For a magnificent panorama of Paris – click on:
http://www.gillesvidal.com/blogpano/paris.htm
Panorama of Paris – c’est magnifique!
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Cleopatra and Antony’s Children Rediscovered
- Analysis by Rossella Lorenzi Fri Apr 20, 2012 05:26 PM ET
- Dicsicovery News
Cleopatra’s twin babies now have a face. An Italian Egyptologist has rediscovered a sculpture of Alexander Helios and Cleopatra Selene, the offspring of Mark Antony and Cleopatra VII, at the Egyptian museum in Cairo.
Discovered in 1918 near the temple of Dendera on the west bank of the Nile, the sandstone statue was acquired by the Egyptian Museum in Cairo but has remained largely overlooked.
The back of the the 33-foot sculpture, catalogued as JE 46278 at the Egyptian museum, features some engraved stars — likely indicating that the stone was originally part of a ceiling. Overall, the rest of the statue appears to be quite unusual.
“It shows two naked children, one male and one female, of identical size standing within the coils of two snakes. Each figure has an arm over the other’s shoulder, while the other hand grasps a serpent,” Giuseppina Capriotti, an Egyptologist at the Italy’s National Research Council, told Discovery News.
NEWS: How Cleopatra Won Her Bet
The researcher identified the children as Alexander Helios and Cleopatra Selene, Antony and Cleopatra’s twins, following a detailed stylistic and iconographic analysis published by the Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology at the University of Warsaw.
Capriotti noticed that the boy has a sun-disc on his head, while the girl boasts a crescent and a lunar disc. The serpents, perhaps two cobras, would also be different forms of sun and moon, she said. Both discs are decorated with the udjat-eye, also called the eye of Horus, a common symbol in Egyptian art.
“Unfortunately the faces are not well preserved, but we can see that the boy has curly hair and a braid on the right side of the head, typical of Egyptian children. The girl’s hair is arranged in a way similar to the so-called melonenfrisur (melon coiffure ) an elaborated hairstyle often associated with the Ptolemaic dynasty, and Cleopatra particularly,” said Capriotti.
The researcher compared the group statue with another Ptolemaic sculpture, the statue of Pakhom, governor of Dendera, now on display at the Detroit Institute of Arts, USA.
“Stylistically, the statues have several features in common. For example, the figures have round faces, little chins and big eyes,” Capriotti said.
Since the statue of Pakhom was dated to 50-30 B.C., she concluded that the twin sculpture was produced by an Egyptian artist at the end of the Ptolemaic period, after Roman triumvir Mark Antony recognized his twins in 37 B.C.
The babies weren’t the firsts for Cleopatra. The Queen of Egypt had already given birth in 47 B.C., when she bore Julius Caesar a child, Caesarion. In 36 B.C. she presented Antony with another son, Ptolemy Philadelphus.
At the time of their birth in 40 B.C., the twins were simply named Cleopatra and Alexander. When they were officially recognized by their father three years later, as Antony returned to Antioch, in present Turkey, and Cleopatra joined him, they were named Alexander Helios (Sun), and Cleopatra Selene (Moon).
“Antony’s recognition of the children was marked by an eclipsys. Probably for this reason, and to mythologize their twin birth, the children were added those celestial names. Although in Egypt the moon was a male deity, in the sculpture the genders were reversed according to the Greek tradition,” Capriotti said.
NEWS: Cleopatra Killed by Drug Cocktail?
Little is known of the children Cleopatra and Mark Antony left behind after their suicides in 30 B.C. following defeat in battle.
While Caesarion was murdered under Octavian’s orders, the lives of the three offsprings of Cleopatra and Antony were spared.
Cleopatra Selene and Alexander Helios, then aged 10, and Ptolemy Philadelphus, then aged four, were moved to Rome and put under the care of Octavian’s sister, Octavia whom Antony was married to.
Some years later, Alexander Helios and Ptolemy Philadelphus would disappear without a trace.
Only Cleopatra Selene survived. Married to King Juba II of Mauretania, she had at least one child, Ptolemy Philadelphus, likely named in honor of her little brother.
Her image was minted on coins along with Juba’s, suggesting that she ruled as an equal partner.
