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Ancient Egyptian temples followed astronomy to set their calendars

September 10, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

London, September 9 (ANI): A new study has indicated that ancient Egyptian temples were aligned so precisely with astronomical events that people could set their political, economic and religious calendars by them.

According to a report in New Scientist, the study was of 650 temples, some dating back to 3000 BC.

For example, New Year coincided with the moment that the winter-solstice sun hit the central sanctuary of the Karnak temple in present-day Luxor, according to archaeological astronomer Juan Belmonte of the Canaries Astrophysical Institute in Tenerife, Spain.

Hieroglyphs on temple walls have hinted at the use of astronomy in temple architecture, including depictions of the “stretching of the cord” ceremony in which the pharaoh marked out the alignment for the temple with string.

But there had been little evidence to support the drawings.

Belmonte and Mosalam Shaltout of the Helwan Observatory in Cairo found that the temples are all aligned according to an astronomically significant event, such as a solstice or equinox, or the rising of Sirius, the brightest star in the sky.

“Somebody would have had to go to the prospective site during a solar, stellar or lunar event – as we did – to mark out the position that the temple axis should take,” Belmonte said.

“For the most important temples, this may well have been the pharaoh, as the temple drawings show,” he added. (ANI)

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DNA analysis key for solving mystery of King Tut’s origins

August 26, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

London, August 26 (ANI): Dr. Zahi Hawass, Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, Egypt, has said that harvesting DNA from ancient mummies would be the key to solving the mystery surrounding Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamen’s origins.

According to an article authored by Dr Hawass in the Asharq Alawsat Newspaper, he was in for a surprise when he entered the royal tomb of Tutankhamen with Professor Zakaria, and managed to get DNA samples.

Previously, there was hardly any hope in obtaining DNA samples from mummies, and Dr Hawass believed that he would prove to the world that mummies did not have any DNA suitable for analysis.

“For the first time, I saw that it is possible to harvest DNA from a mummy, and I believe that this will be the key to solving the mystery surrounding King Tutankhamen’s origins,” he wrote in the article.

Tutankhamen, the golden pharaoh, continues to bedazzle the entire world.

The discovery of King Tut’s tomb, which took place around 85 years ago, remains the most important archeological discovery of our time, not just in Egypt, but in the entire world.

This was the first time that a royal tomb of one of Egypt’s pharaohs was discovered untouched, and with the complete set of funeral furniture which was buried with the King.

In addition to this, there was also the treasures and jewelry which blinded anybody who set eyes on them.

“In an attempt to unravel the mystery surrounding King Tut’s family and discover the identity of his father, we find that there are some archeologists who strongly suggest that this is most probably King Akhenaton,” said Dr Hawass.

Akhenaton was the first Pharaoh to advocate monotheism, not just in ancient Egypt, but in the world. Others believe that Akhenaton’s father, King Amenhotep III is a more likely candidate for Tutankhamen’s father.

As for King Tut’s mother, “If we follow the speculation mentioned above with regards to Tutankhamen’s father, his mother is most likely either Queen Tiye, the consort of King Amenhotep III or the extremely famous, Queen Nefertiti, the consort of King Akhenaton,” said Dr Hawass.

These questions are enigmatic, and archeologists are having a hard time trying to answer them.

According to Dr Hawass, “We have embarked upon the quest to solve the mysteries surrounding King Tut thanks to the two DNA analysis laboratories that we have access to, as well as the availability of a CT-Scan machine, through which we are able to know every single detail about a mummy.” (ANI)

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Archaeologists discover largest mud-brick temple yet found in northeastern Egypt

May 5, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, May 5 (ANI): Archaeologists have found a 3,000-year-old carving in the largest mud-brick temple yet found on northeastern Egypt’s northern Sinai Peninsula.

According to a report in National Geographic News, the carving shows ancient Egyptian pharaoh Ramses II offering gifts to Geb, God of earth.

