In the first field trip to the Grand Egyptian Museum, Minister of Culture Farouk Hosni inspected on Tuesday 17/07/2007 the second phase which is due to be completed by the end of this year. The phase includes setting up a power station, a monument renovation centre and a fire-fighting unit.

The great achievements in the century's project astonished everyone especially that the 2,700 workers and engineers are working in 24 hour shifts, the minister said. This phase, which will last for 18 months, will be followed by the third phase of constructing the main building at the start of next year.

At a press conference, the Minister confirmed that the museum is designed to withstand all possible dangers, whether natural (earthquakes) or man-made (wars)...

Second phase of Grand Egyptian Museum completed by end of year, Egypt State Information Service, Egypt, July 18, 2007.

Egyptian and Czech archaeologists have discovered the remains of historical residential city dating back to the Pharaonic Old State at Al-Bahariya Oasis, Al Ahram newspaper reported Tuesday.

Remains of walls and pots were among the things discovered in the ancient city.

Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities Zahi Hawass said the joint archaeological mission had also unearthed mugs, food baskets and two ovens.

He said the findings prove that the discovered city was residential.

Archaeologists discover ancient city in Bahariya oasis, Egypt State Information Service, Egypt, July 17, 2007.

Previously:

Old Kingdom settlement found in Egypt Bahariya oasis, July 16, 2007.

Applera Corp-Applied Biosystems Groups announced its collaboration with the Discovery Communications Inc. and Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities in establishing the first laboratory in Egypt dedicated to testing ancient DNA samples. The laboratory, which is located in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, began testing samples of ancient royal mummies dating back to the 18th Dynasty in April as part of a project to identify the mummy of Hatshepsut, Egypt's most famous queen.

Discovery Channel enlisted the services of Applied Biosystems as part of a project aimed at discovering and identifying the lost mummy of Hatshepsut, one of the most important women in ancient Egyptian history. The primary purpose of the new DNA laboratory is to assist in the identification of this and other mummies that have been removed from their original tombs, and to clarify familial relationships within and between Egypt's ancient dynasties. This is the first time DNA testing has been used in identifying an ancient Egyptian pharaoh.

DNA testing, combined with other forensic techniques, holds the potential to bring closure to unsolved mysteries and help Egypt fill in gaps in its significant history. Applied Biosystems provided the Supreme Council of Antiquities with DNA analysis instrument systems, reagents, software, and training. This included an Applied Biosystems 9700 Thermocycler for DNA amplification and a 3130 Genetic Analyzer for DNA analysis, as well as forensic testing reagents including its newest advance in human identification technology, the AmpFISTR MiniFiler PCR Amplification Kit.

DNA unveils the secrets of ancient Egyptian history, Egypt State Information Service, Egypt, July 15, 2007.

A 2,300-year-old mummified body and an entourage of experts visited St. Elizabeth Hospital in Gonzales Friday as part of a fact-finding mission.

The mummy, a native of Egypt and most recently a resident of Baton Rouge as the star attraction of the Ancient Egypt Gallery at the Louisiana Art and Science Museum (LASM) for the past 21 years, arrived at about 8:15 a.m. for a computerized tomography (CT) scan.

"The mummy and artefacts in the Ancient Egypt Gallery make it one of LASM's most popular exhibits," museum director Carol Gikas said. "With the research and updated information, the renovated gallery will fulfill LASM's new vision: 'Where Art & Science Connect.'"

At times, 20 to 30 people crowded into the imaging room, including hospital staff and a team consisting of LASM and LSU Forensic Anthropology and Computer Enhancement Services (FACES) laboratory representatives and Egyptologists...

Experts conduct CT scan in Gonzales on 2,300-year old mummy, Wade McIntyre, The Gonzales Weekly Citizen, Louisiana, USA, July 18, 2007.

St George residents will have a chance to gain a rare insight into the world of ancient Egypt this month when St George Regional Museum hosts its second course in reading hieroglyphs for beginners.

The course is being run by the museum's curator-manager Rebekah Schulz who has a masters in Egyptology degree and recently has been on an archaeological dig in Egypt.

The first course in June created a lot of interested and attracted people from all ages: in fact, from 16 to 87 years.

Ms Schulz said hieroglyphs tell the stories of ancient Egyptian officials and pharaohs and very occasionally the stories of ordinary people...

Ancient wisdom revealed, Jim Gainsford, The St. George Amp; Sutherland Shire Leader, Australia, July 19, 2007.