Ancient Egyptian funerary literature encompasses a complex, dynamic, and open group of texts and ... more Ancient Egyptian funerary literature encompasses a complex, dynamic, and open group of texts and images selected to be deposited in mortuary settings. Despite this shared final purpose, they derive from a variety of spheres of origin (ritual, apotropaic, medical, legal) and can be concurrently used in different contexts. They further exhibit a semantic density and were transmitted across the centuries, and subjected to modifications as they were incorporated into new social, religious, or functional environments. The twenty contributions assembled in this volume have the three-fold objective of: offering new theoretical and methodological perspectives to evaluate the structure, content, and history of these compositions; opening challenging avenues for new interpretations; or presenting novel textual and iconographic sources. With a wide chronological spectrum of topics addressed, the manifold approaches collected here aim to challenge traditional conceptions and procedures of analysis and to introduce new sets of ideas.
Im Verlauf der altägyptischen Geschichte war Genealogie ein wichtiges Mittel, um die Vergangenhei... more Im Verlauf der altägyptischen Geschichte war Genealogie ein wichtiges Mittel, um die Vergangenheit zu strukturieren und zu bewerten. Königliche Genealogien dienten als Instrument der Zeitmessung und ermöglichten es, Könige als Nachfahren der Götter darzustellen. Durch ihren selektiven und normativen Charakter waren königliche Genealogien dazu geeignet, die kollektive Erinnerung und das historische Wissen zu konstruieren. Dies fand vor allem im Tempelbereich und bei öffentlichen Feiern der Ramessiden-Zeit statt. Vergleichbare Herrscherfolgen wurden in den privaten Grabbereich übernommen, um das Fortleben des Verstorbenen im Jenseits sicherzustellen. Längere private Genealogien sind allerdings erst seit dem 1. Jahrtausend v. Chr. belegt. Königliche wie private Genealogien dienten dem Zweck der Legitimation
This paper gives an overview of the epigraphic work conducted by the University of Basel in TT 84... more This paper gives an overview of the epigraphic work conducted by the University of Basel in TT 84 and TT 95 between 2016 and 2018.
This article describes the ever-changing use of the Valley of the Kings and the cultural connotat... more This article describes the ever-changing use of the Valley of the Kings and the cultural connotations associated with the landscape. Whilst cosmological associations shaped the early use of this area, factors such as territoriality and hegemonial traditions gradually took precedence. The economic use characteristic of the 21st Dynasty remained a privilege of the ruling class; memory of the sacrality of the site presumably motivated the burials of the 22nd Dynasty.
The tomb KV 40 in the Kings' Valley (Luxor, Egypt) has revealed mummified and highly frag... more The tomb KV 40 in the Kings' Valley (Luxor, Egypt) has revealed mummified and highly fragmented remains of 83 adults, children, new-borns and infants, some of whom were, according to inscriptions, 18th dynasty king's sons or daughters (∼1370 BCE). This tomb was then secondarily reused by priestly families during the 22nd to early 25th dynasty (∼900-700 BCE). Radiocarbon dating of such bone remains would allow the evaluation of the ratio of burials by period and the identification of those from the 18th dynasty. As the bones were buried within a shaft tomb under hot and dry climatic conditions and have been partially burnt by fires, the applicability of radiocarbon dating on collagen extracted from them was uncertain and highly challenging. Prior to collecting samples, the state of collagen preservation in the bones had to be evaluated to ensure the feasibility of radiocarbon dating. Following the method of Lebon et al. (2016), three ATR-FTIR systems (benchtop and portables) were used to determine the effective and appropriate calibration of each instrument thanks to a set of reference bones. From this, we provide methodological recommendations to ensure the reliability of the quantifications obtained whatever the instrument used. As a demonstration of the efficiency of the proposed methodology, portable ATR-FTIR spectroscopy has been tested in situ in KV 40, and the N %wt contents thus evaluated have been compared to ATR-FTIR analyses in a laboratory (using a different spectrometer) and to elemental analyses. The results obtained on thirteen KV 40 individuals clearly show quite good consistency on ATR-FTIR analyses between both spectrometers, validating the relevance of this on-site analytical approach with each spectrometer properly calibrated and measurements performed according to a strict protocol. Regarding the estimation of the nitrogen content, all the KV 40 samples are radiocarbon datable despite challenging preservation conditions. Discrepancies have been highlighted between some of the ATR-FTIR results and elemental analyses, the latter systematically providing higher N %wt than the former. For these samples, the C %wt contents are also very high, showing that these bones are contaminated by organic materials. This underlines the efficacy of the ATR-FTIR analysis specifically for the quantification of bone collagen. The developed analytical approach based on the ATR-FTIR method and its mobile instrumentation clearly operates effectively on site and under challenging conditions, which opens up new perspectives for the collection of bone remains prior to radiocarbon dating.
