Ancient Egyptian Artefacts Research Articles

The Photonegatives of the Ancient Egypt Collection of the Taras Shevchenko Central Hstorical Museum: Review on the Monography by O. O. Romanova and H. O. Stanytsina. Ancient Egypt in Kyiv: Mirrored on Glass (the Glass Photonegatives Collection of the Scie

The article reviews the monograph-catalogue O. O. Romanova and H. O. Stanytsina Ancient Egypt in Kyiv: mirrored on Glass (the Glass Photonegatives Collection of the Scientific Archive of the Institute of Archaeology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine). This book is dedicated to the introduction into academic circulation of a collection of glass photonegatives depicting ancient Egyptian objects from the Scientific Archive of the Institute of Archaeology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. 143 negatives and photographs of ancient Egyptian items were collected; they were published and provided with catalogue data and comments. Significant work has been done on the attribution of objects depicted on the negatives. Noting the importance of visual material introduced, the research part of the monograph, however, contains significant intentional or unintentional lacunae regarding the existing base of Ukrainian researches on the topic. The Egyptological part of the work has also a certain number of completely or partially erroneous attributions and statements and ignores existing academic publications on the subject. The reviewers came to somewhat different conclusions regarding the reason for the formation of the discussed collection of negatives, specified the circumstances, time and place of their creation, differently defined individual ancient Egyptian objects and the provenance of some of them (for example, the “shabti-box” on the photonegatives (now lost) is actually a canopic box). Documents from the Scientific Archive of the National Museum of the History of Ukraine are of great importance for revising the conclusions of the monograph. An excerpt from the inventory book of negatives is published, which demonstrates that the collection was created at the Taras Shevchenko National Historical Museum in the process of preparing an exhibition of ancient Egyptian artefacts.

Visual Analysis of Sekhmet’s Costumes and Attributes in Marvel Comic Book

The purpose of this study is to analyze the costume and attributes of Sekhmet's character in one of marvel's comic books titled "The Heroic Age: Prince of Power, where Sekhmet is a female supervillain character that was adapted from Egyptian mythology. In The Heroic Age: Prince of Power, issue 3, Sekhmet is visualized wearing costumes and attributes that match the description and visualization that can be found in ancient Egyptian artifacts. This research used descriptive qualitative with a narrative method and one of Tsukamoto's manga matrix theories, the costume matrix, to analyze further the ornaments and attributes that Sekhmet wore in the comic. This study found that Sekhmet's ornaments and costumes were indeed adapted from Egyptian mythology. However, even with so much similarity, there was an additional costume and attributes that differentiated the visualization of female supervillain Sekhmet and the Egyptian mythology goddess Sekhmet where female supervillain Sekhmet is visualized wearing attributes and costumes specialized for male soldiers, which adds masculinity factor to Sekhmet's female character.
 Keywords: Egyptian Mythology; Manga Matrix; Marvel; Sekhmet; Visual Analysis

An Ancient Egyptian Multilayered Polychrome Wooden Sculpture Belonging to the Museo Egizio of Torino: Characterization of Painting Materials and Design of Cleaning Processes by Means of Highly Retentive Hydrogels

This contribution focuses on the conservation of an Egyptian wooden sculpture (Inventory Number Cat. 745) belonging to the Museo Egizio of Torino in northwest Italy. A preliminary and interdisciplinary study of constituent painting materials and their layering is here provided. It was conducted by means of a multi-technique approach starting from non-invasive multispectral analysis on the whole object, and subsequently, on selected micro-samples. In particular, visible fluorescence induced by ultraviolet radiation (UVF), infrared reflectography (IRR) and visible--induced infrared luminescence were used on the whole object. The micro-samples were analysed by means of an optical microscope with visible and UV light sources, a scanning electron microscope (SEM) with an energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDX), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectrometer, pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometer (Py-GC/MS) and micro-particle induced X-ray emission (PIXE). The characterization of the painting materials allowed the detection of Egyptian blue and Egyptian green, and also confirmed the pertinence of the top brown layer to the original materials, which is a key point to design a suitable surface treatment. In fact, due to the water sensitiveness of the original materials, only few options were available to perform cleaning operations on this artwork. To setup the cleaning procedure, we performed several preliminary tests on mockups using dry cleaning materials, commonly used to treat reactive surfaces, and innovative highly water retentive hydrogels, which can potentially limit the mechanical action on the original surface while proving excellent cleaning results. Overall, this study has proved fundamental to increase our knowledge on ancient Egyptian artistic techniques and contribute to hypothesize the possible provenance of the artefact. It also demonstrated that polyvinyl alcohol-based retentive gels allow for the safe and efficient cleaning of extremely water sensitive painted surfaces, as those typical of ancient Egyptian artefacts.

