Great Pyramid of Giza 'vandalyzed' to obtain proof the ancient Egyptians DIDN`T build the pyramids

Great Pyramid at Giza Vandalized to 'Prove' Conspiracy Theory

By Benjamin Radford, 
Live Science 
February 18, 2014 

Two German men who visited the Egyptian pyramids in April 2013 now face criminal charges for their attempt to prove their "alternative history" conspiracy theories through vandalism. The men, Dominique Goerlitz and Stefan Erdmann, were joined by a third German, a filmmaker who accompanied them to document their "discoveries."

The men are convinced Khufu cartouche is a fake;
Credit: youtube screengrab 

The men were allowed to enter the inner chambers of the Great Pyramid at Giza normally off-limits to the public and restricted to authorized archaeologists and Egyptologists. The group reportedly took several items from the pyramids, including taking samples of a cartouche (identifying inscription) of the pharaoh Khufu, also known as Cheops. Goerlitz and Erdmann, who are not archaeologists but have instead been described as "hobbyists," allegedly smuggled the artifacts out of the country in violation of strict antiquities laws, according to news reports.

In addition to the three Germans, six Egyptians are being held in connection with the case, including several guards and inspectors from the Egyptian Antiquities Ministry who allowed the men into the pyramid. Tourism, one of Egypt's most important industries, has dropped dramatically in recent years due to social and political unrest. Tour-agency owners — including one of the men recently arrested in connection with this case — are often willing to bend or break the rules if it means satisfying wealthy foreigners, news reports suggest. The German government expressed outrage over the acts, and categorically stated the men were private citizens and not in any way affiliated with its German Archaeological Institute.

Trying to prove a conspiracy

Goerlitz and Erdmann acknowledged their acts, and even went so far as to post photographs and videos of themselves vandalizing the archaeological sites. However, they claimed their goal was a noble one: to prove their "alternative history" conspiracy theory that the pyramids were not built by ancient Egyptians.

The men are apparently convinced the cartouche identifying Khufu as the creator of the Great Pyramid at Giza is a fake, and they hoped to do an analysis on the pigments to prove they were not as old as the pyramids themselves. In essence, they claimed, pharaoh Khufu simply put his name on (and took credit for) pyramids that had been built thousands of years earlier by people from the legendary city of Atlantis. They accuse mainstream archaeologists of covering up — or willfully ignoring — evidence pointing to non-Egyptian origins of the pyramids.Aside from that, there's clear evidence that ancient Egyptians did, indeed, build the pyramids. Ken Feder, an archaeologist and professor of anthropology at Central Connecticut State University and author of "Frauds, Myths, and Mysteries: Science and Pseudoscience in Archaeology" (McGraw-Hill, 2013) takes a dim view of such baseless ideas.

"Here's an archaeological shocker: Ancient Egyptians built the pyramids," Feder told Live Science. "Contrary to what some purveyors of fantasy maintain, the technological skills necessary to construct the pyramids were not unknown in ancient Egypt. In actual fact, the Great Pyramid at Giza was the culmination of a lengthy, multigenerational, evolutionary process."

Archaeologists have found several early, failed attempts to build the pyramids, Feder noted. "Early attempts at true, geometric pyramid burial monuments resulted in spectacular screw-ups, including a 'collapsed' pyramid (the slope of the face of the monument was too steep)," Feder said. "In another attempt, cracks appeared in the lower part of the pyramid, again because the slope was too steep and one corner of the pyramid was positioned on a soft, sandy base."

"Finally, the Egyptian builders were not above taking credit for their labors; workers sometimes actually incised dates onto pyramid blocks, and one piece of graffiti in a chamber in the Great Pyramid bears the phrase, 'We did this with pride in the name of our great King Khnum-Khuf,' another name for the Pharaoh Khufu," he added.

In the end, "There is no controversy concerning who built the pyramids," Feder said. "Anyone caught trying to rewrite this history through theft or subterfuge isn't doing archaeology. They're breaking the law and insulting the memory of the thousands of ancient workers whose labors produced one of the wonders of the ancient world."

