Current Research in Egyptology: Burial Practices in Alexandria
Samar Ahmed Abu-Dahab explores recent excavations at the Graeco-Roman Tanis Street cemetery site.
Roman & Byzantine Egypt
New dating for Karanis
Radiocarbon dating of crop remains excavated at the Graeco-Roman site of Karanis (in the Fayum) shows that the town was inhabited at least into the middle of the 7th century AD – 200 years after it was thought to have…
The Excavations at Ismant Al-Kharab: Vol. II, The Christian Monuments of Kellis: The Churches and Cemeteries
REVIEW BY MICHAEL TUNNICLIFFE Ancient Kellis was a site in the Dakhla Oasis that was occupied from Late Ptolemaic times to the end of the 4th century AD. Excavations have exposed houses, cemeteries, temples, and churches. Important documents were found…
Palmyra, Blemmyes, Diocletian, and Egypt
Ancient Egypt Magazine explores an often overlooked period of Egyptian history: the short-lived control of Egypt by Palmyra, and the incursions of the Eastern Desert Blemmyes.
Coptic Culture and Community: Daily Lives, Changing Times
REVIEW BY MICHAEL TUNNICLIFFE This work comprises 14 essays spanning the late Roman Period to the present day, focusing on the daily life of the Copts, who have always been a minority community. The aim is to understand daily concerns…
‘Magical’ Coptic texts
A collection of 600 ‘magical’ texts written in Coptic has been published following five years of study by researchers at the University of Würzburg. Papyri Copticae Magicae (published by de Gruyter) includes writings found on papyrus, parchment, paper, and ostraca.…
Rome versus the Egyptian priesthood
Sean P Rigby explores Roman influence on the post-pharaonic religious life of Egypt.
Tiny coins reshape monetary history
A study of ‘insignificant’ tiny coins known as nummi minimi has led to a re-evaluation of monetary circulation in Egypt during late antiquity. Researchers from the Polish National Science Centre examined thousands of previously ignored Byzantine and Umayyad coins found…
Mummy with twins
CT-scans of a female mummy from the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History have revealed the teenaged girl was pregnant with twins, and she may have died in childbirth. One foetus had been wrapped and placed between the mother’s legs…
Gold tongues and Isis-Aphrodite
The Spanish mission that is excavating a series of rock-cut tombs at the ancient site of Oxyrhynchus (el-Bahnasa, Minya) has discovered two more mummies with gold tongues, and several terracotta figures of Isis-Aphrodite – the first to be found in…
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.
Ancient Egypt news in brief
A round-up of some of the latest news from the world of ancient Egypt.…
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 the Middle East, the new centre houses state-of-the-art technology to…
Ancient Egypt October listings
AFRICA & BYZANTIUM An exhibition of nearly 180 works exploring the tradition of Byzantine art and culture in North Africa, Egypt, Nubia, Ethiopia, and other powerful African kingdoms, from the 4th century to the 15th century and beyond. On display…
Basilica columns
A joint team from the Ministry of Antiquities and the University of Colorado have completed the restoration and reinstallation of a number of huge granite columns at Ashmunein, in Minya Governorate. Known as Hermopolis Magna in the Graeco-Roman era, the…
Ancient Egypt Magazine 138
• Poisonous paint: exotic but dangerous pigments in ancient Egyptian art
• House of Life: the central repository of knowledge
• Cleopatra II: the ‘traditionally untraditional’ queen
• Huy: the High Steward Amenhotep
• Magical honey: unusual uses in ancient Egypt
• Reflecting ancient life: precious mirrors
Naga: the buried royal city
An exhibition at the State Museum of Egyptian Art (SMÄK) in Munich transports visitors to excavations at the ancient city of Naga in Sudan.
A first look at the Grand Egyptian Museum
Geoffrey Lenox-Smith attends the ‘soft opening’ of Giza’s new blockbuster museum.
Visions of Mary Magdalene
In early Christian art, Mary Magdalene was a key figure in the Resurrection of Christ, as first witness and ‘apostle to the apostles’. Diane Apostolos-Cappadona explores how her significance was set in stone, tiled on walls, and carved in wood and ivory.
Berenike’s Buddha
Stories from the world of archaeology, art, and museums
Ancient Egypt news in brief
A round-up of some of the latest news from the world of ancient Egypt.
Pithom trade
The ancient East Delta city of Pithom mentioned in the Bible was an important hub for international trade according to new discoveries made at Tell el-Maskhuta (Ismailia Province). The Italian-Egyptian mission excavating there has uncovered a large collection of pottery…
Esna zodiac
A beautifully painted zodiac ceiling has been revealed at the Temple of Esna following cleaning and restoration work by a German-Egyptian team. The colourful scenes, carved on the ceiling of the Roman Period columned hall, have not previously been published,…
Byzantine finds at Meir
The Egyptian archaeological mission working at the Meir archaeological site in el-Quseyya (Asyut Governorate) has uncovered a building dating to the Byzantine era. The structure consisted of a courtyard with a number of rooms, storage spaces, and a fireplace. The…
Ancient Egypt June listings
EGYPTIAN MUMMIES: EXPLORING ANCIENT LIVES An international touring exhibition exploring the hidden history behind six ancient Egyptian mummies from the British Museum, as revealed by state-of-the-art, non-invasive technology. Caixa Forum, Sevilla, Torre Sevilla Shopping Centre, C/López Pintado s/n, Seville, Spain …
Face to face with Fayum mummy portraits
The Fayum mummy portraits are masterpieces of ancient painting, but are they portraits? With an exhibition of these paintings and golden mummies on view in Manchester, Lucia Marchini speaks to Egyptologist Campbell Price to find out more.
Margaret Alice Murray (1863-1963)
These same people would not hesitate to wear a scarab-ring taken off a dead man’s hand… Their objections – their opinions even – are an offence to science.
Roman residential town found close to Luxor Temple
The complex dates to the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD.
‘Smiling’ sphinx statue discovered near Dendera
The face of the sphinx could possibly represent the Roman emperor Claudius
Roman, Coptic, and Byzantine tombs discovered in Minya
Other tasks carried out by the team this season included conservation work on the murals of the basilica on site
Margaret Murray’s Pioneering Investigation in 1908
A scientific approach to the study of ancient Egyptian mummies.
World news: discoveries at Fayum and Vulci
A round-up of some of latest archaeology news from around the world.
Going for gold: reconsidering mummies from the Graeco-Roman period
The exhibition Golden Mummies of Egypt opens in February at Manchester Museum for its only European showing after an international tour that has included venues in the USA and China. Curator Campbell Price discusses the artefacts on display and their significance to the Greek and Roman Egyptians and to modern visitors.
Mummies with golden tongues discovered in Quesna
The thin gold tongue-plates were placed in the mouth to help the deceased transform into a divine being in the afterlife.
Funerary structure and Fayum portraits unearthed
An Egyptian team excavating at Gerza (ancient Philadelphia) in the Fayum has discovered a large Graeco-Roman funerary building with coloured tile floors, and a number of complete and partial mummy portraits. The team also found a number of anthropoid and…
Funerary finds in Fayum
Inside the funerary structure, archaeologists found a number of rock-cut and stone-lined burial chambers containing a variety of burials, ranging from simple interments to examples of high-quality embalming.