Archaeology and Ancient Egypt

During the New Kingdom (c. 1570–1070 BCE), the Valley of the Kings was the burial place of Egypt’s pharaohs, including such powerful and famous rulers as Amenhotep III, Rameses II, and Tutankhamen. They were buried here in large and beautifully decorated tombs that have become among the country’s most visited archaeological sites. The tourists contribute millions of badly needed dollars to Egypt’s economy. But because of inadequate planning, these same visitors are destroying the very tombs they come to see. Crowding, pollution, changes in the tombs’ air quality, ever-growing tourist infrastructure—all pose serious threats to the Valley’s survival. This volume, the result of twenty-five years of work by the Theban Mapping Project at the American University in Cairo, traces the history of the Valley of the Kings and offers specific proposals to manage the site and protect its fragile contents. At the same time, it recognizes the need to provide a positive experience for the thousands of visitors who flock here daily. This is the first major management plan developed for any Egyptian archaeological site, and as its proposals are implemented, they offer a replicable model for archaeologists, conservators, and site managers throughout Egypt and the region. Published in both English and Arabic editions and supported by the World Monuments Fund, this critical study will help to ensure the survival of Egypt’s patrimony in a manner compatible with the country’s heavy reliance on tourism income.

During the New Kingdom (c. 1570–1070 BCE), the Valley of the Kings was the burial place of Egypt’s pharaohs, including such powerful and famous rulers as Amenhotep III, Rameses II, and Tutankhamen. They were buried here in large and beautifully decorated tombs that have become among the country’s most visited archaeological sites. The tourists contribute millions of badly needed dollars to Egypt’s economy. But because of inadequate planning, these same visitors are destroying the very tombs they come to see. Crowding, pollution, changes in the tombs’ air quality, ever-growing tourist infrastructure—all pose serious threats to the Valley’s survival. This volume, the result of twenty-five years of work by the Theban Mapping Project at the American University in Cairo, traces the history of the Valley of the Kings and offers specific proposals to manage the site and protect its fragile contents. At the same time, it recognizes the need to provide a positive experience for the thousands of visitors who flock here daily. This is the first major management plan developed for any Egyptian archaeological site, and as its proposals are implemented, they offer a replicable model for archaeologists, conservators, and site managers throughout Egypt and the region. Published in both English and Arabic editions and supported by the World Monuments Fund, this critical study will help to ensure the survival of Egypt’s patrimony in a manner compatible with the country’s heavy reliance on tourism income.

This volume is the first joint publication of the members of the American–Egyptian mission South Asasif Conservation Project, working under the auspices of the State Ministry for Antiquities and Supreme Council of Antiquities, and directed by the editor. The Project is dedicated to the clearing, restoration, and reconstruction of the tombs of Karabasken (TT 391) and Karakhamun (TT 223) of the Twenty-fifth Dynasty, and the tomb of Irtieru (TT 390) of the Twenty-sixth Dynasty, on the West Bank of Luxor. Essays by the experts involved in the excavations and analysis cover the history of the Kushite ruling dynasties in Egypt and the hierarchy of Kushite society, the history of the South Asasif Necropolis and its discovery, the architecture and textual and decorative programs of the tombs, and the finds of burial equipment, pottery, and animal bones. Contributors: Adam Booth, Julia Budka, Diethelm Eigner, Kenneth Griffin, Salima Ikram, Jack Josephson, Robert Morkot, Christopher Naunton, Elena Pischikova, Miguel Molinero Polo, Kasia Szpakowska, John Taylor.

On 27 November 1922, British Egyptologist Howard Carter peered into the tomb of Tutankhamun, the first to lay eyes on its interior in over 3,000 years. As his eyes grew accustomed to the light, and statues, furniture, and gold came into view, it was all he could do to answer Lord Carnarvon’s question ‘‘Can you see anything?’’ with the words ‘‘Yes, wonderful things.’’ Even superlatives such as this can scarcely do justice to the overwhelming riches that were to be discovered, which for many are beyond words. Personal funerary equipment and ritual objects, ritual furniture, figures of anthropomorphic and animal deities, dress and cosmetic objects, breathtaking jewelry, and of course the famous golden mask of Tutankhamun, were found packed into the young king’s tiny tomb. The discovery was instantly hailed around the world as truly remarkable, not only because of the tomb’s fabulous treasures, but also because the coffin and burial were almost intact since the time of Tutankhamun’s death in about 1336 B.C. Now a large selection of the tomb’s contents are presented here for close examination in a series of stunning color photographs that reveal the astounding beauty and craftsmanship of ancient Egyptian art. They are accompanied by black-and-white photographs of the excavations and excavators, and fascinating texts on the historical background of Tutankhamun, the discovery of the tomb, and the treasures themselves.

