Architecture, Astronomy and Sacred Landscape in Ancient Egypt

reserved1This book examines the interplay between astronomy and dynastic power in the course of ancient Egyptian history, focusing on the fundamental role of astronomy in the creation of the pyramids and the monumental temple and burial complexes. Bringing to bear the analytical tools of archaeoastronomy, a set of techniques and methods that enable modern scholars to better understand the thought, religion, and science of early civilizations, Giulio Magli provides in-depth analyses of the pyramid complexes at Giza, Abusir, Saqqara, and Dahshur, as well as of the Early Dynastic necropolis at Abydos and the magnificent new Kingdom Theban temples. Using a variety of data retrieved from study of the sky and measurements of the buildings, he reconstructs the visual, symbolic, and spiritual world of the ancient Egyptians and thereby establishes an intimate relationship among celestial cycles, topography, and architecture. He also shows how they were deployed in the ideology of the pharaoh's power in the course of Egyptian history.MagliMagli, Giuli

Lively Lanscapes of Literature

The present work deals with the production of the contemporary British novelist Penelope Lively. The aim is that of tracing an outline of the author and her several novels through a problematizing approach. Features both of the novelist and her works will be discussed against some literary theories in order to foreground contemporary issues about fiction writing

Armant: recent discoveries at the temple of Montu-Re

International audienceResults of the 2013 season of the French-Egyptian Archaeological Mission at Arman

Ancient Egyptians in Lithuania: A scientific study of the Egyptian mummies at the National Museum of Lithuania and the MK Čiurlionis National Museum of Art

Since 2011, ancient Egyptian mummified human remains from collections in Lithuania have been subjected to scientific analysis in an attempt to assess the lives and deaths of the individuals, and how their bodies were treated after death in order to achieve bodily preservation. In total, six mummies were studied using computed tomography to obtain the maximum amount of useful data in a non-invasive manner. This paper outlines the aims of the research, what has been done to date and the plans for future work on this corpus of material

‘Thinking makes it so’: reflections on the ethics of displaying Egyptian mummies

Controversy about museums’ possession and exhibition of human remains has usually affected those identified as ancestral remains by indigenous peoples. Egyptian mummies, with their long tradition of exhibition, seemed exempt from such considerations until the covering of unwrapped remains in the Egyptian gallery at The Manchester Museum in 2008. The museum’s representatives argued that this covering responded to visitors’ objections, but sub sequent widespread protest against the measure suggested that it had been carried out with inadequate public consultation. With reference to the Manchester case, I will present two arguments to expand the scope of current debates about human remains display. The first argument favours the consideration of museum visitors from cultures other than those represented by exhibited remains as legitimate stakeholders in the remains’ management, including consideration of their personal reasons and historical precedents for favouring display. The second argument, which reveals the spurious bases of many objections to Egyptian mummies’ display and demonstrates their derivation from misconceptions promulgated by the media, shows that the grounds for public objections to human remains display should be more critically examined. If perpetuated rather than halted, the display of mummies could be used to actively combat disparaging media stereotypes. Human remains exhibition is not inherently offensive, but can be regarded as such by visitors whose cultural backgrounds fail to prepare them for encounters with the dead. Removing the dead from display avoids engagement with ethics debates rather than facing the challenge of finding ways to respect the dead by facilitating encounters with them

Photogrammetry and Face Carvings: Exploring the `Face' of the Egyptian Anthropoid Coffins by 3D Modeling

This paper aims to illustrate the initial results of a new methodological approach to the study of anthropoid coffins. We analyze the coffins using a new methodological approach that will support and complement traditional analytical methods used for these finds. The project is based on the analysis of “facial features” carved on the lid and the so-called “minor attributes.” 3D modeling provides us with an excellent record of surface morpholog

Literati or demolition men? References to Thoth in New Kingdom epigraphy from the precinct of Senwosret III at Dahshur

References to Thoth in New Kingdom epigraphy in the Middle Kingdom precinct of Senwosret III at Dahshur include two case studies: a literary dipinto and a depiction of an ibis. The fragmentary text might have contained a hymn to the god of writing, or a text resembling eulogy of the scribal profession. Alongside Kemyt, it attests to an emphasis on literacy and specialist knowledge. An image of Thoth articulated the allegiance to the patron of scribes. The New Kingdom writing and visual practices contribute to an understanding of the New Kingdom community involved in the use and destruction of the Middle Kingdom pyramid complex

To Catch an Art Thief: Using International and Domestic Laws to Paint Fraudulent Art Dealers into a Corner

The article discusses the use of international and domestic laws to capture suspected art thieves as of September 2012. International treaties reportedly impose criminal charges for the theft and trafficking of cultural properties such as works of art. The author argues that foreign nations should look to the U.S. as an example of how to successfully prosecute art thieves and corrupt art dealers under domestic fraud laws

To Catch an Art Thief: Using International and Domestic Laws to Paint Fraudulent Art Dealers into a Corner

The article discusses the use of international and domestic laws to capture suspected art thieves as of September 2012. International treaties reportedly impose criminal charges for the theft and trafficking of cultural properties such as works of art. The author argues that foreign nations should look to the U.S. as an example of how to successfully prosecute art thieves and corrupt art dealers under domestic fraud laws

To Catch an Art Thief: Using International and Domestic Laws to Paint Fraudulent Art Dealers into a Corner

The article discusses the use of international and domestic laws to capture suspected art thieves as of September 2012. International treaties reportedly impose criminal charges for the theft and trafficking of cultural properties such as works of art. The author argues that foreign nations should look to the U.S. as an example of how to successfully prosecute art thieves and corrupt art dealers under domestic fraud laws