workshops, and culminated with hands-on cooking sessions for children and adults at Mamushka’s restaurant. People of all ages found something fun and interesting to do whilst enjoying good food, presented with flair.

That Massive Black Sarcophagus Contained 3 Inscriptions. Here's What They Mean
Credit: Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities

Three drawings, incised on three sheets of gold, have been discovered in a massive black granite sarcophagus in Alexandria, Egypt.

One expert, not involved with the research, told Live Science that one of the drawings may depict the seed pod of an opium poppy within a shrine. The significance of this enigmatic drawing is still not clear, the expert said.

Initial analysis shows skeletons from huge Egyptian sarcophagus are two men, one woman

The three skeletons found inside a massive granite sarcophagus unearthed in Alexandria last month have been analysed and found to be a young woman and two men, Egyptian antiquities officials have said, and intricate gold panels have also been discovered inside the coffin.

Egypt's new one-billion dollar museum (CNN Video)

Egypt is building The Grand Egyptian Museum, a more than one billion-dollar undertaking that will re-house and restore the country's most precious artifacts. Source: CNN

Picture of the Week: Ancient Egypt – Comparisons caught on camera

Click the link to see early and more recent photographs of some of the great sites. Here's an example from Luxor Temple.

Best meme yet!

Ancient Egypt August 13 2018

New look Bolton Museum to open the doors to Ancient Egypt

Bolton Museum's multi-million Egyptology gallery will be unveiled next month to showcase its Egyptian treasures in all their glory.

Bolton's Egypt will officially welcome people to step back into the land of the Pharoahs on September 22, where they can enter the burial chamber of Thutmose III, of which a full size reproduction has been created.

Karnak on the Cumberland
Victorian-era Egyptomania left its mark on this Nashville landmark. 

There’s a reason the building is affectionately referred to by some as the “Karnak on the Cumberland.” The Downtown Presbyterian congregation was so taken by Egyptomania that its members insisted this infatuation be reflected in the architecture of their church. The result is a stunning, if somewhat unexpected, mixture of Ancient Egyptian and Protestant Christian imagery.

New Egyptian dinosaur reveals ancient link between Africa and Europe
Credit: Andrew McAfee, Carnegie Museum of Natural History

Mansourasaurus shahinae helps fill in gaps of African dinosaurs of Late Cretaceous

When it comes to the final days of the dinosaurs, Africa is something of a blank page. Fossils found in Africa from the Late Cretaceous, the time period from 100 to 66 million years ago, are few and far between. That means that the course of dinosaur evolution in Africa has largely remained a mystery. But in the Egyptian Sahara Desert, scientists have discovered a new species of dinosaur that helps fill in those gaps.

Sphinx discovered during Road Construction between Ancient Temples
(File photo) © Tara Todras-Whitehill / Reuters

An Egyptian infrastructure project has been halted after construction workers found a sphinx-like statue during roadworks between the ancient temples of Karnak and Luxor.

Current GEM logo is temporary: Minister

After the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) launched its logo in June, citizens and experts have raised their objections, claiming that the logo is quite mundane and that it does not represent the Ancient Egyptian collection displayed in the museum.

Digital Resources for Teaching Ancient Egypt

As two newcomers to the teaching world, the Nile Scribes are interested in how they can apply digital humanities to their classrooms in the future. During our brief careers as students of Egyptology, we have been personally acquainted with how far digital humanities has come over the last decade, and the development of online resources for Egyptologists. This week, the Nile Scribes are taking a look at some of the digital tools that are available online to help with teaching Egyptology.Digital Resources for Teaching Ancient Egypt,

What is the Egyptian Book of the Dead? (Part 1) - Ancient Egyptian Religion

An introduction to the ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead (Spells of Coming Forth by Day) - what the Book of the Dead is, what the Book of the Dead isn’t, what the Book of the Dead’s purpose was, and why anyone would want a Book of the Dead.

Picture of the Week: 2,300-Year-Old Mummy Unveiled in Saqqara near the Pyramid of Teti

The 2300 year old mummy wearing a golden mask was discovered at Egypt’s Saqqara Pyramids complex south of Cairo in May 2005. The mummy is unidentified from the 30th dynasty, had been closed in a wooden sarcophagus and buried in sand at the bottom of a 20’ shaft before being discovered by Louvre’s Saqqara excavations team. The identity of the mummy is unknown but it is believed that it is from the 30th dynasty (380-343 BC). The ancient Egyptian was probably wealthy owing to the fine gold used to make the mummy’s mask and the location of the burial.