On 27 November 1922, British Egyptologist Howard Carter peered into the tomb of Tutankhamun, the first to lay eyes on its interior in over 3,000 years. As his eyes grew accustomed to the light, and statues, furniture, and gold came into view, it was all he could do to answer Lord Carnarvon’s question ‘‘Can you see anything?’’ with the words ‘‘Yes, wonderful things.’’ Even superlatives such as this can scarcely do justice to the overwhelming riches that were to be discovered, which for many are beyond words. Personal funerary equipment and ritual objects, ritual furniture, figures of anthropomorphic and animal deities, dress and cosmetic objects, breathtaking jewelry, and of course the famous golden mask of Tutankhamun, were found packed into the young king’s tiny tomb. The discovery was instantly hailed around the world as truly remarkable, not only because of the tomb’s fabulous treasures, but also because the coffin and burial were almost intact since the time of Tutankhamun’s death in about 1336 B.C. Now a large selection of the tomb’s contents are presented here for close examination in a series of stunning color photographs that reveal the astounding beauty and craftsmanship of ancient Egyptian art. They are accompanied by black-and-white photographs of the excavations and excavators, and fascinating texts on the historical background of Tutankhamun, the discovery of the tomb, and the treasures themselves.

On 27 November 1922, British Egyptologist Howard Carter peered into the tomb of Tutankhamun, the first to lay eyes on its interior in over 3,000 years. As his eyes grew accustomed to the light, and statues, furniture, and gold came into view, it was all he could do to answer Lord Carnarvon’s question ‘‘Can you see anything?’’ with the words ‘‘Yes, wonderful things.’’ Even superlatives such as this can scarcely do justice to the overwhelming riches that were to be discovered, which for many are beyond words. Personal funerary equipment and ritual objects, ritual furniture, figures of anthropomorphic and animal deities, dress and cosmetic objects, breathtaking jewelry, and of course the famous golden mask of Tutankhamun, were found packed into the young king’s tiny tomb. The discovery was instantly hailed around the world as truly remarkable, not only because of the tomb’s fabulous treasures, but also because the coffin and burial were almost intact since the time of Tutankhamun’s death in about 1336 B.C. Now a large selection of the tomb’s contents are presented here for close examination in a series of stunning color photographs that reveal the astounding beauty and craftsmanship of ancient Egyptian art. They are accompanied by black-and-white photographs of the excavations and excavators, and fascinating texts on the historical background of Tutankhamun, the discovery of the tomb, and the treasures themselves.

In ancient Egypt, a name did more than express one’s identity; it incorporated it, forming a profound element of it. Names of kings were especially important as the king of Egypt acted as the earthly counterpart to the sun-god. At his accession to the throne, a pharaoh would take five names to distinguish him from ordinary human beings, the first being his birth name and the remaining four composed specially for the coronation. Covering 3,000 years of history from the dawn of Egyptian writing to the use of royal names under the Roman emperors in Egypt, Who Were the Pharaohs? first gives an in-depth but accessible history of ancient Egyptian royalty and society, then provides an extensive list of royal names with the principal cartouches for all the major kings of ancient Egypt as well as some lesser-known but equally intriguing pharaohs, and details the key events and characteristics of each reign.

The discovery of ancient Egypt and the development of Egyptology are momentous events in intellectual and cultural history. The history of Egyptology is the story of the people, famous and obscure, who constructed the picture of ancient Egypt that we have today, recovered the Egyptian past while inventing it anew, and made a lost civilization comprehensible to generations of enchanted readers and viewers thousands of years later. This, the first of a three-volume survey of the history of Egyptology, follows the fascination with ancient Egypt from antiquity until 1881, tracing the recovery of ancient Egypt and its impact on the human imagination in a saga filled with intriguing mysteries, great discoveries, and scholarly creativity. Wonderful Things affirms that the history of ancient Egypt has proved continually fascinating, but it also demonstrates that the history of Egyptology is no less so. Only by understanding how Egyptology has developed can we truly understand the Egyptian past.

