Short contribution on the past desert edge landscape at (Lake) Abusir, Egypt

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De herbegraving van koninklijke mummies in de 21e dynastie

The so-called royal cachettes of the Third Intermediate Period in western Thebes have been explained as the results of desperate attempts by the priesthood of the Amun temple of Karnak to redress the damage done to royal burials in the Valley of the Kings. This article argues that the frequent reburials of the royal mummies, which involved displacements over very large distances and which must have been witnessed by many, are hardly likely to have served any real purpose of protection. The reburials tend to be associated with burials of members of the high priest family, and with locations associated with the early New Kingdom pharaoh Amenhotep I and his mother, queen Ahmose Nefertari. This article argues that these reburials were effectively a kind of ritual underscoring the piety of the high priests of Amun to their predecessors.status: publishe

A fragment of an Early Book of Two Ways on the coffin of Ankh from Dayr al-Barsha (B4B)

Remains of the early Middle Kingdom coffin of a lady called Ankh (B4B) contain parts of the earliest now known version of the Book of Two Ways. The fragment published here retains parts of CT spells 1128 and 1130. The article discusses the problems involved in the publication of this particular source, and in reading the incised hieratic signs of this source. Also, the article places the version of source B4B within the context of the editorial development of the Book of Two Ways.On researchgate and on lirias, supplementary illustrations have been addedstatus: Published onlin

Dayr al-Barsha and Dayr al-Bahri. Two Ritual Landscapes in the Time of Mentuhotep II

After discussing the landscape setting of the Middle Kingdom Dayr al-Barshā necropolis, this article focuses on the evidence for a processional infrastructure there, which is argued to have facilitated religious processions from the capital of the Hare nome at Khemenu to the associated cemetery there. The infrastructure includes a river crossing, ritual activities at the landing stage, where a cult place for the provincial ruler was located, a processional road crossing the cemetery, and leading to a second cult place for the local ruler at his tomb. The article then discusses early evidence for other processional roads linked to temples, royal mortuary complexes, and cemeteries for private individuals. It is argued that deliberately built processional infrastructure is originally mainly a feature related to royal pyramids, with early evidence for processional roads liked to temples and private tombs being very restricted. The article argues that conscious landscaping on a grand scale undertaken by Mentuhotep II in Abydos and Thebes (Valley Festival) may have given the impetus for the spatial organisation of the Dayr al-Barshā region as well, which dates to the same period.status: Published onlin

De autobiografie van Ahanacht I uit Deir al-Barsja

Nabije Oosten studies (OE) Archeologie (OE)status: publishe