Ancient Egypt June 11

Can Egypt’s superheroes stop corruption?
Characters from the El3osba comic book series include (L-R) Walhan, Microbusgy, Alpha, Horus, Mariam and Kaf.

Horus, the god of the sky in Egyptian mythology, has risen to fight corruption. He is accompanied by Mariam, who is a female doctor with the superpower to heal, and Microbusgy, a minibus driver who can control fire and dust.

How this ancient African town in Egypt became the world’s first planned city
Sir Flinders Petrie — Ancient Pages

Kahun, the first ancient Egyptian town that was excavated, was not like other towns at the time as it was not meant for the general population or ordinary activities.

It was basically a temporary site for workers who were building the Al-Lahun pyramid.

Abandoned right after work was done, Kahun was built during the reign of King Senusret.

In the late 19th century, Sir Flinders Petrie, a British archaeologist, first excavated Kahun, where he found many working tools like chisels, knives, fishing nets, hoes, rakes, mallets, and flints, emphasizing the fact that the area had served as a workers’ village.

Andrew Carnegie and Pittsburgh’s Ancient Egypt Collection
Egypt Hall entrance at Carnegie Museum of Natural History; credit CMNH

Known as the ‘Steel City’, Pittsburgh is a bustling metropolis in western Pennsylvania and is well-known for its long-time connections to Andrew Carnegie. An immigrant from Scotland who moved to the United States at the age of 13, Carnegie’s family settled in the area around Allegheny. Carnegie would go on to become a wealthy steel tycoon and devoted the later parts of his life to philanthropy, something for which he is well-known. Several institutions around Pittsburgh owe their existence to him: among them the Carnegie Museum of Natural History. In this week’s post, the Nile Scribes introduce you to the Carnegie’s Egyptian collection.

What Is It With Egypt? Ancient Egypt-themed Slots Making a Comeback

The mysterious world of ancient Egypt has always been an inspiration for the entertainment industry in all of its forms so it comes as a little surprise that the online gambling industry jumped on the band wagon, producing many Egypt-themed slots over the years. And, while we had a break of sorts for a brief period, it seems that casino games based on the myths and history of ancient Egypt are back in a full swing once again.

Dozens of Mysterious ‘Reserve Heads’ Were Sealed in Ancient Egyptian Tombs
Left to right: Possible brother of Snefrusonb, unknown male, unknown head, Prince Sneferu-seneb, Princess Meritites. PUBLIC DOMAIN

IN 1894, THE FRENCH ARCHAEOLOGIST Jacques de Morgan made a perplexing discovery in the royal necropolis of Dashur. In a tomb dating around the reign of Snefru (beginning 2613 B.C.) during Egypt’s fourth dynasty, he found an odd sculpture of a human head. This object, known as a reserve head, has puzzled and inspired scholars for over a century.

The Process of Papyrus to Papers in Ancient Egypt

The papyrus plant was of tremendous importance within the ancient Egyptian civilization. The plant served many uses, but the most significant was its development as a source of raw materials for the production of paper. The ancient Egyptians developed a process for the harvesting, manufacture, use and storage of this valuable material.

Ancient Egyptian Footwear at the Bata Shoe Museum
The sole of a mummy case with a bound Syrian and Nubian (Obj no. 2327/1 – Provenance unknown) (Photo: Malek, 4,000 Years, 348)

As you make your way north on St. George Street in downtown Toronto towards the similarly named subway station, you may notice a building shaped like a shoebox. The Bata Shoe Museum is dedicated to the cultural and creative uses of shoes throughout the world: from heels and seal fur boots to astronaut footwear. Their collection also includes sandals from ancient Egypt. The Nile Scribes visited the museum and explored their special exhibit The Gold Standard: Glittering Footwear from around the World.

Baking Ancient Egyptian Bread

Note: Last week, we had an article on making ancient Egyptian beer, so it's only fair we do bread this week. (Fortunately, this article appeared just in time.)