The temple is among four ancient places of worship discovered at a site near the Egyptian border near the Suez Canal, the country’s archaeology agency announced on April 21.

Found among the ruins of a fortified city, the temples would likely have been the first stop in Egypt for travelers from ancient Palestine and other points east.

Designed to impress on visitors Egypt’s grandeur and might, the city appears to have been the Egyptian military’s headquarters during the New Kingdom (1539-1075 B.C.), a time of war and conquest (ancient Egypt time line).

“This temple was very, very beautiful. Visitors would understand this temple is a good example of Egyptian culture,” said Mohamed Abdel-Maqsoud, who made the discovery for Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities.(ANI)

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Mysterious female “King” may have ruled Israel in ancient times

April 7, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Tel Aviv, April 7 (ANI): A recent dig by Tel Aviv University archaeologists in Israel has uncovered evidence that a mysterious female ruler may have ruled the country in ancient times.

The legend is that the great rulers of Canaan, the ancient land of Israel, were all men.

But, Tel Aviv University archaeologists Professor Shlomo Bunimovitz and Dr. Zvi Lederman of the Department of Archaeology and Ancient Near Eastern Civilizations have uncovered an unusual ceramic plaque of a goddess in female dress, suggesting that a mighty female “king” may have ruled the city.

If true, they say, the plaque would depict the only known female ruler of the region.

The plaque itself depicts a figure dressed as royal male figures and deities once appeared in Egyptian and Canaanite art.

The figure’s hairstyle, though, is womanly and its bent arms are holding lotus flowers – attributes given to women.

This plaque, art historians suggest, may be an artistic representation of the “Mistress of the Lionesses,” a female Canaanite ruler who was known to have sent distress letters to the Pharaoh in Egypt reporting unrest and destruction in her kingdom.

“We took this finding to an art historian who confirmed our hypothesis that the figure was a female,” said Dr. Lederman.

“We may have found the ‘Mistress of the Lionesses’ who’d been sending letters from Canaan to Egypt. The destruction we uncovered at the site last summer, along with the plaque, may just be the key to the puzzle,” he added.

Around 1350 BCE, there was unrest in the region. Canaanite kings conveyed their fears via clay tablet letters to the Pharaoh in Egypt, requesting military help.

But, among all the correspondence by kings were two rare letters that stuck out among the 382 el Amarna tablets uncovered a few decades ago by Egyptian farmers.

The two letters came from a “Mistress of the Lionesses” in Canaan.

She wrote that bands of rough people and rebels had entered the region, and that her city might not be safe.

Because the el-Amarna tablets were found in Egypt rather than Canaan, historians have tried to trace the origin of the tablets.

A few years ago, Tel Aviv University’s Professor Nadav Naaman suggested that she might have ruled the city of Beth Shemesh. But there has been no proof until now.

The discovery of the plaque, and the evidence of destruction recorded in the el-Amarna tablets, could confirm that the woman depicted in the figurine was the mysterious “Mistress of the Lionesses” and ruled Canaanite Beth Shemesh. (ANI)

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Fabled staff of Moses may have been found in London

April 2, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

London, April 2 (ANI): A group of builders, digging at a site in London, have unearthed what they believe is the fabled Staff of Moses.

According to a report in The Sun, the piece of wood was found by digger Charlie Kingston and his team as he dug a 20ft-deep trench on a site in east London.

At first, the workmen thought the historic artefact, which dates back to hundreds of years before Christ, was just an old tatty piece of wood.

But, after initial tests by archaeologists and biblical scholars, the iconic find is being hailed as one of monumental importance.

The Staff was at Moses’ side throughout key milestones in the Bible story of Exodus.

It was used to part the Red Sea, invoke a plague on the Egyptian Pharaoh, produce water from a rock and could even transform itself into a snake.

The exact location of the Staff has been kept secret to stop ‘treasure-hunters’ and onlookers flocking to the area.

“I was tipping out some earth when one of my mates Archie Tan shouted to stop, and pointed at the bucket,” Kingston said.

