"The Spanish archaeological mission under the National Antiquities Museum in Madrid has unearthed about eleven tombs built with unburnt bricks inside a cemetery dating back to 2061-2190 BC", Minister of Culture, Farouk Hosni said adding that the mission found fake gates, religious paintings and courban tables.

For his part the Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, Zahi Hawass said that the mission has unearthed 12 chambers built with unburnt bricks with arch ceilings.

The mission also found chains and necklaces made of precious stones with the shape of sea shells, added Hawass.

[More], Egypt State Information Service, Egypt, January 31, 2005.

A travelling exhibition of works from the British Museum's magnificent Egyptian collection is making its last North American stop in Montreal.

In some respects, time, the most vast philosophical concept and as immediate as life itself, is the primary subject of a blockbuster exhibition called Eternal Egypt, which has just opened at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, the last stop after a multi-city U.S. tour.

As Ronald J. Leprohon, professor of Egyptology at the University of Toronto and guest scientific consultant for the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, explains, the ancient Egyptian civilization was "older at the time of Cleopatra than Cleopatra is to us today..."

[More]   The Montreal Gazette, Canada, January 29, 2005.

In contrast to the many exotic spots where University of Chicago researchers have uncovered archeological treasures, this one was right under their noses.

In fact, some of the items soon to be on display in a new gallery at the university's Oriental Institute were found only recently -- in the institute's basement.

They date from 6000 to 600 B.C. from Assyrian, Hittite, Egyptian and Israelite cultures.   The area, which touches modern-day Turkey, Syria and Israel, was first named the "Fertile Crescent" by Oriental Institute founder James Henry Breasted in 1914.

[More]   Chicago Sun-Times, Illinois, USA, January 28, 2005, via Archaeologica.

Speaker of the People's Assembly Ahmed Fathi Sorour and European Parliament President Josep Borrell yesterday lifted the curtains off a statue of Tuthmosis III in the main hall of the European Parliament, Brussels headquarters.

The statue, which Sorour presented to the European Parliament, is a replica of the original which belongs to one of the greatest warriors in the history of ancient Egypt.

Sorour is currently visiting the Belgian capital in a bid to promote Euro-Mediterranean dialogue with an eye on enhancing security and stability in the region.

[More], Egypt State Information Service, Egypt, January 26, 2005.

This story is not actually about egyptology but I thought it might be of interest anyway.

Malcolm Cleaveland used a mix of humor and scientific knowledge Tuesday as he talked to members of the Kokoci chapter of the Arkansas Archaeology Society that serves Northwest Arkansas about tree-ring dating.

Joking about how using a process called skeleton plotting helps in dating trees, he said, "If you can count to 10, you can be a dendrochronologist."

Cleaveland of the Department of Geosciences at the University of Arkansas, discussed the science of dendrochronology, which is dating things, including environmental events such as droughts, using tree rings. One of its key applications is in dating ancient ruins or other historical structures.

An approximate date for the construction of a prehistoric building, for example, can be determined by comparing the pattern of annual growth rings on trees used in the construction with the known pattern of tree growth in the area. Growth patterns fix in time the calendar year in which a tree was cut...

[More]  Northwest Arkansas News, Arkansas, USA, January 27, 2005.

This is not our first, or even our second review of the Hotel Longchamps in Zamalek, a favorite of the Tour Egypt staff, a number of Egyptologists, travel writers, diplomats and business people, as well as independent travelers in the know.   When we first visited the Hotel Longchamps some years ago, we were reviewing budget hotels throughout Egypt.   There are some good ones spread about, but we found the Hotel Longchamps to be the best of them.   Since then, it has been our hotel of choice when working in Cairo, and we have come to know the hotel and its staff very well.   However, it has been a couple of years since we have done an update on this hotel...

[More]  TourEgypt.net, Texas, USA, January 2005.

If you don't mind getting your hands dirty, there's a better way to discover Greece and Egypt than from the rail of a cruise ship or the seat of a tour bus.

Two college professors offer hands-on learning experiences, along with a little luxury, in trips to the lands of ancient civilizations.

Robert Hahn's program at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale is in its 23rd year of taking small groups of students and non-students to Greece and Egypt.   Hahn, a professor of philosophy, is accompanied on the trip by professors who teach astronomy, marine biology, botany and theater...

[More]  St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Missouri, USA, 23/01/2005.

cf.  Egypt & Greece Travel Study.

Issue 4 (December 2004) of British Museum Studies in Ancient Egypt and Sudan is now available online.   It contains three articles which are all available in PDF format.