The conspiracy theories that Goerlitz and Erdmann endorse did not appear in a vacuum; instead, they have been widely promoted by best-selling authors such as Erich von Däniken, who wrote "Chariots of the Gods?" first published in 1968. Such authors claim the true builders of the pyramids were not ancient Egyptians but instead others, like extraterrestrials or residents of the legendary Atlantis. While "alternative history" and "ancient astronaut" theorists such as von Däniken do not explicitly endorse vandalism of any Egyptian sites, Goerlitz and Erdmann's actions were clearly driven by belief in such theories. (Ancient-astronaut theorists propose, unscientifically, that extraterrestrials intelligently designed humans.)

The true pyramid builders

As physicist Wolfgang Pauli famously said about a ludicrous idea, "It's not even wrong." There are countless glaring fallacies in Goerlitz and Erdmann's wild theory, beginning with the fact that Atlantis never existed; it was first described in two dialogues by Plato — the "Timaeus" and the "Critias" — written around 330 B.C. The Atlantis discussed by Plato did not refer to any actual ancient empire, because the dialogues were fictional stories and fables. Suggesting that people from Plato's Atlantis built the pyramids is like saying people from Tolkien's Middle Earth built the pyramids, or inhabitants of Superman's home planet of Krypton built the pyramids — it makes no sense, because they're fictional characters.

Aside from that, there's clear evidence that ancient Egyptians did, indeed, build the pyramids. Ken Feder, an archaeologist and professor of anthropology at Central Connecticut State University and author of "Frauds, Myths, and Mysteries: Science and Pseudoscience in Archaeology" (McGraw-Hill, 2013) takes a dim view of such baseless ideas.

"Here's an archaeological shocker: Ancient Egyptians built the pyramids," Feder told Live Science. "Contrary to what some purveyors of fantasy maintain, the technological skills necessary to construct the pyramids were not unknown in ancient Egypt. In actual fact, the Great Pyramid at Giza was the culmination of a lengthy, multigenerational, evolutionary process."

Archaeologists have found several early, failed attempts to build the pyramids, Feder noted. "Early attempts at true, geometric pyramid burial monuments resulted in spectacular screw-ups, including a 'collapsed' pyramid (the slope of the face of the monument was too steep)," Feder said. "In another attempt, cracks appeared in the lower part of the pyramid, again because the slope was too steep and one corner of the pyramid was positioned on a soft, sandy base."

"Finally, the Egyptian builders were not above taking credit for their labors; workers sometimes actually incised dates onto pyramid blocks, and one piece of graffiti in a chamber in the Great Pyramid bears the phrase, 'We did this with pride in the name of our great King Khnum-Khuf,' another name for the Pharaoh Khufu," he added.

In the end, "There is no controversy concerning who built the pyramids," Feder said. "Anyone caught trying to rewrite this history through theft or subterfuge isn't doing archaeology. They're breaking the law and insulting the memory of the thousands of ancient workers whose labors produced one of the wonders of the ancient world."

Billions of petrodollars flood into Egypt post military coup, so who needs democracy anyway?

I was never a Muhammed Morsi fan but to uproot a democratic institution without following the normal and proper conventions of a government is just ludicrous, and it goes to show that the Egyptian military is an institution beholden NOT to the people as they Egyptian people might think, but in reality to a 'foreign' entity. The sooner the people realize this, the better they can control the outcome. The Egyptian army has always protected itself at any cost and will do the bidding of others as its strings are pulled to and fro. No matter what else occurs in Egypt in terms of a government, the military will always be there as a watchdog ready to obey it`s master`s orders. And of course, lets not forget it`s military financing and budget...that it`s wholly dependent on. Finally, what can one say about the Persian Gulf nations...no self identity whatsoever. They who hate and abhor democracy, pumped into Egypt a staggering $12 billion all in a single month, chump change when compared to what was 'given' to Cairo post-Mubarak.

