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“You Greeks are children”. That’s what an Egyptian priest is supposed to have said to a visiting Greek in the 6th century BC. And in a sense he was right. We think of Ancient Greece as, well, “ancient”, and it is now known to go back to Mycenaean culture of the second half of the 2nd millennium BC. But Egyptian civilisation is much earlier than that: in the mid 2nd millennium BC it was at its height (the “New Kingdom”), but its origins go right into the 3rd millennium BC or even earlier.

The post Ancient Greek and Egyptian interactions appeared first on OUPblog.

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It turns out that you are never too old to have a birthday--as in a 3,000-year-old birthday!!!

That's right. A mummy at the St. Louis Museum of Art will celebrate his birthday next month. His name is Amen-Nestawy-Nakt, and he lived in 900 B.C. He was a priest at the Temple of Karnak and must have done a good job to merit such a fancy mummy case.

Perhaps you'd like to celebrate mummies too. A great way to do it would be to explore a few books on the topic. There are a great many good ones out there at your school or public library or your local bookstore.

Here are a few I found:

SECRETS OF THE MUMMIES by Harriet Griffey
This is a Level 4 reader that presents mummies from around the world.

CREEPY EGYPTIAN MUMMIES YOU WOULDN'T WANT TO MEET by David Stewart
Ten of the creepiest mummies and information on how the whole mummification process works.

MUMMIES IN THE MORNING by Mary Pope Osborne
Another Magic Treehouse Mystery--this one finds Jack and Annie in Ancient Egypt encountering lots of adventures.

MUMMIES IN THE LIBRARY by John Perritano
Who knew mummies and math go together? Well, it seems very beneficial to know division in order to embalm a mummy. Find out how it all works with this math challenge story from iMath Readers.

Hope you find someMUMMY special to hang out with!
Happy reading :)

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Egyptian mummies continue to fascinate us due to the remarkable insights they provide into ancient civilizations. Flinders Petrie, the first UK chair in Egyptology did not have the luxury of X-ray techniques in his era of archaeological analysis in the late nineteenth century. However, twentieth century Egyptologists have benefited from Roentgen’s legacy. Sir Graham Elliott Smith along with Howard Carter did early work on plain x-ray analysis of mummies when they X-rayed the mummy Tuthmosis in 1904. Numerous X-ray analyses were performed using portable X-ray equipment on mummies in the Cairo Museum.

Since then, many studies have been done worldwide, especially with the development of more sophisticated imaging techniques such as CT scanning, invented by Hounsfield in the UK in the 1970s. With this, it became easier to visualize the interiors of mummies, thus revealing their hidden mysteries under their linen wrapped bodies and the elaborate face masks which had perplexed researchers for centuries. Harwood Nash performed one of the earliest head scans of a mummy in Canada in 1977 and Isherwood’s team along with Professor David also performed some of the earliest scannings of mummies in Manchester.

A fascinating new summer exhibition at the British Museum has recently opened, and consists of eight mummies, all from different periods and Egyptian dynasties, that have been studied with the latest dual energy CT scanners. These scanners have 3D volumetric image acquisitions that reveal the internal secrets of these mummies. Mummies of babies and young children are included, as well as adults. There have been some interesting discoveries already, for example, that dental abscesses were prevalent as well as calcified plaques in peripheral arteries, suggesting vascular disease was present in the population who lived over 3,000 years ago. More detailed analysis of bones, including the pelvis, has been made possible by the scanned images, enabling more accurate estimation of the age of death.

Although embalmers took their craft seriously, mistakes did occur, as evidenced by one of the mummy exhibits, which shows Padiamenet’s head detached from the body during the process, the head was subsequently stabilized by metal rods. Padiamenet was a temple doorkeeper who died around 700BC. Mummies had their brains removed with the heart preserved as this was considered the seat of the soul. Internal organs such as the stomach and liver were often removed; bodies were also buried with a range of amulets.

The exhibit provides a fascinating introduction to mummies and early Egyptian life more than 3,000 years ago and includes new insights gleaned from cutting edge twenty first century imaging technology.

Ancient Lives: New Discoveries is on at the British Museum until the 30 November 2014.

Heading image: Mummy. Public domain via Pixabay.

The post Radiology and Egyptology: insights from ancient lives at the British Museum appeared first on OUPblog.

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I have been fascinated with Hatshepsut since my introduction to her in Pauline Gedge’s Child of the Morning.  What an awesome woman!  She ascended the throne of Egypt, proclaimed herself Pharaoh, and led her country into a period of wealth and prosperity.  Her name survived thousands of years, even though her nephew (and step-son), attempted to obliterate all knowledge of her from history.  When I saw that Stephanie Thornton had written a book about my historical idol, I had to read it!