Ancient Egyptian funerary literature encompasses a complex, dynamic, and open group of texts and ... more Ancient Egyptian funerary literature encompasses a complex, dynamic, and open group of texts and images selected to be deposited in mortuary settings. Despite this shared final purpose, they derive from a variety of spheres of origin (ritual, apotropaic, medical, legal) and can be concurrently used in different contexts. They further exhibit a semantic density and were transmitted across the centuries, and subjected to modifications as they were incorporated into new social, religious, or functional environments. The twenty contributions assembled in this volume have the three-fold objective of: offering new theoretical and methodological perspectives to evaluate the structure, content, and history of these compositions; opening challenging avenues for new interpretations; or presenting novel textual and iconographic sources. With a wide chronological spectrum of topics addressed, the manifold approaches collected here aim to challenge traditional conceptions and procedures of analysis and to introduce new sets of ideas.
Im Verlauf der altägyptischen Geschichte war Genealogie ein wichtiges Mittel, um die Vergangenhei... more Im Verlauf der altägyptischen Geschichte war Genealogie ein wichtiges Mittel, um die Vergangenheit zu strukturieren und zu bewerten. Königliche Genealogien dienten als Instrument der Zeitmessung und ermöglichten es, Könige als Nachfahren der Götter darzustellen. Durch ihren selektiven und normativen Charakter waren königliche Genealogien dazu geeignet, die kollektive Erinnerung und das historische Wissen zu konstruieren. Dies fand vor allem im Tempelbereich und bei öffentlichen Feiern der Ramessiden-Zeit statt. Vergleichbare Herrscherfolgen wurden in den privaten Grabbereich übernommen, um das Fortleben des Verstorbenen im Jenseits sicherzustellen. Längere private Genealogien sind allerdings erst seit dem 1. Jahrtausend v. Chr. belegt. Königliche wie private Genealogien dienten dem Zweck der Legitimation
This paper gives an overview of the epigraphic work conducted by the University of Basel in TT 84... more This paper gives an overview of the epigraphic work conducted by the University of Basel in TT 84 and TT 95 between 2016 and 2018.
This article describes the ever-changing use of the Valley of the Kings and the cultural connotat... more This article describes the ever-changing use of the Valley of the Kings and the cultural connotations associated with the landscape. Whilst cosmological associations shaped the early use of this area, factors such as territoriality and hegemonial traditions gradually took precedence. The economic use characteristic of the 21st Dynasty remained a privilege of the ruling class; memory of the sacrality of the site presumably motivated the burials of the 22nd Dynasty.
The tomb KV 40 in the Kings' Valley (Luxor, Egypt) has revealed mummified and highly frag... more The tomb KV 40 in the Kings' Valley (Luxor, Egypt) has revealed mummified and highly fragmented remains of 83 adults, children, new-borns and infants, some of whom were, according to inscriptions, 18th dynasty king's sons or daughters (∼1370 BCE). This tomb was then secondarily reused by priestly families during the 22nd to early 25th dynasty (∼900-700 BCE). Radiocarbon dating of such bone remains would allow the evaluation of the ratio of burials by period and the identification of those from the 18th dynasty. As the bones were buried within a shaft tomb under hot and dry climatic conditions and have been partially burnt by fires, the applicability of radiocarbon dating on collagen extracted from them was uncertain and highly challenging. Prior to collecting samples, the state of collagen preservation in the bones had to be evaluated to ensure the feasibility of radiocarbon dating. Following the method of Lebon et al. (2016), three ATR-FTIR systems (benchtop and portables) were used to determine the effective and appropriate calibration of each instrument thanks to a set of reference bones. From this, we provide methodological recommendations to ensure the reliability of the quantifications obtained whatever the instrument used. As a demonstration of the efficiency of the proposed methodology, portable ATR-FTIR spectroscopy has been tested in situ in KV 40, and the N %wt contents thus evaluated have been compared to ATR-FTIR analyses in a laboratory (using a different spectrometer) and to elemental analyses. The results obtained on thirteen KV 40 individuals clearly show quite good consistency on ATR-FTIR analyses between both spectrometers, validating the relevance of this on-site analytical approach with each spectrometer properly calibrated and measurements performed according to a strict protocol. Regarding the estimation of the nitrogen content, all the KV 40 samples are radiocarbon datable despite challenging preservation conditions. Discrepancies have been highlighted between some of the ATR-FTIR results and elemental analyses, the latter systematically providing higher N %wt than the former. For these samples, the C %wt contents are also very high, showing that these bones are contaminated by organic materials. This underlines the efficacy of the ATR-FTIR analysis specifically for the quantification of bone collagen. The developed analytical approach based on the ATR-FTIR method and its mobile instrumentation clearly operates effectively on site and under challenging conditions, which opens up new perspectives for the collection of bone remains prior to radiocarbon dating.
