Showing papers in "Journal of Egyptian Archaeology in 2010"
TL;DR: A re-examination of two boats excavated by De Morgan outside Senwosret III's pyramid complex at Dahshur, and now in the Egyptian Museum, Cairo, is offered in this paper.
Abstract: Based on primary data and direct observation, a re-examination of two boats excavated by Jacques De Morgan outside Senwosret III's pyramid complex at Dahshur, and now in the Egyptian Museum, Cairo, is offered. The original excavation report is reconciled with subsequent scholarly records, and the boats' construction techniques are evaluated. De Morgan's account has previously been dismissed due to discrepancies between his descriptions and the findings of modern examinations of two other boats from the same cache now located in the United States. Unique features found on the two Cairo Dahshur boats explain the discrepancies and permit a new interpretation of the boats' construction.
12 citations
TL;DR: Publication of the Middle Kingdom stelae National Museum, Athens L128, L131, L132, and L155 including comments on style, iconography, palaeography, and dating criteria as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: Publication of the Middle Kingdom stelae National Museum, Athens L128, L131, L132, and L155 including comments on style, iconography, palaeography, and dating criteria.
9 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, an improved reading of P. Cairo II 30625, which was published in 1908 by W. P. Spiegelberg in the CGC, is presented, with a promissory note concerning a lease of the right to collect temple related contributions in the village of Kerkesoucha orous.
Abstract: This paper aims at an improved reading of P. Cairo II 30625, which was published in 1908 by W. Spiegelberg in the CGC. The text discovered during the excavations of B. P. Grenfell and A. S. Hunt in the years 1899/1900 in Tebtunis is a promissory note concerning a lease of the right to collect temple related contributions in the village of Kerkesoucha orous.
8 citations
TL;DR: The Ancient Egyptian toponym Pr-šs, "Alabaster House" as mentioned in this paper, is argued to be the ancestor of the modern place name al-Barshā, which may have designated a recently discovered industrial site at the mouth of the Wadi Zabayda, close to the al-Shaykh Sa'id tombs, where calcite alabaster was worked.
Abstract: The Ancient Egyptian toponym Pr-šs, ‘Alabaster House’, is argued to be the ancestor of the modern place name al-Barshā. It may have designated a recently discovered industrial site at the mouth of the Wādī Zabayda, close to the al-Shaykh Sa‘īd tombs, where calcite alabaster was worked. This lies about 2 km south of modern al-Barshā. However, the presence of another calcite alabaster quarry even nearer to al-Barshā itself suggests Pr-šs may rather have been the original designation of this village.
6 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors presented a valuable overview of inscribed Greek material from the site as well as a list of inscribed amphorae from egypt: Tell Defenneh, Naukratis, and Qurneh.
Abstract: This well-produced volume, generously illustrated with colour as well as black and white illustrations, is a valuable addition to the study of Naukratis and Greek contact with egypt. It emerged from the 28th British Museum Classical Colloquium in December 2004. There are three main sections. The first deals with ‘Naukratis: The Site, its Cults and its Pottery’. U. Höckmann and A. Möller revisit the evidence for the Hellenion, providing a useful list of inscribed pots dedicated to the ‘Gods of the Hellenes’. A. Johnston presents a valuable overview of inscribed Greek material from the site as well as a list of inscribed amphorae from egypt: Tell Defenneh, Naukratis, and Qurneh. villing discusses the mortaria from the sanctuary of Apollo, some of which carry inscriptions. It is suggested that they were used in the ritual preparation of food. The interpretation by williams and villing of two sherds of possible Carian pottery as evidence for Carian mercenaries at Naukratis seems to stretch the evidence. The second section addresses the key issue of ‘east Greek Pottery and its Production Centres: Archaeology and Science’. It is introduced by Sir John Boardman who gives appropriate acknowledgement to the late Robert Cook’s important work in this area. Hans Mommsen’s collaborative neutron activation analysis of material from Naukratis is inconclusive and merely calls for a larger dataset to make sense of the results. A batch of 85 east Greek fragments from Naukratis, now in the Museum of Classical Archaeology in