 

I enjoyed this imagining of Hatshepsut’s life.  Starting with her days as a willful child, we journey with the young princess as she is forced to take a very different path in life than she had planned.  After her older sister dies in an accident for which Hatshepsut bares some of the blame, she finds herself in the position of the future Great Royal Wife.  Dreading her impending marriage to her half-brother, she none the less dutifully fulfills her obligation to Egypt.  This part of the book was my least favorite.  Hatshepsut has been educated to help rule the kingdom, but her brother, Thut, a weak-willed man with no appetite for expanding his territory or solidifying his place in history, forbids her from assisting him with his duties as Pharaoh.  After she is accused of having an affair with her brother’s advisor, Senenmut, life becomes even more grim for her.  She’s beaten by Thut, and forbidden from leaving the Hall of Women.  She lives in disgrace, her only duty being to produce an heir for the Pharaoh.  What a waste of her intelligence and ambition, not to mention what a crappy way to have to live.  Thut treats with no respect at all.  Ugh.

After Thut’s untimely death, Hatshepsut is named regent for her young step-son (and nephew), Thutmose.  She’s finally given the reins to the kingdom, and she’s finally allowed to flourish.  It’s here that her internal war begins.  There’s an attempt made on her life, and now she has a difficult decision to make.  Does she do what’s best for Egypt and seize the throne for herself, or continue to safeguard it for Thutmose.  While it’s evident that she loves her people and wants them to live in peace and safety, there’s also her ambition and desire to live forever throughout history.  She knows that her ambition will splinter important relationships in her life, but she goes ahead and proclaims herself Pharaoh.  She’s one driven woman!

I liked the details of Egyptian daily life, though I would have hated to be anything but royalty in Hatshepsut’s time.  The peasants didn’t have easy lives, and the thought of eating sandy bread and hardly any meat – not so appealing.  Hatshepsut’s diet, on the other hand, was full of succulent dishes.  Roast ox, ostrich, gazelle, swan – you name it, it was probably served at the royal table.  A foodie’s paradise.   I still don’t understand why anyone would want to wear a wax cone on their head that would melt and drip perfume on the wearer, but these touches of life along the Nile gave the book color and depth.  How I would have loved taking a glance in Hatshepsut’s jewelry box!

The great love of Hatshepsut’s life, other than Egypt, was Senenmut, a commoner she elevated to a position of power and wealth.  He designed and oversaw the construction of her tomb in the Valley of the Kings.  The depiction of their relationship is passionate and enduring.  They both sacrificed for her rule, though I’m not sure who was forced to give up the most.  Senenmut’s desire for children of his own went unfulfilled to prevent a potential civil war.  Though Hatshepsut boldly took the throne, she always intended to give it back to Thutmose in the future.  If she had any children, there might be a threat to Thutmose’s rule, so poor Senenmut’s desire to have children was another sacrifice for Egypt.

In the end, I felt a little sorry for this powerful woman.  She gave up everything to guide her people, only to have almost every reference to her years of ruling Egypt erased from monuments and records.  While I bought into Thutmose’s motivation for trying to hit the delete key on his aunt, I still find it gratifying that thousands of years after her rule, Hatshepsut’s name and legacy still live on.  She was an unconventional woman who wasn’t willing to just sit on the sidelines and watch life pass her by.  Even knowing the cost, she still choose to march to her own beat.

 

Publication Date: May 6, 2014
NAL Trade
Formats: eBook, Paperback

Egypt, 1400s BC. The pharaoh’s pampered second daughter, lively, intelligent Hatshepsut, delights in racing her chariot through the marketplace and testing her archery skills in the Nile’s marshlands. But the death of her elder sister, Neferubity, in a gruesome accident arising from Hatshepsut’s games forces her to confront her guilt…and sets her on a profoundly changed course.

Hatshepsut enters a loveless marriage with her half brother, Thut, to secure his claim to the Isis Throne and produce a male heir. But it is another of Thut’s wives, the commoner Aset, who bears him a son, while Hatshepsut develops a searing attraction for his brilliant adviser Senenmut. And when Thut suddenly dies, Hatshepsut becomes de facto ruler, as regent to her two-year-old nephew.

Once, Hatshepsut anticipated being free to live and love as she chose. Now she must put Egypt first. Ever daring, she will lead a vast army and build great temples, but always she will be torn between the demands of leadership and the desires of her heart. And even as she makes her boldest move of all, her enemies will plot her downfall….

Once again, Stephanie Thornton brings to life a remarkable woman from the distant past whose willingness to defy tradition changed the course of history.

