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I'm a PhD student researching the role of the archaeological dead in contemporary British society. Think of this as a scrapbook of all the interesting links, snippets of information and random bits and bobs I come across pertaining to death, dying and the dead. Enjoy?!

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    CURSE OF TUTANKHAMEN – 90 YEARS ON Friday 5 April 2013, marks the 90th anniversary of the death of the Egyptologist Lord Canarvon and the start of the mysterious curse of Tutankhamen, but author and University of Manchester Egyptologist Dr Joyce Tyldesley points out the real story is far from sinister. She argues that an exclusive media deal coupled with the subsequent reliance on non-expert comment helped fuel rumours of a curse. Although she also notes that the curse of Tutankhamen is now far more famous than both the original Egyptian king and the men who first unearthed his treasure laden tomb. It was in November 1922 when the Egyptologist Howard Carter and his team, including Lord Carnarvon, first entered the tomb of Tutankhamen. Their discovery received worldwide media attention, but an exclusive deal with The Times left scores of journalists sitting in the dust outside with nothing to see and no one to interview. Consequently newspapers turned to all sorts of “experts” to comment on the tomb, including popular fiction authors like Arthur Conan Doyle. Most prominent of all was the popular novelist Marie Corelli, whose comments regarding the health of Lord Carnarvon helped to ignite rumours of a curse. Read more.

    CURSE OF TUTANKHAMEN – 90 YEARS ON

    Friday 5 April 2013, marks the 90th anniversary of the death of the Egyptologist Lord Canarvon and the start of the mysterious curse of Tutankhamen, but author and University of Manchester Egyptologist Dr Joyce Tyldesley points out the real story is far from sinister.

    She argues that an exclusive media deal coupled with the subsequent reliance on non-expert comment helped fuel rumours of a curse. Although she also notes that the curse of Tutankhamen is now far more famous than both the original Egyptian king and the men who first unearthed his treasure laden tomb.

    It was in November 1922 when the Egyptologist Howard Carter and his team, including Lord Carnarvon, first entered the tomb of Tutankhamen. Their discovery received worldwide media attention, but an exclusive deal with The Times left scores of journalists sitting in the dust outside with nothing to see and no one to interview.

    Consequently newspapers turned to all sorts of “experts” to comment on the tomb, including popular fiction authors like Arthur Conan Doyle. Most prominent of all was the popular novelist Marie Corelli, whose comments regarding the health of Lord Carnarvon helped to ignite rumours of a curse.

    Read more.

    BODIES IN ASWAN TOMB REVEAL PREMATURE DEATHS

    Research on the bones of 200 ancient Egyptians revealed that they suffered from hunger and malnutrition and a whole range of infectious diseases as well as having an extremely high infant mortality rate.

    These are some of the conclusions drawn from Qubbet el-Hawa Tomb 33, a project carried out by the University of Jaen, in which anthropologists from the University of Granada (UGR) participated, along with the Ministry of State for Antiquities.

    The Qubbet el-Hawa necropolis lies opposite the modern-day city of Aswan. Tomb 33 was constructed during the 12th Dynasty (1939-1760 BC), to house the body of one of the region of Aswan’s leading dignitaries, whose identity is still unknown.

    The site was later re-used at least three times (18th, 22nd and 27th Dynasties) and is one of the largest in the necropolis. It has a huge archaeological potential, since it houses at least one chamber that remains intact, containing three decorated wooden sarcophagi.

    Read more here.

    DNA Evidence Challenges King Tut’s Lineage

    In recent years, DNA analysis has shed light on the parents of Egypt’s most famous pharaoh, the boy king Tutankhamun, known to the world as King Tut. Genetic investigation identified his father as Akhenaten and his mother as Akhenaten’s sister, whose name was unknown.

    French Egyptologist Marc Gabolde offered a different interpretation of the DNA evidence. Speaking at Harvard’s Science Center, Gabolde said he’s convinced that Tut’s mother was not his father’s sister, but rather his father’s first cousin, Nefertiti.

