Submitted by veigapaula on Wed, 03/17/2010 - 17:23
A couple of weeks ago I was lucky enough to take part in the scanning of a female mummy from ancient Egypt, and to take photos to document the experience. This young girl was only around 25 at the age of death, and survived in relative peace for thousands of years. In the last century, however, she's been used as a bargaining tool by the Germans, survived attacks by torpedos and fires, and even suffered physical traumas.
In the Armarna period from 1390-1327 BC, and during the reign of pharaoh Akhenaten, major changes began to take place in religious beliefs and in artistic styles and illustrations. This Limestone stela with a seated figure of Akhenaten depicts these changes in both its design and construction. The stela shows The King Akhenaten, who was also named Amenhotep IV in a relaxed and friendly pose, with a protruding chin and belly, seated bellown the disc of Aten. This is completely opposite to the way his predecessors where shown, who were usually depicted as powerful and strong kings. The new beliefs emphasised Akhenaten as the sole person with direct assess to Aten, the sun, who was thought to be the source of life. Thus, only the royal family were ever illustrated giving offerings to the sun god.
Submitted by Sean Williams on Tue, 02/23/2010 - 18:07
A panel of Japanese experts recently revealed what they considered to be the world's greatest chat-up line, based upon reams of psychological and sociological research. The result? "This time next year, let's be laughing together."
Apparently the sure-fire phrase is based on keywords guaranteed to get the romantic juices flowing. I'm not convinced: it's hardly Shakespeare, barely even Barbara Cartland.
Living in the XIXth Dynasty from about 1295-1255 BC, Nefertari, otherwise known as Nefertari Merytmut, meaning "Beautiful Companion, Beloved of Mut", was the Great Royal Wife of Ramesses II the Great, and is one of the best known Egyptian queens. Her tomb, QV66, is the largest, most lavishly decorated and spectacular tomb in the Valley of the Queens. A temple at Abu Simbel was also constructed by the king for her next to his own colossal monument, with statues on the facade of the temple the same size and scale as his own. She was the most important of his eight wives for the first twenty years of his reign until her death in 1255 BC. Her tomb was discovered by Ernesto Schiaparelli in 1904.
The tomb of Thutmose I and Hatshepsut is one of the most undecorated tombs in the valley of the Kings. The tomb was built by pharaoh Hatshepsut, who was the 5th pharaoh of the 18th dynasty, directly behind her impressive temple at Deir el Bahri. It is thought that the aim of this was that her body would then lie underneath her temple. However the tomb curves, never reaching the temple probably due to unsuitable rock. The only decoration in the tomb can be found in the burial chamber, consisting of fifteen limestone blocks which were inscribed with texts from the Amduat.
Thutmose I, who was the 3rd pharaoh of the 18th dynasty, was also buried in the tomb KV20, however his mummy was later moved by Thutmose III into his own tomb, KV38.
It is thought that Hatshepsut as well was was moved - to KV60, the tomb of her wetnurse - by Thutmose III.
In 1903, Howard Carter discovered the ancient tomb known as KV60. The tomb is located in the southeast branch off the valley in the eastern cliffs of the Valley of the Kings. It is a small, uninscribed and undecorated tomb, consisting of an entryway stairway, a corridor with recesses and a side chamber, and a roughly cut burial chamber.
Two female mummies where found here, thought to be Queen Hatshepsut (relocated here by Thutmoses III) and her wetnurse. One of the females was found with her left arm bent at the elbow across the chest and with the left hand clenched, while the right arm held straight at its side. This burial position may indicate that she was a queen, or at least a member of the royal family during the 18th dynasty.
Ancient Egyptians faced tricky compromises over how they would be seen dead, a new exhibition at New York's Brooklyn Museum reveals. "To Live Forever: Art and the Afterlife in Ancient Egypt," emphasizes the often unpalatably expensive options that lay before Ancient Egyptians when considering burial. They had to think long and hard about what they could afford in the afterlife.
Submitted by Sean Williams on Wed, 01/27/2010 - 16:12
Cairo is gearing up to welcome its latest addition, the Grand Egyptian Museum, in 2013. This spectacularly modern complex stands in stark contrast to the millennia of history perched on its back doorstep, in the shape of the Pyramids of Giza. But can its collections and exhibits provide a comprehensive Egyptian experience worthy of the country’s capital?
Submitted by veigapaula on Thu, 01/21/2010 - 15:40
The rich and famous people of ancient Egypt lived a decadent lifestyle with fine wine, sex, high fashion, and plenty of partying. How do they compare with their equivalents today - the modern western celebrity set?
The main differences might be regarding who were the richest people then, and who are the richest people now. In ancient Egypt the pharaoh was at the top of the ‘pyramid’ and his family, noble people who owned land, and the priests came after. Scribes, architects and doctors were well off, and skilled craftsmen also had many privileges.
Cairo is gearing up to welcome its latest addition, the 
