This issue is devoted to Egypt. Over the years, some of the greatest discoveries in this extraordinary land have been made by members of the Egypt Exploration Society (EES). Founded in 1882 by the redoubtable Amelia Edwards, they employed Flinders Petrie (1853-1942) as one of their first excavators, so launching one of the greatest figures […]
Issue 36
This issue is devoted to Egypt. Over the years, some of the greatest discoveries in this extraordinary land have been made by members of the Egypt Exploration Society (EES). Founded in 1882 by the redoubtable Amelia Edwards, they employed Flinders Petrie (1853-1942) as one of their first excavators, so launching one of the greatest figures in archaeology. But what have they been doing in more recent years?
As the current issue illustrates, some of their most remarkable discoveries have been at North Saqqara. There, in the shadow of the Pyramid of King Djoser (as shown on the front cover), they have found a cemetery dedicated not to mummified people but to mummified animals. At first it was thought that this area might mark the site of the tomb of Imhotep, the pyramid’s architect. Instead, excavations revealed catacombs crammed with literally millions of animal mummies. The EES has been examining this conundrum. Thereafter, we journey across Egypt to offer more of the latest EES digs, discoveries and projects, including their crucial work in the Delta, notably at the royal city of Sais.
Other highlights include a travelogue by Bob Partridge, the editor of Ancient Egypt magazine, who reflects on his experiences of visiting Egypt over the past 30 years. Finally, our thanks to Paul Nicholson for facilitating this issue; we urge all those fascinated by the discoveries in Egypt to join the EES to learn more.
Oxyrnchus
The papyri of Oxyrhynchus
Egypt Exploration Society
Celebrating 125 Years of Discovery
Saqqara
Seeking Saqqara’s New Kingdom Tombs
North Saqqara
The animal necrpolois
Delta
The Delta Survey
Sais
Revealing the Delta’s Secrets
Tell Tayint
Temple Sheds Light on ‘Dark Ages’
Shell Tools Rewrite Australasian Prehistory
Sophisticated stone tools challenge previous assumptions about Australian tool-making
‘Foot Shaped’ Enclosure found in the Jordan Valley
The story of unusual shaped structures thought to have been built by the Israelites upon entering the Land of Canaan.
Digging Deeper
News extra from Brian Fagan
World’s Oldest Venus?
35,000 year old venus statue found at Swabian Jura, the earliest example of its kind by some 5,000 years
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