Signs O’ The Times Egyptian hieroglyphs – streams of sometimes heavily stylised pictograms and letters, carved into stone or drawn onto papyrus parchment – are instantly recognisable relics of one of the world’s oldest and most famous ancient civilizations. But what on earth do they mean? And what of their place in the development of the Egyptian language, written and spoken, as a whole? Origins and Development Examples of written Egyptian date back more than 3,400 years, making it one of the earliest known languages in human history. The oldest bands of script discovered to date comprise a primitive system…
-
-
The pyramids of the ancient Egyptian pharaohs have long stood proud as some of the world’s greatest architectural achievements. The heralded leaders to whom they were devoted are known throughout the world, yet the stories of the men who built them have remained hidden until recent times. Who were these people, how did they construct these massive mausoleums – and why did they devote their lives to such a breathtaking task? Modern archaeology and ancient testament may hold the key to these questions. Who Were They? Age-old storytelling, myth and the mysticism of the structures themselves, has led many in…
-
Few events in the history of archaeology have stirred so much interest or had such an impact as the discovery of the tomb of the boy king, Tutankhamun in 1922. For the first time since serious exploration of the Valley of the Kings began in the early 1800s an intact tomb had been found. The finding unearthed the mummified remains of a king of Egypt interred many thousands of years ago, and revealed to the world the true wonder and artistry of the ancient Egyptians. The treasures uncovered at King Tut’s tomb stunned the world, and even today we stare…
-
The burial chamber is the only room of Tutankhamun’s tomb which was decorated. The early and unexpected death of the young king left little time for preparation and, from the modest size and arrangement it is clear that this is a hastily converted commoner’s tomb not intended for a royal burial. Despite the sparsity of mural paintings in King Tut’s tomb, they are an essential part of the funerary process, and should not be overlooked. Funerary Rituals For a Pharaoh, and indeed for Egyptians in general, life was a preparation for death, the Afterlife and immortality. The ceremonies of burial…
-
Modern Discovery of an Ancient Army The enigmatic terracotta warriors were unearthed alongside their emperor in Xi’an, in the central province of Shaanxi, in 1974. They were found accidentally when peasants digging a well broke into a pit containing 6000 life-size terracotta figures. Further excavations revealed the terracotta army – footsoldiers, archers, cavalrymen and officers of all ranks. Current estimates of the three pits containing the Terracotta Army are over 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots with 520 horses and 150 cavalry horses with many still buried in the pits. Discoveries in other pits have continued at the site with horse bones…
-
Wrapped In A Mystery The Sphinx of Greek myth was a baffling creature. She ambushed unsuspecting travellers, and then ate them when they couldn’t answer her riddles. But the original Sphinx – a colossal statue located at Giza, Egypt – is in many ways more enigmatic, and a riddle in its own right. This Great Sphinx spent most of its history buried up to the neck in sand, giving no clues to the colossal body, and the layers of meaning, lying below. Tuthmosis IV, the pharaoh of the 18th Dynasty, apparently excavated the Sphinx, as did the Romans. But shifting…
-
Young Howard Howard Carter was a talented child. Home-schooled in London, and encouraged by his artist father, he had plenty of time to practice his love of drawing and painting. And when his father went to work in Norfolk for archeaologist William Amherst, Carter caught probably his first glimpse of the kind of ancient Egyptian artefacts that would fascinate him for the rest of his life. Life in Egypt Carter’s talent for drawing and his interest in Egyptian antiquities lead William Amherst to arrange an interview for him with Percy Newberry who had been working on a site at Beni…
-
The game of Hockey has been around from the time of early civilization. Some of the reports find the earliest origin of the game 4000 years back. Field hockey was reportedly played even before the birth of Christ. Basically known as the ball and stick game, it was played since ancient times in places diverse as Rome, Scotland, Egypt and South America. The game was referred to in different names but the basic idea of playing the game was the same. The most apt used term was Hockie by the Irish. Though the term was coined centuries ago, the word…
-
Not been to Egypt and looking to go away somewhere…. After 2 weeks of freezing cold weather here in London and it seems everyone either having a cold or flu this photo should point you in the right direction. Thanks Sandro!