Cambridge, are analysed by Pierre Dupont and Annie Thomas. Dyfri williams discusses Chian pottery from Naukratis and argues for some Laconian influence. He also returns to the possible movement of clay in antiquity. Milesian pottery, so important for finds from Naukratis, is the subject of a discussion by Udo Schlotzhauer. This draws on finds from Miletus. The east Greek situlae, that are well represented at Tell Defenneh, are discussed by Sabine weber. Possible places of production are rehearsed with the possibility of Rhodes being a strong candidate; chemical analysis was inconclusive. Part 2 also considers Greek material from outside egypt: Old Smyrna (Stavros A. Paspalas) and emecik in the Knidia (Regina Attula). Aiolian pottery is the subject of two studies (Hans Mommsen and Michael Kerschner). Kerschner argues that some material was produced at Kyme. There is also discussion by Donald M. Bailey of the east Greek amphora in the Cahn collection that seems to be from the same pot as two sherds in the Petrie Museum; these appear to have been found at ‘Thebes’. The collecting history of the fragmentary amphora is undisclosed. The third section puts egypt in a wider context, ‘east Greek Pottery and the eastern Mediterranean: Contact, exchange, and Identity’. Richard Posamentir considers Greek material from Berezan. Iulian Bîrzescu looks at inscriptions on pottery from sanctuaries at Istros. The inscribed roof tile, dedicated to Aphrodite (possibly by an individual named echeleon), is intriguing. Gerald Schaus revisits finds from the extramural sanctuary of Demeter at Cyrene. Knowledge of archaic fabrics from Cyrenaica is supplemented by the finds from the Casa del Propileo published by Ivan D’Angelo. This includes material from the Cyclades, Corinth, and Laconia. It might have been worth exploring differences with the east Greek material from Naukratis, which suggests that Cyrenaica and the Delta were on a different trading routes. Alessandro Naso comments on etruscan and Italic finds in North Africa. The possibility that an etruscan bucchero found at Naukratis came from Caere in etruria is an interesting development. The interpretation of a bronze infundibulum (part of a sympotic set) from Cyrene is hampered by the unknown find-spots of other known examples (though a useful distribution map is included). However, should a sword of the ‘Tarquinia-vetulonia type’ purchased in egypt in the 1870s be included as evidence for the movement of such Italian material? Alexander Fantalkin concludes the book with an overview of Greek activity in the eastern Mediterranean during the first half of the first millennium bc. This includes a discussion of the growing use of Greek (including Ionian and Carian) mercenaries by different rulers. One of the strengths of this new volume is the wealth of illustrations of previously unpublished material. However, it is striking how the use of neutron activation and chemical analyses on the pottery
6 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the same writing is found in document 42.2, but the transcription and consequently the translation is here correct (this is part of the standard formulae of the document, as set out in § I.1).
Abstract: these ten pounds’, with ji treated as the imperative. However, the text should be read: ji ti mhte n litra, ‘Give ten pounds,’ with ji for the conjunction je. The same writing is found in document 42.2, but the transcription, and consequently the translation, is here correct (this is part of the standard formulae of the document, as set out in § I.1). The material presented in It is Our Father Who Writes provides much opportunity for future study. From a narrow papyrological perspective this includes: the use, and specifically the multiple use, of papyrus; the palaeographic variation found between the Coptic scribes; and the use of Greek in the texts. Beyond this, if the attribution of this large number of texts to the monastery is correct, this corpus is fundamental to our understanding of the operation and organisation of the monastery, its economic life, and its relationship with the wider Hermopolite region. In this respect, its utility extends to those interested in the social realities of monastic life, and the economic situation of such institutions in early Arabic egypt.
5 citations
TL;DR: A relatively large number of sandals referred to by Leguilloux as type 1c is housed in several collections. as mentioned in this paper showed that the pre-straps in the Roman sandals are situated at the heel's edge, rather than at the waist as seen in the pharaonic two-dimensional image.
