Equipping and stripping the dead. A case-study on the procurement, compilation, arrangement, and fragmentation of grave inventories in New Kingdom Thebes

This contribution investigates the procurement, assembly, arrangement, and fragmentation of grave inventories on the basis of so-called intact burials in the elite cemeteries of New Kingdom Thebes. After introductions to the state of research, the material under investigation, and the course of Egyptian funerals, two phenomena of fragmentation, namely grave robbing and the redeposition of burials, are discussed. It is argued that most of the burials classified as ‘intact’ are in fact affected by them in some way. The procurement of burial equipment is studied on the basis of concrete examples. They show that religious, social, and emotional motivations guiding its assembly were complemented by practical necessities and contingencies. These and the aforementioned forms of fragmentation are defined as analytically relevant criteria under the keyword ‘archaeology of the profane’. It is argued that they do not only shape the archaeological record in an equal measure, but are also integral and significant parts of the funerary practice, whose identification widens our understanding of death in Ancient Egypt—and beyond

Structures and realities of Egyptian-Nubian interactions from the late Old Kingdom to the early New Kingdom

ross-disciplinary studies in cultural history require regions with unusually favorable conditions of preservation as well as relevance to the disciplines and cultures involved. The first cataract of the Nile offers precisely such a combination, and this work employs a diverse set of academic perspectives to present a diachronic picture of its cultural and geographic history over a period of more than 5,000 years

Reluctant inscriptions: Social automatisms within the movement “Se Non Ora Quando?”

In the course of the production of sociality, the interaction of interests, materialities and rules may occur in unintended and not foreseeable ways. Procedures and norms can establish themselves uncontrollably and contour politics. This paper proposes the application of the concept of social automatisms for the description of such social formation processes of the political, taking as an example the dynamics within the new Italian feminist movement “Se Non Ora Quando?”. Based on an ethnography of the movement (2012-2014), the paper demonstrates how traditions of interaction and the philosophy of the Italian feminists of the 1970s have inscribed themselves in the discourses and practices of Se Non Ora Quando? in line with the concept of social automatisms: through repetition and perpetuation which, although occurring unplanned and partly unconsciously and against the intentions of the actors, cause a consolidation of structures (see Bublitz et al. 2010). These inscription processes have influenced political visions, interaction and protest practices as well as conflicts within the movement.Nel corso della produzione della socialità, spesso gli interessi, i materiali e le regole interagiscono in modi non voluti e non prevedibili. Le procedure e le norme possono affermarsi in modo incontrollato e contornare la politica. Questo saggio propone l’applicazione del concetto di automatismi sociali per la descrizione di tali processi di formazione sociale della politica, prendendo come esempio le dinamiche interne un movimento femminista contemporaneo italiano, “Se Non Ora Quando?”. Basato su un’etnografia del movimento (2012-2014), l’articolo mostra come le tradizioni di interazione e pensieri filosofici dei gruppi diversi del femminismo italiano degli anni Settanta si siano inscritte nei discorsi e nelle pratiche di Se Non Ora Quando? in linea con il concetto di automatismi sociali: attraverso la ripetizione e la perpetuazione che, pur avvenendo in modo non pianificato e in parte inconsapevole e contro le intenzioni degli attori, provocano un consolidamento delle strutture (vedi Bublitz et al. 2010). Questi processi di iscrizione hanno influenzato le visioni politiche, l’interazione e le pratiche di protesta e i conflitti all'interno del movimento

"This is absolutely gay!" - Homosexuality within the German Armed Forces

Drawing on Connell’s theory of hegemonic masculinity and Foucault’s concept of ‘dispositive’, this paper analyses historical and contemporary discourses on homosexuality within the Bundeswehr (German Armed Forces). I argue that the interconnected norms that shape the construction of homosexuality in the Bundeswehr – hegemonic masculinity as a core norm for male as well as female soldiers, and the dispositives of strength and equality – have different impacts on gay men and lesbians, empowering lesbian and devaluating gay soldiers. Through a discourse analysis of legal documents, internet forum discussions, drillmasters’ utterances, and interviews with gay and lesbian soldiers, I show how these gender norms and dispositives reflect the experiences of homosexual soldiers as well as their coping strategies