    Nefertiti was already known to be Akhenaten’s wife and in fact the two had six daughters. Gabolde believes they also had a son, Tutankhamun, and that the apparent genetic closeness revealed in the DNA tests was not a result of a single brother-to-sister mating, but rather due to three successive generations of marriage between first cousins…

    Downstairs at Downton: Tutankhamun exhibition goes on show at Highclere Castle The popular ITV drama Downton Abbey has made Highclere Castle a hit with tourists. But now the stately home is hoping to attract visitors for a very different reason. This grand 19th century mansion, so familiar to TV viewers, is the real-life ancestral seat of the Earl of Carnarvon. And almost a century ago, the fifth Earl was part of a significant find. Ninety years ago, in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings, he helped the fabled archaeologist Howard Carter to discover a wall of gold within the Shrine Room of the tomb of the ‘boy pharaoh’ Tutankhamun. To mark the anniversary of the discovery, a visitor attraction has been created in the cellars of Highclere Castle - to give an impression of what was uncovered in November 1922. The Egyptian Exhibition contains replicas of items from the tombs, including the pharaoh’s middle coffin and his death mask. At the exhibition’s launch, the Countess of Carnarvon, whose family still own the Berkshire country house, said: ‘This is the defining thing for Highclere. Downton is lovely, but it will come and go.’ She went on: “The discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb is the greatest archaeological discovery ever. ‘I want people to feel they’re inside the tomb, and they have a sense of history.’ Ashraf El Kholy, the Egyptian ambassador to the UK, has described the exhibition as a beautiful piece of art and culture. ‘This exhibition is different to any other museum,’ he says. ‘It’s educational. It shows you how people worked hard to discover something, and it gives you a feeling of the history and the process of discovery. ‘It reflects the great interest British people have in Egypt.’ Mr El Kholy says his favourite piece was a wooden sculpture of Tutankhamun’s head. ‘They look to the very smallest details of the human face,’ he says “The eyes and head are very well drawn. I think this was the magic of the Egyptians, they worked hard to create the reality and they gave part of their feelings to what they were capturing.” The Countess said that some members of the cast of Downton Abbey have already seen the exhibition, but many did not have enough spare time to enjoy Highclere Castle during filming. ‘They are in such a beautiful place and they sort of don’t know it,’ she said.But she added that the show was helping to support the exhibition as well as the house. ‘In 100 years’ time, people are still going to be wondering and admiring the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb and Downton will have helped us keep going,” she said. The Egyptian Exhibition opens to the public during the Easter period. Tutankhamun’s burial chamber is a highlight of any trip to Luxor’s famous Valley of the Kings, but it could soon be closed to the public forever. Up to a thousand tourists visit the tomb every day and the constant flow of people is slowly taking its toll on its intricately painted plasterwork. An exact replica of the tomb has now been made in a bid to protect the original - and will be installed in the Valley of the Kings later this year.  Tourists will be able to visit both tombs for a period of time, but the original tomb is expected to be closed for good in 2014.

    Downstairs at Downton: Tutankhamun exhibition goes on show at Highclere Castle

    The popular ITV drama Downton Abbey has made Highclere Castle a hit with tourists. But now the stately home is hoping to attract visitors for a very different reason.

    This grand 19th century mansion, so familiar to TV viewers, is the real-life ancestral seat of the Earl of Carnarvon. And almost a century ago, the fifth Earl was part of a significant find.

    Ninety years ago, in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings, he helped the fabled archaeologist Howard Carter to discover a wall of gold within the Shrine Room of the tomb of the ‘boy pharaoh’ Tutankhamun.

    To mark the anniversary of the discovery, a visitor attraction has been created in the cellars of Highclere Castle - to give an impression of what was uncovered in November 1922.

    The Egyptian Exhibition contains replicas of items from the tombs, including the pharaoh’s middle coffin and his death mask.

    At the exhibition’s launch, the Countess of Carnarvon, whose family still own the Berkshire country house, said: ‘This is the defining thing for Highclere. Downton is lovely, but it will come and go.’

    She went on: “The discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb is the greatest archaeological discovery ever.

    ‘I want people to feel they’re inside the tomb, and they have a sense of history.’

    Ashraf El Kholy, the Egyptian ambassador to the UK, has described the exhibition as a beautiful piece of art and culture.

    ‘This exhibition is different to any other museum,’ he says. ‘It’s educational. It shows you how people worked hard to discover something, and it gives you a feeling of the history and the process of discovery.

    ‘It reflects the great interest British people have in Egypt.’

    Mr El Kholy says his favourite piece was a wooden sculpture of Tutankhamun’s head.

