Thebes

Anatomy of a Dig: Getting up Close and Personal in Thebes

Anatomy of a Dig: Getting up Close and Personal in Thebes

Before I begin this article recounting my experiences on an Egyptian excavation, I have to point out that protocol dictates that I cannot be specific about the project I worked on. That is only right and proper. When the majority of Egypt’s archaeological record remains unreported and unpublished it would be wrong of me, a novice in the business, to give details of the mission before dig leaders have had an opportunity to report officially to the SCA (the Supreme Council of Antiquities, the body which oversees all archaeological activity within Egypt). Therefore, this account will of necessity lack specific detail, although I hope that the following will provide a reasonable overview of an ‘awesome’ experience (in the true sense of this word); one which will remain with me forever. [more…]

Edition - June, 2012

The Mystery of Psusenes III

The Mystery of Psusenes III

John Gardner Wilkinson published his ‘Materia Hieroglyphica’ in Malta in 1828, having spent the previous year in Luxor recording inscriptions in the Nobles’ Tombs. The most important aspect of this volume is the inclusion of records from the Theban Tomb TTA18 which early Egyptologists used to identify pharaoh Psusenes III. As TTA18 contains the only mention of Psusenes III, some scholars are starting to doubt if this identification of an otherwise unattested pharaoh was at all correct. Others probed into the possibility that Psusenes III is the same person as Psusenes II. Yet others see Psusenes III as High Priest of Amen only. [more…]

Introduction to the Contents of Tomb KV57 (Horemheb)

Introduction to the Contents of Tomb KV57 (Horemheb)

KV57, Horemheb’s royal tomb in the Valley of the Kings is famous for its bright decoration but it has yielded a large number of artefacts. The tomb has been excavated twice by Theodore Davis after he discovered the tomb in 1908 and a century later by Geoffrey Martin. This paper brings together findings of both excavations to show that the tomb originall contained an assemblage matching or surpassing that found in KV62, the tomb of Tutankhamun [more…]

A Context for Nehmes-Bastet (KV64): A Birds Eye View of the Early Third Intermediate Period - Part 1

A Context for Nehmes-Bastet (KV64): A Birds Eye View of the Early Third Intermediate Period – Part 1

In January 2012, thanks to the discovery of a new tomb in the Valley of the Kings, named KV64, the 22nd Dynasty was catapulted into the spotlight. At the moment, apart from a couple of tantalising photographs and a video released by the University of Basel (Switzerland) all we know is that the mummified woman was called Nehmes-Bastet; she was a chantress; and her father was a priest at the Temple of Karnak  [more…]

Tanis tombs NRT III and I. Photograph by Francis Lankester

A Context for Nehmes-Bastet (KV64): A Birds Eye View of the Early Third Intermediate Period – Part 2

In Part 1 the political background to and development of the Third Intermediate Period was described, emphasizing the way in which power became divided, both within the Delta and between the Delta and the south, where the Theban high priests became increasingly powerful. Part 2 looks at the blending of Libyan and Egyptian traditions, with new ideas expressed in funerary practices and in the role of religious institutions. [more…]