Abstract: examples. Finally, the pre-straps in the Roman sandals are situated at the heel’s edge, rather than at the waist as seen in the pharaonic two-dimensional image. A relatively large number of sandals referred to by Leguilloux as type 1c is housed in several collections. In all cases of which the context/date is known, a Nubian origin is indicated (e.g. e20176 and e20252a and b, from the X-group in Qustul, housed in the Oriental Institute Museum Chicago; QI 82.2.3/40 from early Christian Qasr Ibrim; cam-3091 [QI 78.2.8/92] from Qasr Ibrim’s late Christian layers, housed in the British Museum). Moreover, the double front strap has been interpreted as a Nubian feature as well. They seem to be unknown from Roman europe, and hence the finds seem again to suggest local influence. Although in most cases construction drawings and cutting patterns of shoes are provided, this is not universal (see for example Cf-001, a type of calceus). This is very unfortunate as ‘one way of following the technological (and stylistic) evolution of footwear is by looking at cutting patterns’. This, in its turn, can help in the identification of fragments of leather. It is notable that the shoes show features also seen in Christian and Ottoman footwear from Qasr Ibrim, but which interestingly are also present in the so-called Persian footwear from elephantine. what is clear from Les objets en cuir de Didymoi is that the Roman leatherwork is clearly distinct from pharaonic leatherwork. Romans brought their own leatherworking craft with them to egypt: current scholarly opinion holds that vegetable tanning was introduced to egypt in the Roman period (or possibly slightly earlier in the Ptolemaic period). However, the Didymoi finds also show local influence, apparent when comparing the finds with material from european sites and from, for example, Qasr Ibrim. Although I do not agree with the author on several points, the book is indispensible for the study of leather in egypt because of its detail, dating, and the way the author deals with the acquired information. The additional publication of material from other sites will only increase the importance of the book.
5 citations
4 citations
TL;DR: Ben-Tor et al. as discussed by the authors presented a comprehensive study of scarab research in the Middle Kingdom and the Second Intermediate Period, focusing on four groups according to their origin and chronology.
Abstract: during her later phase. Unfortunately, this hypothesis is not supported by the survey material, which shows that precisely during this period there is a lack of collected egyptian pottery material. Ben-Tor also postulates close commercial contacts between egypt and Palestine during the Hyksos period. However, it seems that besides the large amount of scarabs, mainly found at the site of Tell el-Ajjul, there is hardly any archaeological evidence for it. Neither was egyptian pottery found in large quantities in Palestine (even Ashkelon — being a port power — has hardly any egyptian imports during this period), nor was Palestinian pottery found in egypt during this period in significant amounts. In Tell el-Dabaa, the total amount of imports of Canaanite wares declined from 11% at the beginning of the Fifteenth Dynasty to 2% at its end. The question that arises for the large fortified cities in the south of Palestine is rather whether they were pro or contra the Hyksos. was it possible that Tell Hebwa was built as the Hyksos answer to a well fortified Palestine? As for Tell el-Ajjul, from which most of the scarabs of this period come, their stratigraphical position within the settlement will always be problematic, especially when they appear together with Late Cypriot wares. Ben-Tor herself states that there is a different development between the material culture of the Fifteenth Dynasty in the eastern Nile Delta and the one in southern Palestine (p.192), yet she still insists on a Palestinian origin for the Hyksos. we know, from the recent finds at Sidon, that the scarabs found there in MB IIA burials are all egyptian imports, while the bulk of the scarabs from the later tombs are of Canaanite origin. Therefore one could also suggest that it was exerted egyptian influence on Levantine burial practices which may have spread from there (?) southwards and initiated the Canaanite production of scarabs. Although the opinion of the reviewer on the origin of the Canaanite population settling at Tell el-Dabaa during the late Twelfth Dynasty differs strongly from the one Ben-Tor suggests in her book, this volume is up to date with the latest information on chronology. She has thoroughly assembled the existing material of this period and, where possible, checked its stratigraphical contexts with the help of the most renowned specialists in their fields, thus using well-dated material for her chronological assessment. Furthermore, it should be emphasized that the separation into these four groups according to their origin and chronology helps us to get a much clearer structure and picture in the field of scarab research. It opens up some interesting questions concerning the succession of the kings of the Fourteenth and Fifteenth dynasties. There are only a few things the archaeologist using this book in the field might miss, like information on the material of the scarabs, whether they were all made of steatite or of amethyst, and an indication of the chronological point at which faience scarabs appear. Further, one could wish to have Tufnell and ward’s, Martin’s, and O’Connor’s head, back, and side typologies depicted, which would have made research much easier. Nevertheless, all in all this volume is a highly valuable work for specialists in the field of scarab research, and a most welcome contribution to the chronology and interaction of egypt and the Near east in the late Middle Kingdom and the Second Intermediate Period.