“Now we have her portrayed as a child with her twin brother. Blending Egyptian myths and Greek culture, this sculpture fully represents Egypt at Cleopatra’s time,” Capriotti said.
Photos: Cleopatra’s twin children, Alexander Helios and Cleopatra Selene have been possibly identified in this sandstone sculpture. Credit: Giuseppina Capriotti.
“Khamaseen” sandstorm hits Egypt
April 18, 3:29 PM
The yearly Khamaseen sandstorm hit several areas of Egypt on Wednesday including Cairo, Alexandria, Marsa Matrouh, Suez and Assuit, which resulted in paralyzing many highways; due to the lack of visibility on the roads.The sandstorm originates from yearly local storms in North Africa which travel to Egypt, usually arriving in the month of April.
Dr. Ali Qotb, the official spokesperson of the Egyptian Meteorological Authority, stated on Channel One of Egyptian TV on Wednesday that the speed of the sandstorm has reached more than 60 km/h across Cairo, Alexandria, Marsa Matrouh and all the desert highways.
El-Ahram reported. (Fady Salah/Bikya Masr)
Qantas hikes fuel surcharges
19 Thu, Apr 2012
Jet fuel is Qantas’s largest operational cost and the average year-to-date fuel prices are at their highest level since 2007/2008. While fuel surcharges, price increases and hedging are being used to mitigate the impact of fuel prices, they will not fully recover the cost impact. For all tickets sold in South Africa, the fuel surcharge (YQ) will increase from 23 April as follows: • Economy class – from US$140 to US$160 per one-way sector • Premium Economy/Business/First – from US$145 to US$ 165 per one-way sector.
The Editor, ETNW
Franschhoek wine tram to launch in spring
17 Tue, Apr 2012
Franschhoek Valley will soon have a unique tram service running from Franschhoek Village and stopping at some of South Africa’s oldest and most renowned wine estates. The tram will operate on the Franschhoek branch line, which opened in 1904.The tours will take between two and three hours and will focus on the history of Franschhoek and wine cultivation in the Franschhoek Valley.
The tram is loosely modelled on the open-sided Brill Trams of circa 1890 and seats approximately 30 passengers on eight comfortable benches, six of which have flipped-over, tram-style seatbacks that allow passengers to enjoy the views in both directions. It will be able to attain a leisurely speed of 18 kilometres per hour and is fitted with roll-down awnings to protect passengers from bad weather. The tram is expected to significantly increase tourism to the Franschhoek Valley and offers tourists a safe method of travel while wine tasting.
For more information visit www.winetram.co.za
The Editor
ETNW
Two ancient Egyptian sarcophagus covers seized in Jerusalem
The smuggled artefacts were seized by the Israel antiquities authority at a shop in the old city of Jerusalem
Nevine El-Aref , Tuesday 3 Apr 2012
The Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) has seized two painted sarcophagi covers from a shop in the Old City of Jerusalem.
According to a statement send out by the Egyptian Ministry of State for Antiquities, the two covers were stolen and illegally smuggled out of the country after being modified to look like replicas.
They first travelled to Dubai, and then from there to Jerusalem. Egyptian ministry officials have asked for their return.
Mohamed Ibrahim, the minister of state for antiquities, told Ahram Online that the ministry has sent an official letter to the Egyptian Embassy in Jerusalem to take all legal and diplomatic procedures to return both artefacts.
The covers are now stored in a climate-controlled room at the IAA. Archaeologists have dated one to the 16thcentury and one to the 14th century BC, and are in good condition. Each lid is carved from wood and decorated with colourful religious scenes.
Flinders Petrie – BBC documentary
I think you will enjoy this recent documentary about Flinders Petrie and produced by the BBC and presented by Chris Naunton, director of the Egypt Exploration Society.
This is available for educational purposes only.
http://edocumentaryfilm.blogspot.com/2012/04/man-who-discovered-egypt.html
Keith Grenville
www.egypttoday.co.za
All Hail The New King
Analysis by Rossella Lorenzi El Ahram
Image: Unearthing the door jamb; details of the inscribed limestone. Credit: CNRS.
Wed Mar 7, 2012 04:14 PM
A new king has been added to the long list of ancient pharaohs, the Egyptian Minister of State for Antiquities, Mohamed Ibrahim, announced this week.