Bread was a staple in ancient Egyptian diet.  Made from a variety of ingredients, bread loaves of different sizes were made in a variety of shapes, including human figures and animals. They were often elaborately decorated and whole or cracked grain was frequently added, resembling the multi-grain breads baked nowadays. Experiments conducted to solve ‘the mysteries of Egyptian bread pot’ have provided few recipes, and a study carried out by Delwen Samuel has established that ancient Egyptians might have been as good at baking as they were at building pyramids.

Egypt: Old Kingdom

Strategy simulator of the Great Pyramids period, where you take your path from the unification of Egyptian tribes to the foundation of The First Empire. Developed with the assistance of Egyptologists.

Video of the Week

Ancient Egypt December 18

Assassin’s Creed Origins: Gamescom 2017 Cinematic Trailer | Ubisoft [US]
♥ What a great use of Leonard Cohen's Song!

Tutankhamun archaeologist's London flat on sale for £9.75m

The house that King Tut bought... and now it's up for a pharaoh price tag! Lavish five-bedroom apartment archaeologist Howard Carter lived in after discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb goes on sale for £9.75million.

The Greatest Clash in Egyptian Archaeology May Be Fading, But Anger Lives On

After 200 years, the sad story of Qurna, a so-called ‘village of looters’, is coming to a close,

Om Ahmed has a lovely view, but no one to share it with.

All of her neighbors have gone, their houses slowly crumbling in the stiff Nile breeze. Most of the surrounding buildings have already been destroyed. Except for the workers excavating a tomb beneath her and the occasional lost tourist or nosy desert fox, this talkative old lady seldom sees another soul. “It’s very lonely,” she says. “You can’t imagine how lonely.”

Cazenovia mummy makes hospital visit to undergo medical testing
photo by Jason Emerson

On a cold, snowy Sunday night, when the Cazenovia Public Library was closed and silent as a tomb, members of the library staff opened the glass case containing Hen, the library’s Egyptian mummy. Standing silently by was an official from the Onondaga County Coroner’s Office, who carefully placed this 2,000-year-old relic onto a stretcher, covered it with a sheet and deposited the body into the office “bus” for a ride to Crouse Hinds Hospital in the city.

 For more, Watch: 2000-Year-Old Egyptian Mummy Goes Under CT Scanner At New York Hospital

Egypt uncovers ancient tombs at Luxor

Archaeologists in Egypt have displayed items, including a mummy, from one of two previously unexplored tombs in the ancient Nile city of Luxor.

For more information and other stunning photos, see

• Two ancient Egyptian New Kingdom-era tombs opened at Luxor necropolis
• Photos: Two ancient Egyptian tombs were just opened in Luxor
• Archaeologists discover two ancient tombs in Egypt
• Archaeologists discover 3,500-year-old tombs in Egypt's Luxor
• Two ancient tombs discovered in Egypt's Luxor
• Egyptian mummy and ancient treasures 'in near perfect condition' discovered in 3,500-year-old tombs
• Egyptian archaeologists discover 3,500-year-old mummified body as they explore pair of ‘exceptional’ tombs
  
  
  

  

  ‘Egypt Uncovered: Belzoni and the Tomb of Pharaoh Seti I’ at Sir John Soane’s Museum, London
  ©Bristol Culture: Bristol Museums and Art Gallery. By permission of the trustees of Sir John Soane’s Museum
  
  To coincide with the 200th anniversary of the discovery of the tomb of Pharaoh Seti I by the Egyptologist Giovanni Battista Belzoni (1778–1823), Sir John Soane’s Museum in London will present Egypt Uncovered: Belzoni and the Tomb of Pharaoh Seti I – a new exhibition revealing the story behind the Museum’s most treasured possession.
  
  

  

  The Map That Revealed How Ancient Egyptians Pictured the Afterlife
  © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
  
  In the spring of 1915, in the dry, heavy heat of the Egyptian desert, an expedition of archaeologists unearthed the final resting place of a man and his wife.
  
  The team—made jointly of representatives from Harvard University and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston—made their discovery in a place called Deir el-Bersha, on the east bank of the river Nile and far south of the pyramids of Giza.
  
  
  

  

  Journey on an adventure into ancient Egypt with new Eye of the Amulet slot
  
  Games developer, iSoftBet has jumped on the ever-growing Egyptian-themed slots bandwagon and launched a new title, Eye of the Amulet, exclusively with LeoVegas Casino. Players of other casinos will have to wait until December 12 to get their hands on the new slot, when it will be available at other operators.