La figura dell’intellettuale nell’antico Egitto: Padiamenope e i suoi 'colleghi'

An intellectual, namely an educated person, a scholar who enjoys studying and has a vast knowledge, capable of critical thinking and whose analyses are food for thought for the community, can be identified with some renowned men of ancient Egypt. One of these is the lector-priest Padiamenope (floruit 680-660 B.C.), whose monumental tomb in the Assassif necropolis (Luxor) is a kind of 'library' that not only collects, preserves and celebrates different manifestations of ancient culture and tradition, but also sheds light on this man close to the Kushite pharaohs of the 25th dynasty.La figura dell’intellettuale, quale persona colta, amante degli studi e del sapere, capace di elaborare pensieri e analisi critiche che costituiscano spunti di riflessioni per la comunità, si identifica con alcuni uomini illustri dell’antico Egitto. Uno di questi è il sacerdote-lettore Padiamenope (floruit 680-660 a.C.), la cui tomba monumentale nella necropoli dell’Assassif (Luxor) è una sorta di “biblioteca” che non solo raccoglie, preserva e celebra varie espressioni della cultura e della tradizione antica, ma getta luce su questo personaggio vicino ai faraoni kushiti della XXV dinastia

"Sfogliare una necropoli": storia ed evoluzione del cimitero monumentale dell’Assassif (Luxor, Egitto)

In Egypt, on the west bank of the ancient city of Thebes (today's Luxor) there is a vast necropolis known as Assassif, located in the desert plain in front of the three funerary temples of Deir el-Bahari. Its multi-millennial history dates back at least to the reign of king Montuhotep II (2045-1994 a.C.) and continues into Roman times. The heyday of this ancient cemetery was between the end of the 8th and the middle of the 6th century BC. During this period (XXV and XXVI dynasties) a dozen monumental tombs (also known as 'funerary palaces') were erected to bury members of the Theban elite.In Egitto, sulla sponda occidentale dell’antica città di Tebe (odierna Luxor) vi è una vasta necropoli, nota con il nome di Assassif, che occupa la spianata desertica davanti ai tre templi funerari di Deir el-Bahari. La sua storia plurimillenaria risale almeno al regno del faraone Montuhotep II (2045-1994 a.C.) e prosegue sino all’epoca romana. Il periodo di maggior splendore di questo antico cimitero si colloca tra la fine dell’VIII e la metà del VI secolo a.C. In quel periodo (XXV e XXVI dinastia) furono innalzate una dozzina di tombe monumentali (note anche come 'palazzi funerari') per dare sepoltura a membri dell’élite tebana

Il Pabasa Tomb Project (TT 279): (ri)scoprire un monumento dell’antico Egitto e il suo proprietario

Since 2020, the tomb of Pabasa (TT 279) in the Luxor necropolis (Assassif) has been the subject of the Pabasa Tomb Project (TT 279), co-directed by Silvia Einaudi, M. Á. Molinero Polo and H. el-Leithy. The mission is concerned with the study, restoration and valorization of the monument, which belonged to a 'great majordome of the divine adoratrice' whose floruit dates in the last quarter of the 7th century BC, during the reign of Psammetichus I. In particular, the ultimate aim of the project is to publish all the inscriptions and scenes that make up the decorative program of the tomb, in order to integrate this 'funerary palace' into the historical context of the Asasif, defining its inspiring models as well as its decorative connections with other coeval tombs in the same necropolis.Dal 2020 la tomba di Pabasa (TT 279), nella necropoli di Luxor (Assassif), è oggetto del Pabasa Tomb Project (TT 279), co-diretto da Silvia Einaudi, M. Á. Molinero Polo e H. el-Leithy. La missione si occupa dello studio, del restauro e della valorizzazione del monumento, appartenuto ad un 'grande maggiordomo della divina adoratrice' il cui floruit si colloca nell’ultimo quarto del VII secolo a.C., sotto il regno di Psammetico I. In particolare, lo scopo finale del progetto è quello di pubblicare tutte le iscrizioni e le scene che costituiscono il programma decorativo della tomba, per integrare questo 'palazzo funerario' nel contesto storico dell’Assassif, definendone i modelli d’ispirazione e i collegamenti decorativi con le altre tombe coeve della stessa necropoli