This fascinating book describes the excavation and preservation of three early Roman villas in Egypt’s ancient port city of Alexandria. Chronicling the work of the Polish Archaeological Mission in Alexandria, Villa of the Birds is an engaging and informative account of how these ancient dwellings were unearthed, and how the famous mosaic floors were brought to light two thousand years after they were laid. With the expert guidance of the archaeologists responsible for the excavation, the reader is led through layers of clues reaching ten meters below today’s street level, and to an in-depth appreciation of this extraordinary site’s rich history. Drawing directly on their work with the Polish Archeological Mission, the authors describe in detail the excavation of the housing areas, as well as the baths, the gymnasia, and the theater that comprise the villa complex. Villa of the Birds reconstructs not only the villas themselves, with their magnificent mosaics, but also the history of how they were built and used, and ultimately how they were destroyed by fire. The book is richly illustrated with detailed floor plans as well as spectacular color photographs of the mosaics themselves. American Research Center in Egypt Conservation Series 3

The discovery of ancient Egypt and the development of Egyptology are momentous events in intellectual and cultural history. The history of Egyptology is the story of the people, famous and obscure, who constructed the picture of ancient Egypt that we have today, recovered the Egyptian past while inventing it anew, and made a lost civilization comprehensible to generations of enchanted readers and viewers thousands of years later. This, the third of a three-volume history of Egyptology, follows the progress of the discipline from the trauma of the First World War, through the vicissitudes of the twentieth century, and into Egyptology’s new horizons at the beginning of the twenty-first century. Wonderful Things affirms that the history of ancient Egypt has proved continually fascinating, but it also demonstrates that the history of Egyptology is no less so. Only by understanding how Egyptology has developed can we truly understand the Egyptian past.

The royal mummies in the Cairo Museum are an important source of information about the lives of the ancient Egyptians. The remains of these pharaohs and queens can inform us about their age at death and medical conditions from which they may have suffered, as well as the mummification process and objects placed within the wrappings.
Using the latest technology, including Multi-Detector Computed Tomography and DNA analysis, co-authors Zahi Hawass and Sahar Saleem present the results of the examination of royal mummies of the Eighteenth to Twentieth Dynasties. New imaging techniques not only reveal a wealth of information about each mummy, but render amazingly lifelike and detailed images of the remains. In addition, utilizing 3D images, the anatomy of each face has been discerned for a more accurate interpretation of a mummy’s facial features. This latest research has uncovered some surprising results about the genealogy of, and familial relationships between, these ancient individuals, as well as some unexpected medical finds.
Historical information is provided to place the royal mummies in context, and the book with its many illustrations will appeal to Egyptologists, paleopathologists, and non-specialists alike, as the authors seek to uncover the secrets of these most fascinating members of the New Kingdom royal families.

A medical practitioner and talented draftsman, Alessandro Ricci was born in Siena, Italy, at the end of the eighteenth century. He traveled extensively throughout Egypt and Sudan between 1817 and 1822. During his stay, he worked as an epigraphist for Giovanni B. Belzoni in the tomb of Seti I and later entered into the service of British consul general Henry Salt and English explorer William John Bankes, on whose behalf he visited and documented Siwa (1820), Sinai (1820), and Nubia (1818–19 and 1821–22). Ricci also became the physician to Ibrahim Pasha and achieved fame for daringly saving his life during the military campaign that led to Egypt’s conquest of Sudan in 1821–22. Upon his return to Italy, Ricci wrote a long account of all his journeys and reworked a series of ninety plates into striking form, yet failed to publish either.
In 2009, Daniele Salvoldi identified a complete typewritten copy of Ricci’s Travels in the National Archives of Egypt in Cairo. Drawings intended to accompany the text as plates were tracked down in different locations in Italy and the United Kingdom. From Siena to Nubia is the English-translated critical edition, with notes and introductory chapters, of Ricci’s travel account, which provides detailed information about the countries he visited, including descriptions of ancient ruins and social customs, botanical and geological remarks, and historical and ethnographical observations. It adds to the recent, growing corpus of exploration literature on nineteenth-century Egypt as well as bringing to light obscure sources important to the early history of Egyptology.