Its funny in retrospect when you think to President Obama`s 2009 Cairo speech, where he declared, “No system of government can or should be imposed upon one nation by another,..."

Our wise Founding Father George Washington`s farewell address sums up accurately our current state of affairs concerning our diplomatic and military commitment to virtually the entire world. “Nothing is more essential,” Washington said, “than that permanent, inveterate antipathies against particular nations, and passionate attachments for others, should be excluded.”

“The nation which indulges towards another a habitual hatred or a habitual fondness is in some degree a slave,” he added. “It is a slave to its animosity or to its affection, either of which is sufficient to lead it astray from its duty and its interest.” What ominous words from our founding father, who sadly is ridiculed by our government officials as being 'un-American.'

Egyptian army’s financial coup: 12 billion petrodollars from Saudi, UAE, Kuwaiti fans
DEBKAfile
July 10, 2013

In a dazzling display of monetary muscle, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates poured $8 billion in a single day into the coffers of Egypt’s army rulers in cash, grants, loans without interest and gifts of gas, a dizzying life-saving infusion into its tottering economy. Forking out sums on this scale in a single day – or even month - is beyond the capacity of almost every world power – even the US and Russia - in this age of economic distress. The Arab oil colossuses managed to dwarf Iran’s pretensions to the standing of regional power.
Tuesday, July 9, just six days after the Egyptian army overthrew the Muslim Brotherhood president Mohamed Morsi, a UAE delegation of foreign and energy ministers and national security adviser landed in Cairo. They came carrying the gifts of $1 billion as a grant and $2 billion in long-term credit.

In well-orchestrated moves, Saudi Arabia then stepped forward with a $5 billion package, of which a lump sum of $2 billion was drafted to Egypt’s state bank that day, followed by another $2 billion as a gift of Saudi gas, and a further $1 billion for propping up the sagging Egyptian currency.

The delivery by two Arab governments to a third of financial assistance on this scale and on a single day is unheard of in the Middle East, or, indeed, anywhere else.

As they celebrate Ramadan, 84 million Egyptians can start looking forward to a square meal at the end of their month of fasting.

This river of largesse was the outcome of a development first revealed by DEBKAfile last week: The Egyptian military high command was not working alone when its operations headquarters put together the July 3 takeover of power from the Muslim Brotherhood; it was coordinated closely down to the last detail with the palaces of the Saudi and UAE rulers and the operations rooms of their intelligence services.

The last DEBKA Weekly issue 594 (July 5) carried details of the military-intelligence mechanism at work between the three governments.

The coming issue, out next Friday, July 12, offers further revelations of how this mechanism is designed to shore up Egypt’s post-coup regime and restore the strife-torn country, the most populous in the Arab world, to its traditional eminence. Cairo is assigned a lead role in a Sunni Muslim bloc stretching from the Gulf to Cairo (with room for quiet collaboration with Israel) to withstand the challenges posed by the alliance of Russia, Iran, Syria and the Lebanese Hizballah.

The petrodollar shower for Egypt did not end with the $8 billion from Saudi Arabia and the UAE: Kuwait has pledged another $5 billion - later amended to $4 billion - in a secret communication to Riyadh. It will be released after the sheikhdom's parliamentary elections on July 27, and so raise total Gulf Arab bounty to Egypt to the staggering total of $12 billion.
Friendly assistance on this scale tends to diminish the relevance of Washington’s dilemmas over the continuation of its $1.3 billion aid package to Egypt after a military coup, of which $700 million is due this year.

The suggestion that US aid may be used to hasten Egypt’s “swift return to a democratically elected civilian government” loses its force when Saudi Arabia and the UAE have both guaranteed to make up any shortfalls in US aid to Egypt.

On June 26, Syrian Deputy Prime Minister Kadri Jamil boasted that Moscow, Beijing and Tehran were contributing half a billion dollars per month to Syria’s war chest. “It’s not so bad to have Russia, China and Iran on your side,” he gloated.

Egypt can now boast to have far outstripped Syria in foreign support - $12 billion in a single month, compared with a mere $6 billion in a year.