4 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the same motif associated with the subservient work (b3k) of beings of divine nature on behalf of divine recipients is found in three mortuary compositions dating to the Eleventh and Twelfth Dynasties.
Abstract: Three mortuary compositions dating to the Eleventh and Twelfth Dynasties contain the same motif associated with the subservient work (b3k) of beings of divine nature on behalf of divine recipients. The motif in each case forms part of a larger compositional unit. All three attestations share structural and contextual features, which involve variants of a specific model of the community of the gods and the dead. Apart from the detailed analysis of the motif and the related model, the article aims at revealing major patterns in the interplay between models of work in human society and in the society of the divine world.
4 citations
TL;DR: The phrase m ḥm n stp-s3, typically translated as "in the majesty of the palace" as discussed by the authors, has the actual meaning "as a manifestation of royal service/desire" with the action preceding the phrase acting as a mechanism through which the abstract, intangible concept of "service" is given a specific form that can be experienced in the physical world.
Abstract: The phrase m ḥm n stp-s3, typically translated as ‘in the majesty of the palace’, is shown to have the actual meaning ‘as a manifestation of royal service/desire’, with the action preceding the phrase acting as a mechanism through which the abstract, intangible concept of ‘service (relating to royal desire)’ is given a specific form that can be experienced in the physical world. This is shown through a study and clarification of the meaning of the words ḥm and stp-s3, and an analysis of the known examples of the phrase m ḥm n stp-s3.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present a summary of work in progress and we can look forward to more detailed studies to interpret this site that is so crucial for our understanding of the Greeks in Saite and Late Period egypt.
Abstract: have added little to the interpretation of long distance trade in the archaic period. while some scholars are calling for augmenting the datasets, it should be remembered that these are partially destructive processes. would it be better to suspend further study until the techniques have been developed? There is little attempt to quantify the results or to move to a common methodology for interpreting the finds. One of the few attempts to present charts of finds (not from Naukratis) only gives percentages rather than raw figures. Nevertheless this volume gives a summary of work in progress and we can look forward to more detailed studies to interpret this site that is so crucial for our understanding of the Greeks in Saite and Late Period egypt.
TL;DR: The notebooks and manuscripts of the nineteenth century collector and scholar A. C. Harris have lain unnoticed in the Graeco-Roman Museum in Alexandria for over a century as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: The notebooks and manuscripts of the nineteenth century collector and scholar A. C. Harris have lain unnoticed in the Graeco-Roman Museum in Alexandria for over a century. Now relocated, a summary ...
TL;DR: The complete translation and commentary of five important theological texts from the Persian period in egypt marks a seminal contribution to the understanding of the histories of language, writing, religion, and theology of that era as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: The complete translation and commentary of five important theological texts from the Persian period in egypt marks a seminal contribution to the understanding of the histories of language, writing, religion, and theology of that era. The author has succeeded in enlightening previously unclear or misunderstood text passages, and in establishing relations heretofore unseen; he has done it by considering numerous text sources from a wide range of corpora. From the reviewer’s point of view, a synthesising interpretation of all analysed texts, with regard to their position in (and importance for) the histories of religion and theology, is still required. while the various intertextual relations are pointed out by the author (e.g. p. 19), the suggested overall theological concept behind the hymns, namely ‘Adoration of the Ram’, remains rather ill defined. The elaboration of the iris motif, as well as the eye metaphors for the concept of divine transcendence and earthly effectivity (Chapter 7), are very deserving. However, one hesitates to identify this important aspect of the Amun-Re theology as the fundamental concept underlying all the texts. Furthermore, the reader looks in vain for arguments addressing the original dating of the theological and religious attitudes represented by the Hibis hymns. Rather incidentally, the term ‘Ramesside’ appears (e.g. p. 176), whereby the adoption of the concept of the ‘ramessidische weltgott-Theologie’, developed by Assmann, is indicated. This assumption is substantiated by the fruitful, although problematic, discussion of the several additional text sources; problematic, since the method is carried out quite unhistorically, not simply diachronically. By this means, Assmann was already able to reconstruct the Ramesside ‘weltgott-Theologie’, lasting from the late New Kingdom through the Persian period until the Hellenistic and Roman era. There is no doubt that the New Kingdom theology influenced the development of subsequent centuries; however, to therefore minimise the importance of religious and textual processes during the Libyan, Persian, and Ptolemaic periods, is wholly inappropriate. One can only guess that the author assumes some theological development in the post-Ramesside millennium (cf. p. 180: ‘This quotation adds a new dimension to the “hiding within the iris” theme ...’). Possible considerations of literary and redactional criticism regarding the examined texts are left completely unmentioned; this oversight is surprising, as the author works by means of numerous text parallels from different times and arranges them synoptically. That the hymns of the Persian period, and indeed those from Libyan times, are not purely Ramesside period copies, is easily established. The author should be encouraged to continue his promising work, by using his important and fruitful observations concerning philology and the contents of the analysed texts in order to undertake an overall interpretation. This, then, can mark a substantial contribution to answer the crucial questions surrounding the theology, its circumstances, the handling of sacred texts, and their adaptation and reformulation in times of political and cultural troubles such as the Persian period in egypt.