“When we scraped off the mud, we thought it might just be a beaten-up walking stick. “We’re amazed at what they are saying it could turn out to be,” he added.

The builders and their bosses could now be in for a huge windfall, with experts confident other relic could also be hiding beneath the soil.

However, a comprehensive archaeological dig could take months, if not years, to complete so it may be some time before they see any financial reward.

According to historian Dr Henry Jones, the Staff might well run into millions of pounds if it is sold at an auction.

“If this is the Staff of Moses, it is of unimaginable importance,” he said. (ANI)

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CT imaging used to examine hidden face in Nefertiti bust

April 1, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, April 1 (ANI): Researchers, using CT imaging to study a priceless bust of Nefertiti, have uncovered a delicately carved face in the limestone inner core and gained new insights into methods used to create the ancient masterpiece and information pertinent to its conservation.

“We acquired a lot of information on how the bust was manufactured more than 3,300 years ago by the royal sculptor,” said the study’s lead author Alexander Huppertz, M.D., director of the Imaging Science Institute in Berlin, Germany.

“We learned that the sculpture has two slightly different faces, and we derived from interpretation of the CT images how to prevent damage of this extremely precious art object,” he added.

Nefertiti, the wife of the Egyptian pharaoh Akhenaten, was the most renowned Great Royal Wife of all 31 Egyptian dynasties.

Considered one of the greatest finds of ancient Egypt, the bust of Nefertiti was discovered in 1912, during excavation of the studio of famous royal sculptor Thutmose.

The Nefertiti bust consists of a limestone core covered in layers of stucco of varying thickness.

The bust was examined using CT for the first time in 1992, but recent advances in CT technology allowed the researchers to analyze the statue in 2007 with greater precision.

“CT has changed significantly since 1992,” Dr. Huppertz said. “We can now acquire three-dimensional (3-D) images at a much higher resolution,” he added.

Dr. Huppertz and colleagues used a 64-section spiral CT technique with submillimeter section thickness to examine the bust and assess its conservation status, gain information on its creation and provide a 3-D surface reformation of the inner limestone sculpture.

The results showed that a multi-step process was used to create the sculpture.

The stucco layer on the face and ears is very thin, but the rear part of the reconstructed crown contains two thick stucco layers.

CT findings also may be important in preventing future damage to the bust.

The findings of multiple, varying layers of stucco, as well as fissures in the shoulders, lower surface of the bust and rear of the crown, indicate vulnerable areas requiring very careful handling, and pressure on the layers of thick stucco is to be avoided.

“Noninvasive CT technology and very advanced 3-D post-processing tools allow us greater insight into the internal composition and conservation status of the sculpture,” Dr. Huppertz said. “This knowledge will greatly contribute to the preservation of this priceless antiquity,” he added. (ANI)

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3,500 yr old perfume of Egyptian pharaoh to be re-created

March 16, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, March 16 (ANI): Scientists are aiming to re-create the perfume of Egyptian Pharaoh Hatshepsut, using residues from a 3,500 year old vessel.

Pharaoh Hatshepsut was a power-conscious woman who assumed the reins of government in Egypt around the year 1479 B.C.

It is believed that Hatshepsut was so influential that even her perfume is regarded as a demonstration of her power.

“We think it probable that one constituent was incense – the scent of the gods,” said Michael Hoveler-Muller, the curator of Bonn University’s Egyptian Museum.

It is a known fact that in the course of her regency, Haptshepsut undertook an expedition to Punt – the modern Eritrea, and the Egyptians had been importing precious goods such as ebony, ivory, gold, and just this incense, from there since the third millennium B.C.

Apparently, the expedition brought back whole incense plants, which Hatshepsut then had planted in the vicinity of her funerary temple.

The filigree flacon now under examination by the researchers in Bonn, Germany, bears an inscription with the name of the Pharaoh. Hence, it was probably once in her possession.

The vessel is exceptionally well preserved.

