AEC Egyptology Newsletter 4 (01.06.2008)

ARMENIAN EGYPTOLOGY CENTRE - YEREVAN STATE UNIVERSITY AEC NEWSLETTER 1 JUNE 2008 VOLUME 1, ISSUE 4 X The Director’s Edito - Mummies are not Museum “Objects”! As we stood a few days ago by the body of a dear one, my friend Artiom asked me whether mummies should not be by respect re-buried this sort of situation, prompting this sort of question. Later, on May 13th last, Egyptologist Birgit Schoer - sent a global message* to the members of Yale’s Egyptologists’ Electronic Forum (EEF) attracting the attention of her colleagues on the considerable pressures Manchester Museum was facing from various groups - including the active British neo-pagans - to make mummies less “visible or accessible to the general public”. To the point that the management decided - we were informed by her message - to cover entirely mummies prior to a planned public consultation “to find out what people think about the display of human remains…”. Mrs. Schoer raised in her message a number of key issues against this decision including the notion of “respect”/disrespect towards mummies and the culture they represent. Her belief, which is also that of many persons, being that “the fact that a mummy is on display does NOT automatically signify disrespect for the culture it represents” or that “covering mummies or removing them from display IN ITSELF does noting to improve our respect for the ancient culture”. This issue - of displaying or not displaying mummies - is a difficult one as it is indeed a question of “respect”, the perception of this “respect” and its public expression. Christians may invoke the principle of “do not do unto others what you would not like to be done to you”, which by extension can allow them - as Artiom nodded - to ask me/us Egyptologist(s) whether a person - if mummified - would be happy to finish in a museum display. The reader may be interested to know that in Armenia, the display and respects toward a deceased person are paid differently. For a start the body - after being disemboweled at the morgue - is left visible until the very last minute, i.e. until the lid is placed over the coffin and the coffin lowered in the grave. As the body lives home, it is displayed to all as the opened coffin is turned three times into the street, and when it leaves the church, the body is again shown to the altar prior to living the building and departing to the cemetery. The display of the body is thus constant throughout the one to four days of mourning - a marked difference with lets say European countries where the lid is promptly closed once it leaves home or hospital. Once buried, Armenians return to the cemetery on the next day, the 7th day of burial and Dr. Nasri Iskander, former Conservator of the Royal Mummies and C. T. de V. before the mummy of pharaoh Ramses IV, prior to the opening of the second “Royal Mummies’ room” in the Egyptian Museum, Cairo;. Photo Patrick Landmann, 2005 (Courtesy of the author - All rights reserved). again on the 40th day - and thereafter every year on the anniversary of the death on which occasion we raise toasts to the deceased in a custom which clearly comes straight from antiquity. In fact, in cemeteries, many family burials have a table and stools for this sort of gathering and toast. The reason why I am taking the trouble to describe the way of honoring the dead in Armenia - it will have been understood - is to stress the differences existing in the Inside this issue: “treatment” and “exposition” of death. The above is clearly the current Armenian way of paying respects to defunct persons and the British one(s) or that of other nations - and Director’s Edito - Cont. the validity of each is not to be discussed as it relates to culture, history, religion as well as various “philosophical/scientific” reflections Sarcophagus Project... and attitudes. Hence museum authorities could just base their decision to display/hide or cover/uncover mummies on the attitude adopted by the “majority” of the public, in complement to this public’s desire of knowledge of ancient cultures. There would clearly be some legitimacy in particular in relation to democratic principles. The problem is that a number of visitors will still leave the museum with mixed feelings ranging from a minimal stupefaction to complete anger and disgust - something that no museum curator wishes, if not for the material sake of his institution. [continued on next page] *A similar message was sent by Bob Partridge, editor of the Ancient Egypt magazine, see: http://www.egyptology.blogspot.co m/ with copy of a letter against the covering sent to the President of Manchester University by the same institution’s Egyptologists, or http://egyptmanchester.wordpress. com/2008/05/06/covering-themummies/#comment-6, where a photo of one of the covered mummy and diverging comments may be found. 