Clipmarks | Egyptology Clips

New Ramses II Statue

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 05:11:33 GMT

clipped by: ramsesemerson
clipper's remarks: Yay!! Egypt!!

Ancient statue of Ramses II found near Cairo

Egyptian archaeologists located the pink, granite monument at a site in Tell Basta, once the capital of the ancient state 50 miles north of Cairo.

Ramses, also known by his Greek name Ozymandias, commanded a mighty empire during Egypt's new kingdom from 1279-1213 BC.

"The head is 76 cm high (around 30 inches), the nose is broken, and the false beard that was once attached to the king's chin is missing," Mr Hawass said.

"The discovery is important because it may indicate that the excavators are close to the ruins of a major temple of Ramses II in the area".

Archaeologists are still excavating the Tell Basta site in the hopes of discovering the rest of the statue.

Ramses was buried in the valley of the kings at Luxor, but was discovered last century and his mummified remains are now displayed in a Cairo museum.

Tags: archaeology, egyptology, egypt, statue

"Muddy Myths sink Queen of the Nile"

Fri, 19 Sep 2008 17:03:33 GMT

clipped by: cakebelly
clipper's remarks: Facts about Cleo:
http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2008/09/17/2367156.htm?site=science/greatmomentsinscience&topic=ancient

Clip Source: www.abc.net.au

Muddy myths sink Queen of the Nile

The only carving of Cleopatra in existence, pictured with her son by Julius Caesar, Caesarion, at the Temple of Hathor, Dendara in Egypt (Source: iStockphoto)

The world is fascinated by Cleopatra. Cleopatra (Cleopatra VII to be exact) was the last pharaoh of Egypt — and has inspired books, plays, movies and 32 operas.

Most of us are not experts in Egyptology, but we all think that we know a few things about Cleopatra — something along the lines that this Egyptian woman was stunningly beautiful, and committed suicide by getting a small snake, an asp, to bite her.

The only correct belief in all of that is that she was a woman.

First, Cleopatra was not Egyptian, she was Macedonian.

Alexander The Great (who was from Macedonia) conquered Egypt. After he died in 323 BC, control of Egypt passed to Ptolemy, the son of Lagus, a Macedonian nobleman.

Dior's DJ

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 18:53:22 GMT

clipped by: bkuba

Clip Source: www.wwd.com

Dior Hires House DJ

Dior Beauty is getting a piece of the rock — rock ’n’ roll, that is. The brand has hired Harley Viera-Newton as its house DJ. In this new role, Viera-Newton will create playlists inspired by Dior Beauty’s seasonal color collections, consult on product launches and host and DJ events for the brand.

Viera-Newton, a British native who grew up in Los Angeles, plays bass for the band Lissy Trullie and has gained a following as a DJ at New York’s East Village bar Lit. In addition, she currently studies Egyptology and social sciences at NYU’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study.

Tags: dior, luxury, fashion, dj

Pharaonic Army HQ found in Egypt

Thu, 29 May 2008 15:03:25 GMT

clipped by: invictus
clipper's remarks: Another news story on the recent Sinai findings.

Clip Source: www.reuters.com

CAIRO (Reuters) - Egyptian archaeologists have discovered what they say was the ancient headquarters of the Pharaonic army guarding the northeastern borders of Egypt for more than 1,500 years, the government said on Wednesday.

The fortress and adjoining town, which they identify with the ancient place name Tharu, lies in the Sinai peninsula about 3 km (2 miles) northeast of the modern town of Qantara, Egyptian archaeologist Mohamed Abdel Maksoud told Reuters.

The archaeologists, led by Abdel Maksoud, have been working on forts along the road since 1986 but it was inscriptions found this year which clinched the identification, he said.

The inscriptions mention three Pharaohs -- Tuthmosis II, who ruled from about 1512 BC and who built one of the military installations along the route, Seti I and Ramses II, who between them ruled Egypt from 1318 to 1237 BC, it added.