TL;DR: New readings proposed for two Late Period stelae reveal additional evidence for divine oracles as discussed by the authors, and Nectanebo I relates how the goddess Nehmetaway proclaimed his future kingship through an...
Abstract: New readings proposed for two Late Period stelae reveal additional evidence for divine oracles. In JE 72130, Nectanebo I relates how the goddess Nehmetaway proclaimed his future kingship through an...
TL;DR: The chronology of the Second, Third, and Fourth Prophets of Amun during the Twenty-second and Twenty-third Dynasties is assessed in this paper, and the relationship between their families and the royal house is investigated.
Abstract: The chronology of the Second, Third, and Fourth Prophets of Amun during the Twenty-second and Twenty-third Dynasties is assessed, and the relationship between their families and the royal house, as...
TL;DR: The 2010 season at Tell el-Amarna mostly summarises the findings of excavations at the South Tombs Cemetery (where a further new excavation area was begun) and the study of the Chris...
Abstract: This report on the 2010 season at Tell el-Amarna mostly summarises the findings of excavations at the South Tombs Cemetery (where a further new excavation area was begun) and the study of the Chris...
TL;DR: A re-edition of P.CLT 10, with the first published image of this document, is accompanied by a linguistic analysis as discussed by the authors, which highlights a number of grammatical features characteristic of Theban legal documents such as the performative EICΩTM and the negative protatic EqTMC ΩTM.
Abstract: This article is a re-edition of P. CLT 10, which was originally published with minimal commentary, no image, and a number of transcription errors. Subsequent published translations improved understanding of the text, but were not made in consultation with the original manuscript. The re-edition of the text, with the first published image of this document, is accompanied by a linguistic analysis. This highlights a number of grammatical features characteristic of Theban legal documents such as the performative EICΩTM and the negative protatic EqTMCΩTM. Addressing them explicitly paves the way for a better understanding of such texts, which are often difficult to interpret.
TL;DR: In this article, a synoptische edition of the Coffin Texts Project is presented, für eine analyzes der einzelnen Sprüche and für textvergleichende and -critische Studien.