    ‘They look to the very smallest details of the human face,’ he says

    “The eyes and head are very well drawn. I think this was the magic of the Egyptians, they worked hard to create the reality and they gave part of their feelings to what they were capturing.”

    The Countess said that some members of the cast of Downton Abbey have already seen the exhibition, but many did not have enough spare time to enjoy Highclere Castle during filming.

    ‘They are in such a beautiful place and they sort of don’t know it,’ she said.
    But she added that the show was helping to support the exhibition as well as the house.

    ‘In 100 years’ time, people are still going to be wondering and admiring the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb and Downton will have helped us keep going,” she said.

    The Egyptian Exhibition opens to the public during the Easter period.

    Tutankhamun’s burial chamber is a highlight of any trip to Luxor’s famous Valley of the Kings, but it could soon be closed to the public forever.

    Up to a thousand tourists visit the tomb every day and the constant flow of people is slowly taking its toll on its intricately painted plasterwork.

    An exact replica of the tomb has now been made in a bid to protect the original - and will be installed in the Valley of the Kings later this year. 

    Tourists will be able to visit both tombs for a period of time, but the original tomb is expected to be closed for good in 2014.

    (Source: Daily Mail)

    Will a mock-up of Tutankhamun's tomb pull in tourists?

    Egypt’s Valley of the Kings is a popular tourist attraction, but years of visitors trekking around the old tombs of the pharaohs is causing these historic sites to deteriorate.

    An exact replica of Tutankhamun’s tomb has now been created - but will tourists really want to travel to Egypt just to visit a mock-up? Rajan Datar reports.

    Dentistry, ancient Egyptian-style: Mummy found with teeth stuffed with linen in attempt to cure agonizing tooth-ache Scientists performing CT scans on the head of an Egyptian mummy say they have found one of the worst cases of dental problems ever seen - an a unique treatment to try and treat it. Researchers CT scanning a 2,100 year old mummy were stunned to find evidence of a sinus infection caused by a mouthful of cavities and other tooth problems. The also came across a unique find - a cavity filled with linen. Using a piece of linen, which may have first been dipped in a medicine such as fig juice or cedar oil, a form of ‘packing’ in the biggest and most painful cavity, located on the left side of his jaw between the first and second molars, was inserted. This acted as a barrier to prevent food particles from getting into the cavity, with any medicine on the linen helping to ease the pain, the study researchers said.  The man, whose name is unknown, was in his 20s or early 30s, and lived at a time when Egypt was ruled by a dynasty of Greek kings. Ouch! Read more here!

    Dentistry, ancient Egyptian-style: Mummy found with teeth stuffed with linen in attempt to cure agonizing tooth-ache

    Scientists performing CT scans on the head of an Egyptian mummy say they have found one of the worst cases of dental problems ever seen - an a unique treatment to try and treat it.

    Researchers CT scanning a 2,100 year old mummy were stunned to find evidence of a sinus infection caused by a mouthful of cavities and other tooth problems.

    The also came across a unique find - a cavity filled with linen.

    Using a piece of linen, which may have first been dipped in a medicine such as fig juice or cedar oil, a form of ‘packing’ in the biggest and most painful cavity, located on the left side of his jaw between the first and second molars, was inserted.

    This acted as a barrier to prevent food particles from getting into the cavity, with any medicine on the linen helping to ease the pain, the study researchers said. 

    The man, whose name is unknown, was in his 20s or early 30s, and lived at a time when Egypt was ruled by a dynasty of Greek kings.

    Ouch! Read more here!

    • Posted 4 months ago
    • January 1st, 2013

    143 Likes & Reblogs

    Visitors to Egypt will pay to see replica tombs in future as tourism takes its toll For many visitors to Egypt, it is the definitive experience; to witness first hand Tutankhamun’s tomb in Luxor’s famous Valley of the Kings. However, irreparable damage caused by decades of tourists flocking to see the boy king’s burial chamber and other ancient tombs could mean visitors are soon banned from entering them. Read more here.

    Visitors to Egypt will pay to see replica tombs in future as tourism takes its toll

    For many visitors to Egypt, it is the definitive experience; to witness first hand Tutankhamun’s tomb in Luxor’s famous Valley of the Kings.

    However, irreparable damage caused by decades of tourists flocking to see the boy king’s burial chamber and other ancient tombs could mean visitors are soon banned from entering them.

