dynasty

Amenemhat II: Golden are the souls of Ra

Wolfram Grajetzki continues his series on the Twelfth Dynasty pharaohs with one of the lesser-known kings of the Middle Kingdom: Nubkaura Amenemhat II.

New Abydos pharaoh

Following the discovery of the Tomb of Senebkay at Abydos in 2014 (see ‘News’ in AE 82 and AE 89), a new mystery pharaoh has been found at the site, providing further evidence of a separate Abydos Dynasty (c.1700-1600 BC)…

Right Ramesses II depicted as a child, wearing the side lock of youth and holding his finger to his mouth.

Crown Prince Ramesses: Pharaoh-in-waiting

Peter J Brand looks at how Sety I ensured his son and heir became the most well-prepared of all Egypt’s pharaohs.

The Past

World’s oldest-known coin mint identified in China

The findings indicate the mint began operating between c. 640 and 550 BC.

A new world of communication

One of the most breathtaking experiences in my archaeological life was to mount the steps and look out over the assembled ranks of the terracotta army.

Opposite Bi disc, Liangzhu culture, c.3300 2200 BC. Size: 38.8cm below Ferdinand Verbiest’s 1673 armillary sphere in situ at the Beijing observatory. The photograph, from 1909, is by Joseph Rastoul.

China: in the beginning

Chinese rulers held the disciplines of astronomy and cosmology in high regard for millennia. Dalu Jones
previews an exhibition of exquisite objects exploring the connections between Heaven and Earth.