Abstract: ein wenig vereinfachend bezeichnet man die ‘Sargtexte’ als die Totentexte des Mittleren Reichs in einer Reihe mit und kontrastierend zu den Pyramidentexten des Alten sowie dem Totenbuch des Neuen Reichs. Nichtsdestotrotz ist die existenz von ‘Pyramidentexten’ auf Särgen des Mittleren Reichs längst bekannt. eine edition dieser Abschriften hatte bereits Adriaan de Buck angekündigt, nun hat James P. Allen sie als achten Band der ‘Coffin Texts’ vorgelegt, unterstützt durch ein erneutes Coffin Texts Project von 2001 bis 2006 (s. Preface, S. xiii). Dank der Indizes von Thomas G. Allen und Leonard H. Lesko lassen sich Textbestand und -verteilung auf den einzelnen Särgen zumeist gut nachvollziehen. Dass es aber zusätzlich von Bedeutung ist, die Texte in der version lesen zu können, die auf dem entsprechenden Sarg steht, versteht sich von selbst. Außerdem ist eine synoptische edition für eine Analyse der einzelnen Sprüche sowie für textvergleichende und -kritische Studien ein unschätzbares Hilfsmittel. 71 Jahre nach Band 1 und 45 Jahre nach Band 7 der ‘Coffin Texts’ hat dieses hoch willkommene Buch mit einem unvermeidlichen Problem jedes langfristig angelegten Publikationsvorhabens zu kämpfen: Die Publikationsgrundlage ist nicht mehr aktuell, weil inzwischen zahlreiche weitere Quellen entdeckt wurden. Zudem hat de Buck einige ihm bekannte Särge/Sargkammern aus unterschiedlichen Gründen nicht berücksichtigt. Für die vorliegende Publikation wurde ein pragmatischer Grundsatz gewählt: Man arbeitete ganz überwiegend mit den Unterlagen des (ersten) Coffin Texts Project, also de Bucks Fotos und Abschriften (s. Preface, S. xiii; Introduction, S. xv). Der kaum zu erfüllende Anspruch auf vollständigkeit wurde somit hinter die zügige Publikation des klar definierten Korpus der schon in CT I–vII enthaltenen Textzeugen zurückgestellt. An einigen Stellen ist die Materialbasis sogar etwas erweitert: Zwei Särge, die de Buck kannte, aber von der Publikation ausschloss, wurden nun mitberücksichtigt (Sed1–2Cop [=Sid2–3X]). Umso überraschender ist deshalb das Fehlen von KH1KH, der Grabkammer des Chesu-aa, die ebenfalls bereits de Buck bekannt war. Das Fehlen einer Reihe weiterer Textzeugen des Mittleren Reichs ist dem erwähnten Prinzip der edition geschuldet, fast (s.u.) nur solche Texte wiederzugeben, die schon vom (ersten) Coffin Texts Project aufgenommen worden waren. Dies mag man bedauern, zumal bei einigen selten belegten Texten,
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present a useful and long awaited publication on one of the important tombs in the Teti Cemetery, which is an excavation report on the monument in a clear and precise way, and without having to wade through cumbersome materials, often unnecessary for such a composition.
Abstract: authors in regard to the ownership of the different sections of the tomb under consideration. However, I certainly believe that the problem is not completely answered, and deserves further investigation. The difference in interpretation does not reduce my appreciation of the value of the work, and the effort expended in the preparation of the text and the artwork of this monograph. After an introduction, the architecture of the chapel is described, followed by a list of names and titles, and a section on the decoration. The last section, as would be expected, forms the bulk of the text (pp. 10–30) and includes a description of the scenes, as well as the transliteration and translation of the inscriptions. References are additionally given to an adequate amount of comparative data. The final section is on miscellaneous blocks, which is followed by indices of names, titles, and words discussed, as well as a general index. The book ends with 44 plates, some folded, including black and white photographs and line drawings. This is a useful and long awaited publication on one of the important tombs in the Teti Cemetery. As an excavation report, the authors present the reader with the necessary information on the monument in a clear and precise way, and without having to wade through cumbersome materials, often unnecessary for such a composition. we egyptologists should be appreciative and grateful to those who make the evidence available so that we can further our studies. The present monograph is a welcome addition to the Old Kingdom library, and its authors have certainly enriched our resources and made a significant contribution to research in this period.
TL;DR: Three modern forgeries imitating a single genuine Eighteenth Dynasty ostracon are discussed in this paper, one is currently in the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, another is in the IFAO archives in Cairo, together with the original, and a third is in private hands.
Abstract: Three modern forgeries imitating a single genuine Eighteenth Dynasty ostracon are discussed: one is currently in the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, another is in the IFAO archives in Cairo, together with the original, and a third is in private hands. The forger is not known but was probably someone working in Egypt during the first half of the twentieth century: all copies seem to predate the Second World War.
TL;DR: In this article, a French-Italian excavation at Kom Umm el-Boreigat, ancient Tebtynis, in the Fayyum region of Egypt is described.