Tags: archaeology, egypt, sinai, tharu, egyptology

Ancient Egyptian temple discovered beneath the Nile

Thu, 29 May 2008 14:54:19 GMT

clipped by: invictus

Clip Source: news.nationalgeographic.com

Archaeologists have discovered a portico, or covered entryway, of an ancient Egyptian temple beneath the surface of the Nile River.

The entryway once led to the temple of the ram-headed fertility god Khnum, experts say.

A team of Egyptian archaeologist-divers found the portico in Aswan while conducting the first-ever underwater surveys of the Nile, which began earlier this year.

Today's Nile obscures many objects from ancient times, and archaeologists believe the underwater excavations will reveal other significant artifacts.

Tags: archaeology, egyptology, aswan, nile, temple, science

Archaeologist claims discovery of Cleopatra's tomb

Mon, 26 May 2008 22:05:55 GMT

clipped by: invictus
clipper's remarks: Probably a new Zahi Hawass media show. Let's wait and see.

Clip Source: www.dailyindia.com

London, May 25: A flamboyant archeologist claims to have identified the final resting place of Cleopatra, the Hellenistic ruler of Egypt, who originally shared power with her father Ptolemy XII and eventually gained sole rule of Egypt.

Zahi Hawass, the head of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities along with a team of 12 archaeologists and 70 excavators, has started searching for the entrance to her tomb.

And after a breakthrough two weeks ago, he suspects Cleopatra is buried with her Roman lover Mark Antony at a temple 30km from Alexandra called Tabusiris Magna.

Hawass has found a 400ft tunnel beneath the temple containing clues that the supposedly beautiful queen may lie beneath.

"Our theory is that both Cleopatra and Mark Antony are buried here," said Hawass.

Tags: archaeology, egyptology, cleopatra, zahi hawass

'Androgynous' Pharaoh Had Feminine Physique

Fri, 02 May 2008 17:54:52 GMT

clipped by: invictus

Clip Source: dsc.discovery.com

Akhenaten wasn't the most manly pharaoh, even though he fathered at least a half-dozen children. In fact, his form was quite feminine. And he was a bit of an egghead.

So concludes a Yale University physician who analyzed images of Akhenaten for an annual conference Friday at the University of Maryland School of Medicine on the deaths of historic figures.

The female form was due to a genetic mutation that caused the pharaoh's body to convert more male hormones to female hormones than needed, Dr. Irwin Braverman believes. And Akhenaten's head was misshapen because of a condition in which skull bones fuse at an early age.

The pharaoh had "an androgynous appearance. He had a female physique with wide hips and breasts, but he was male and he was fertile and he had six daughters," Braverman said. "But nevertheless, he looked like he had a female physique."

Tags: archaeology, egyptology, ancient egypt, akhenaten, science

Rare Egyptian Warrior Tomb

Sun, 24 Feb 2008 02:08:41 GMT

clipped by: ramsesemerson
clipper's remarks: Cool! Never heard of this--not that I study Egypt THAT extensively.

Clip Source: news.nationalgeographic.com

Rare Egyptian "Warrior" Tomb Found

An unusual, well-preserved burial chamber that may contain the mummy of an ancient warrior has been discovered in a necropolis in Luxor.

Near the coffin they also found five arrows made of reeds, three of them still feathered.

Based on the coffin's inscriptions and pottery found near it, experts date the burial to the early reign of the 11th dynasty, which lasted from 2125 to 1985 B.C. Soldiers played an important role in society during that time, when Egypt was reunified after years of civil war.

"It's fairly uncommon to find nowadays an 11th-dynasty intact burial. This is really remarkable," Galán said.

Clip Source: news.nationalgeographic.com

The discovery of burials belonging to soldiers and mercenaries, who had elevated status in the wartime society, are even rarer, according to Salima Ikram, a professor of Egyptology at the American University in Cairo.