    Read more here.

    Discovery of 16 buried hands in Egypt provides first physical evidence of gruesome practice used by ancient warriorsA glimpse into the brutal way warriors proved their prowess 3,600 has been unearthed in Egypt. Archaeologists excavating a palace in the ancient city of Avaris have dug up four pits containing 16 large right hands believed to have been sliced from the arms of vanquished enemies. Experts believe the discovery is the earliest and only physical evidence that soldiers used to present the cut-off right hands of enemies in exchange for gold. Click here for the full story.

    Discovery of 16 buried hands in Egypt provides first physical evidence of gruesome practice used by ancient warriors

    A glimpse into the brutal way warriors proved their prowess 3,600 has been unearthed in Egypt.

    Archaeologists excavating a palace in the ancient city of Avaris have dug up four pits containing 16 large right hands believed to have been sliced from the arms of vanquished enemies.

    Experts believe the discovery is the earliest and only physical evidence that soldiers used to present the cut-off right hands of enemies in exchange for gold.

    Click here for the full story.

    The curse of King Tut’s man-boobs: Was Tutankhamen killed by disease which gave him breasts? He was revered as a living god, the most famous of a glittering dynasty who ruled over one of the world’s greatest civilisations. But a new theory suggests the Egyptian Pharaoh Tutankhamen and many of his immediate predecessors suffered from an all too common affliction - the dreaded man-boobs. Hutan Ashrafian, a British surgeon, believes it could explain the reason for King Tut’s death in his teens - a question that has baffled historians for decades. Dr Ashrafian, of Imperial College London, points out that Tutankhamen and his immediate predecessors all died young and had distinctly feminine physiques. Smenkhkare, a pharaoh who is believed to have been Tutankhamen’s uncle or older brother, and Akhenaten, thought to have been the boy’s father, are depicted in paintings and sculptures with wide hips and large breasts. Dr Ashrafian points out that each pharaoh died at a slightly younger age than his predecessor, suggesting an inherited disorder. Full story and more photographs here!

    The curse of King Tut’s man-boobs: Was Tutankhamen killed by disease which gave him breasts?

    He was revered as a living god, the most famous of a glittering dynasty who ruled over one of the world’s greatest civilisations.

    But a new theory suggests the Egyptian Pharaoh Tutankhamen and many of his immediate predecessors suffered from an all too common affliction - the dreaded man-boobs.

    Hutan Ashrafian, a British surgeon, believes it could explain the reason for King Tut’s death in his teens - a question that has baffled historians for decades.

    Dr Ashrafian, of Imperial College London, points out that Tutankhamen and his immediate predecessors all died young and had distinctly feminine physiques.

    Smenkhkare, a pharaoh who is believed to have been Tutankhamen’s uncle or older brother, and Akhenaten, thought to have been the boy’s father, are depicted in paintings and sculptures with wide hips and large breasts.

    Dr Ashrafian points out that each pharaoh died at a slightly younger age than his predecessor, suggesting an inherited disorder.

    Full story and more photographs here!

    In Egypt, archaeologists reopen tombs to woo tourists

    archaeologicalnews:

    GIZA, Egypt — More than 4,500 years since the paint was first applied, the reds, yellows and blues still stand out on the walls of the tomb of Queen Meresankh III.

    A hunter throws a net to catch water birds, craftsmen make papyrus mats while a stream of people carry baskets filled with…