Abstract: This volume is part of a series, Fouilles franco-italiennes, edited by IFAO and concerning the publication of the French-Italian excavation at Kom Umm el-Boreigat, ancient Tebtynis, in the Fayyum. The author was in charge, during the years 1989–1992, of the excavation of the area presented in this volume. Archaeological investigations are still being undertaken at Tebtynis, and further volumes have been announced. The report examines an area of 1250 m2, located east of the temenos of Soknebtynis and south of a 14 m wide street running east–west, identified as the dromos of Tefresudj(ty?). The methods and strategy followed in the field have led to impressive advances in the comprehension of how an urban area evolved from the third century bc to the third century ad. 18 houses have been brought to light on three levels, and the stratigraphic method permitted their precise dating: 4 were built during the third century bc, 4 in the second century bc, 4 in the first century ad, and 6 in the second century ad. Thus, it is possible to follow the evolution of an urban habitation quarter in a Graeco-Roman settlement. The volume consists of seven chapters, each one dedicated to the description and analysis of one or more buildings from the Roman to the Hellenistic period according to the stratigraphic sequence. In a final chapter (vIII), the author examines the evolution of the quarter, the plans of its houses according to the different periods, and the typology and use of features (such as staircases) and rooms. 140 black and white photographs and a colour aerial view follow, grouped at the end of the volume with a list of figures and a list of photographs. Index and bibliography are not present, though a short list of abbreviations precedes the Introduction. 93 figures illustrating plans, cross sections, and details of the buildings are inserted in the text. The documentation and cross-references are clear and excellent. Numbers and conventions used are explained on pp. 2 and 7; the elevations are not on sea level but, as in the previous publications, refer to a local fixed point located on a block of the west jamb of the first gateway of the temple (100 m, fig. 1). The excavation proceeded in numbered sectors, which were fully investigated: buildings and streets were explored down to the clean sand, to a maximum depth of about 4 metres. The relatively shallow stratigraphy and the solidity of the masonry allowed the archaeologists to investigate the superimposed levels without any demolition of upper-level features. Despite the damage to features, and depositions resulting from the activity of previous diggers (archaeologists and local inhabitants), the data that were collected allowed feasible interpretations of the single buildings and their chronology. The author explains that the dating was established on the basis of Greek documents, coins, and pottery (p. 7 n. 10). Unfortunately, few findings are mentioned in the text, and the dating is presented as a matter of fact, lacking any discussion. The sequence of the buildings is summarized in two figures (figs 78 and 79), for the Hellenistic and Roman periods, in which colours are used to mark the foundation periods, and chronological tables specify the foundation and abandonment date of each building.
TL;DR: A seal impression with the cartouche of Neferneferuaten followed by the epithet Akhetenhyes, adding a further occurrence to the dossier of this enigmatic royal figure was found at the Tell el-Borg in North Sinai as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: Since 1999 investigations at Tell el-Borg in North Sinai have uncovered significant material from the Amarna period. In addition to pottery from this period, several wine jar seals and other small objects mention the names of members of the royal family of Akhetaten. Particularly interesting is a seal impression with the cartouche of Neferneferuaten followed by the epithet Akhetenhyes, adding a further occurrence to the dossier of this enigmatic royal figure.
TL;DR: Two unpublished faience amulet fragments from the University of Pennsylvania Museum, which depict foreign enemies trampled underfoot, are discussed in this article, where the authors discuss the relationship between faience amulets and faience figurines.
Abstract: Two unpublished faience amulet fragments from the University of Pennsylvania Museum, which depict foreign enemies trampled underfoot, are discussed.
TL;DR: A new reading of an inscription carved on a colossal statue of the Mît Rahîna museum allowing an identification for the monument named "Temple A" by the Survey of Memphis (EES) to be proposed: the sanctuary of "Ramesses II beloved-like-Ptah" as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: New reading of an inscription carved on a colossal statue of the Mît Rahîna museum allowing an identification for the monument named ‘Temple A’ by the Survey of Memphis (EES) to be proposed: the sanctuary of ‘Ramesses II beloved-like-Ptah’. This may have been a place dedicated to personal piety.
TL;DR: Recently rediscovered text copies of what is now P. BM EA 10052, 6.22.23 by Anthony Harris from his Notebook 5, in conjunction with surviving unpublished fragments from this section of the papyrus, identify a Queen Tyti as a King's Wife of Ramesses III, helping to resolve a long-standing conundrum in the study of the Twentieth Dynasty royal family as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: Recently rediscovered text copies of what is now P. BM EA 10052, 6.22–23 by Anthony Harris from his Notebook 5, in conjunction with surviving unpublished fragments from this section of the papyrus, identify a Queen Tyti as a King's Wife of Ramesses III, helping to resolve a long-standing conundrum in the study of the Twentieth Dynasty royal family.