Hillary Clinton 'welcomed' to new Egypt with tomatoes, shoes and Monica rants

Hillary's motorcade pelted with tomatoes and shoes as Egyptian protesters shout 'Monica, Monica'

By DAILY MAIL
July 16, 2012

Protest: Demonstrators brandish shoes as they watch Hillary Clinton in a ceremony in Alexandria on Sunday

Hillary Clinton was targeted by protesters who threw tomatoes and their own shoes at her motorcade during a visit to Egypt on Sunday.

Demonstrators also mockingly chanted 'Monica, Monica' in reference to Bill Clinton's extra-marital affair.

The Secretary of State was on her first trip to Egypt since the election of the country's new Islamist President, Mohammed Morsi.

During the protests in Alexandria, a tomato struck an Egyptian official in the face, and shoes and a water bottle landed near the armoured cars carrying Mrs Clinton's aides.

A senior State Department official said that neither Mrs Clinton nor her vehicle, which were around the corner from the incident, were struck by any of the projectiles.

As well as the shouts of 'Monica', some demonstrators chanted, 'Leave, Clinton.'

The assault on her motorcade came on the day Mrs Clinton spoke at the newly re-opened U.S. consulate in Alexandria, addressing accusations that the U.S., which had long supported former president Hosni Mubarak, was meddling in Egyptian politics.

'I want to be clear that the United States is not in the business, in Egypt, of choosing winners and losers, even if we could, which of course we cannot,' Mrs Clinton said...

Outrage: Female protesters held up signs denouncing alleged U.S. intervention in Egyptian politics

Aggressive: Mrs Clinton was the target of protesters throwing shoes and tomatoes and chanting 'Monica'

She also met the country's top general, Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, on Sunday to discuss Egypt's turbulent democratic transition as the military wrestles for influence with the new president.

The meeting came a day after she met Mr Morsi, whose powers were clipped by the military days before he took office...

(click here to read the full article at DAILY MAIL)

Examining the Curse of Tutankhamun

wysinger.homestead

Much Ado About Nothing: Examining the Curse of Tutankhamun

By SUJAY KULSHRESTHA

(June 10, 2012)
2012, VOL. 4 NO. 06
STUDENT PULSE

In the early part of the 20th century, the world experienced tumultuous change. At the turn of the century, advances in technology linked humans around the world like never before, political borders changed in the aftermath of one of the deadliest wars known, and the world began to settle into a period of prosperity. In the Valley of the Kings, the early part of the 1920’s brought immeasurable fame with the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun. Howard Carter’s opening of a nearly intact tomb in 1922 revived the popular appeal of ancient Egypt and the history it contained. However, with this fame came notoriety; within four months, Lord Carnarvon, one of the benefactors of the excavations, passed away. News of his death instigated rumors and discussion of a possible curse on the tomb, and subsequent deaths of those involved in the project, whether explained or not, became fodder for curse enthusiasts. Popular depictions of ancient Egypt only added fuel to the fire, with the relationship between ancient Egypt and the occult becoming cemented in the eye of public opinion.

Tutankhamun, more popularly known as King Tut, represents one of the most sensational archaeological finds of the 20th century. The discovery and subsequent research into the tomb’s origins and background have fascinated many, electrified the field of Egyptian Archaeology, and provided as many questions as answers. Tutankhamun’s tomb was unique in that it was unlike any other discovery; the archetypal Egyptian tomb is, of course, the noble Pyramid. Carter’s discovery of a tomb underneath the level of the desert baffled even him.

[...]

Before delving directly into the curse of Tutankhamun’s tomb, one needs to understand the origin and basic guidelines for a curse. Many believe that the curse on King Tutankhamun’s tomb remains the definitive curse of Egyptology and fewer believe that the curse represents the capitalization of charlatans on the public imagination. However, one should note that the curse has some basis in fact and goes back further than the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb.