Investigating the Revival of Ancient Egyptian Artifacts as a Symbol of Power through their Occupation of European Public Spaces: A Chrono-Morphological Study

Numerous architectural styles have been explored in recent years (Pakkanen 2018). However, Egyptian revival did not obtain the consideration it deserved till lately, when there was a remarkable flow of attention coursed by various significant ancient Egyptian exhibitions all over the world, which led to the publications of books and articles tackling the Egyptian revival (Curl 2013). In this paper the researcher will try to investigate the chronological change of form and shape of ancient Egyptian architectural features that were revived in European public spaces to signify power, sovereignty, and authority. Curl (2013) charts the argument of the persistence of Egyptian motifs in design from Greco-Roman Antiquity, through the Mediaeval, Baroque, and Neo-Classical periods. Our hypothesis is that Ancient Egypt is a central source, rather than peripheral, to the development of considerable volume of European urbanistic and architectural features. We will distinguish manifestations with Egyptian connotations based on literature reviewed, field observation and the methodology of Curl (2013). Aiming only on three ancient Egyptian sources, the Sphinx, the obelisk, and the temple. Keywords: Egyptian revival, Ancient Egyptian artifacts, morphological regeneration, space occupation, public spaces

Excavating the Modern Self: Haggard’s Egyptological Romances

Henry Rider Haggard’s Egyptomania took many shapes, from regular journeys to Egypt to extensive collections of ancient Egyptian artefacts. This article looks more particularly at Haggard’s representation of ancient Egypt in his literary works and at the implications of his narrative choices in the scientific and imperial context in which he wrote his Egyptological romances. By establishing genealogical links between ancient Egypt and modern Britain through the literary form of archaeological fiction, Haggard constructs a palimpsestic vision of individual and collective history that can be read both in psychoanalytical and in imperial terms. This paper examines the place Egypt occupies in Haggard’s imagination by considering some of the narrative and narratological elements shared by his Egyptological romances, with a particular focus on The Ancient Allan and “Smith and the Pharaohs”. The depiction of Egypt as an oneiric place located within the Victorian mind and as the origin of a layered modern identity suggests an ambivalent interpretation of Haggard’s imperialist stance at the turn of the twentieth century.

New facts on the distribution of Egyptian antiquities from the “Gift of Khedive”, 1894–1895 (after the documents from RSHA)

The article publishes a number of new documents from the Russian State Historical Archive related to the distribution of ancient Egyptian artifacts (originating from the Bab el-Gusus Cache) received by the Russian Empire as a gift from the ruler of Egypt Abbas II Hilmi in 1893 (the so-called lot No. 6). The decree, on which Museum Institutions of the Empire should have received these antiquities, was adopted by the Ministry of the Imperial Court and entrusted to the Ministry of Education. Corresponding orders were sent to H.P. Solsky – the Trustee of the Odessa Educational District. The direct implementer was Professor of the Novorossiyskyi (Odessa) University A.N. Derevitsky. Рreparation of objects for distribution were completed to March 1895. In total, 10 parts were created for 10 museums in 9 cities (Moscow, Kiev, Kazan, Odessa, Kharkov, Warsaw, Yuriev (Tartu), Helsingfors (Helsinki), St.-Petersburg). In the course of this work in 1894–1895 some efforts were made to perform scientifical research of the material using documentation sent from the Egyptian Service of Antiquities. In particular, attempts were made to “translate” the list of names of the owners of the shabti-statuettes. A list of items sent to university museums in March 1895, shows the distribution of the names of the shabtis-statues sent by the Service of Antiquities was not taken into account. In Odessa at that time there were no Egyptologists able to do such a job, and experts in ancient philology could not identify the shabtis by the names of the owners.

