Ancient sources describe Cleopatra as an amazing polyglot, but to what degree did she really speak a variety of languages and what is the significance of that knowledge? A Dutch scholar has a new “read” on the famous queen and I enjoyed it. I hope you will too.
In this 100th year since the discovery of King Tut’s tomb, here’s a good answer to that burning question, “Why did Tut have so much more treasure than any of the other Pharaohs?” It’s way beyond escaping the usual plundering.
What comes to mind when you think of ancient Egyptian pyramid builders? Not a life full of high status responsibilities and good food. And yet, the papyrus logbooks indicate these surprising aspects. Read on.
I’m not traveling to Egypt anytime soon, but I’m happy to armchair visit to view the newly restored tomb of Pharaoh Djoser, one of the early rulers and builder of the step pyramid. Why did he build a tomb and a pyramid?
Glass first appears in the Late Bronze Age in Egypt and the Near East, and its beauty was highly valued–even viewed as having magical powers. But you have to forget the boring clear sheets of glass we surround ourselves with.
In Luxor, where many archaeological digs and discoveries have come to light over many decades, a new find shines especially bright. The Egyptian mission under archaeologist Zahi Hawass discovered an ancient Egyptian city in Luxor – The Rise of Aten – that was lost under the sands 3000 years ago.
Egypt built a new museum to house some of its most famous mummies and royal treasures. The remains of Ramses II and Queen Hatshepsut, the female Pharaoh, among many others, now have a beautiful new home. To celebrate and, let’s be honest, to draw tourists back to Egypt, the government put on a spectacular parade.
We all adore our pets, but historians often deny such loving relationships with dogs and cats in the ancient world. Now there’s some hard evidence for ancient fuzzy feelings.
You may have toured the Saqqara necropolis in Egypt, location of the Djoser Step Pyramid. But now, thanks to the careful research and technical skills of archaeologist Elaine Sullivan you can tour in reconstructed 3D. Dive in. She has created a “real” view on the individual human level for each of the many dynastic periods of Saqqara’s history.
Here’s my weekly roundup of history and archaeology: Letters to the editor by some iconic writers, an archaeologist’s dream find in Kurdish Iraq–written evidence of the name of the city, the earliest evidence of the alphabet found in an Egyptian tomb
