1. science

Abstracts
Gaëlle Chantrain – Université Catholique de Louvain

The Figure of the Foreigner in Egyptian Literature: Let’s Think Outside the Box?
Lots of interesting studies have already been published about the relations between Egypt and its
neighbours. One is used to consider the question of the foreigners in literature through the filter of
royal epigraphic texts, where the Nine Bows, narratives of military campaigns, and royal decrees
play a prominent role; we also have data coming from every-day life texts, dealing with practical,
economical or juridical matters. Iconography and archaeology have also been taken into account.
Against this general background, what is the place of the neighbours of Egypt as constitutive
elements of the Egyptian literary texts? And what was their impact on the Egyptian’s imagination? I
here propose to examine literary texts from the New Kingdom (including wisdom texts and
miscellanies) and to make a context sensitive analysis of qualifiers and expressions related to
Asiatics, Nubians and Libyans. Admittedly, lexical approaches have already been proposed, but
mainly in connection to loanwords. I here rather consider a broader approach of the lexicon, which
might contribute to answer the questions I mentioned previously, identify the common stereotypes
about foreigners that found their way in the composition of literary texts, and put the focus on
isolated expressions or metaphors.
Amber Jacob – University of Copenhagen

Scribal Education in the Demotic Book of Thoth
This paper aims to contribute to discussions concerning scribal education in late Ptolemaic and
early Roman Egypt. After a broad introduction to education and literacy in Ancient Egypt in general,
we will explore what can be gleaned about scribal training in the context of the elite institution
known as the “House of Life” through an examination of the Demotic Book of Thoth. This text
describes at length the “entrance” or “initiation” of an apprentice scribe into the House of Life: a
highly secretive professional institution charged with the preservation of the world and the life of
the king, privy to the knowledge, presence, and “mysteries” of the gods. The nature of this
“entrance” will be explored through a critical analysis of primary sources. What can be said about
different levels of education and concomitant levels of access and restriction to knowledge? What
“curriculum” and responsibilities are considered appropriate to scribal apprentices at different
levels of their training? How does a scribe’s social, political, and/or religious status change as a
result of this initiation? Despite being undoubtedly portrayed in idealized form, the Book of Thoth
provides an invaluable glimpse into scribal education in the House of Life during the Graeco-Roman
era.
Katrina Edwards – University of Auckland

To be burned, or not to be burned? Re-evaluating descriptions of fiery retribution in the Siut
threats of Ityiby and Khety II
The Siut threats of the First Intermediate Period governors, Jt(=j)-jb(=j) and3tj II (Siut III and IV) are
among the most important examples of the threat-formula genre. While the threats were initially
obscure and poorly understood, Elmar Edel's influential 1984 reconstruction of these now lost texts
in Die Inschriften der Grabfronten der Siut-Gräber in Mittelägypten aus der Herakleopolitenzeit soon
brought them to scholarly attention. Edel's identification of apparent descriptions of fiery
punishments were of particular interest, where malefactors were said to be “burned” or “cooked.”
In the 1990s, these descriptions became central to debates of the nature of punishments described
within threat-formulae, along with the extent to which these punishments were actually enforced.
Yet a Roman copy of the inscriptions, published in Jürgen Osing and Gloria Rosati's 1998 Papiri
Geroglifici e Ieratici da Tebtynis, has since demonstrated that amendments to Edel's
reconstructions are necessary. In particular, it has cast doubt on the apparent literal descriptions of
fiery retribution. Thus, it is the aim of this paper to provide fresh translations of the Siut threats
which account for the Tebtunis papyri, and to consider the implications of these amendments for
past debates of punishment in First Intermediate Period threat-formulae.
Dora Petrova – University of Copenhagen

Re-evaluation of the Identification of the snb plant
The snb plant is attested for the first time in the Ramesseum Dramatic Papyrus and continues to be
mentioned until the end of the Roman Period. The context of the occurrences suggests that is
regarded with great importance in rituals related to the king’s protection and purification. The
plant has been hitherto identified as a specimen that belongs to the Cyperaceae family. From the
collected textual evidences and mostly the ritual context of the references, this study offers a new
identification in favor of the translation ‘health-plant’.
Divided into three sections, the paper will begins with the prior research done on the identification
of the plant. The second part examines the specimen in the light of the rituals linked to the royal
purification and protection. A certain emphasis falls on the unpublished Roman Hieratic papyrus
from the Tebtunis temple library – P. Carlsberg 200, which represents a spell for making a knotted
amulet out of the snb plant. The third part offers the hypothesis for a new identification of the
plant.
Carsten Viggo Nielsen – University of Southern Denmark