Some Observations on Retrograde Writing in Late Period Theban Tombs

L’écriture « rétrograde » se caractérise par une inversion dans la séquence de lecture des hiéroglyphes qui, soit en colonne soit en ligne, se lisent « à contresens », c’est-à-dire dans le sens contraire de ce qu’on attendrait d’après la direction des signes. Au cours de l’histoire égyptienne, ce système de notation fut utilisé pour la rédaction de textes funéraires inscrits sur les parois des tombes et sur certains objets de l’équipement funéraire (sarcophages, stèles, papyrus). Plusieurs théories, impliquant des questions d’ordre technique ou théologique, ont été avancées pour expliquer le recours à l’écriture rétrograde. À l’époque tardive, son emploi est particulièrement répandu dans les tombes monumentales de la nécropole thébaine de l’Assassif. L’analyse menée sur le programme décoratif de ces hypogées montre que dans ce contexte l’écriture rétrograde est fonctionnelle pour exprimer, de manière visuelle, la conception théologique de l’au-delà, où le défunt parcourt la Douat avant de sortir au jour à la suite du dieu soleil.The “retrograde” writing is characterised by an inversion in the reading sequence of the hieroglyphs, which—either in columns or in lines—are to be read in the “opposite direction”, counter to what we would expect from the signs’ direction. Throughout Egyptian history, this writing system was used to inscribe funerary texts on tomb walls and certain objects of the funerary equipment (sarcophagi, stelae, papyri). Several theories, involving technical or theological issues, have been advanced to explain the use of retrograde writing. During the Late Period, this system was widely used in the monumental tombs of the Asasif necropolis in Thebes. The analysis conducted on the decorative programme of these rock-cut tombs shows that the use of retrograde writing in this context was functional. It was intended to express in a visual manner the theological conception of the beyond, where the deceased would cross the Duat before going forth by day following the sun god

Central Precocious Puberty: Treatment with Triptorelin 11.25 mg

Background. Few data are available on quarterly 11.25 mg GnRH analog treatment in central precocious puberty (CPP). Aim. To assess the efficacy of triptorelin 11.25 mg in children with CPP. Patients. 17 patients (16 females) with CPP (7.9 ± 0.9 years) were treated with triptorelin 11.25 mg/90 days. Methods. Gonadotropins, basal-, and GnRH-stimulated peak, gonadal steroids, and pubertal signs were assessed at preinclusion and at inclusion visit, 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months of treatment. Results. At 3, 6, and 12 months, all patients had suppressed LH peak (<3 IU/L after GnRH stimulation), as well as prepubertal oestradiol levels. Mean LH peak values after GnRH test significantly decreased from 25.7 ± 16.5 IU/L at baseline to 0.9 ± 0.5 IU/L at M3 (P < 0.0001); they did not significantly changed at M6 and M12. Conclusions. Triptorelin 11.25 mg/90 days efficiently suppressed the pituitary-gonadal axis in children with CPP from first administration

Le Livre des Morts et le travail de rédaction des scribes-copistes : le cas du papyrus Louvre E 11078

The ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead is a collection of magic-religious formulas, whose aim was to aid the deceased on his way to a happy life in the hereafter. Beginning mainly in the New Empire, this funerary composition is attested to on the shrouds, coffins, papyri, the walls of the tombs, funerary statuettes (shabtis), amulets and mummy bandages. The Pasenedjemibnakht papyrus (Louvre E 11078) contains a Book of the Dead that has been preserved in its entirety, give or take a few lacunae. The roll (19.44 metres) contains 153 formulas. It comes from the town of Akhmīm and most likely date from the second half of the fourth century BC (end of the Late period – beginning of the Ptolemaic period)