Tags: archaeology, mummies, tombs, weapons

Health-care plan in ancient Egypt? Research suggests more than spells, prayers

Sat, 16 Feb 2008 01:50:27 GMT

clipped by: Lora316K

Clip Source: www.orlandosentinel.com

As Egyptian mummies go, Asru is a major celebrity. During her life in the 8th century B.C., she was known for her singing at the temple of Amun in Karnak; now she's famous for her medical problems. Forensic studies have revealed that although Asru lived into her 60s, she was not a well woman. She had furred-up arteries, desert lung (pneumoconiosis) caused by breathing in sand, osteoarthritis, a slipped disc, periodontal disease and possibly diabetes, as well as parasitic worms in her intestine and bladder. Her last years must have been full of pain and suffering. After all, what could her doctor do to help? Say a few prayers and recite a spell or two?

If you read the history books, that's about as much as Asru could expect. But not according to Jackie Campbell at the KNH Center for Biomedical Egyptology at the University of Manchester in England. Her research suggests that Asru's doctor probably consulted a handbook of remedies and prescribed something

W. F. Petrie's Egypt discoveries are on exhibit in America

Sat, 13 Oct 2007 17:24:19 GMT

clipped by: invictus
clipper's remarks: Sir William Flinders Petrie is considered as the founder of the modern archaeology and especially, Egyptology. The "Excavating Egypt" exhibit of his discoveries is on display in Santa Fe until Jan. 6, 2008. Then it heads to South Carolina, Florida, California and Kentucky, through mid-June of 2009.

Clip Source: english.pravda.ru

What do you imagine when you hear the words Egypt and archaeology: mummies, pyramids, pharaoh-era fortresses. But tweezers? A razor? A tiny applicator for eye makeup?

These everyday objects - ancient and yet so startlingly familiar - are part of an exhibit culled from the discoveries of Sir William Flinders Petrie, "the father of scientific archaeology."

An Englishman who first headed to Egypt in 1880 - and promptly set up his hammock in an abandoned tomb - Petrie is credited with transforming the profession from mere treasure-hunting into a science.

Arriving at a time when collectors were rifling tombs and carting off the flashier items, Petrie gathered and analyzed artifacts overlooked by others and used them to help reconstruct the past, according to Peter Lacovara of the Michael C. Carlos Museum at Emory University in Atlanta.

The "Excavating Egypt" exhibit is on display in Santa Fe until Jan. 6, 2008.

Tags: egypt, archaeology, william flinders petrie, egyptology, exhibition

A "Second Sphinx" at Giza?

Thu, 30 Aug 2007 16:03:34 GMT

clipped by: invictus

Clip Source: omega.wordpress.com

After analyzing the elements of the Ancient Egyptian belief system, Egyptologist Bassam El Shammaa comes up with a very unorthodox view that would shake the established Egyptology and most likely, trigger a swarm of fresh debates on the origins of the monuments at Giza. Pointing out the dualist essence of the Ancient Egyptian cosmology, El Shammaa argues the very likely existence of a “Second Sphinx” on the Giza plateau, next to the one we know as The Great Sphinx.

“Whenever we have to deal with the solar cult, we should speak of one lion and one lioness facing each other, posing parallel to each other or sitting in a back-to-back position,” says El Shammaa. He draws our attention to the Egyptian creation myth, where the almighty Atum gives birth to his son Shu and his daughter Tefnut, in the form of a lion and lioness. He also points out that the Dream Stela carved by Thutmosis IV and found between the paws of the giant statue, clearly depicted two sphinxes.

Tags: archaeology, egypt, giza, sphinx

3000-Year-Old Leather Toe May Be World's Oldest Prosthesis

Mon, 30 Jul 2007 20:58:33 GMT

clipped by: pibita
clipper's remarks: And we thought we knew it all-- prosthetics? an old idea!