The Serpent Who Demanded Broad Curd - A Comparative Study of the
Mythological and Ritual Aspects of 'The Tale of The Shipwrecked Sailor'
The tale of the Shipwrecked Sailor is most often regarded as fiction. As in most adventurous tales
the protagonist embarks on a journey, is challenged by unforeseen events, transcends a point of no
return to which he is forced to act and thus develop as a person through a form of conflict
resolution, returns home and is rewarded. But alongside this blatant storyline a religious narrative
may as well be perceived and thus alternative insight into contemporary ancient
Egyptian religiosity.
By examining the adventure as a form of fairy-tale myth or mythological fairy-tale, new possible
mythological narratives and religious agendas are rendered visible. Possibly, the mythological fairytale is even to be regarded as a challenging voice to the producers of the official templeliturgy.
By accentuating the narrative function of key religious concepts and ritual efficacy seen from the
story's two central characters, variations over a on a common ritual practice
restructuring theme seems to emerge. Central in this regard are narrative similarities with travels
and rites of passage, literary allusions to a common liminal state and the description of burnt
offerings performed and offered in the narrative.
Katarzyna Szymańska – University of Warsaw

Roman Influences in Egyptian Burial Customs in Roman Period
Egyptian art was characterized by continuing and uniformity for almost 3 000 years. During rules
kings from the other countries this canon was interfered by new elements coming from different
cultures. After Ptolemaic Period the rule in Egypt was repossessed by Romans. Egyptian burial
customs were hellenized in Ptolemaic Period. In Roman Period appear new elements of art which
gradually marginalized traditional Egyptian customs. Differences were visible in the way of
depicting deceased person - panel portraits and masks were very naturalistic. Coffins were made of
wood or plaster and richly decorated. Egyptian burial customs (mummification, rituals) were
continued in Roman Period. Individual tombs were rarely built. Citizens of Alexandria buried
deceased in great catacombs Kom el-Shouqafa. Catacombs were traditional roman sepulchral
architecture. In 392 AD Theodosius the Great prohibited the practice of mummification because
recognized it as a pagan custom. In Roman Period burial customs were changed in relation to
previously ages. Despite of it the aim of all of this rituals were always the same – qst nfrt (‘good
burial’).
Katarzyna Kapiec – University of Warsaw

What Ancient Egyptians considered worthy enough to offer to the gods? Sacrificial items
depicted on the north wall of the Southern Room of Amun in the Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir
el-Bahari.
Temples in Ancient Egypt used to be very lively - the daily ritual was performed and a lot of
different feasts were celebrated as well. What kind of items were used during those rituals? What
was special enough to present it to the gods? The answer can be found on the north wall of the
Southern Room of Amun in the Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari.
Southern Room of Amun is located in the Upper Courtyard of the temple. Despite its small size, it
contains important information about objects offered or used in the rituals. On the north wall, just
above the entrance, in two rows there are vases and pr-wr chests depicted. Each group of vases
and each chest is inscribed with its content. Many of those items can be found in the offering
scenes or offering lists. The question remains which oil, ointment or fabric was used in the specific
ritual? Was it suitable for daily or festival purposes?
The aim of the paper is to discuss objects shown on the north wall of Southern Room of Amun in
the Temple of Hatshepsut in Deir el-Bahari in the light of performing the cult.
Paulina Kędzierska – University of Copenhagen

From pharaohs to anchorites: change in the attitude towards magical practices in Egypt.
Magic and ritual are one of the most famous aspects of Ancient Egyptian history. It was an integral
part of their cultural and social identity, their heritage. However, the emergence of Christianity and
its rapid spread in the region forced Egyptians to evaluate and adapt to the new circumstances that
they had found themselves under.
Part of the reason why Christianity managed to gain such influence so quickly is its ability to
incorporate the old beliefs and either condemn them or reinvent them in a way that it finds
acceptable. Ancient Egyptian rituals and magic is an excellent example of this practice.
Coptic monastic literature had made it explicitly clear that any practice of magic in any form, even
for medicinal purposes, was a sin. That meant that suddenly over three millennia of traditions and
beliefs cultivated generation after generation had to be abolished. Consciously or not, that could
not have been an easy transition.
By analyzing fragments from the Coptic monastic literature as well as contemporary magical spells,
the presentation will outline the exact nature of the changes that occurred along with the reasons
behind them, as well as how people in every social group reacted under these new circumstances.
Anne Sofie Drewsen – University of Copenhagen

The King: Human and Animal. Why is the early Egyptian king portrayed as both a human and an
animal?
During the late predynastic and early dynastic upper Egypt, the king is shown in ceremonial and
political situations as both a human and an animal. The focus of the presentation is to examine the
ideal of kingship during this period. The period is especially interesting because it is the beginning
of the state formation but it is also proto-hieroglyphic meaning there is no textual evidence. The
unification process meant that kingship as an ideology was recreated especially in an engendered
form where the masculinity of the king is evident and highlighted. The artefacts chosen are the
ceremonial palettes and mace heads as e.g. the Narmer palette. On these the king was presented
as either a serene human or a ferocious animal. By looking at the images of the king as well as
exploring the symbolism of the animals selected to represent the king, in particular the lion and the
bull, the ideal and role of kingship will be discussed. To further examine the subject, Freud’s theory
of projection will be used to look closer at the reason for the duality in the representation.
Andrea Sinclair – University of Leipzig

