Flinders Petrie began his long association with ancient Egypt and the Near East when he went to Giza to survey the pyramids in 1880. He continued to dig almost until his death in Jerusalem in 1942. During his long career he revolutionized Egyptian archaeology and indeed can be said to have founded modern scientific archaeology. But this book is not concerned with his scientific work, except tangentially, as Petrie had an admirable practice of publishing his excavations soon after they were completed. These letters and journals have been selected for their vivid account of living in Egypt and Palestine over sixty years. Even more they describe Petrie's austere approach to a dig where the archaeology was everything and creature comforts near nonexistent. Many anecdotes survive of life on one of Petrie's digs and the reality as revealed in these accounts is just as eccentric.

This volume contains twenty-five papers presented at the Third International Conference of the Dakhleh Oasis Project held in Melbourne in 2000, plus several other invited papers, which together reflect the multidisciplinary nature of the project. Five deal with Pleistocene and Holocene archaeology, including the first characterisation of the Older Middle Stone Age culture of the Oasis; there are three on pharaonic archaeology and fifteen devoted to Roman period Kellis. They include: discussions of the most recent archaeological work; the first detailed publication of a unique glass jug decorated with scenes of combatant gladiators, accompanied by colour images; and specialist reports on human skeletal remains.

This detailed examination of the architecture of the tombs of Egyptian officials during the 18th Dynasty is based on a catalogue of Theban tombs. Making geographical and chronological comparisons, Wasmuth discusses evidence for architectural innovations, particularly in the extremely elaborate layout of chambers and passages. The study is illustrated throughout with tomb plans while the catalogue includes details of inscriptions and epithets as well as descriptions of the tomb design. German text.

This volume is the second produced by the Dakhleh Oasis Project devoted to reporting the preliminary results of its field work. The volume is divided into two parts: the first part includes reports on the study of various prehistoric and historic sites; the second part is devoted to the work on the settlement of Ismant el-Kharab, ancient Kellis, and two of its cemeteries. The latter papers include a description of the excavations, a discussion of the architectural evolution of the Main Temple Complex and the significance of the Large East Church, an attempt to reconstruct the Temple of Tutu using 3D computer modelling, and a study of the main wall paintings found in the Main Temple Complex. Several papers also present the results of research carried out on specific categories of artefacts and materials, such as the textiles, basketry and leather goods, ceramics, metals and metallurgy, oils, terracotta figurines, and the flora and fauna of ancient Kellis.

What do the pyramids of Egypt really represent? What could have driven so many to so great, and often so dangerous, an effort? Was the motivation religious or practical?

Richly illustrated with more than 300 photographs and drawings, Sticks, Stones, and Shadows presents an entirely original approach to the subject of pyramid building. Unlike other books discussing these majestic structures, this book reveals the connection between devices that served both a practical need for survival and a spiritual belief in gods and goddesses. Few have closely examined Egyptian technologies and techniques from the origins of pyramid development to the step-by-step details of how the ground was leveled, how the site was oriented, and how the stone was raised and placed to meet at a distant point in the sky.

Nevertheless, this is much more than a how-to-do-it book. Martin Isler also asks and answers questions virtually ignored for the last century. He discloses, for example, the ancient use of shadows--now denigrated to the ornamental back-yard sundial--but once an important tool for telling the height of an object, geographical directions, the seasons of the year, and the time of day. Isler also reinterprets the ancient "stretching of the cord" ceremony, which once was thought to have only religious significance but here is shown as the means of establishing the sides of a pyramid.

Often referred to as the Butcher's Tomb, the decorated tomb of Irukaptah in the Unis Cemetery at Saqqara has been fully recorded for publication. A well-preserved example of Old Kingdom rock architecture, it retains much of its painted decoration. An outstanding feature is the large number of engaged statues, some left in various stages of completion which provide valuable information on the progressive steps in the execution of rock-cut statuary. The volume includes some comparisons of significant artistic and architectural features with data from other near-contemporary tombs.

This volume contains progress reports on the work of these two seasons as well as a number of short reports on excavations at the Roman site of Kellis (Ismant el-Kharab). Contents: Preliminary Reports on the 1992-3 and 1993-4 Seasons (A J Mills); Interim Report on the 1992 Season (M McDonald and K Walker); Interim Report on the 1993 Season (M McDonald); 'Ein Birbiyeh (A J Mills); Deir el-Haggar (A J Mills); Excavations at Ismant el-Kharab (ancient Kellis): Settlement and Cemeteries: Excavations in the Cemeteries of Ismant el-Kharab (M Birrell); Coinage Preliminary Report (G E Bowden); Progress on the Coptic texts from Ismant el-Kharab (I Gardner); Interim Report on the West Tombs (C A Hope and J McKenzie); Epigraphy at Ismant el-Kharab (C Marchini); Brief Report on the Study of Ceramics (S F Patten); Plant Remains from Ismant el-Kharab (U Thanheiser); A Painted Panel of Isis (H Whitehouse).