Exploring Biographies. Ancient Egyptian Funerary Statuettes at the University Museum of Cultural History in Oslo

Small funerary statuettes shaped as mummiform figurines are among the most common ancient Egyptian artefacts to be found in museums of cultural history worldwide. The Museum of Cultural History, University of Oslo (MCH) is no exception. The present article explores the biographies of material culture, materiality, objectification and shifts in meaning. It probes the many ways small artefacts, often categorized as ‘minor art objects’ of no importance, provide us with valuable insights into ancient Egyptian beliefs, society and culture. Selecting a few pieces from different periods, it delves into the multi-layered narratives and intersecting storylines where the objects’ biographies are tied to a web of relations across time and space as well as to the history of the ancient Egyptian collection at the MCH. The article discusses questions related to museological and heritage management, and addresses ethical issues concerning the provenance and ownership of archaeological artefacts in museums.

Tutanchamun fotografieren – Zur Produktion eines Ausstellungsstars

To Shoot Photographs of Tutankhamun - The Making of an Exhibition Star. In the 1970s, the exhibition "Treasures of Tutankhamun" toured the world. It still ranks today amongst the most popular museum exhibitions of all time. This article explores photography used in the catalogue of this blockbuster exhibition in the USA and West Germany; it describes how the pictures of Tutankhamun's objects, which were made by a team from the Metropolitan Museum in New York, introduced a significantly new and different approach to catalogue photography. Until the 1960s, Ancient Egyptian artefacts had been documented by means of bare frontal or profile images in black and white; their close-grained, accurately shaded quality allowed the objects to be investigated independently of the viewer's location. The high gloss colour images of the 1970s, however, instead sought to lend the objects something a photograph could not normally achieve: a palpable presence. They captured sensational traces, creating star items that one "just had to see for oneself". In other words, the article presents how catalogue photos were able to participate in the creation of star objects and therefore also contributed to the exhibition's enormous success. The historical background behind the rise of this sensational photography in the 1960s and 1970s will be discussed and framed theoretically. In showing how photography played an important role in transforming the objects taken from Tutankhamen's tomb, it argues that mobilising museum objects through media can induce (semiotic and material) transformations of objects.

Light, shadows and surface characteristics: the multispectral Portable Light Dome

A multispectral, multidirectional, portable and dome-shaped acquisition system is developed within the framework of the research projects RICH (KU Leuven) and EES (RMAH, Brussels) in collaboration with the ESAT–VISICS research group (KU Leuven). The multispectral Portable Light Dome (MS PLD) consists of a hemispherical structure, an overhead camera and LEDs emitting in five parts of the electromagnetic spectrum regularly covering the dome’s inside surface. With the associated software solution, virtual relighting and enhancements can be applied in a real-time, interactive manner. The system extracts genuine 3D and shading information based on a photometric stereo algorithm. This innovative approach allows for instantaneous alternations between the computations in the infrared, red, green, blue and ultraviolet spectra. The MS PLD system has been tested for research ranging from medieval manuscript illuminations to ancient Egyptian artefacts. Preliminary results have shown that it documents and measures the 3D surface structure of objects, re-visualises underdrawings, faded pigments and inscriptions, and examines the MS results in combination with the actual relief characteristics of the physical object. Newly developed features are reflection maps and histograms, analytic visualisations of the reflection properties of all separate LEDs or selected areas. In its capacity as imaging technology, the system acts as a tool for the analysis of surface materials (e.g. identification of blue pigments, gold and metallic surfaces). Besides offering support in answering questions of attribution and monitoring changes and decay of materials, the PLD also contributes to the identification of materials, all essential factors when making decisions in the conservation protocol.

Skeletal Material from Deir El-Medina in the Egyptological Collection of the Hrdlička Museum of Man in Prague

The Egyptological collection of the Hrdlička Museum of Man, part of the Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, contains next to some ancient Egyptian artefacts mainly anthropological material, namely skeletal and mummified human remains. The article focuses on the skeletal material from the archeological site of Deir el-Medina. The paper discusses the genesis of the collection, its documentation and anthropological examinations in the 1930s and 1970s and most recently since 2012 to the present days. The paper also presents a complete catalogue of the skeletal material from Deir el-Medina in the Egyptological collection of the Hrdlička Museum of Man and provides a comprehensive bibliography on the topic.