The idea of Tutankhamun’s curse, however, grasped the public imagination as a literal warning to avoid disturbance of the tombs of the pharaohs. Dominic Montserrat, a prominent Egyptologist, determined while studying the curse that one of the earliest references to a Mummy’s curse exists in an English children’s book published in 1827. The book, written by Jane Loudon Webb, seems to have been inspired by the author’s firsthand observation of a mummy unwrapping.6 Further references exist, this time at the British Museum, where the museum supposedly possessed a cursed Mummy Board after a number of related individuals were injured or died shortly after its acquisition.7 More recently, an Internet search will turn up a conspiracy involving a mummy on the RMS Titanic, which supposedly led to its tragic sinking; an examination of the ship’s cargo manifest has yielded these claims to be entirely untrue, though the legend lingers.8 Curses related to Egyptian archaeology seem to invent themselves from circumstantial evidence−deaths, injuries, illnesses that may accompany an excavation−the tomb of Tutankhamun is no exception.

The idea of the curse of King Tutankhamun’s tomb originates with the death of its financial backer, George Herbert, 5th Earl of Carnarvon. As an aristocrat, Lord Carnarvon possessed a considerable amount of wealth with which he chose to spearhead Howard Carter’s excavation of the tomb of Tutankhamun. Upon Carter’s discovery and opening of the tomb, Carnarvon immediately decided to depart for Egypt to handle press relations at the site.9 Carnarvon died within four months in April 1923. His death is the central event that led to the establishment of a Mummy’s Curse at Tutankhamun’s tomb, setting off a curse frenzy,...

(click here to read the full article)

Another military 'coup' in Egypt, parliament sacked, chaos in Cairo as democracy goes out the window

'Egypt just experienced the smoothest military coup in history'

Photographer: Mohammed Abed Copyright/Source: AFP/Getty Images (Feb 2011)

Some cry 'coup' as Egypt's highest court annuls parliament, military extends power
by Mohamed Fadel Fahmy and Josh Levs,
CNN
June 14, 2012

Cairo (CNN) -- Egypt's highest court declared the parliament invalid Thursday, and the country's interim military rulers promptly declared full legislative authority, triggering a new level of chaos and confusion in the country's leadership.

The Supreme Constitutional Court found that all articles making up the law that regulated parliamentary elections are invalid, said Showee Elsayed, a constitutional lawyer.

The ruling means that parliament must be dissolved, state TV reported.

Parliament has been in session for just over four months. It is dominated by Islamists, a group long viewed with suspicion by the military.

The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, in control of the country since Mubarak's ouster, said that it now has full legislative power and will announce a 100-person assembly that will write the country's new constitution by Friday.

The Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt's largest Islamist party, said SCAF leaders were taking matters into their own hands "against any true democracy they spoke of."

The court also ruled that former Prime Minister Ahmed Shafik. the last prime minister to serve under ousted President Hosni Mubarak, may run in a presidential election runoff this weekend...

(click here to read the full article)

Akhenaten and the Amarna style

Uploaded by SCARABsolutions on May 29, 2009
http://youtu.be/coZecCaWI7I

In episode 21, we scratch the surface of one of the most interesting periods from Ancient Egypt, the reign of Pharaoh Akhenaten. We explore the radical social transformations during his reign and its uniquely characteristic artistic revolution known as the Amarna style. 

See past episodes, image galleries, credits, transcripts, and additional resources at http://ancientartpodcast.org. 

Connect at http://twitter.com/lucaslivingston and http://www.facebook.com/ancientartpodcast.