The king’s name, Senakht-en-Re, emerged from the engraved remains of a limestone door found by a French-Egyptian team in the Temple of Karnak complex on Luxor’s east bank.
The archaeologists, led by French Egyptologist Christophe Thiers, of the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), unearthed a fragmented lintel and an imposing door jamb during routine excavation at the temple of Ptah.
Belonging to an administrative structure dating to the enigmatic 17th Dynasty (about 1634-1543 BC) the limestone remains featured hieroglyphics which indicated that the door was dedicated to Amun-Re.
“They also revealed who ordered the construction of this structure. It was the pharaoh Senakht-en-Re,” said a CNRS statement.
ANALYSIS: Ancient Egyptian Town Found Using Radar
Mentioned in only three documents written one or two centuries after his reign, Senakht-en-Re is regarded as one of the most obscure kings of the 17th dynasty.
No objects or monuments had ever been found bearing his name, and his tomb has yet to be discovered.
“We knew nothing of this pharaoh – until now. These remains are the first contemporary document of this king ever discovered in Egypt,” the CNRS said.
According to the hieroglyphics, Senakht-en-Re had the monumental gateway built from limestone blocks transported from Tora (the modern Helwan, south of Cairo).
At that time, the town was under the rule of the Hyksos. Known as the “rulers of foreign countries” (probably of Asiatic roots), they infiltrated Egypt and came to dominate the Nile valley for over a century during the Second Intermediate Period (1664-1569 B.C.).
ANALYSIS: Ancient Letter to Pharaoh Found
They were expelled from Egypt by Kamose, the last king of the 17th dynasty and his brother Amhose, the first king of the 18th dynasty.
According to the Minister of State for Antiquities, the finding is “a groundbreaking discovery” for the history of the 17th dynasty. Indeed, the succession of kings of this dynasty and the lenght of their rule remain uncertain.
Ibrahim told the Egyptian daily Ahram Online that the excavation will continue.
“The Temple of Karnak, which has not yet been fully excavated, no doubt still contains many secrets,” he said.
Gate found in Karnak Temple adds new name to ancient kings’ list
Nevine El-Aref , Sunday 4 Mar 2012
Al Ahram
During routine excavations on the northern side of the Amun-Re Temple in Luxor’s famous Karnak temple complex, a team from the French-Egyptian Centre for the Study of the Karnak Temples this week unearthed a gate that they say has led to a significant breakthrough in archaeologists’ understanding of Egypt’s enigmatic 17th Dynasty. It was this dynasty that launched the military campaign that eventually succeeded in ridding Egypt of the tribe of invaders known as the “Hyksos.”
The gate, carved out of limestone, is engraved with the name of a king called “Sen-Nakht-En-Re.” Mansour Boreik, general supervisor of monuments in Luxor, told Ahram Online that this king’s name was previously mentioned twice – during the Rameside period and during the reign of King Ahmose, the latter of whom is traditionally given credit for expelling the Hyksos from Egypt. Boreik went on to note that, despite these earlier references to Sen-Nakht-En-Re, archaeologists had believed him to be an imaginary king, since no monuments had ever been found bearing his name.
The recent discovery of the pharaoh’s name on the gate in Karnak, however, strongly suggests that the king was, in fact, once a ruler of ancient Egypt. In addition to Sen-Nakht-En-Re’s cartouche, the gate is also engraved with hieroglyphic writing, according to which the king had the gate built from limestone blocks transported from Tora (modern Helwan, south of Cairo), which had been under Hykos rule at the time. Egyptian Minister of State for Antiquities Mohamed Ibrahim described the recent find as “a groundbreaking discovery” that promised to shed further light on the history of the 17th Dynasty. “It is also adds another king to the long list of ancient Egyptian pharaohs,” he said. Ibrahim has asked Christophe Thiers, head of the archaeological mission, to continue excavations of the gate so as to learn even more about the period in question. “The Temple of Karnak, which has not yet been fully excavated, no doubt still contains many secrets,” Ibrahim concluded.
www.egypttoday.co.za Specialist in tours to Egypt
Did Queen Hatshepsut Moisturize Herself to Death?
