Petrie's view on Archaeology

"Archaeology - the knowledge of how man has acquired his present position and powers- is one of the widest studies, best fitted to open the mind, and to produce that type of wide interests and toleration which is the highest result of education." - Flinders Petrie.

-chelle-

The 4000 year old Spinning Statuette at Manchester Museum

So I think one of the hottest news this week has been about this particular statuette currently housed at the Egyptian Worlds Collection at Manchester Museum. 

Can you spot which is the statuette everyone's buzzing about?

The statuette is said to date back to approximately 1800 years ago and was originally found in a mummy's tomb, and has been on exhibition at the Manchester Museum for the past 80 years. 

According to Manchester Evening News, Dr. Campbell Price - the museum's curator- said that "I noticed one day that it had turned around. I thought it was strange because it is in a case and I am the only one who has a key...I put it back but then the next day it had moved again. We set up a time-lapse video and, although the naked eye can't see it, you can clearly see it rotate on the film." 

So what has caused the 10-inch tall statuette to spin? Some have speculated that the statuette has been caught spinning because of the foot traffic vibration in the museum - sounds rational to me but if the artefact has been on display for the past 80 years and only now has it started moving due to vibrations, I think that's rather odd. Rational but odd.

Another more interesting mysterious suggestion for why the statuette has been caught spinning is because the statuette was found in a mummy's tomb and is a depiction of the deceased. Now the Ancient Egyptians believed that the body of the dead had to be preserved because the ka of the deceased would roam around the earth during the day but had to return to its physical body during the night (or cease to exist). In case of some unfortunate circumstances i.e. the deceased's physical body was destroyed, there were statuettes resembling the deceased available for the  ka  to rest in during the night. What with all the looting going on of late, could it be possible that the mummy of the deceased has been destroyed and the ka  has found a new home in this statuette in Manchester Museum?

OR is it the Curse of the Mummy/Pharaoh haunting the museum, and the spinning statuette is the first of many spooky events to occur?

What do you think?

Check out the YouTube video of the statuette spinning (recorded by the Manchester Museum):

http://youtu.be/S0fbWm9tdHE

-chelle-

Ancient Heliopolis slowly disappearing

Heliopolis, the only visible ancient site in Cairo, continues to suffer at the hands of looters.

For more information:

http://amun-ra-egyptology.blogspot.com/2013/06/ancient-heliopolis-under-threat.html?spref=tw


-chelle-

Where Technology Meets The Past

The Museum of Mediterranean and Near Eastern Antiquities - Medelhavsmuseet in Stockholm are currently preparing for a permanent Egyptology exhibition at the museum in which modern technology, specifically "3D digitization and interactive visualization" will be utilise to make six of their mummies come to (virtual) life for the museum visitors. 

The exhibition is set to be ready for the public by the spring of 2014. 

For more information about this, click the link below:

http://www.mynewsdesk.com/se/pressroom/tii/pressrelease/view/unwrap-a-real-mummy-museum-visitors-explore-historic-artifacts-using-state-of-the-art-3d-reality-capture-and-visualization-technology-878212


-chelle-

Healing Eye Make Up

Did you know that the eye make up used by the Ancient Egyptians was not just for them to enhance their beauty, but it also functioned as a healing product?

To know more, click the link below:

Healing Eye Make Up

-chelle-

Day of Archaeology: 26 July 2013

Calling all archaeologist (personal, professional, students) and those dabbling in archaeology, go to this webpage: http://www.dayofarchaeology.com/ and get involved to raise public awareness about archaeology.

-chelle-

98 days and counting

Durham University's Archaeology Department

"Hi there, 
We are looking forward to welcoming you to Archaeology. 
Please note that your induction here in the Department will take place on Monday 30 September..." - Durham University.

It has been a long and winding 11 years leading up to this date, and I think I have waited long enough for me to start pursuing my dream field of study in my (no.1) chosen university.

-chelle-

Hekaemsaef's bead net and gold mask

-chelle-

#PompeiiLive

For those living in UK and interested in Pompeii's history or you just love history, check out a cinema nearby and see whether #PompeiiLive is showing.

For more information, check out British Museum's website:

http://www.britishmuseum.org/whats_on/exhibitions/pompeii_and_herculaneum/pompeii_live.aspx

-chelle-

Preservation, Conservation and Looting of Archaeological Sites Update

Once a provincial town and cemetery of Ancient Egypt, today El-Hibeh is a site of horrible looting by armed men who have broken apart ancient bodies and torn down ancient structures.

Such a devastating sight:

Read more by clicking the link below:

http://triblive.com/usworld/betsyhiel/4206114-74/antiquities-ancient-hibeh#axzz2WTbCYUax
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"You see dogs playing with human bones, children scavenging for pottery and painted sarcophagi. You also find very well mummified fragments. It is very macabre" - said Dr. Monica Hanna, an Egyptian archaeologist who surveyed the site of Abu Sir al Malaq.

Since 2011, Hanna has been leading a team of journalists who are documented and exposing the growing illegal economy of looting in Egypt.

Click the link to read more about how this brave academic risks her life for a great cause:

http://triblive.com/news/editorspicks/4198483-74/hanna-heritage-archaeological#axzz2WMUfpWzH
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Have you heard of the new campaign "Eye On The Needle" led by Past Preservers Presenter, Dr. Paul Harrison? It is a campaign and a documentary for the conservation of Cleopatra's Needle currently located at London's Embankment.

Check out the youtube video for more about the campaign:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=6CTqS5kZGug

And/or follow them on Twitter: @eyeontheneedle
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A new committee has been founded to oversee the seven Egyptian sites listed under UNESCO's World Heritage and all other Egyptian sites that have been abandoned, forgotten and/or lack of care since the country's revolution in 2011.