Butterflies of Ancient Egypt

ABSTRACT. A review of butterflies depicted in ancient Egyptian tomb scenes and other artifacts dating from the predynastic period (c. 3000 BCE) until the end of the pharaonic era (c. 100 BCE) reveals a wide spectrum of stylistic changes over time. A cladistic analysis shows relative consistency of style during the Old Kingdom period, copying of old styles during the Middle Kingdom period, and a deviation from tradition during the New Kingdom period. The utility of a cladistic approach in assigning dates and localities to ancient Egyptian artifacts with unknown origins is demonstrated. We discuss lepidopteran symbolism in ancient Egypt, and investigate how some of these depictions may highlight historical shifts in species ranges since pharaonic times.

Developing 3D Imaging Programmes--Workflow and Quality Control

This article reports on a successful project for 3D imaging research, digital applications, and use of new technologies in the museum. The article will focus on the development and implementation of a viable workflow for the production of high-quality 3D models of museum objects, based on the 3D laser scanning and photogrammetry of selected ancient Egyptian artefacts. The development of a robust protocol for the complete process chain for imaging cultural heritage artefacts, from the acquisition of 2D and/or 3D images to the development of interactive applications for the public audience, was a specific objective of the project. The workflow devised by the university museum team combines reference photography and 3D imaging with a curatorial review of the actual object to its digital counterpart. It also integrates methodologies for managing the accompanying metadatasets to record these activities. As final stage deliverables from the process, the museum is making high-quality 3D images of artefacts from its collection available through creation and dissemination of digital 3D multiplatform interactive applications in order to allow remote access and to enhance the museum's public engagement. This short article concludes with practical considerations for a 3D imaging workflow such as time and skills needed, 3D model quality, and expectation management.

Michael Faraday's Contributions to Archaeological Chemistry

The analysis of ancient artefacts is a long but largely neglected thread within the histories of archaeology and chemistry. This paper examines Michael Faraday's contributions to this nascent field, drawing on his published correspondence and the works of his antiquarian collaborators, and focusing in particular on his analyses of Romano-British and ancient Egyptian artefacts. Faraday examined the materials used in ancient Egyptian mummification, and provided the first proof of the use of lead glazes on Roman ceramics. Beginning with an assessment of Faraday's personal interests and early work on antiquities with Humphry Davy, this paper critically examines the historiography of archaeological chemistry and attempts to place Faraday's work within its institutional, intellectual, and economic contexts.

Finding Hidden Chemistry in Ancient Egyptian Artifacts: Pigment Degradation Taught in a Chemical Engineering Course

The main objective of this work was to show the application of the study of ancient technology and science on teaching (and learning) chemistry in Chemical Engineering Undergraduate studies. Degradation patterns of pigments used in Ancient Egypt were incorporated in the syllabus of the course entitled “Technological and Scientific Developments in Antiquity: Egypt and Near East” (TSDA) (Last year of the Bachelor’s Degree in Chemical Engineering at the Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya, UPC). The case studies were discussed following 5 steps which might be a basis for the study of a large number of real cases: (1) Study of the history (Egyptology) related to the case; (2) reading of selected references; (3) description of the degradation pattern; (4) deduction of the chemical mechanism of the degradation; and (5) remediation procedures (if possible). The three degradation patterns observed in pigments used in Ancient Egypt might be used as examples for improving the teaching of chemistry for undergraduat...

Current Egyptological Research in Croatia

Over the last years, much Egyptological research has been conducted in Croatia across various different fields. The Croato- Aegyptica Electronica (CAE) project has been in progress and, at several museums across the country, ancient Egyptian artefacts have been analysed and new exhibitions created. At the Archaeological Museum in Zagreb, a radiological study of Egyptian mummies has been conducted and open lectures with a variety of keynote speakers, as well as a workshop on the language of Middle Egypt, have been held. Finally, university curriculums have changed, new publications (articles, catalogues and books) have appeared and international conferences have taken place. In this paper, the authors aim to provide an overview of the Egyptological activity which has occurred in Croatia over the past decade.