2 2 5000 photos mark exceeded! 2 Georg A. Schweinfurth Gifts from our sponsors... 3 3 Encaustic & “Fayum Por- 4 traits”...an introduction! This newsletter, or the previous issues, are also accessible in the “Our Publications” section of the center's website: http://a-egyptology.atspace.com AEC NEWSLETTER Page 2 Mummies are not Museum “Objects” As an Egyptologist, I cannot help thinking that considering the ancient Egyptians’ conception of the after-life, considering the fact that we did not ask tem whether they would be happy to see their material remains finish in a museum (something highly doubtful in view of their considerable efforts to secure their own specific - in style and content - Place of Eternity), I am convinced that to for a start mummies are not museum “objects” and should in any case consequently be treated “differently”. I think that most people agree that mummies are not “objects” (a poll could eventually be made to sustain this assumption) and thus this is, in this difficult subject, a precious base for finding one or more solutions. This difference in treatment could start by their “separation” from displayed objects - which is not the case in all museums - so as to express respect to what mummies effectively are: the bodies of those who have accomplished the material and spiritual civilisation we all admire. Separation can take place within the museum such as in the Egyptian Museum (Cairo) where the two rooms for the Royal Mummies thought and realised by Dr. Nasri Iskander are now mausoleums where one is requested to penetrate in silence - an important fact on which I had re- (cont. from page 1) ! cently the occasion to attract the attention of the French public*. The creation of these rooms had in fact a lot to do with the “treatment” of mummies, as President Sadate had - in anger - the rooms closed many years following his first seeing of the Royal mummies. Separation can also take place outside the museum - in a nearby separate place clearly expressed as “sanctuary” - the solution I personally favour if technically possible although I do not know of any such example. I also think that like in the Egyptian Museum - the bodies should be covered although living the face, hands and feet uncovered provided that these are in a good state and thus near to what they looked-like when the defunct was alive. This separation has the advantage to be at the cross-road of traditional ways to express respects to deceased persons and that of the need which human beings have to understand their condition and history through knowledge acquisition, such as offered by museum “collections”. C. T. de V. “Un mausolée royal pour les pharaons”. Point de Vue 3106-2006: 50-53. Copy of which will be soon available on our website. «Object »: No. 25014, Vatican Museum, a 21st Dynasty mummy of a Woman (Deir elBahari). The body is placed among other objects which cannot be seen on the photo. (Photo J. Sherurcij - 2006) The “Sarcophagus Project” - Follow up We have covered much ground of Phase 1 of our project, i.e.. the collection of publications on any topic related to the reconstruction of an ancient Egyptian sarcophagus. Information has been literally pouring in thanks to those, like Ms Ingeborg Waanders of Holland - who are now doing research with us on a regular basis. In this respect Ms. Waanders was able to find and send studies which are strategic for our project. This data has strengthens our assumption that “mny” is the solvent in the complex media “snTr, mny, mnH”. We are thus now entering Phase 2 - the gathering of materials, such as resins. As the good seasons have started, a number of botanical expeditions are planned in Armenia for this purpose - as we have calculated that 25% of the flora of Egypt is present in Armenia - but also abroad. Our project is also now attracting considerable interest in various circles and we have just received a proposition from the Nicola family who owns one of the best conservation laboratory in Italy (see www.nicolarestauri.it) to build a “third” sarcophagus in Amarengo. Aside from the fact that ours is a state program to be realized in Armenia, this is not technically possible, but we are looking for ways to establish a partnership with them... « "I don't know why, but it felt somewhat sacrilegious to find an Egyptian mummy in the Vatican Museum". Comment of web surfer on the Vatican mummy, currently visible at: http://www.digitalapoptosis.com/ archives/italy/001559.html The 5000 photos of plants species of Egypt-mark exceeded ! As initially indicated on our website, the gathering of photos of those species which are found in modern Egypt or were known by the ancient Egyptians constitute one of our priority activities - as such unique collection will ease identification of ancient Egyptian plant remains. Thanks to several partnerships with foreign institutions, no less to the sustained efforts of our Collections’ Curator - Ms A. Zakharyan - we have been pleasantly surprised after computing to see that we had gathered over 5000 photographs of plants. We have also understood that the initial 6000 photographs-mark originally cited on our website will be well below the number needed to cover the 2086 species found today in Egypt and the few hundreds species which were imported into the land of the pharaohs. This collection has however already started to give us an unprecedented overview of the plant world known by ancient Egyptians. Page 3 VOLUME 1, ISSUE 4 Our predecessors in the study of “ The Plants of Ancient Egypt”: G EORG A. S CHWEINFURTH (1836 - 1925) Of all scholars who have devoted themselves to the study of ancient Egyptian plants, Georg August Schweinfurth is no doubt the historical figure among them as his contribution to science goes far beyond this subject, although he devoted a very substantial part of his life to the study of the plants of the pharaohs. The life of Georg Schweinfurth is known worldwide today for his highly risked participation in the exploration of Africa in those very years when the sources of the Nile were eagerly searched. Not least for his discovery of the unknown Uele river, the discovery of which helped toward a final estimate of the extent of the Nile system, his discovery of many unknown plant and animal species (some now bearing his name), as well as his encounter with “cannibal” tribes such as the “Niam Niam”, or his historical discovery in the Congo forest of the Aka pygmies, discovery which finally confirmed the existence of these until then unseen African “little people”. Schweinfurth, who was born at Riga (Latvia, then part of the Russian Empire), was educated at the universities of Heidelberg, Munich and Berlin (1856-1862), where he particularly devoted himself to botany and palaeontology. Commissioned to arrange the collections brought from the Sudan by Freiherr von Barnim and Dr. Hartmann, his attention was thus directed to East Africa. In 1863, when still very young, he courageously embarked himself solo in a very carefully prepared expedition, from Suakin on the shores of the Red Sea, across the desert to Khartoum in Sudan; thus exploring a region nearly completely unknown, before returning to Europe in 1866. This expedition and the scientific data Schweinfurth collected attracted so much attention that in 1868 Berlin’s Humboldt-Stiftung entrusted him with the important scientific mission to explore the Bahr al Ghazāl (White Nile region). The accounts of his subsequent travels and researches later appeared either in book or in various forms. Among his books, his Travel in the Heart of Africa: Three Years' Travels and Adventures in the Unexplored Regions of Central Africa from 1868 to 1871 (1873) brought him fame and was translated in several languages. In 1873-1874 Schweinfurth accompanied Gerhard Rohlfs in his expedition into the Libyan Desert. From 1875 to 1888 he settled in Cairo, studying the botany, geology, palaeontology, and archaeology of Egypt and Middle Eastern regions, founding the Geographical Society of Egypt under the auspices of the khedive Ismail . His contribution to the study of ancient Egyptian plants has been considerable – with a very lengthy list of articles on the subject published over half a century; although Schweinfurth never published a specific monograph on the subject. Resident in Egypt while many discoveries occurred – such as the discoveries of the “Royal Caches” – he was able in many instances to study the plant materials on the very spot where they were found. In the tombs, where bouquets had been deposited, or on the mummies when decorated with flower garlands, of which he made careful drawings (left) which can still be seen today in Dokki’s Agricultural Museum (Cairo) with the discovered material. Schweinfurth’s academic life resulted in several hundred publications (372*, perhaps more) in many fields of science - and was rewarded with many international decorations including the prestigious gold medal of London’s Royal Geographical Society. C. T. de V. The garlands and flowers found on the mummy of Ramses