• The Egyptian Inscriptions at Jebel Dosha, Sudan by W.V. Davies
• The Subsidiary Temple of Nekhtnebef at Tell el-Balamun by Jeffrey Spencer
• Electronic publishing: the example of BMSAES by Nigel Strudwick

[Abstracts]  British Museum Studies in Ancient Egypt and Sudan (BMSAES), Issue 4, December 2004, via ArchaeoBlog.

Philadelphia has been chosen as the fourth and final stop for an exhibition of archaeological artifacts connected to the fabled Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun, popularly known as King Tut.   The show will begin a two-year American tour in Los Angeles this summer.

The Franklin Institute was to announce today that it will present the show of about 130 objects between February and September 2007.   About 50 of these objects come from Tut's burial chamber, discovered in 1922...

[More]  The Philadelphia Enquirer, Maryland, USA, Jan. 27, 2005.

Subterranean water is the major problem jeopardising the survival of numerous Egyptian antiquities.

The Supreme Council for Antiquities (SCA), well be aware of the problem, has worked out a schedule to initiate decisive solutions for major monuments across the country.   Last week, a project began to lower the level of subterranean water at the Karnak and Luxor Temples.

This month the SCA will receive tenders for solving the subterranean water beneath Esna Temple.

As explained by Khaled Abdul Hadi, director of the Engineering Department at the SCA, the high level of subterranean water at Esna was caused by the construction of the Esna barrages, which raise water levels behind them.   The water has slightly affected the walls and foundation of the temple.

Moreover, Hadi said that the ground level of the city of Esna is now about nine metres higher than the level of the temple.   The absence of a drainage system in the city has also added to the rising subterranean water level.

The suggested solution is dig a ditch around the temple and use pumps to remove the water already there.

Hadi noted that the project would take about two years with estimated costs of LE20 million.

Esna Temple, about 200 metres from the Nile, was dedicated to the ram-god Khnum. The only excavated part of the temple is the Hypostyle Hall; the rest still buried under the modern city of Esna.

The western wall is ornamented with inscriptions of Ptolemaic kings whereas the rest of the hall bears inscriptions from the Roman age between the first and third centuries AD.

The temple was used in the Coptic era as a church which led to the accumulation of soot covering part of the inscriptions.

According to Hadi, a restoration project to remove the soot along with accumulated salts will be implemented side-by-side with the lowering of the underground water.

[Source]  The Egyptian Gazette, Egypt, 27 January 2005.

By Hassan Saadallah

The restoration of the Palace of Mohamed Ali Pasha Al Kabir in Shubra is proceeding at full speed in preparation for its rapidly approaching inauguration. The four-year project has cost some LE25 million.

"The palace will be among the unique architectural assets of the capital," said archaeologist Aymen Abdul Moniem.

Though the plan of the palace is Islamic it follows a distinct European style. When Minister of Culture Farouk Hosni saw the palace a few years ago he was appalled by the neglect it had suffered, and so issued directives to begin its restoration a project he has personally been following.

The project was split into two stages: The first involved architectural and constructive aspects while the second covered ornamental features.

The palace is comprised of the Gabalaia Kiosk, allocated for guests; the Fountain Kiosk, allocated for large balls; and the Waterwheel Building, which provided the palace with water.

The palace's 100 year-old water provision system using a steam engine for pumping - was one of the most complex of its time; several attempts having already been made to restore it, but all having failed.

The project has faced several problems, one being that the palace had no private precincts but was located within the premises of the Faculty of Agriculture Ain Shams University and the Agricultural Cooperative Institute.   A special gate has since been built for the palace to allow public visits away from the other buildings.

[Source]  The Egyptian Gazette, Egypt, 27 January 2005.

The young King Tut has managed to draw attention today just as he did back in 1922. But the cause for each occasion's attention is rather different.   Excavated in 1922, Tut's tomb dazzled the world with the abundance and magnificence of items discovered.

The recent opening of the sarcophagus and the X-ray scanning of Tut's mummy has sparked a row which divides eminent archaeologists.

While some supported Zahi Hawass's examination of the mummy on the grounds that the mummy should not be left to rot in its current condition, others believe that the new examination of the mummy is bound to damage it still further.

According to Abdul Fatah Al Sabahi, professor of Archaeology and member of the Standing Archaeological Committee, the mummy had to be examined because it had not been examined scientifically since 1922 as there were no technological devices to help in the process.

However, a card was found within the sarcophagus indicating that it was checked by Carter in 1925 and by an English team in 1986.

Today, a CT scan device has produced the first accurate picture of Tut's face for several thousand years, giving archaeologists further clues about the king's mysterious death which has always been controversial.

Dr Al Sabahi said that the row about the experiment is illogical because several Egyptian mummies have already been removed from the Egyptian Museum and examined recently.

He pointed out that the scanning experiment took place according to a studied plan that had been approved by the SCA and the 60-member Standing Committee.