    jujukitty: dynamicafrica: Archaeologists working in Egypt have discovered the tomb of a female singer in the Valley of the Kings. The tomb was found by a team from the University of Basel in Switzerland who came across it by chance. The woman, Nehmes Bastet, was a temple singer during Egypt’s 22nd Dynasty (approximately 945 - 712BC), according to an inscription in the tomb. The coffin found in the tomb contains an intact mummy from almost 3,000 years ago. Professor Susanne Bickel of the University of Basel told the BBC that the coffin was opened on Monday and she was able to see the “nicely wrapped” mummy of the woman who was buried in the tomb. The opening of the coffin was carried out by Prof Bickel and her Basel colleague, field director Elina Paulin-Grothe, together with the Chief Inspector of Antiquities of Upper Egypt, Dr Mohammed el-Bialy and inspector Ali Reda. Prof Bickel said that the upper edge of the tomb was found on the first day of Egypt’s revolution, on 25 January 2011. The opening was sealed with an iron cover and the discovery was kept quiet. Last week, after the start of this year’s field season, the feature was identified as a tomb - and one of the very few tombs in the Valley of the Kings which have not been looted. ‘Painted black’ Elina Paulin-Grothe said that the tomb was not built for the female singer, but was re-used for her 400 years after the original burial, according to AP. There are other non-royal tombs in the Valley of the Kings, Prof Bickel said, which mostly date from the 18th Dynasty (1500 - 1400BC). The woman in the coffin was the daughter of the high priest of Amon, Egypt’s Antiquities Minister Mohammed Ibrahim told AFP. The discovery was important because “it shows that the Valley of the Kings was also used for the burial of ordinary individuals and priests of the 22nd Dynasty”, he added. Egyptian news site Ahram reports that the wooden sarcophagus was painted black and decorated with hieroglyphic texts. This tomb is only the second found in the Valley of the Kings since the discovery of Tutankhamun in 1922, and is referred to as KV64 in the naming system used to label tombs in the valley. It is one of a cluster of tombs without any wall decoration found near the royal tomb of Thutmoses III. A tomb found in 2006, known as KV63, had seven coffins in it but none of them contained any mummies - it seems to have been used as a burial cache. (via imgTumble)

    jujukitty:

    dynamicafrica:

    Archaeologists working in Egypt have discovered the tomb of a female singer in the Valley of the Kings.

    The tomb was found by a team from the University of Basel in Switzerland who came across it by chance.

    The woman, Nehmes Bastet, was a temple singer during Egypt’s 22nd Dynasty (approximately 945 - 712BC), according to an inscription in the tomb.

    The coffin found in the tomb contains an intact mummy from almost 3,000 years ago.

    Professor Susanne Bickel of the University of Basel told the BBC that the coffin was opened on Monday and she was able to see the “nicely wrapped” mummy of the woman who was buried in the tomb.

    The opening of the coffin was carried out by Prof Bickel and her Basel colleague, field director Elina Paulin-Grothe, together with the Chief Inspector of Antiquities of Upper Egypt, Dr Mohammed el-Bialy and inspector Ali Reda.

    Prof Bickel said that the upper edge of the tomb was found on the first day of Egypt’s revolution, on 25 January 2011. The opening was sealed with an iron cover and the discovery was kept quiet.

    Last week, after the start of this year’s field season, the feature was identified as a tomb - and one of the very few tombs in the Valley of the Kings which have not been looted.

    ‘Painted black’

    Elina Paulin-Grothe said that the tomb was not built for the female singer, but was re-used for her 400 years after the original burial, according to AP.

    There are other non-royal tombs in the Valley of the Kings, Prof Bickel said, which mostly date from the 18th Dynasty (1500 - 1400BC).

    The woman in the coffin was the daughter of the high priest of Amon, Egypt’s Antiquities Minister Mohammed Ibrahim told AFP.

    The discovery was important because “it shows that the Valley of the Kings was also used for the burial of ordinary individuals and priests of the 22nd Dynasty”, he added.

    Egyptian news site Ahram reports that the wooden sarcophagus was painted black and decorated with hieroglyphic texts.

    This tomb is only the second found in the Valley of the Kings since the discovery of Tutankhamun in 1922, and is referred to as KV64 in the naming system used to label tombs in the valley. It is one of a cluster of tombs without any wall decoration found near the royal tomb of Thutmoses III.

    A tomb found in 2006, known as KV63, had seven coffins in it but none of them contained any mummies - it seems to have been used as a burial cache.

    (via imgTumble)

    (Source: )

    Modern work takes place on ancient coffin

    archaeologicalnews:

    FOR nine months, experts have been using a hyperdermic needle and catheter tubing to slowly restore a single 2,750-year-old coffin.

    A small team of conservators at the Ashmolean Museum are finishing their painstaking work to restore and preserve dozens of Ancient Egyptian artefacts in time…

    Mummy Has Oldest Case of Prostate Cancer in Ancient Egypt

    archaeologicalnews:

    Some 2250 years ago in Egypt, a man known today only as M1 struggled with a long, painful, progressive illness. A dull pain throbbed in his lower back, then spread to other parts of his body, making most movements a misery. When M1 finally succumbed to the mysterious ailment between the ages…