Patterns of Power: The Blue ‘Lily’ in New Kingdom Egyptian Visual Idiom: Travels of an Exotic
Icon, Indigenous Semantic or Multivocality?
In the 18th Dynasty the visual dichotomy of statehood that for centuries had been personified in the
dual symbols of Upper and Lower Egypt, the papyrus and nymphaea lotus plants, was augmented
by the introduction of a third visual icon: the ‘lily’, ‘south flower’ or ‘volute palmette’ to state visual
representation. This change has been addressed in the past with the association of this icon with
the ideology of Theban rulers and thence with the lotus of Lower Egypt.
Equally, in scholarship relating to the internationalism of the Bronze Age the ‘volute’ motif is
generally ascribed to a northern Syrian iconographic origin such as the state of Mitanni with which
Egypt was known to have extensive political ties through royal marriages and gift exchange. The
peak period for iconography bearing this motif is the Amarna period wherein internationalism is
clearly manifested in the Amarna correspondences.
Using art historical, archaeological and philological methodologies this paper proposes to examine
and critique the internal and external rhetoric embodied in this ostensibly new political icon for the
ideology of power in an Egyptian state that, while firmly embedded in a climate of internationalism
and diplomacy, was also highly motivated to internally reinforce and secure traditional ideological
structures of kingship.
James Bennett – Durham University

Libyan Tribal Society and City-State Systems: A Model for the Development of Settlements during
the Third Intermediate Period.
This study forms part of a wider research programme into the way in which Third Intermediate
Period settlements developed. The development of settlements during the Third Intermediate
Period has so far not been assessed due to the poor preservation of the archaeological data.
However through the use of the anthropological theory of ‘segmentary lineages’ and the criteria for
the development of city-state cultures makes it possible to construct a model for Egyptian
settlement development and understand the mechanisms that dictated them.
These include internal fragmentation of the state, which is evident at the end of the New Kingdom,
the development of self-governing polities, particularly in the 22nd Dynasty, a sharing of a common
culture, and unification of cities in times of warfare.
The model also demonstrates the re-integration of a nation state and the dissolution of city-states
into cities due to conquest, which is a marker for the collapse of city-state cultures. This research
further demonstrates that the development of Egyptian settlements should not be viewed in
isolation. Contemporary Mediterranean cultures also developed into city-states cultures at the
same time and by many of the same mechanisms that are evident for the Egyptian development.
Marsia Bealby – University of Birmingham

Game theory and the Amarna Letters: You are the weakest link! Goodbye!
While game theory was conceived, and is frequently used by mathematicians, the theoretical form
of this approach is often applied to economics, political science and sociology. Unfortunately,
researchers studying the humanities – particularly archaeologists and egyptologists – are still
reluctant to use this theory in their field. Yet, game theory has great potential in the examination of
ancient interconnections. For instance, having successfully applied in her doctorate both world
systems theory and game theory to Aegean - Egyptian interconnections (c 1900-1400 BC), the
author concluded that they can in fact complement each other. Yet, while world systems theory
focuses on core-periphery interactions, game theory places emphasis on individuals; especially
their decisions and strategies. After all, game theory is based on rational decision making and the
strategic interactions of players. Considering that the Amarna Letters are official diplomatic records
highlighting how a 'game' of political and economic interactions was played among Egypt and other
key-players in the Near East, through a number of examples, this paper will examine how this
theory can be applied to the Amarna Letters and what can offer to research. The application of
game theory to the Amarna Letters is pioneering.
Lena Tambs – University of Copenhagen

Social Networks and Connectivity in Graeco-Roman Egypt
Within a given field, areas of focus and approaches to the material are diverse and ever-changing. A
few decades back, concepts such as identity and individuality were on everyone’s lips. Following
developments in contemporary society, by now, focus has though shifted from individual actors
towards the connection(s) between them. Consequently, a number of fields have experienced a
broadened general interest in social relations. Despite network theories and methods originating in
more modern fields, it has been illustrated that key elements hereof may be profitably applied also
to ancient material. However, scholars doing so have been primarily concerned with the concept of
the Mediterranean, largely excluding Egypt.
By means of applying existing network theories to a variety of ancient Egyptian archaeological and
textual material, I will argue that Graeco-Roman Egypt provides an especially suitable and
illuminating case study for social networks and connectivity in an ancient society. Particularly
relevant here is ‘social network analysis’, highlighting connection(s) (or ties) linking individual actors
(or nodes) to one another: a valuable tool for examining the infrastructure of a given social
network, but also interactions between networks, be it on a micro- or a macro-level.
Nenad Marković – University of Belgrade