TL;DR: An inscription on a sarcophagus of the mid- or late second century AD found at Ancyra (modern Ankara, Turkey) indicates that it contained the repatriated body of an Ancyran who died in Alexandria as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: An inscription on a sarcophagus of the mid- or late second century AD found at Ancyra (modern Ankara, Turkey) indicates that it contained the repatriated body of an Ancyran who died in Alexandria. While absolute proof is lacking, it seems likely that his body had been mummified to allow for its return. As such, this sarcophagus and its inscription provide a rare reference to a mummy being sent out of Egypt for burial elsewhere.
TL;DR: Capart's photographs were excellent, and particularly suitable for the scenes and inscriptions of Neferseshemptah's chapel which were mostly unpainted, with even the painted sections having largely lost their colours as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: The present publication is the third in the series Saqqâra Tombs, reporting on some important and interesting tombs in the Teti Cemetery. The mastaba of Neferseshemptah was originally excavated by v. Loret in 1897–9, and published in 1907 by J. Capart with two other mastabas, those of Neferseshemre and Ankhmahor, which formed what became known as the ‘Rue de tombeaux’. A fourth mastaba, belonging to an important official named Kaaper, has since been cleared in the same street of tombs, which lies immediately to the west of the pyramids of Teti’s queens. Although black and white, Capart’s photographs were excellent, and particularly suitable for the scenes and inscriptions of Neferseshemptah’s chapel which were mostly unpainted, with even the painted sections having largely lost their colours. However, despite its importance, the mastaba of Neferseshemptah remained incompletely excavated and published. The external walls of the mastaba have never been identified, nor had the main shaft been cleared, and even when Firth and Gunn later excavated many shafts in this cemetery, including those of the neighbouring mastabas of Neferseshemre and Ankhmahor, Neferseshemptah’s shaft was neglected. Capart’s publication also did not include an epigraphic record of the scenes and inscriptions and completely omitted the decorated, but damaged, westernmost room of the chapel, Room 7. The present publication addresses some, but not all, of these shortcomings. Under ‘Architecture and excavation’ (pp. 3–5), a description of the architectural features of each room of the chapel is given, but no attempt is made to establish the external limits of the superstructure, i.e. the mastaba itself. Moreover, the main shaft and burial chamber were excavated by Dr. Ali el-Khouli, but, as stated in the report (p. 5), the information was not available to the authors. The location of this shaft, which is readily visible immediately to the west of the tomb owner’s false door in Room 3, is not marked on the plan, although four other pits are identified (pl. ii). On the other hand, the expedition recleared the western section of the chapel, which proved that Room 7 was actually decorated but omitted in Capart’s publication. The decoration of this room, as rightly pointed out by the authors, is in poor condition and it would have been impossible for Capart to produce a satisfactory photographic record of its scenes and inscriptions. This is precisely why reliable facsimile drawings are absolutely necessary in excavation reports, and the expedition has certainly done that. with an experienced epigraphic team, all scenes and inscriptions, including those of Room 7, were recorded. It is regrettable however that the great effort and time invested in the production of the intricate details in these drawings is partly wasted in the reduction and printing processes. The fine lines representing the internal details of wigs, some objects, food items and hieroglyphic signs have frequently joined together forming a black spot. The blame for this is placed on the publisher/printer and not on the authors, and the present reviewer, among others, has suffered from the same problem in earlier years, before better scanning techniques were used. The identities of Neferseshemptah and his family are of particular interest. On pp. 6–9 the authors give a list of his names and titles as well as those of his wife and other individuals mentioned in the tomb. Neferseshemptah was married to a woman named Zeshzeshet, designated as ‘eldest king’s daughter of his body’, presumably referring to her kinship to King Teti in whose cemetery she was buried. As waatetkhethor, the wife of the vizier Mereruka, was similarly described, the authors suggest that the title ‘eldest daughter of the king’ was sometimes used in an honorific fashion, or it was a designation for the eldest surviving daughter, or even that it meant that the second daughter simply functioned as the eldest one. The possibility that the two women were two eldest daughters by two different wives should at least be considered, and we know that King Teti had at least two queens, Iput and Khuit. More serious, however, is the identity of the tomb owner himself. The authors reject the reviewer’s