Egyptologically Speaking ~ An Interview with Dr. Nadine Moeller
Tracking Dr Nadine Moeller’s professional path in Egyptology takes one into the rarefied atmosphere of some of the best Ancient History Departments in the world. Moeller’s career has taken her from the University of Heidelberg, in her native Germany, to the University of Cambridge where she earned her PhD in Egyptology and Archaeology, and where her interest in Tell Edfu began. From Cambridge, Moeller held the Lady Wallis Budge Junior Research fellowship at the University of Oxford where she was also granted the Tell Edfu concession, initiating the most recent phase of excavation at this ancient provincial town (located midway between modern Luxor and Aswan in Upper Egypt). [more…]
Ancient Egyptian Religion, Part 6 — Art for Eternity
Part 1 of this series set forth the foundation principles of Egyptian religion as cosmic order (maat), duality, and divine magic (heka), which we saw expressed in tomb architecture in Part 5. Now in Part 6 we will continue our exploration of the tomb, looking for evidence of those concepts as they are expressed in art. [more…]
By Brian Alm
Arthur Cruttenden Mace – Taking His Rightful Place, Part 1
“You see my father was an Egyptologist, you won’t know of him, Arthur Mace, he’s long forgotten.” These words were softly spoken by Margaret Orr, the daughter of Arthur Mace to a group of school children in 1989. In this article, I will show that this is, sadly, an accurate statement regarding the general public’s lack of knowledge regarding Arthur Maces contributions to the field of Egyptology and more specifically to the science of artifact preservation. But why? [more…]
By Garry Beuk
Was Egypt the First Nation State?
By Kate Phizackerley and Michelle Low. Published on Egyptological, Magazine Articles, Edition 6, May 31st 2012 Editorial (Kate Phizackerley) Was Pharaonic Egypt a nation state? This is not a new question but it is hard to answer for a variety of reasons, including: the context of the question is rooted in a modern concept (nation-state); […] [more…]
By Kate Phizackerley and Michelle Low
Egyptologically Speaking: An Interview with Joyce Tyldesley
In February 2012, Dr. Joyce Tyldesley announced the latest in the University’s impressive portfolio of online courses. The Diploma in Egyptology is set to receive its first intake of students in October; some (not all) will be tech-savvy graduates of previous Tyldesley-designed distance Egyptology. Recently, this busy academic took some time out to discuss Manchester’s pioneering online Egyptology programmes [more…]
Ancient Egyptian Religion, Part 5 — The Mansion of Millions of Years
A series of articles like this, or a book, lecture or Egyptology course, could be focused on Egyptian art, architecture, history, culture, politics, sociology, medicine or virtually anything, and still be about Egyptian religion. Conversely, this series on religion is likewise about everything else. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, and in ancient Egypt, the tree is religion. In this installment, we will follow the deceased king into his his eternal home, the “Mansion of Millions of Years,” and begin to explore the meanings there — the ideas expressed in architecture. In Part 6, we will continue with a look at the grave goods, art and words that perpetuate life in the world beyond. The immediate purpose is to see the correspondences between Old Kingdom and New Kingdom tombs as they reflect religious ideology. [more…]
By Brian Alm
Life on Mars: The Gilf Kebir, Zerzura and the Cave of Swimmers
Rising 300m above the desert floor, and covering an area the size of Switzerland, the Gilf Kebir is one of the most arid and inhospitable places in the Sahara. Located in the Egyptian desert, near the Libyan border a 100km north of Sudan, it shares a latitude with Abu Simbel. For over 100,000 years the Gilf Kebir was home to generations of hunters, followed by two thousand years of use by nomadic herders. It was only re-discovered in 1926, and since then it has been the subject of numerous expeditions for exploration, archaeological and geological investigation and, more recently, tourism. Very remote and arid it remained an almost pristine landscape until recent decades, perfect for field research. Even NASA researchers have studied the Gilf Kebir to evaluate conditions that might prevail on Mars. [more…]
Arthur Weigall: A Man Out of Time – Part 2
As we saw in Part 1, in spite of his lack of a formal education Arthur Weigall pursued the role of archaeological excavator, achieving his dream of working in Egypt. Although his initial achievements were minimal, he was promoted to the position of an Inspector in Egypt, a role he took on with energy and dedication. He was fiercely protective of monuments from Luxor to Nubia, often falling into dispute with the authorities and wealthy patrons over the importance of preservation through proper archaeological technique. [more…]
By Garry Beuk
Sleep and the Sleeping in Ancient Egypt
A recent exhibition on East African headrests indicates that their use represents different levels of symbolic meaning, from marking the significant transition from youth to adulthood, to the more practical function of protecting elaborate hairstyles during sleep; still a factor in the use of headrests in some African tribes today (Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge; ‘Triumph, protection and dreams: The East African headrest in context’). Headrests have an iconographical status throughout the African continent and are a recognisable feature of ancient Egyptian culture. The act of sleeping itself is the subject of myth, ritual and superstition interwoven within the religion which permeated all aspects of this complex civilization. Headrests, sleep and dreams are interrelated within Egyptian ideology. Was the Egyptian headrest a purely symbolic object; a funerary essential; an everyday domestic object or an item which fits all of those descriptions? In the following article I will explore aspects of sleep in ancient Egypt, from the headrests used in the act of sleeping, to complex meaning surrounding dreams. [more…]
The Birth Bower and Mamissi-Chapels in Ancient Egypt
Kate Phizackerley introduces womens’ experience of child birth in Ancient Egypt and the special birth bowers assigned to this important event. She traces how this involved into a special type of chapel, called a mammis and considers what implications might be drawn from one scene depicting Akhenaten and his queen, Nefertiti. Along the way she covers who might attend a birth and touches on some of the medical texts. [more…]