Ruling elite at the end of 26th and the beginning of 27th Dynasty: Henat’s family circle at Sais and
Memphis
Towards the end of 26th Dynasty, the lector priest and chief Henat (A), with the “great name”
Khnemibremen, has been active in the royal residences at Sais and Memphis, belonging to
immediate circle of King Amasis, and was buried in Memphis, possibly somewhere close to the
temenos walls of the Ptah temple. Henat (A) certainly witnessed the Persian conquest in c. 526 BC.
His three known sons, Psamteksaneith, Udjahorresnet and Tjanenhebu, were important figures in
Sais at least. Furthermore, several children and grandchildren of Psamteksaneith and
Udjahorresnet were living in Memphis under Darius I and later. Henat’s family accumulated various
religious positions at Sais and Memphis, creating an influential, well-known and wealthy social
circle centered around two cities: for example, Henat (A) and Udjahorresnet were priests of
posthumous cult of King Amasis; in the third generation, Henat (B), Psamteksaneith’s son, was a
priest of King Mycerinus at Giza, and Wahibremeryneith, Udjahorresnet’s son, was a priest of the
living Apis bull at Memphis. This paper aims to track down all known members of the wider family
and to investigate hierarchy and social status within.
Joanne-Marie Robinson – University of Manchester

Close-kin marriage and congenital abnormalities in Ancient Egypt: The incidence, impact and
perception of disability in non-royal families
Congenital abnormalities are reported in mummified and skeletal remains from the Early Dynastic
to Roman Periods in Egypt. While these abnormalities are reported far less frequently in the
ancient record than the modern record, this is probably due more to the survival of human remains
than the biological reality. In current clinical studies, certain congenital conditions are observed
more frequently in consanguineous families (with parents biologically related as second cousins or
closer). This paper presents some commonly associated biological outcomes of consanguinity and
their identification in the ancient Egyptian palaeopathological record. However, not all outcomes of
consanguinity, such as cognitive disorders, can be identified in physical remains. These disorders
impact primarily upon healthy family members in terms of time and resources invested in less able
kin.
Two congenital conditions are examined: intellectual disability and cleft palate. A discussion of the
physical and social impact of these conditions helps to shed light on the perception of disability in
ancient Egypt and the acceptance, or otherwise, of physical difference. Using current research on
the social and economic impact of consanguinity, this paper proposes that the consanguineous
family in ancient Egypt provided a support network capable of accommodating increased physical
and mental needs.
Huw Twiston-Davies and Nicky Nielsen – University of Liverpool

Garstang Stela E.31 and the Family of Iy at Abydos
The cenotaph of Nemtyemweskhet-Amenemhatseneb (Garstang tomb 321 A’07) at Abydos
(Simpson’s ANOC 19) was excavated by John Garstang in 1907, and has been published extensively
by Josef Wegner, in connection with his work at South Abydos (see Wegner, 2010: ASAE
Supplement 40). A previously unpublished stela in the Garstang Museum of Archaeology, University
of Liverpool, provides new details concerning the family of the TAw n sAtw Iy, mentioned on other
stelae found at this cenotaph. The stela is securely provenanced on the basis of John Garstang’s
extensive photographic record, housed within the Garstang Museum, and Garstang’s excavation
notes. Although heavily damaged, the reading of the stela has been significantly improved by using
Reflectance Transformation Imaging (RTI), and the talk will also discuss the use of this technology
for the study of inscribed objects in poor condition. The presentation will offer a further
perspective on family and patronage relationships between provincial officials in the ‘sub-elite’
during the late Middle Kingdom.
Karolina Rosińska-Balik and Joanna Dębowska-Ludwin – Jagiellonian University

Levantine Influence on Early Egyptian Architecture
The topic of early architecture in most cases is widely discussed. Monumental stone architecture in
Egypt constructed in the period of Pyramid Builders still fires imagination of many people and
opens numerous questions on its beginning and evolution. In the same time and for whole previous
periods, architecture in Egypt was fortunously developing made of mud and sand brick and
perishable organic material such as reed mattings (with representation in the wattle-and-doub
technique). The origin of bricks and time of their development are still under discussion but for us
equally interesting possible other influence impressed on Egyptian architecture. During our
paralelly conducted projects in Egypt, Tell el-Farkha, and Israel, Tel Erani (both financed by Polish
National Centre of Science), excavations revealed some interesting facts in the matter and directed
us to take them under closer attention. In our paper we would like to present some remarks based
on results of work at both our sites confronted with comparable material from others localizations mostly the Delta region in Egypt.