FAIR USE STATEMENT: This Video may contain copyrighted material, the use of which may not have been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. I am making this material available in an effort to advance understanding of , political, religion, human rights, economic, and social justice issues, etc

Copyright Disclaimer [Rubaiat`s Blog]:
The use of incidental copyrighted material is covered under 'Fair Use' (Copyright Act, 1976) Title 17 U.S.C Section 107, with particular emphasis on such use for educational and non-profit purposes. Under Sec. 107 of the Copyright Act (1976), allowance is made for 'Fair Use' for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. This video and/or material may contain copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in an effort to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this video and/or information is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.Fair Use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of Fair Use (Moe, AllSeeingEye). If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond 'Fair Use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.
Digital Millennium Copyright Act-
In Aug 2008, U.S. District Judge Jeremy Fogel of San Jose, California, ruled that copyright holders cannot order a deletion of an online file without determining whether that posting reflected "fair use" of the copyrighted material.
[View the blog`s full Fair Use Copyright Disclaimer at the end of the homepage] 

Top 10 Ancient Egyptian Myths and Misconceptions

by Ancient Art Podcast
Lucas Livingston

[click here to view the playlist]

Visit http://www.ancientartpodcast.org/top10 for the complete Top 10 list. 

Explore more episodes, image galleries, credits, transcripts, and additional resources at http://ancientartpodcast.org. 

Connect at http://twitter.com/lucaslivingston and http://www.facebook.com/ancientartpodcast.

Image source: google


FAIR USE STATEMENT: This Video may contain copyrighted material, the use of which may not have been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. I am making this material available in an effort to advance understanding of , political, religion, human rights, economic, and social justice issues, etc

Copyright Disclaimer [Rubaiat`s Blog]:
The use of incidental copyrighted material is covered under 'Fair Use' (Copyright Act, 1976) Title 17 U.S.C Section 107, with particular emphasis on such use for educational and non-profit purposes. Under Sec. 107 of the Copyright Act (1976), allowance is made for 'Fair Use' for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. This video and/or material may contain copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in an effort to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this video and/or information is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.Fair Use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of Fair Use (Moe, AllSeeingEye). If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond 'Fair Use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.
Digital Millennium Copyright Act-
In Aug 2008, U.S. District Judge Jeremy Fogel of San Jose, California, ruled that copyright holders cannot order a deletion of an online file without determining whether that posting reflected "fair use" of the copyrighted material.
[View the blog`s full Fair Use Copyright Disclaimer at the end of the homepage] 

Rare new head of Queen Nefertiti discovered

Editor`s note: The new head bust of Nefertiti discovered (below left) has the slender facial features of my cousin sister Nusrat Akhter - most notably the high arched cheek bones, slender yet graceful facial lines and contour with a prominent chin. The lips also are also uncanny in capturing the sense of pouting and with an outward philtrum along the upper lip. Not bad for being synonymous with the 'most beautiful woman in the world.' This is to my readers who are associated with my family in knowing my cousin sister - RA [Rubaiat`s Blog]

by Judith Weingarten
June 2, 2012
Just breaking news: a new head of Nefertiti has been identified (left).

This, we now must acknowledge, is a head of the famous Queen Nefertiti, wife of the pharaoh Akhenaten (1353-1336 BCE). After some serious detective work, Dr Christian E. Loeben, Egyptologist at the August Kestner Museum in Hanover, Germany, has established its true and fascinating identity. It had been thought, wrongly as it now turns out, that this fragment of a face depicted the unisex pharaoh himself.

Dr Loeben has been able to demonstrate convincingly that it is in fact the illustrious queen, whose most famous portrait is the polychrome bust kept in the Berlin Museum (below left).

It measures barely 5.5 cm (2.2") in height, but the red-brown quartzite* head is a tiny masterpiece of Egyptian art.

"Until now, no Egyptologist had noticed that at the time of Pharaoh Akhenaten, only women's portraits were done in quartzite. Nefertiti is the only possible option for this remarkably fine miniature portrait," says Loeben.

"This is a truly sensational discovery," chimes in Dr Christian Bayer, Egyptologist at the University of Munster and specialist in Nefertiti: "It is very exciting to be able to add this extraordinary piece to the relatively limited collection of statues of Nefertiti."

The fact that this discovery has taken place this year is all the more remarkable given that it is exactly one hundred years since the German archaeologist Ludwig Borchardt found the world-famous bust of Nefertiti (left) in 1912, during his excavations at Tell el-Amarna, the new capital city founded by Akhenaten:

Suddenly we had the most alive Egyptian artwork in our hands, Ludwig Borchardt wrote in his diary for 1912. You cannot describe it with words. You can only see it.