- Analysis by Rosella Lorenzi
Tue Aug 23, 2011 03:43 PM
Corpus delicti? Hatshepsut’s tiny flask of lotion contained a cancer-causing tar residue. credit: Barbara Frommann/University of Bonn
Queen Hatshepsut, Egypt’s greatest female pharaoh, might have moisturized herself to death, according to controversial new research into the dried up contents of a cosmetic vial.
Researchers at the University of Bonn, Germany, found a highly carcinogenic substance in a flask of lotion housed at the University’s Egyptian Museum.
The vessel, which featured an inscription saying it belonged to Hatshepsut, was long believed to have held perfume.
“After two years of research, it is now clear that the flacon was a kind of skin care lotion or even medication for a monarch suffering from eczema,” the University of Bonn said in a statement.
The skin lotion’s ingredients included large amounts of palm and nutmeg oil, polyunsaturated fats that can relieve certain skin diseases, and benzopyrene, an aromatic and highly carcinogenic hydrocarbon.
“Benzopyrene is one of the most dangerous substances we know,” said pharmacologist Helmut Wiedenfeld.
Banned in today’s cosmetics, the cancer-causing tar residue can be found in burnt substances and foods such barbecue, coffee, cigarette smoke, and coal tar.
“We have known for a long time that Hatshepsut had cancer and maybe even died from it,” said Michael Höveler-Müller, the collection’s curator.
“We may now know the actual cause,” he said.
He added that cases of inflammatory skin diseases that tend to be genetic are known in Hatshepsut’s family.
“If you imagine that the queen had a chronic skin disease and that she found short-term improvement from the salve, she may have exposed herself to a great risk over the years,” said Wiedenfeld.
Undoubtedly one of the most extraordinary women in recorded history, Hatshepsut was the daughter of Pharaoh Tuthmosis I and wife of Tuthmosis II, her half-brother.
When her husband-brother died, she became regent for the boy-king Tuthmosis III, the child of Tuthmosis II and a concubine.
But hieroglyphic carvings suggest that Hatshepsut did not put up with that state of affairs for long: Wearing the royal headdress and a false beard, she proclaimed herself pharaoh.
She reigned from 1473 to 1458 B.C. as the fifth pharaoh of the 18th Dynasty, whose later members included Akhenaton and Tutankhamun.
Under her rule, Egypt enjoyed a peaceful and prosperous time. Yet after her death, the female pharaoh was scorned, her images and inscriptions mutilated and her monuments demolished by the jealous successor Tuthmosis III.
Hatshepsut’s mummy was long lost, and some scholars even hypothesized that Tuthmosis III destroyed it.
But in 2007, Egyptian authorities announced they identified the female pharaoh’s mummy in KV60A, a mummified female body found by Howard Carter in 1903 as he entered tomb KV60.
The mummy showed an overweight woman just over 5 feet tall, bald in front but with long hair in back, who died at about 50.
It appeared that the powerful woman who challenged ancient Egypt’s tradition of male supremacy, experienced poor health, at least in the last part of her life.
Obese, plagued with decayed teeth, the mummy also suffered from cancer, as a metastatic deposit in the pelvic bone revealed.
However, other experts are not convinced that Hatshepsut poisoned herself to death while trying to soothe her itchy skin.
“The finding of the substance in an oil she used is not the same as to autopsy the body and find traces of the same substance poisoning in the bone marrow,” said Paula Veiga, a researcher in Egyptology.
It is not even certain that skin disease affected Hatshepsut and members of her family.
Although Hatshepsut’s mummy appeared to have a rather disgusting skin disease on the face and neck, researchers were not able to establish beyond a doubt that it was a dermatosis.
Indeed, certain resins used in the mummification process could have been responsible for the eruptions found on the skins of Hatshepsut, as well as on her father Thutmose I, her half-brother and husband Thutmose II, and Amenhotep II, Thutmose I’s grandson.
Other experts on the Facebook group Forensic Egyptology are skeptical about the flask. X-rays would show that the vessel is built of two parts, which “has never appeared so far in ancient Egyptian ceramics,” said Veiga.
“So it could be a forgery,” she added.
www.egypttoday.co za Specialist tours to Egypt