A Faceted Query Engine Applied to Archaeology

In this article we present the Faceted Query Engine, a system developed at Columbia University in the scope of the inter-disciplinary project Computational Tools for Modeling, Visualizing and Analyzing Historic and Archaeological Sites. Our system is based on novel Database Systems research that has been published in Computer Science venues (Ross and Janevski, 2004 and Ross et al., 2005). The goal of this article is to introduce our system to the target user audience - the archaeology community. We demonstrate the use of the Faceted Query Engine on a previously unpublished dataset: the Thulamela (South Africa) collection. This dataset is comprised of iron-age finds from the Thulamela site at the Kruger National Park. Our project is the first to systematically compile and classify this dataset. We also use a larger dataset, a collection of ancient Egyptian artifacts from the Memphis site (Giddy,1999), to demonstrate some of the features of our system. Our system and the Thulamela dataset are freely available for download.

The Blackening of Paint Containing Egyptian Blue

On ancient Egyptian artifacts, paint containing Egyptian blue pigment is often found to have become brownish green or even black. Darkened paints from several coffins have been investigated using gas-chromatography/mass-spectrometry (GC/MS) and other methods, to identify the cause of the discoloration. Different phenomena have been seen: one type of discoloration involved the browning of gum arabic throughout the paint layer; other examples showed surface discoloration in the varnish, the paint underneath being still bright blue. Surface dirt also contributes to darkening. Artificial aging of paints demonstrated that gum arabic binder can discolour sufficiently for paint to appear black. The poor hiding power and transparency of Egyptian blue contribute to the overall dark appearance.

The remarkable metrological history of 14C dating: From ancient Egyptian artifacts to particles of soot and grains of pollen

Radiocarbon dating would not have been possible if 14C had not had the “wrong” half-life—a fact that delayed its discovery [1]. Following the discovery of this 5730 year radionuclide in laboratory experiments by Ruben and Kamen, it became clear to W. F. Libby that 14C should exist in nature, and that it could serve as a quantitative means for dating artifacts and events marking the history of civilization. The search for natural radiocarbon was a metrological challenge; the level in the living biosphere [ca. 230 Bq/kg] lay far beyond the then current state of the measurement art. This article traces the metrological history of radiocarbon, from the initial breakthrough devised by Libby, to minor (evolutionary) and major (revolutionary) advances that have brought 14C measurement from a crude, bulk [8 g carbon] dating tool, to a refined probe for dating tiny amounts of precious artifacts, and for “molecular dating” at the 10 μg to 100 μg level. The metrological advances led to opportunities and surprises, such as the non-monotonic dendrochronological calibration curve and the “bomb effect,” that spawned new multidisciplinary areas of application, ranging from cosmic ray physics to oceanography to the reconstruction of environmental history.

A god for guts.

While attending the 15th National Conference on Advances in Perinatal and Paediatric Nutrition at the University of Stanford, California, July 2001, at an evening social event at the Cantor Center for Visual Arts, I chanced upon the small but remarkable collection of ancient Egyptian artefacts from the Stanford Family Collection. In the University of Stanford collection of ancient Egyptian artefacts are two alabaster canopic jars dating from the 18th dynasty (1539–1295 BC) at the time of the New Kingdom. One had a head stopper shaped like a falcon (fig 1) representing Kebeh-senu-ef, one of the four sons of Horus acting as a guardian god of the embalmed guts of the deceased. A very similar name is given at the British Museum for the same god, namely Qebhsenuef. These four sons of Horus were the genii who guarded the north, south, east, and west. Remarkably, the ancient Maya of central America also had four deities upholding heaven at the four points of the compass. The Maya also used funerary jars called after these gods. Figure 1 Alabaster canopic jar: Egypt 18th dynasty (1539–1295 BC). The falcon head stopper represents Kebeh-senu-ef, son of Horus, guardian of the embalmed intestines (photographed by the author at University of Stanford, Cantor Center for Visual Arts). Nunn,1 in his remarkable account of ancient Egyptian medicine, states that the embalmers showed great technical expertise …