This study focuses on the origins and development of resource exchanges between the regions bordering the Nile and the Red Sea, in the protohistoric period (3rd and 2nd millennium BC). Andrea Manzo looks at the geography, resources and routes of communication, textual and archaeological evidence relating to the exchange of objects and resources during this period. The political, social and belligerent implications of exchanges are considered and it is argued that exchange routes may have more to do with politics than the ecology or geography. French text.

From the first major discoveries a century ago, the painted portraits of Roman Egypt were a revelation to scholars and the public alike, and the recent finding of a new cache of these gilded images, which made national headlines, have only heightened their mystery and appeal. Published to coincide with a new major exhibition of these portraits, "Ancient Faces" is the most comprehensive, up-to-date survey of these astonishing works of art.
Dating from the later period of Roman rule in Egypt, shortly before the birth of Christ, the painted mummy portraits are among the most remarkable products of the ancient world, a fusion of the traditions of pharonic Egypt and the Classical world. They are historical and cultural objects of outstanding importance and beauty, superb works of art that represent some of the earliest known examples of life-like portraiture. Though the subjects of the portraits believed in the traditional Egyptian cults, which offered them a firm prospect of life after death, they also wished to be commemorated in the Roman manner, with their fashion of dress and adornment signaling their status in life. Despite their ancient history, these portraits speak to the modern eye with a beauty and intensity that would be lost to portraiture until the Renaissance.

This handsome report describes work in the 1980s and 1990s on the tomb of Udjahorresnet, a prominent official who participated in the Persian occupation of Egypt around 525 BC and may even have been one of their main collaborators. As well as chapters on the results of excavations, on the development of the Saite-Persian shaft tomb tradition, and the finds, this book presents a full review of what we know about this colourful 1st Millennium BC figure.

El-Hagarsa lies on the west bank of the Nile near the border of Nomes 8 and 9, though it is disputed as to which of them it belonged. Some of the tombs were recorded and published by Petrie in 1908, but the cemetery was re-examined by the Australian Centre for Egyptology in an attempt to further document the archaeological remains of the ninth province of Upper Egypt, and this book reports on their findings. The investigation revealed some inconsistencies in the earlier record, some important unrecorded decorated tombs, as well as the discovery of two undecorated tombs with undisturbed burial chambers.

The unique site of Mersa Gawasis was a base for seaborne trade along the Red Sea coast during the Middle Kingdom. The Egyptians' purpose was to trade with Punt for incense and other exotic materials. There is little evidence of any permanent structures at the site apart from man-made caves in which shipping equipment was stored between expeditions. The pottery is, therefore, amongst the most significant evidence for human activity here. Vessel types include many marl C jars, but other kinds of vessels including significant foreign material also occur, some in large quantities. This variety of vessels and the careful reuse of potsherds is central to an understanding of specific and day to day domestic activities and of how the site operated. Mersa Gawasis has many vessel forms of the 12th and Early 13th dynasties. Epigraphic evidence closely dates the site, helping to confirm and underpin an understanding of vessel types and technologies within the ceramic chronology of the period. This volume presents the site's wide variety of ceramic material, offering also an interpretation of what pottery reveals about activities at the site. The author and excavation photographer have worked together to enhance details of the text with specific photographs.

Current Research in Egyptology 2017 presents papers delivered during the eighteenth meeting of this international conference, held at the University of Naples "L'Orientale", 3-6 May, 2017. Some 122 scholars from all over the world gathered in Naples to attend three simultaneous sessions of papers and posters, focussed on a large variety of subjects: Graeco-Roman and Byzantine Egypt, Nubian Studies, Language and Texts, Art and Architecture, Religion and Cult, Field Projects, Museums and Archives, Material Culture, Mummies and Coffins, Society, Technologies applied to Egyptology, Environment. The participants attended seven keynote presentations given by Rosanna Pirelli (Egyptologist), Irene Bragantini (Roman Archaeologist) and Andrea Manzo (Nubian Archaeologist) from the University of Naples "L'Orientale"; Marilina Betro (Egyptologist) from Pisa University; Patrizia Piacentini (Egyptologist) from Milan University; Christian Greco (Director of Turin Egyptian Museum) and Daniela Picchi (Archaeological Museum of Bologna). Delegates were able to take advantage of a guided tour of the Oriental Museum Umberto Scerrato (University of Naples "L'Orientale"), access to the National Archaeological Museum of Naples (MANN) and guided tours of the archaeological site of Pompeii and the Gaiola Underwater Park. The editors dedicate this volume to the late Prof. Claudio Barocas who inaugurated the teaching of Egyptology and Coptic Language and Literature in Naples.