The scanning of Tut's mummy is now over, but the experiment will not be the last. Nor will the actual value of this experiment be known until its outcome is revealed.

[Source] The Egyptian Gazette, Egypt, 27 January 2005.

Minister of Culture Farouk Hosni will announce, at a press conference, the details of what has been reached by the experts of the Arab Contractors Company on an adequate way to transfer the statue of Ramses II from its current site at Ramses Square to the new Egyptian Museum at Al-Haram after one-year deliberate studies.

Meantime, the Supreme Council of Antiquities SCA Secretary- General Zahi Hawass said that the foreign expertise was used only for transferring the statue according to the terms of a tender declared by the SCA after the process of restoration was carried out by the Egyptian company.

[More], Egypt State Information Service, Egypt, January 25, 2005.

Nubia was once proud evidence that Black Africa had achieved a cultural sophistication in ancient times that rivaled any Caucasian or Asian civilization.   Farming and towns began there over 13,000 years ago.   They fought and influenced the Egyptians for 20 centuries.   (Among the funerary relics of King Tut in the Egyptian Museum is a footstool recounting the warrior talents of the Pharaoh over his greatest enemies, the black people to the South.)

Nubia even ruled Egypt for 150 years, providing its 24th and 25th Dynasties, answering those critics who contend that black Africans did not play a role in the greatest of ancient civilizations...

[More]   The Louisiana Weekly, Louisiana, USA, January 24, 2005.

Tutankhamun Treasures to Go on Display in Dome

Treasures from the tomb of Tutankhamun will come to Britain for the first time in 35 years, it emerged today.

The pharaoh's gold crown will be among 50 artefacts excavated from his tomb to go on show at the Millennium Dome...

[More]   PA News via The Scotsman, UK, 25 January 2005.

A future for the Dome?

Few tourists are adventurous enough to wander this far down the meandering, muddy Thames.

But the vast white tent they would see hugging its bank among rusting cranes, piles of gravel and steaming factories would tell them more about recent history than any other landmark along the river...

[More]  Reuters, UK, Jan 24, 2005.

Also Hope springs for London's landmark Millennium Dome, Reuters via Khaleej Times, UAE, 24 January 2005.

And UK, A future for the Dome? , Reuters via KeralaNext.com, India, 24 January 2005.

The Coptic Church was founded in Egypt in the first century after the birth of Christ. Its name is derived from the Greek word for "Egyptian."

It traces its roots to St. Mark, the gospel author who brought Christianity to Egypt during the reign of the Roman emperor Nero.

It is part of the family of the Oriental Orthodox Churches of Syria, Ethiopia and Armenia. Orthodox Christians are similar to Roman Catholics in their liturgy, but the two groups split in 1054 over the authority of the pope...

[More]  Newsday, New York, USA, January 21, 2005, via TourEgypt.net.

Tutankhamun: So who was the golden boy?

A new exhibition of artefacts from Tutankhamun's tomb is coming to London. Only now are we starting to unravel the mysteries of the boy-king, reports Michael Ridley

"At first, I could see nothing, the hot air escaping from the chamber causing my candle flame to flicker, but presently, as my eyes grew accustomed to the light, details of the room within emerged slowly from the mist, strange animals, statues and gold - everywhere the glint of gold."

With these words, Howard Carter described his first glimpse of the greatest archaeological discovery ever made. Nothing before nor since has equalled the splendour and magnificence of the tomb of Tutankhamun, a minor pharaoh of 18th-dynasty Egypt...

[More]  The Independent, UK, 24 January 2005, via The Hall of Maat.

Also King Tut artifacts to be shown in Britain, Big News Network, 24th January, 2005.

Tutankhamun exhibition to come to the UK!

The glittering treasures retrieved from the tomb of the young pharaoh Tutankhamun seized the public imagination when they were first transported to London from the Valley of the Kings.

Now, under pressure to raise funds to protect other sites in the Valley of the Kings, near Luxor, the Egyptian authorities have agreed to release a further 50 items from the tomb, which have not previously been shown in Britain.   There will also be 80 other objects from royal graves of the 18th dynasty (1555BC-1305BC.)   Zahi Hawass, secretary-general of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities, said: “Tutankhamun is back, giving a new generation the chance to learn first-hand about the life and magic of this ancient monarch.”

[More]   The Sunday Times, UK, January 23, 2005.

A team of Japanese researchers from Waseda University's Institute of Egyptology has found a mummy believed to be almost 3,800 years old at an archaeological site in Egypt, university officials have announced.

The mummy, thought to be about 3,750 years old, was found at a site in Dahashur North in Egypt. Researchers said it was found in good condition, and is believed to be one of the oldest mummies not to have been plundered or damaged...

[More]   Mainichi Daily News, Japan, January 22, 2005.