“So, we considered it might be rewarding to have it screened in the University Clinic’s Radiology Department,” Hoveler-Muller explained. “As far as I know this has never been done before,” he added.

“The desiccated residues of a fluid can be clearly discerned in the x-ray photographs. Our pharmacologists are now going to analyze this sediment,” said the museum’s curator.

The results could be available in a year’s time.

If they are successful, the scientists in Bonn are even hoping to “reconstruct” the perfume so that, 3,500 years after the death of the woman amongst whose possessions it was found, the scent could then be revitalized.

Hatshepsut died in 1457 B.C.

Analysis of the mummy ascribed to her showed that the ruler was apparently between 45 and 60 years of age at the end of her life; that she was also overweight, and suffering from diabetes, cancer, osteoporosis and arthritis. (ANI)

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Archaeologists find 3,500 year old golden jewelry in Egyptian tomb

March 12, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, March 12 (ANI): Archaeologists in Egypt have found ancient golden jewelry in the tomb of a senior official who died about 3,500 years ago.

According to a report by the Voice of America, ancient golden jewelry found in a pharaonic era tomb thought to belong to a senior official under Egypt’s most powerful queen Hatshepsut, on the west bank of the Nile river in Luxor, Egypt.

Culture and antiquities officials said that an excavation team found five golden earrings and two rings in the tomb of the state treasurer who served during the reign of Queen Hatshepsut.
The walls of his burial chamber are decorated with texts from the Egyptian Book of the Dead.

Archaeologists made the discovery while digging in Luxor, along the banks of the Nile River. Luxor is one of Egypt’s most popular tourist sites.

It is famous for the Valley of the Kings, which contains several pharaohs’ tombs.

Earlier this month, Egyptian officials announced that Egyptian and European archaeologists in Luxor had discovered two statues of an ancient pharaoh.

According to Egypt’s archaeology chief Zahi Hawass, those statues were of King Amenhotep III, who also ruled about 3,500 years ago. (ANI)

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Statue of Egyptian pharaoh Amenhotep III to be resurrected

March 3, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

London, March 2 (ANI): An international team, with help from the British Museum has restored a colossal statue of Amenhotep III, grandfather of Tutankhamun and ruler of Egypt for more than 36 years, by raising it and giving back its head.

According to a report in The Times, the red quartzite statue, one of a set that stood around the courtyard of his funerary temple at Kom el-Hettan, near Luxor, fell centuries ago.

In the early 19th century, the British collector Henry Salt acquired its head, together with a second head from the same site, and both finished up in the British Museum.

The statue was one of a set that stood on the north side of the peristyle court of the temple, and shows Amenhotep III (reigned 1386-49BC) wearing the red crown of Lower Egypt.

The south side of the court had similar statues, but wearing the white crown of Upper Egypt.

The raw material for the northern statues came from Gebel el-Akmar in northern Egypt, that for the southern ones from the red granite quarries of Aswan in the far south.

Both types showed Amenhotep III with arms crossed and holding the insignia of rulership.

Now, efforts are on to resurrect the statue to its original form.

“Since the start of our work at the temple we have collected and grouped large parts of the torsos with thousands of smaller fragments,” said Dr Hourig Sourouzian, of the Armenian Academy of Sciences.

“In 2008, we added parts of the chest and completed the statue with an exact replica of one of the two heads now in the British Museum,” he added.

Michael Nielson, of the British Museum, made the replica head, which was then transported to Egypt and repositioned on top of the restored torso with the permission of the Egyptian authorities.

The project, which has already assembled large portions of other statues, of which there were probably a dozen, involved a team of 30 from a dozen nationalities, and continues its work this year. (ANI)

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Ancient statue found buried at Egypt Giza pyramids

February 25, 2009 By Dinesh 1 Comment

Maintenance workers at Egypt’s Giza Pyramids have found an ancient quartzite statue of a seated man buried close to the surface of the desert, the culture ministry said on Tuesday.