To find out more, click the link below:

http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/9/40/73838/Heritage/Ancient-Egypt/New-committee-will-oversee-Egyptian-sites-on-World.aspx



-chelle-

A friend of mine recently visited the Louvre Museum and sent me a picture of this stela, and I was just wondering whether anyone knows the name of this stela.

Appreciate it if you could let me know at @ArcEgyptologist via twitter or leave a comment here. Thank you.

-chelle-

"No Photography"

Do you think museum visitors should be allowed to take photographs of the artefacts on display?

Here's an article debating that "no photography" is the way to go and I find it pretty enticing:

"No photography"

-chelle-

My trip to the Ancient Egyptian afterlife

Since I wrote about visiting the Egyptian exhibition at the ArtScience Museum, I thought I would upload a few pictures I captured that day - not many as I was too engrossed in the artefacts, plus we aren't suppose to take pictures of the artefacts.

Entrance into the exhibition hall

Two of the ArtScience Museum employees showing us how mummification was done in Ancient Egypt

Film of the virtual unwrapping of the mummy of Nesperennub

One of my two absolute favourite artefacts on display that day: "Sandstone stela of a God's Wife of Amun dating to the 26th Dynasty from Thebes"

My second absolute favourite artefact on display that day: "Shabtis ranging from the 18th to 25th Dynasty"

The souvenir shop - where I basically spent all my money

-chelle-

Mummy: Secrets of the Tomb

On the 4th of May 2013, I had the privilege to travel to Singapore and visit the "Mummy: Secrets of the Tomb" exhibition. This was my first Egyptian exhibition, so I did not know what to expect except that I would have an amazing time, since one of the top 5 items on my bucket list is to visit an Egyptian exhibition. (checked!)

The exhibition features over a 100 artefacts including 6 mummies - 4 human mummies and 2 animal mummies. The main star of the exhibition is a priest from the 22nd Dynasty (Thebes); Nesperennub. His coffin has not been opened and his mummy remains wrapped, but thanks to technology, the exhibition begins with a film of the virtual unwrapping of Nesperennub.

If you are in Singapore or nearby enough to travel to Singapore, from now till 4 November 2013, and are interested in history or just curious, I highly suggest you take a trip down the Egyptian afterlife and visit the exhibition at the ArtScience Museum at Marina Bay Sands.


For more information:

Mummy: Secrets of the Tomb at the ArtScience Museum


-chelle-

The city of Heracleion is set to go on display

1,200 years ago, an Ancient Egyptian city; Heracleion was lost to the Mediterranean Sea. However, thanks to Franck Goddio and his team, the Mediterranean is finally giving us back the lost city. 

For more information, click the link below:

Heracleion back from the sea

-chelle-

"The Hair symbolises the Vegetation in Ancient Egypt"

Found a very interesting blog post about tears, hair, the Nile and vegetation. Yup, all four are symbolically related according to Maria Martin.

Have a look:

http://hairanddeathinancientegypt.wordpress.com/


-chelle-

Book of Faiyum Exhibition

The Walters Art Museum in Baltimore will be hosting an Egyptian exhibition entitled "Egypt's Mysterious Book of the Faiyum" from the 6th of October 2013 till the 5th of January 2014.

This exhibition will be the first for the "Book of Faiyum" which is an almost 20 feet long well-preserved papyrus from Ancient Egypt.

For more information, click the link below:

Book of Faiyum Exhibition


-chelle-

The Jews did not build the Pyramids of Egypt

Occasionally when I mention to someone about my chosen career path, I get this reaction "did you know the Egyptians enslaved the Jews to build the pyramids?" My reaction to that statement (said in a very determined "I know for sure" tone) is to just smile and ignore that statement.

The Jews were not around during the construction of the pyramids, so how could they have been forced by the Egyptians to become slaves and build the pyramids? Nonetheless, am not saying that the Jews were never slaves of Egypt because I personally believe that the Bible is true.

However, in this case, as archaeologist Richard Redding noted previously "the builders were not slaves...the pyramids were erected by young men who were fed well and had access to good-quality health care, because they worked for the good of the society".

Click the link below to read more:

http://english.pravda.ru/science/mysteries/04-06-2013/124743-pyramids_giza-0/


-chelle-

King Tutankhamun's Tomb in 3D

Do you want to see King Tutankhamun's tomb in 3D? If so, click the link below:

3D version of King Tutankhamun's Tomb

-chelle-

Museum strike!

Egypt's archaeology museum was forced to close on the 4th of June owing to a strike by its employees.
The protesters have demanded that 4065 of its employees be awarded permanent contracts, better wages and that the ministry of corruption be rid off.

For more information, click the link below:

http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/3/12/73143/Business/Economy/Egypt%E2%80%99s-archaeology-museum-closed-by-labour-protes.aspx

-chelle-

Continuous looting in Egypt

It seems that even with an increase in security, the looting in Egypt continues , consequently worsening Egypt's economy.

http://collectingegypt.blogspot.com/2013/06/news-on-looting-of-antiquities-from.html

-chelle-

"Hi my name is Padi"

The Massachusetts General Hospital invited the public to meet  from the operating theater of the Ether Dome, an Egyptian mummy named Padihershef.

Click the link below to read what The Globe's Meghan E. Irons wrote:

Let's meet Padi

-chelle-

Quote by McInerney

"The Greek and Egyptian cultures were not fused, not hybridised. Instead both cultures simply existed separately but concurrently" - Jeremy McInerney.

-chelle-

Archaeology's Dirty Little Secrets

Very excited to start this short course entitled "Archaeology's Dirty Little Secrets" by Susan Alcock (Brown University) via www.cousera.org

-chelle-