Clip Source: blog.wired.com

3000-Year-Old Leather Toe May Be World's Oldest Prosthesis

Didrick Medical's articulated, non-robotic prosthetic fingers are a marvel of technology, but it looks like it might have been beaten to the idea — by about 3000 years.

esearchers at the University of Manchester believe is the world's oldest articulated prosthesis: a leather toe attached to the foot of a female mummy.

"The toes date from between 1000 and 600BC, so if we can prove that one or both were functional then we will have pushed back prosthetic medicine by as much as 700 years," said Jacky Finch, who is carrying out the study at Manchester's KNH Centre for Biomedical Egyptology.

Tags: science, prosthesis, mummies

Science Steps In To Discover Wonders Of Toe-tankhamun

Sat, 28 Jul 2007 15:00:37 GMT

clipped by: Mohir

Clip Source: www.sciencedaily.com

Science Steps In To Discover Wonders Of Toe-tankhamun

Science Daily — An artificial big toe attached to the foot of an ancient Egyptian mummy could prove to be the world's earliest functional prosthetic body part, say scientists.

Research at The University of Manchester is hoping to prove that the wood and leather artefact in the Cairo Museum not only looked the part but also helped its owner walk 'like an Egyptian'.

If true, the toe will predate what is currently considered to be the earliest known practical prosthesis - an artificial leg from 300BC - by several hundred years.

Jacky Finch, who is carrying out the study at Manchester's KNH Centre for Biomedical Egyptology, is recruiting volunteers whose right big toe has been lost in order to test an exact replica of the artificial toe.

A model of a second false Egyptian big toe on display in the British Museum, albeit without its mummy, will also be tested at the Human Performance Laboratory at nearby University of Salford.

Tags: archaeology, egypt, mummy, prosthetic

Scientist wrapped up in proving if Mummy could have earliest prosthesis

Fri, 27 Jul 2007 15:20:03 GMT

clipped by: Newfman

Clip Source: www.cbc.ca

A British researcher is taking steps to prove whether an artificial big toe found attached to the foot of an ancient Egyptian mummy is actually the world's earliest known functional prosthetic body part.

Known as the "Cairo toe," the wooden and leather appendage was on the mummified body of a woman discovered in a tomb from ancient Thebes, now modern-day Luxor in Egypt. Tests suggested the woman was aged 50 to 60 at the time of her death and may have lost the big toe because of diabetes.

Items buried with the woman, the wife of a high priest, suggest she lived between 1069 and 664 BC.

Since being unearthed by archeologists in 2000, there has been hot debate as to the artificial toe's function: was it intended for cosmetic purposes or did it actually help its wearer walk better?

Jacky Finch, who is working on her PhD at the KNH Centre for Biomedical Egyptology at the University of Manchester, wants to settle that question once and for all.

Tags: science

'Find of century' for Egyptology

Thu, 28 Jun 2007 07:29:20 GMT

clipped by: suryasunder
clipper's remarks: Remarkable discovery in the field of ancient history. This will help us understand what we've left behind and what brought the downfall of these civilisations. So that, hopefully, we don't end up making the same mistake.

Clip Source: news.bbc.co.uk

The mummy was discovered by Howard Carter in 1903

Egyptologists say they have identified the 3,000-year-old mummy of Hatshepsut, Egypt's most powerful female ruler.

Egypt's antiquities chief Zahi Hawass made the official announcement at a packed news conference in Cairo.

It is being billed as the biggest archaeological find in Egypt since the 1922 discovery of Tutankhamen's tomb.

Archaeologists hope the mummy, which has lain unrecognised for decades, will yield clues about the mystery of her death and subsequent disappearance.

Mr Hawass has set up a DNA lab near the museum with an international team of scientists to verify the identification.

The study was funded by the US television channel Discovery which is to broadcast a documentary on the subject in July.

Tags: history, egyptology, archaeology, antiquity