Nebi and the Guardians of the Sinai. Around 1414 BCE, a man and his comrades were marching into the unrelenting heat of the Sinai Peninsula. We follow Nebi of Tjaru and his men, as they undertake the grueling work of protecting Egypt's frontiers...

Select Bibliography:

Gun Björkman, “Neby the Mayor of Tjaru,” Journal of the American Research Center in Egypt, 1974.

Betsy M. Bryan, The Reign of Thutmose IV, 1991.

Andrea M. Gnirs, “Coping with the Army: the Military and the State in the New Kingdom,” in Ancient Egyptian Administration, 2013.

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Ladies of the Lake. Before she became queen of Egypt, the lady Tia'a spent her days at the royal harem of the Faiyum. This was a mysterious institution, devoted to serving queens, concubines and all the children of a pharaoh. We explore the Queen's background, the harem as an institution and the people who led the Faiyum's communities...

Select bibliography:

Betsy M. Bryan, The Reign of Thutmose IV, 1991.

Aidan Dodson, Amarna Sunrise, 2014.

Aidan Dodson & Dyan Hilton, The Complete Royal Families of Ancient Egypt, 2010.

Eberhard Dziobek et al., Das Grab des Sobekhotep Theben Nr. 63, 1990.

The Gurob Palace Project (Website).

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The Egyptian Religious Year (12/12): Birthdays of the Gods.

The end of the year in ancient Egypt was a surprisingly unlucky time. With summer heat at unbearable levels, the Nile at its lowest ebb, and people suffering from physical or spiritual malaise, the final days of the religious year were not so happy. Fortunately, the ancients had some tools to ward off disaster.

Select Bibliography:

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Thutmose IV (Part 2): The Entire Reign at Once. For ten years, maybe more, Thutmose IV ruled Egypt. It was a successful reign and the treasures that emerge from this period are testament to a prosperous realm. The royal court is more visible than ever, with intriguing tales to tell...

Select bibliography:

Betsy M. Bryan, The Reign of Thutmose IV, 1991.

Gun Björkman, “Neby, the Mayor of Tjaru in the Reign of Thutmosis IV,” Journal of the American Research Center in Egypt, 1974.

Howard Carter & Theodore M. Davis, The Tomb of Thoutmosis IV, 1904 & 2002.

Aidan Dodson & Dyan Hilton, The Complete Royal Families of Ancient Egypt, 2010.

Aidan Dodson, Amarna Sunrise, 2014.

Raphael Giveon, “Thutmose IV in Asia,” Journal of Near Eastern Studies 1969.

Arielle P. Kozloff, Amenhotep III: Egypt’s Radiant Pharaoh, 2012.

Nicholas Reeves & Richard H. Wilkinson, The Complete Valley of the Kings, 2010.

Richard H. Wilkinson, The Complete Temples of Ancient Egypt, 2017.

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Thutmose IV (Part 1): Old Enemies Become New Friends. 1418 - 1416 BCE. The new pharaoh spends his first two years involved in political reprisals and military actions. He removes rivals, but also makes friends with some longstanding enemies...

Select Bibliography:

Betsy M. Bryan, The Reign of Thutmose IV, 1991.

Raphael Giveon, “Thutmosis IV and Asia,” Journal of Near Eastern Studies 1969 (JSTOR).

Nicolas Grimal, A History of Ancient Egypt, 1994.

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A Clash of Princes. In 1418 BCE, Egypt momentarily lacks a pharaoh. Two sons of the crown go head to head, in a duel to be the next ruler. Who wins? Only the Sphinx knows...

Select Bibliography:

Bryan, B. M. (1991). The Reign of Thutmose IV.

Cumming, B. (1982). Egyptian Historical Records of the Later Eighteenth Dynasty.

Hassan, S. (1953). The Great Sphinx and Its Secrets. Historical Studies in the Light of Recent Excavations.

Hawass, Z. A. (1998). The Secrets of the Sphinx: Restoration Past and Present.

Lehner, M. (2003). The Sphinx. In Z. Hawass (Ed.), The Treasures of the Pyramids (pp. 173--187).

Manuelian, P. der. (1987). Studies in the Reign of Amenophis II.

Zivie-Coche, C. (1997). Sphinx: History of a Monument (L. David, Trans.).

Zivie-Coche, C. M. (2006). Le Sphinx de Giza et le culte d’Harmachis. In E. Warmenbol (Ed.), Sphinx: Les gardiens de l’Égypte (pp. 55--69).

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The Religious Year (Parts 10-11): the Egyptian Day of the Dead.

In the 10th month of the year, Egyptians celebrated the "Beautiful Festival of the Valley," a grand affair similar to today's Day of the Dead or Qingming celebrations.

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Assassin's Creed Origins sees video-game players visiting ancient Egypt (c.50 BCE). From the desert oases to the city of Alexandria, the Faiyum to the Pyramids, you can now explore a fully-realised version of ancient Egypt.

But how does the game play, and is it historical enough? Today I explore some of the history behind it, and what the game does right.

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Around 1440 BCE, Egyptians were carving the burial monument of Amunhotep II in the Valley of the Kings. In 1898 CE, a group of excavators were uncovering the edifice once more. In a dual narrative, we explore the design, construction and discovery of a most remarkable tomb...

Select Bibliography:

Erik Hornung, The Valley of the Kings, 1990.

Erik Hornung, The Ancient Egyptian Books of the Afterlife, 1999.

C.N. Reeves, Richard Wilkinson, The Complete Valley of the Kings, 1996.

Peter der Manuelian, Studies in the Reign of Amenophis II, 1989.

Elliot Smith, The Royal Mummies, 1912.

Theban Mapping Project – Tomb of Amunhotep II

Narmer.pl – The Royal Cache

Egypt, Land of Eternity – The Royal Cache

Theban Royal Mummy Project – The Mummies of Dynasty 18

Egyptian Monuments – Tomb of Amunhotep II

Saint Louis University – The KV35 Cache

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Amunhotep II (Part 6): Finding an Heir. Around 1420 BCE, Amunhotep II comes to the end of his days. We explore his family life, what we know about the man himself, and try to get a handle on his legacy...

Select bibliography:

Alexandra von Lieven, “Mortuary Ritual in the Valley of the Kings,” in Richard H. Wilkinson and Kent R. Weeks, The Oxford Handbook of the Valley of the Kings, 2016.

Peter der Manuelian, Studies in the Reign of Amenophis II, 1987.

Barbara A. Richter, “The Amduat and Its Relationship to the Architecture of Early 18th Dynasty Royal Burial Chambers,” Journal of the American Research Center in Egypt (2008).

G. Elliot Smith, The Royal Mummies, 2000.

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