Papyri from Karanis: The Granary C123 is the twenty- first volume of University of Michigan papyri and the fourth devoted to texts from the University's excavations at Karanis. The volume offers a contextualized edition of thirty-seven documents found in a single structure, a large granary (C123) originally built in the first century CE, in addition to an analysis of the archaeology and history of the structure. The documents are presented with an introduction, transcription of the original Greek or Latin, translation, commentary, and images. A unique community prayer to the emperor and gods (827) is the volume's most notable contribution. The other papyri are a mix of private and public documents (petitions, declarations, letters, lists, etc.) that date from between the first century BCE and the fourth century CE. The typological and chronological mix of texts shows that they do not form an undisturbed archive but were rather a dump of wastepaper and other household objects. Michigan's excavated papyri are here presented for the first time on the basis of their archaeological find spot rather than being organized according to content. The volume's introduction provides a possible model for analyzing legacy data from the Karanis excavations stored at the University of Michigan. The book will be of interest to papyrologists, ancient historians, and archaeologists of Greco- Roman Egypt.

The Czech Institute of Egyptology of the Charles University in Prague has since the start of the third millennium established the tradition of organising on a regular basis a platform for scholars, active in the pyramid fields and the cemeteries of the Memphite region (Abusir, Saqqara, Dahshur and Giza in particular), to meet, exchange information and establish further cooperation. The present volume, containing 43 contributions by 53 scholars, is the result of the already fourth "Abusir and Saqqara" conference held in June 2015. The volume reflects the widespread, often multidisciplinary interest of many researchers into a wide variety of different topics related to the Memphite necropoleis. Recurring topics of the studies include a focus on archaeology, the theory of artefacts, iconographic and art historian studies, and the research of largely unpublished archival materials. An overwhelming number of contributions (31) is dedicated to various aspects of Old Kingdom archaeology and most present specific aspects linked with archaeological excavations, both past and present.

Caroline Louise Ransom Williams (1872-1952) is remembered as the first American university-trained female Egyptologist, but she is not widely-known in the history of science. Her mentor was James Henry Breasted, well-known as the first American Egyptologist and founder of the Oriental Institute at the University of Chicago. As long as they worked together and as much as they depended on each other professionally, Ransom Williams is little more than a footnote in the published history of archaeology. She was a successful scholar, instructor, author, and museum curator. She also had personal struggles with her mother and her husband that affected the choices she could make about her career. This book presents the correspondence between Ransom Williams and Breasted because the letters are crucial in piecing together and allowing an in-depth analysis of her life and career. The written conversation, comprised of 240 letters between the two, shows that Ransom Williams had a full life and productive career as the first American female Egyptologist. Through these letters, we see part of a life that is unique while at the same time analogous to other professional women in the period. This edition is the first book-length discussion of Ransom Williams' life and career.

Anthropomorphic objects from the Egyptian Predynastic have been a topic of frequent study and debate, from the time they were first excavated until today. These objects, including human figurines, hippopotamus tusks, tag amulets and combs carved with the human image, continue to fascinate and perplex scholars today. Objects such as these form part of the extensive and distinctive iconographic imagery of Predynastic Egypt, and are often interpreted solely in the context of their symbolic or iconographic significance. The aim of this study is to examine these anthropomorphic objects in terms of their original context in order to determine what role they played in Predynastic burials - a useful method, as most of these objects are found in graves. A database comprising all provenanced anthropomorphic Predynastic objects and their placement in the grave, in addition to the details of each grave, has been composed in order to conduct a detailed analysis. The analysis is geared to answer the question of whether it is possible to determine the function of these objects from the available data, and if so, what the results could tell us about burial practices and rituals in Predynastic Egypt. It became clear from the results that the context, especially the specific placement of the object in the grave, can reflect significantly the meaning and function of anthropomorphic objects. The placement and function seems to have depended on the type of object: for instance, figurines had different placements and meanings to tusks and tags. Ultimately, it appears that anthropomorphic objects, especially figurines, were personal items with which the deceased were identified and buried by their relations and friends. They may have served as magical or protective items, or as representations of ancestors or the deceased individuals themselves. This conclusion is significant, as it confirms the previous assumptions about the functions of anthropomorphic objects in Predynastic graves through a thorough analysis of available data, making a contribution to our understanding of Predynastic burial rituals.

The Egyptian Museum of Florence, in collaboration with the University of Florence, hosted the Eleventh International Congress of Egyptologists which took place from 23rd to 30th August 2015, under the patronage of the IAE - International Association of Egyptologists. This volume publishes 136 papers and posters presented during the Congress. Topics discussed here range from archaeology, religion, philology, mummy investigations and archaeometry to history, offering an up-to-date account of research in these fields.