Landscapes of Desire: Tourists, Touts and Sexual Encounters at the World Heritage Site of Thebes

Cultural tourism capitalises on archaeological sites with World Heritage status on a global scale. The encounters of visitors from all over the world with local residents and other stakeholder groups, like local and international entrepreneurs, set off complex processes of interaction in which the physical and social space of the heritage site is negotiated, shaped and consumed. In a case study from Luxor/Egypt, this paper investigates a particular facet of these interactions, namely sexual encounters between tourists and members of the local community. It delineates the economic and social conditions of this phenomenon and discusses the role it takes in the production, perception and use of the World Heritage site of Thebes. © 2013 World Archaeological Congress

Archaeology, Development and Conflict: A Case Study from the African Continent

Apart from wars, other contexts of social conflict have recently become a setting in which archaeologists are faced with acute, sometimes armed, violence. On the African continent, a region often overlooked in discussions of "archaeology in conflict", rapid economic development has led to several such scenes. The paper discusses a particularly poignant example from the Middle Nile valley in Sudan, where large dam projects have been met with various levels of opposition by affected populations. Local communities opposing the construction of further planned dams on the Nile are increasingly stressing 'cultural survival' and fear of 'developmental genocide' as two of their major motivations for fighting these projects. Assuming a close link between the developer and archaeological salvage missions, affected people have started to use the expulsion of salvage teams from their territory as a strategy of resistance-posing an ethical dilemma for the archaeologists who struggle to find a position in the increasingly violent controversies accompanying these contested development projects. © 2013 World Archaeological Congress

Dialogues in the making: Collaborative archaeology in Sudan

In this paper we introduce the Mograt Island Collaborative Project. Launched in 2014, this project aims to share archaeological narratives with members of a local community in Sudan, and with other stakeholders engaged with the area’s past, building on a collaborative process which investigates how archaeological outputs can be explored together in a meaningful way. We discuss the wider context in which the project takes place, its individual steps, the factual outcome of its first phase, and its evaluation in spring 2018. We share this case study to promote collaborative practice in postcolonial, present-day majority Muslim contexts, such as the Nile valley countries, where the approach is thus far underrepresented. Reflecting on the project’s trajectory and its results, we also present critical thoughts on its potentials and challenges which can be helpful for readers working in similar contexts

Academics against Gender Studies: Science populism as part of an authoritarian anti-feminist hegemony project

In Germany, knowledge production by gender researchers has been under attack not only from male rights activists, Christian fundamentalists and right-wing parties and movements, but also from scientists in various fi elds. Based on a discourse analysis of their publications (2009-2017) and a media reception analysis, this essay analyses arguments used by ‘gender’-critical scientists and the socio-political backgrounds to where they position themselves. I show that their arguments do not belong to scientifi c discourse, but can be interpreted as a form of science populism which lends ‘scientific’ authority to the formation of authoritarian, anti-feminist discourses that aims to reify ‘secure’ knowledge about ‘gender’. Accordingly, ‘gender-critical’ scientists are read mainly by non-scientific publics, including right-wing and Christian fundamentalist media and actors. As I will show, the phenomenon of scientists taking action against ‘gender’ can be situated in historical antifeminism, as well as contemporary discourses on the crisis-like character of the dynamics regarding gender knowledge and societal conditions

Exploring attitudes towards the archaeological past: Two case studies from majority Muslim communities in the Nile valley

There is a dearth of studies on intercultural dynamics in Southwest Asian and North African archaeology, not least since conventional narratives assert that present-day majority Muslim communities in these regions are not interested in the pre-Islamic past. In this paper I argue that, despite seemingly overcoming such positions, collaborative projects may actually exacerbate them through perceiving local communities as deficient, in need of being taught and re-united with “their” heritage. Using data from two current projects in Sudan, I explore actual motivations of local publics to engage with the archaeologically approachable past and the interests they voice vis-à-vis archaeological heritage. I suggest that emphasizing these dimensions effects a shift in how nonarchaeological partners in collaborative projects are conceptualized. This opens new ground for engagement, as changing perceptions impact on interactions and, in consequence, power relations between protagonists