Also Japanese find undamaged mummy in Egypt, Big News Network, 23rd January, 2005.

The Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA) decided to seek help of world experts to move Ramses II Statue from the Ramses square, downtown Cairo, to a new location in Meit Rahina.

The expertise of the world experts will guarantee secure moving of the statue, said Zhai Hawass, the SCA Secretary General.

[More], Egypt State Information Service, Egypt, January 23, 2005.

Upon researching the history of bowling on the Internet, I found the sport to be traced back to the ancient Egyptians.

According to www.bowlingmuseum.com, British anthropologist Sir Flinders Petrie uncovered ancient forms of the sport in a child's grave in Egypt some 70 years ago. Too bad King Tut and his buddies may not have had beer and nachos to complement their fine bowling skills.

So, if bowling does have founding fathers, the ancient Egyptians would be the ones to praise...

[More]  The Times Daily, Alabama, USA, January 21, 2005.

A Japanese research team has found "a perfect mummy" in an unrobbed Egyptian tomb believed to be more than 3,500 years old, the team's leader said.

The mummy was in a sealed wooden coffin unearthed in the archeological site of Dahshur North in northern Egypt, said Sakuji Yoshimura, who headed the team from Tokyo's Waseda University.

The mummified man was believed to be from a period 3,500-4,000 years ago, older than the era of Tutankhamen, the pharaoh of ancient Egypt who ruled in 1336-1327 BC, Yoshimura said, citing characteristics of the coffin.

The mummy, wearing a mask painted blue and red that still retained vivid shades, was of high academic value as it was "a perfect mummy that has escaped robbery and other damage," he said on his website late Friday.

The coffin was painted yellow and inscribed with hieroglyphics in light blue, he said, adding the hieroglyphics showed the mummified man was an administrative officer.

Also Japanese team discovers 3,500-year-old mummy in Egypt, AFP via Khaleej Times, UAE, 22 January 2005.

Also Japanese team discovers 3,500-year-old mummy in Egypt, AFP via Yahoo, USA, 22 January 2005.  Includes Photo of the mummy, click on this and the sidebar contains a photo of the coffin, click on this photo to get more details.

The number of tourists who converged on Egypt in 2004 reached 7.5 million compared to 1.4 million in 1982, according to a report by the Cabinet's Information and Decision Support Centre on Friday.

The number of floating hotels and tourist villages reached 1,408 in 2004 in comparison to 234 in 1982.

In 2004, the number of tourist rooms jumped to 136,500 compared to 18,100 in 1982, the report said.

[More], Egypt State Information Service, Egypt, January 21, 2005.

A [Turkish] newspaper highlighted the fact that Egyptian tourism has recently flourished as Egypt has become a tourist attraction to all foreigners.

Comhuriyet newspaper out Friday pointed out that Egypt has become a strong competitor to Turkey in the field of tourism and, therefore, Turkish travel agents have moved their work to Egypt.

The paper pointed out that the number of Turkish tourist offices has dramatically increased in Egypt and the offices started to transport Russian tourists to Egypt in large numbers, the paper said, quoting reports by the Research Centre of the Mediterranean Tourism Union.

[More], Egypt State Information Service, Egypt, January 21, 2005.

The discovery of lecture halls at Kom Al-Dikka has generated popular interest, hasty conclusions and a number of revelations.   Jill Kamil assesses the evidence.

The Polish mission at Kom Al-Dikka in Alexandria has made several exciting finds over the years, but their latest discovery hard on the heels of the establishment of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina has set tongues buzzing.

Grzegorz Majcherek, director of the Polish-Egyptian mission which has been excavating at Kom Al-Dikka for the past 40 or more years, insists that overzealous journalists have rather too hastily linked this latest discovery in Alexandria to the ancient library...

[More]  Al-AHram, Egypt, 726, 20 - 26 January 2005.

The CT scan carried out last week on Tutankhamun's mummy has triggered a fierce debate among archaeologists.   Nevine El-Aref investigates.

When the Ministry of Culture and the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA) launched a five-year project to examine and study all Ancient Egyptian mummies by means of CT scanning in order to ascertain how they can be best conserved, the idea was applauded.

Eleven mummies in the Egyptian Museum were scanned. However, when it came to the turn of the Pharaoh Tutankhamun, some archaeologists and scientists were none too happy.   While the project's supporters saw it as a revolutionary endeavour to resolve the mystery surrounding the early death of Tutankhamun, its opponents suggested it was more of a media circus than pure science.   A media campaign launched to question the usefulness of the procedure and its results accused the Egyptian mission who carried out the CT scan of being unprofessional, ambiguous, reckless and impatient to implement its attempt...

[More]  Al-AHram, Egypt, 726, 20 - 26 January 2005.