Abb. 5: Anordnung der Schattenlinien für die Äquinoktien, die Wintersonnenwende und die Sommerson... more Abb. 5: Anordnung der Schattenlinien für die Äquinoktien, die Wintersonnenwende und die Sommersonnenwende bei waagrechtem Stab
Genealogien sind in Kulturen des antiken Mittelmeerraums und der Arabischen Halbinsel weit verbre... more Genealogien sind in Kulturen des antiken Mittelmeerraums und der Arabischen Halbinsel weit verbreitet. Sie dienen dazu, durch Bezüge zwischen einzelnen Menschen und Gruppen sowie zwischen Mensch und Gottheiten Kontinuität und Dauer herzustellen. Unter diachron-historisierender Rückbindung in vertikalen Geschlechterfolgen werden soziale Wirklichkeiten konstruiert, die Ordnung, Stabilität und Beständigkeit suggerieren. Brüche und Diskontinuitäten werden harmonisiert, Fortdauer und Verstetigung garantiert und so religiöse, politische und ethnische Ansprüche und Vorrechte legitimiert. Viele dieser Funktionen teilen die Genealogien mit Mythen von der Herkun und den Wanderungen einer fiktiven oder realen Person, eines Geschlechts oder einer Ethnie. Die interdisziplinäre Betrachtung von Genealogie und Migrationsmythen stellt ein Desiderat dar, dem der vorliegende Band mit Beiträgen aus Religionswissenscha und Theologie, Biblischer und Klassischer Archäologie, Alter Geschichte, Gräzistik ...
Ancient Egyptian funerary literature encompasses a complex, dynamic, and open group of texts and ... more Ancient Egyptian funerary literature encompasses a complex, dynamic, and open group of texts and images selected to be deposited in mortuary settings. Despite this shared final purpose, they derive from a variety of spheres of origin (ritual, apotropaic, medical, legal) and can be concurrently used in different contexts. They further exhibit a semantic density and were transmitted across the centuries, and subjected to modifications as they were incorporated into new social, religious, or functional environments. The twenty contributions assembled in this volume have the three-fold objective of: offering new theoretical and methodological perspectives to evaluate the structure, content, and history of these compositions; opening challenging avenues for new interpretations; or presenting novel textual and iconographic sources. With a wide chronological spectrum of topics addressed, the manifold approaches collected here aim to challenge traditional conceptions and procedures of analy...
