Cover Story
Breaking Ma’at: Akhenaten and the battle for Egyptian tradition and identity Jason S Whitmarsh explores the revolutionary impact of Egypt’s so called ‘heretic king’. Features
Carter’s linen tunic Rachel Cotton investigates an extremely rare item: a linen ‘bag-tunic’ discovered by Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon in 1909. 
The Cleopatras – Part 3: Cleopatra III, the female king Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones continues his series on the later Ptolemaic queens with the ambitious Cleopatra III and her murderous family rivalries. 
Ancient Egyptian Surgery Rosalie David and Roger Forshaw consider the contribution made by ancient Egyptians to the development of surgery, and the extent to which their knowledge was transmitted to later civilisations. 
Pyramid man: Charles Piazzi Smyth Dr John Taylor describes Smyth’s scientific achievements and his less successful inroads into the world of Egyptology. 
Hilary Wilson on… The sidelock of youth When was this curious hairstyle used and what was its significance? News
New tomb at Abusir A Czech mission working at Abusir has discovered the richly decorated tomb of a royal scribe called Djehutyemhat, who lived during Persian rule over Egypt. The superstructure of the tomb… 
Two sunken temples The remains of temples to Amun and the Greek goddess Aphrodite have been discovered at Thonis Heracleion, the sunken city in Abu Qir Bay, near Alexandria. The team, from the… 
Origin of ancient Egypt’s baboons An interdisciplinary project involving biologists, Egyptologists, and anthropologists has discovered evidence that may pinpoint the actual location of the trading region of Punt, based on the genetic analysis of an… 
New research labs A new multidisciplinary research facility has been created at the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization in Fustat to provide specialist micro-analysis of archaeological finds. The first of its kind in… 
Is the answer blowing in the wind? The lion-shaped Great Sphinx at Giza may have been shaped by wind erosion, according to new research from New York University. Laboratory experiments suggest that sphinx-like shapes can form naturally… 
Sahura’s storerooms A series of undocumented storerooms has been discovered inside the pyramid of the Fifth Dynasty king Sahura at Abusir by a joint Egyptian-German mission. While carrying out restoration work on… 
New Kingdom burials at Tuna el-Gebel An Egyptian mission working at Tuna el-Gebel, the ancient site of Hermopolis Magna, has discovered an elite New Kingdom cemetery containing intact burials of senior officials and priests. The team… 
Meretneith’s wine New evidence found at Umm el Qa‘ab (‘Mother of Pots’) in Abydos has shed light on the importance of the First Dynasty queen Meretneith (or Merneith), and casts doubt on… Views
Win a copy of Medicine and Healing Practices in Ancient Egypt by Rosalie David and Roger Forshaw Competitions Do you recognise this place? 
The Royal Road to Meroë Travel Karl Harris continues his journey through Sudan, retracing one of the overland routes taken by the Meroitic rulers of Kush. 
Ancient Egypt December listings Museum, What's on HORIZON OF KHUFU: JOURNEY TO ANCIENT EGYPT An immersive expedition to explore the Great Pyramid of Giza, including spaces previously closed to the public, followed by a trip 4,500 years… 
The rescue of Abu Simbel: A history of restoration, exploration, and resurrection The Picture Desk Abu Simbel actually presents us with several milestones. Probably completed by Year 24 in the reign of Ramesses II, the rock-cut temples left an awe-inspiring statement of power and permanence… 
Hypocephalus Objects What was the purpose of this small disc of cartonnage, now in the British Museum? Dr Campbell Price explains. Reviews
The Royal Road to Meroë Karl Harris continues his journey through Sudan, retracing one of the overland routes taken by the Meroitic rulers of Kush. Ancient Egypt December listings HORIZON OF KHUFU: JOURNEY TO ANCIENT EGYPT An immersive expedition to explore the Great Pyramid of Giza, including spaces previously closed to the public, followed by a trip 4,500 years… 
Egypt and the Eastern Mediterranean World: From Constantinople to Baghdad, 500-1000 CE REVIEW BY MICHAEL TUNNICLIFFE This series of 15 essays covers the final years of Byzantine control of Egypt, and the first 300 years of Muslim rule: first that of the… 
Ancient Egyptian Society: Challenging Assumptions, Exploring Approaches REVIEW BY CAMPBELL PRICE One of the major issues in Egyptology is how prone we are to repeat assertions that were made – often provisionally – more than a century… 
Cartouches: Field Guide and Identification Key REVIEW BY SG Being able to identify the kings by name can unlock the mysteries of monumental inscriptions and scenes. Thus a handy reference to help the beginner identify kings… 
Ramesses The Great: Egypt’s Kings of Kings REVIEW BY CATHIE BRYAN Ramesses II is notorious for his self-promotion and propaganda, rather than being famous for his many achievements and cultural advances. To adjust the balance, Wilkinson addresses… 
The oldest book in the world: Philosophy in the age of the pyramids REVIEW BY SG In the 1800s, a papyrus scroll was discovered in Luxor. The text, a complete version of The Teaching of Ptahhatp, was copied out in the late Middle… 
Medicine and healing practices in Ancient Egypt REVIEW BY J PETER PHILLIPS In contrast with previous works on this subject, which have focused exclusively on the remedies available to ancient Egyptian medical practitioners, this work also considers… 
From the editor
Egyptology, like all the sciences, is constantly evolving as new discoveries are made and old theories are disproved. But it is also influenced by the prevailing mood and fashions of the time, and by the motives of those making the discoveries. Several of the articles in this issue illustrate this point.
The theory proposed by Charles Piazzi Smyth, as outlined in John Taylor’s article, that all the dimensions of Khufu’s Great Pyramid were multiples of a‘pyramid inch’ were accepted by many at the time. Smyth, despite his sound scientific training as an astronomer, also believed that the inch was a God-given measurement, handed down through the centuries from the time of Noah’s son Shem, and that the pyramid itself could only have been built by the Hebrews, with divine help.
When in 1909 Howard Carter discovered a mummy wrapped in a bag-tunic, he discarded the body but kept the garment. Nowadays, the body would have been subject to extensive forensic examination, but at least the tunic was saved, as Rachel Cotton tells us. Previous generations of excavators, interested only in precious metals and beautiful artefacts, would have destroyed both the body and the tunic. By founding the KNH Centre for Biomedical Egyptology at the University of Manchester, Rosalie David OBE established an entirely new branch of the subject, and in this issue she and Roger Forshaw summarise one aspect of their research: surgery in ancient Egypt.
Of course, there are some pharaohs who will always attract attention, and one is Akhenaten. Jason S Whitmarsh analyses the ways in which the ‘heretic pharaoh’ undermined the entire belief system of his country, and the impact this had on his people.
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