This volume is dedicated to the memory of Erika Endesfelder (1935-2015), until her retirement, professor of Egyptology at the Humboldt University of Berlin. The book contains 22 contributions by her friends and scholars, covering a wide range of subjects, e.g. Old Kingdom archaeology, Ancient Egyptian economy, Egyptian intercultural relations, papyrology, Ancient Sudan, Coptic studies, and history of Egyptology.

This book explores what the Book of the Dead was to the ancient Egyptians, what it means to us today, what it was believed to do, how it worked, how it was made, and ultimately what happened to it. Edited by Foy Scalf, PhD, this volume includes fourteen essays showcasing the latest research on the Book of the Dead written by thirteen internationally renown experts as well as a complete catalog of the forty-five objects on display in an associated exhibit at the Oriental Institute Museum. Two famous Book of the Dead papyri, Papyrus Milbank and Papyrus Ryerson, are reproduced in their entirety with full-color photographs among nearly 400 illustrations for the first time. Discover how the ancient Egyptians controlled their immortal destiny and sought close association with the gods through the Book of the Dead.

The Delta Survey Workshop comprises the proceedings of two conferences organised by the Delta Survey Project and held in Alexandria in 2017 and Mansoura in 2019. The 23 papers contain the results of the latest fieldwork in the Nile Delta and Sinai, from survey work that records and documents unknown and new sites such as Kom Dabaa and Mutubis or sites in Kafr Dawar and Wadi Tumilat, to excavation reports from established projects at major sites such as Qantir, Bubastis, Tell Heboua, Tell el-Maskhuta, Akademia, Taposiris Magna and Tell Fara'in (Buto). New work is also reported from Tell Tebilla, urban funerary sites in Alexandria, and Arab el Hisn (Heliopolis). There are also thematically focussed papers covering ovens recorded in archaeological and ethnological fieldwork, tower houses, amphorae and pottery and human remains. In addition, there are mapping and remote sensing reports from Mariut and the Buto area, rock inscriptions in Sinai and a catalogue project of material in the St Mark antiquities collection in Alexandria.

Tutankhamun Knew the Names of the Two Great Gods offers a new interpretation of the terms Dt and nHH as fundamental concepts of Pharaonic ideology. The terms Dt and nHH have often been treated as synonyms reflecting notions related to the vastness of time. However, from the study of original source material - the texts and iconography compiled over some three millennia and authored by those who surely had complete understanding of their subject matter - it becomes clear that those modern interpretations are somewhat questionable. Clues to the connotations which may be ascribed to Dt and nHH are perhaps most clearly apparent in texts and imagery from the reign of Tutankhamun - a time of political upheaval during which it was more than usually important to express traditional mores with clarity to demonstrate a return to the well-established ideology underpinning pharaonic culture prior to the Amarna interlude. Testing those indications against the wider range of extant literary material confirms that Dt and nHH were neither synonyms, nor were they entirely temporal in nature, but rather referenced a duality of ontological conditions which together were fundamental to the fabric of pharaonic ideology. The reappraisal of this duality of conditions allows the many texts and iconographic depictions surviving from dynastic Egypt to be considered from a new perspective - one providing deeper insight into the character of pharaonic culture. Moreover, it becomes apparent that the influences of an ideology which evolved during times pre-dating the pyramid builders permeated the philosophical and theological treaties of the scholars of ancient Greece and Rome, and thence into more recent times. At least two great gods may live on.

The Family of Pa-di-Amun-neb-nesut-tawy from Thebes (TT 414) revisited provides fresh material about the identity of one of the key figures of the family that reused the Saite tomb of Ankh-Hor (TT 414) in the Asasif from the 4th century BCE onwards. It is the woman Kalutj/Nes-Khonsu, who was previously listed in the genealogical register of TT 414 as Pa-di-Amun-neb-nesut-tawy's daughter and wife of one of his sons, Hor. By examining objects found by the agents of the consuls in the 19th century CE and those found by the Austrian mission in the 1970s in TT 414 and in wider Theban contexts, the authors are able to identify Kalutj/Nes-Khonsu, wife of Hor, as another, until now overlooked individual, separate from his sister with the same name. The examination of the funerary assemblage of Kalutj/Nes-Khonsu and of objects belonging to her husband, daughter and sons reveals not only details of Late Dynastic and Ptolemaic burial customs in Thebes but also additional information on the priesthood of Khonsu and of the sacred baboons in this era. This new identification of a previously overlooked person, the mistress of the house and daughter of the first prophet of Amun, Kalutj/Nes-Khonsu (G108 + G137), demonstrates that the finds from TT 414 are still far from being processed in their totality. This material has the potential to provide answers to some of the open questions regarding Late Dynastic/Ptolemaic Thebes and to contextualise funerary assemblages.