Praise for Daughter of the Gods

“Daughter of the Gods is a wonderfully intimate and dramatic evocation of Ancient Egypt, where one headstrong young woman dares to become pharaoh. Stephanie Thornton vividly portrays the heat and the danger, the passion and the heartbreak of Hatshepsut’s struggle, as she defies even the gods to ensure success on the throne of Egypt. A touching love story combines with a thrilling tale of death, courage and political intrigue to produce a superbly researched and powerfully written novel. This is the kind of book that grabs you by the throat and doesn’t let go. A remarkable story, remarkably told.” -Kate Furnivall, author of Shadows on the Nile

“Stephanie Thornton’s heroines are bold, brave, and powerful–they make me want to stand up and cheer!” -Kate Quinn, author of Lady of the Eternal City

“Daughter of the Gods is a full-out, total immersion experience of ancient Egypt. From her moving love affair with a commoner to her fierce and unwavering commitment to Egypt as a female Pharaoh, Hatshepsut crackles with fascinating complexity. Her ka must be grinning with pleasure at this richly textured account of her life, one that is worthy of the great queen herself. “ -Vicky Alvear Shecter, author of Cleopatra’s Moon “An epic saga that brings ancient Egypt to life with vivid imagery and lovely prose. Stephanie Thornton is a rising star!” -Stephanie Dray, author of Lily of the Nile

Buy the Book

Amazon US (Kindle)
Amazon US (Paperback)
Amazon UK
Barnes & Noble
Book Depository
Books-a-Million
IndieBound
Kobo Books

About the Author

Stephanie Thornton is a writer and history teacher who has been obsessed with infamous women from ancient history since she was twelve. She lives with her husband and daughter in Alaska, where she is at work on her next novel.

“The Secret History: A Novel of Empress Theodora” is available from NAL/Penguin, and “Daughter of the Gods: A Novel of Ancient Egypt” will hit the shelves May 2014 and “The Tiger Queens: A Novel of Genghis Khan” will follow in Fall 2014.

For more information, please visit Stephanie Thornton’s website. You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter and Goodreads.

The post Review: Daughter of the Gods by Stephanie Thornton appeared first on Manga Maniac Cafe.

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The Serpent's Shadow Rick Riordan

In this conclusion to the Kane Chronicles, Carter and Sadie have a desperate plan to save the world from Aphosis (the giant snake who wants to turn the world into a giant ball of chaos) but there's only a slim chance it will actually work and a rather large chance it will kill both of them in the process. But, first, there's a school dance to attend.

I continue to enjoy the dual narration between Sadie and Carter, especially with the asides and interjected comments to each other. I think this would work really well in audio and wish I had listened to this series instead of read them. I also like how Carter and Sadie are often on different missions, so you have multiple storylines to follow. It keeps the action a bit fresher and doesn't get bogged down in "and then we fought this random monster, and then we fought this demon, and then we fought this minor god, which can happen near the middle of his Greek/Roman books. Not that I don't LOVE them, but...

I think Riordan wraps the series up well (and props for only being 3 books!) but there are still some open doors, including hints at an Olympus crossover (But first, doesn't he have a Norse series in the works?)

Final Verdict: a good, strong conclusion to a fun series. If you've read the others, be sure to read this one, too.


Book Provided by... my local library

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I got a Greek-God-lovin' kick out of Rick Riordan's first series for kids, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, and so I was pretty amped to pick up the first book in The Kane Chronicles, Riordan's new series. This time, Riordan places his focus on Egyptian mythology, which is awesome, since not only am I interested in it, but I get requests from kids all the time for books about it, and I can usually only pass them The Egypt Game (which is awesome!) but does not really sate the want for action.
But, good gods, does The Red Pyramid have action. So much action, in fact, that sometimes I felt a little overwhelmed by the explosions and underwhelmed by the characters who, of course, have learned that they have the power of gods within themselves. Being that the conceit of this novel is inherantly more complicated (the Egyptian notion of divinity is a bit more complicated than the Olympian) there was a lot of expository dialogue in which things are explained. Which was probably a necessary evil. As intrepid kid reviewer Clare pointed out, it's hard to introduce people to a whole new spectrum of Gods and monsters without being a bit expository, and she's totally right. There was a lot to take in here. But even with that in mind, I felt myself rolling my eyes during some of the more didactic passages, which to be fair, were NEVER boring. Ever. And I must admit, I did rather like the talking baboon.
I wonder, though, if perhaps Riordan bit off a weency bit more than he could chew when he decided to make his lead characters mixed-race. Being hapa myself, this is always something of great interest to me, and so I am a bit more critical of any material covering this topic than the casual reader. But I felt like the way in which Riordan calls attention to race felt neither organic nor necessary. The way that the characters discuss their race in their interior monologues felt a bit belaboured, and I couldn't help but wonder if Riordan was forcing himself to try and reach another demographic.
But none of these things that I've griped about here will stop me from recommending this book. It's an awesome primer for Egyptian mythology, just the way Percy was for the Greek pantheon. It's got enough action to keep even the most reluctant reader involved. It's got enough tough female characters to make Tamora Pierce proud. It's got enough pithy dialogue to keep the chuckles coming as fast as the explosions. It's got everything it needs to go blow for blow with Percy. Which I hope it does. A sly mention of the "other Gods" that live in Manhattan tells me this is happening in the same universe as the previous series. Battle of the Gods, anyone?

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