III, as drawn by Schweinfurth. Georg Schweinfurth (1836 - 1925) Follow up: Gifts from our sponsors- our needs and Arpag Mekhitarian! As our center’s develop, the impulse of our Sarcophagus Project is bringing a strong sub-specialization on ancient Egyptian painting This is an all the more welcome development that the Egyptology world has recently lost Arpak Mekhitarian (1911-2004), who although a Belgium was no less a well known Armenian, and one of the leading experts in the history of Egyptology on ancient Egyptian painting. Mr. Mekhitarian - had he lived slightly longer - would have been no doubt very happy to learn of the birth of Egyptology in Armenia, and even more that ancient Egyptian painting would take such an important place in its midst. We have added his famous book La Peinture Égyptienne (1954) in our wanted list (page “I want to Help” in our website), and in the meantime we are grateful to Mr. Gagik Yeghiazaryan, director of K-Partners in Yerevan, also a superior photographer and dedicated painter - who once again blesses our centre with his help by offering us the now rarer and very beautiful book Women in ancient Egyptian art by S. Wenig (1969). Where acknowledgments are due, events have long prevented us to thank Mr. Didier Guillonet, director of the Bagdasarov Crystals Group factory in Ashtarak for having transported from Paris to Yerevan our heavy A3 Canon printer as well as various very important documents. May they be thanked for their support and precious time. *KEIMER, L. Bibliographie des ouvrages de Georges Schweinfurth. Bulletin de l'Institut. d'Égypte 8-10 (1925-28): 1-17. ARMENIAN EGYPTOLOGY CENTRE - YEREVAN STATE UNIVERSITY 7th Floor, The Rectorate 1 Alex Manookian Street Yerevan State University Yerevan 0049, Republic of Armenia Phone: +37 410 55 82 32 Fax: +37 410 55 82 32 E-mail: egyptology@ysu.am to receive by e-mail (PDF) the present E-Newsletter, or specify by mail. Subscription is free. Note that you have a right to contest if you find any information within this newsletter inaccurate or incomplete. Director of YSU AEC: Dr. Christian Tutundjian de Vartavan Editor of AEC-Newsletter: The staff of the centre. http://a-egyptology.atspace.com http://www.armenian-egyptology-centre.org X Encaustic and the “Fayum portraits”… an introduction! Sometimes they were primed with plaster, traces of which are sometimes found. There are a few examples of portraits being painted over, or both sides of a board being painted, suggesting that the portraits were produced during the lifetime of their subjects. As these died, portraits were then inserted in a window-like arrangement within the mummy wrapping. Two painting techniques can be distinguished: encaustic (wax) painting and egg-based tempera. There are also examples of hybrid techniques or of variations from the main techniques. Encaustic paintings are striking because of the immediate contrast existing between the vivid and rich colors, producing an "impressionistic" effect, while the tempera ones, with a more differentiated gradation of chalky tones appear more restrained. In some cases, gold leaf was used to depict jewellery and wreaths. Accentuation and differentiation of light and shade are varied to show the location of the light source. The earlier, higher quality, portraits make more use of background coloring in this regard. The portrait of the man - here shown on the left - is a particularly fine example, showing the degree of mastery reached by painters during Greco-Roman times. Greco-Roman Fayum portrait of a man, still in place on its mummy, discovered by Sir Flinders Petrie in 1911 in Hawara (Fayum; Royal Museum of Scotland, MoS 1911.210.1. Photo GNU Wikipedia). Encaustic painting, also known as hot wax painting, involves using heated beeswax to which colored pigments are added. The paste is then applied to a surface - usually prepared wood, though canvas and other materials could also be used. This technique is said to have historically started in the Fayum - an oasis south-west of Cairo - with the famous mummy portraits developed there around 100-300 CE, but it seems that encaustic was already used during the pharaonic period to decorate a tomb. While the majority of preserved mummy portraits were painted on wooden boards or panels, some were painted [Main source : Wikipedia, with modifications, where directly onto the canvas or rags of the mummy wrapping (cartonnage painting). To pro- other splendid Fayum portraits can be seen] duce the boards, pieces of imported hardwoods, including oak, lime, sycamore, cedar, cypress, fig, and citrus were cut into thin rectangular pieces and then polished.