Sehr geehrte Kolleginnen und Kollegen, liebe Studierende und Doktorierende, Wir freuen uns, Sie r... more Sehr geehrte Kolleginnen und Kollegen, liebe Studierende und Doktorierende, Wir freuen uns, Sie recht herzlich zur 51. Ständigen Ägyptologenkonferenz mit dem Thema "Ägyptologie und Methodik: Potenzial und Prioritäten" vom 05.-07. Juli 2019 nach Basel einzuladen. Die ägyptologische Forschung nutzt heute zahlreiche theoretische und methodische Ansätze, sei dies im Bereich kulturwissenschaftlicher und philologischer Untersu-chungen oder bei der Integration naturwissenschaftlicher Verfahren in der Archäolo-gie und in Museen. Die fortschreitende Digitalisierung, zeitgemässe Dokumentati-ons-und Archivierungsstandards sowie diesbezügliche Anforderungen der Förder-organe stellen die Forschenden vor neue Herausforderungen. Es erscheint immer wichtiger, das zur Verfügung stehende Spektrum an unterschiedlichen Methoden und Theorien zu kennen, um deren Anwendbarkeit und mögliche Vorteile in den je-weiligen Forschungsfeldern der Ägyptologie einschätzen zu können. Diesem Aspekt unserer Forschungstätigkeit möchte die SÄK 2019 in Basel nachgehen: Wo lässt sich die derzeitige ägyptologische Forschung positionieren? Wohin wird sie sich wei-ter bewegen? Wo liegt das Potenzial, wo die Prioritäten? Entlang der Basler Forschungsschwerpunkte Archäologie, Textwissenschaft, Bildwissenschaft und Wissensvermittlung werden vier eingeladene Spre-cher/innen am Samstagvormittag in die jeweilige Sektion einführen. Für die Nachmit-tagssessionen laden wir Forschende (Nachwuchswissenschaftler/innen wie fortge-schrittene Kollegen/innen) ein, sich mit einem Vortrag einzubringen, der einen aktu-ellen und gewinnbringenden Umgang mit Methoden und Theorien reflektiert. Eine gemeinsame Panel-Diskussion der vier Sektionsleitenden wird den Tag abrunden.
The Aura in the Age of Digital Materiality. Rethinking Preservation in the Shadow of an Uncertain Future, 2020
Factum Arte and Factum Foundation have been working in the Valley of the Kings since 2001, as par... more Factum Arte and Factum Foundation have been working in the Valley of the Kings since 2001, as part of a long-term collaboration with the University of Basel under the aegis of the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities. Since 2009, this work has primarily been carried out through the Theban Necropolis Preservation Initiative (TNPI).
The TNPI works on conserving and sustaining Egyptian cultural heritage using non-contact digital technology, with Egyptian staff in charge of all operations on the ground and external involvement focused on capacity development, training, support and technology transfer.
The aim is to develop a sustainable structure that will help the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities to preserve the Valley of the Kings for future generations while encouraging tourism to Luxor and the West Bank.
In 2019, the Initiative received the official patronage of the Egyptian National Commission for UNESCO. _______ A collective text by the team from the TNPI and the University of Basel, including: Aliaa Ismail, Adam Lowe, Susanne Bickel, Carlos Bayod, Elizabeth Mitchell, Silvia Álvarez and Charlotte Skene Catling Published in: The Aura in the Age of Digital Materiality, edited by Adam Lowe, Elizabeth Mitchell, Nicolas Béliard, Giulia Fornaciari, Tess Tomassini, Blanca Nieto and Guendalina Damone, Silvana Editoriale, 2020
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The twenty contributions assembled in this volume have the three-fold objective of: offering new theoretical and methodological perspectives to evaluate the structure, content, and history of these compositions; opening challenging avenues for new interpretations; or presenting novel textual and iconographic sources. With a wide chronological spectrum of topics addressed, the manifold approaches collected here aim to challenge traditional conceptions and procedures of analysis and to introduce new sets of ideas.
The twenty contributions assembled in this volume have the three-fold objective of: offering new theoretical and methodological perspectives to evaluate the structure, content, and history of these compositions; opening challenging avenues for new interpretations; or presenting novel textual and iconographic sources. With a wide chronological spectrum of topics addressed, the manifold approaches collected here aim to challenge traditional conceptions and procedures of analysis and to introduce new sets of ideas.
The TNPI works on conserving and sustaining Egyptian cultural heritage using non-contact digital technology, with Egyptian staff in charge of all operations on the ground and external involvement focused on capacity development, training, support and technology transfer.
The aim is to develop a sustainable structure that will help the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities to preserve the Valley of the Kings for future generations while encouraging tourism to Luxor and the West Bank.
In 2019, the Initiative received the official patronage of the Egyptian National Commission for UNESCO.
_______
A collective text by the team from the TNPI and the University of Basel, including: Aliaa Ismail, Adam Lowe, Susanne Bickel, Carlos Bayod, Elizabeth Mitchell, Silvia Álvarez and Charlotte Skene Catling
Published in: The Aura in the Age of Digital Materiality, edited by Adam Lowe, Elizabeth Mitchell, Nicolas Béliard, Giulia Fornaciari, Tess Tomassini, Blanca Nieto and Guendalina Damone, Silvana Editoriale, 2020