The statue, about life-size at five feet tall, was found north of the smallest of Giza’s three main pyramids, the tomb of the fourth dynasty Pharaoh Mycerinus, who ruled in the 26th century BC, the ministry said in a statement.

The man was wearing a shoulder-length wig and was seated in a simple chair, his right hand clenched on his knee and holding an object. His left hand was resting on his thigh.

The culture ministry said the statue had a number of cracks in a shoulder, its chest and base, and some facial features had been worn away. The head of the statue was only about 16 inches below ground level.

The statue bore no inscriptions, making it hard to identify, though the style suggested it might date to the early years of the Old Kingdom of ancient Egypt, close to Mycerinus’s time.

The Giza complex, containing the pyramids and the Sphinx, on the outskirts of the Egyptian capital, is one of the country’s most popular tourist sites, attracting millions of visitors every year.

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Archaeologists uncover ancient statutes of pharaohs in Egypt

February 20, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

New Delhi, Feb 20 (ANI): Archaeologists in Egypt have uncovered a statue of a pharaoh and a bust of the famous woman pharaoh Hatshepsut in the southern city of Luxor.

The three-meter Amenhotep statue was “dug out with only one damage in the nose and one in the teeth,” Moustafa el-Waziri, director of the archaeological mission, told the state MENA news agency.

He added that more antiques would be unearthed in the future.

Amenhotep III, or Amenophis III, was the ninth pharaoh of the eighteenth dynasty of ancient Egypt. He ruled the country from 1411 B.C. to 1375 B.C. after his father Thutmose IV died.

Hatshepsut, or Hatchepsut, generally regarded as one of the most successful pharaohs, was the fifth monarch of the eighteen dynasty which dates back to 15th century B.C.

Being a woman, she wore a false beard to reinforce her authority while acting as the regent of her son, Thutmose III. (ANI)

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King Tut’s statue found in northern Iraq

February 13, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Baghdad, Feb 13 (ANI): A Kurdish archaeological expedition has found a small statue of the ancient Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamen in northern Iraq.

Hassan Ahmed, the director of the local antiquities authority, told the Kurdish news agency Akanews that archaeologists had found a 12-centimeter statue of the ancient Egyptian king in the valley of Dahuk, 470 kilometers north of Baghdad, near a site that locals have long called Pharaoh’s Castle.

He said that archaeologists from the Dahuk Antiquities Authority believe the statue dates from the mid-14th Century BC.

According to Ahmed, the statue of Tutankhamen showed ‘the face of the ancient civilization of Kurdistan and cast light on the ancient relations between pharaonic Egypt and the state of Mitanni.’

The kingdom of Mittani occupied roughly the same territory spanning Syria, Iraq, Turkey, and Iran in the 14th Century BC that many Kurds now hope will one day form an independent Kurdistan.

“Historical information indicates familial and political ties between Mittani and Egypt,” Ahmed said.

“The discovery of this statue shows us that the name of Pharaoh’s Castle, was not invented out of vacuum, but rather arose out of historical fact,” Ahmed told Akanews.

“This calls for strengthening archaeological research ties between the territory of Kurdistan and the Arab Republic of Egypt,” he added. (ANI)

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Archaeologists discover massive sarcophagus in Egyptian pyramid

January 10, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Cairo – Archaeologists have discovered a massive sarcophagus, along with mummified remains and golden finger coverings, in the burial chamber of a recently discovered pyramid near Cairo.

According to Egyptian officials, archaeologists used an entrance carved out a thousand years ago by grave robbers to access the 16 square metre burial chamber. The original entrance to the tomb, believed to be that of the mother of Pharaoh Teti (2318-2300 BC), had been sealed shut with huge granite blocks, said chief archeologist Zahi Hawass.

The sarcophagus cover is so heavy that special tools were needed to lift it in a five-hour operation. The collapsed pyramid, which was only unearthed in November, lies near the Teti pyramids, which have also collapsed. (dpa)

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