That "most beautiful woman in the world" now reigns over the Neues Museum in Berlin, enthroned alone in a domed room that overlooks the length of the Museum.

The small quartzite head, on the contrary, is secluded in a private collection in Europe and is therefore not normally accessible to the public.

Illustrations:

• Upper left: photograph from the EEF BBS website (submitted by Raymond Betz). Photo credit: Alain Speltdoorn.

• Below left: Welt Online.

(click here to read the full article and updates to the discovery on Zenobia)

Rare new head of Nefertiti discovered

Editor`s note: The new head bust of Nefertiti discovered (below left) has the slender facial features of my cousin sister Nusrat Akhter - most notably the high arched cheek bones, slender yet graceful facial lines and contour with a prominent chin. The lips also are also uncanny in capturing the sense of pouting and with an outward philtrum along the upper lip. Not bad for being synonymous with the 'most beautiful woman in the world.' This is to my readers who are associated with my family in knowing my cousin sister - RA [Rubaiat`s Blog]

by Judith Weingarten
June 2, 2012
Just breaking news: a new head of Nefertiti has been identified (left).

This, we now must acknowledge, is a head of the famous Queen Nefertiti, wife of the pharaoh Akhenaten (1353-1336 BCE). After some serious detective work, Dr Christian E. Loeben, Egyptologist at the August Kestner Museum in Hanover, Germany, has established its true and fascinating identity. It had been thought, wrongly as it now turns out, that this fragment of a face depicted the unisex pharaoh himself.

Dr Loeben has been able to demonstrate convincingly that it is in fact the illustrious queen, whose most famous portrait is the polychrome bust kept in the Berlin Museum (below left).

It measures barely 5.5 cm (2.2") in height, but the red-brown quartzite* head is a tiny masterpiece of Egyptian art.

"Until now, no Egyptologist had noticed that at the time of Pharaoh Akhenaten, only women's portraits were done in quartzite. Nefertiti is the only possible option for this remarkably fine miniature portrait," says Loeben.

"This is a truly sensational discovery," chimes in Dr Christian Bayer, Egyptologist at the University of Munster and specialist in Nefertiti: "It is very exciting to be able to add this extraordinary piece to the relatively limited collection of statues of Nefertiti."

The fact that this discovery has taken place this year is all the more remarkable given that it is exactly one hundred years since the German archaeologist Ludwig Borchardt found the world-famous bust of Nefertiti (left) in 1912, during his excavations at Tell el-Amarna, the new capital city founded by Akhenaten:

Suddenly we had the most alive Egyptian artwork in our hands, Ludwig Borchardt wrote in his diary for 1912. You cannot describe it with words. You can only see it.

That "most beautiful woman in the world" now reigns over the Neues Museum in Berlin, enthroned alone in a domed room that overlooks the length of the Museum.

The small quartzite head, on the contrary, is secluded in a private collection in Europe and is therefore not normally accessible to the public.

Illustrations:

• Upper left: photograph from the EEF BBS website (submitted by Raymond Betz). Photo credit: Alain Speltdoorn.

• Below left: Welt Online.

(click here to read the full article and updates to the discovery on Zenobia)

New Middle Kingdom Tomb discovered in Egypt

Author: Nevine El-Aref | Source: Ahram Online [May 30, 2012]; 
Posted on ArchaeologyNewsNetwork

In the course of routine excavation work at the tomb of the first Middle Kingdom governor of the Hare Nome or province, the nomarch Ahanakht I at the Deir Al-Barsha site in Minya, Belgian archaeologists from the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven stumbled on what is believed to be an important burial going back to the beginning of the Middle Kingdom.

Deir Al-Barsha necropolis at al Minya [Credit: Web]

“It is for the first time in over a century that a relatively well preserved burial of this kind has been found,” said Mohamed Ibrahim, Minister of State for Antiquities. He went on to explain that, although the burial was robbed at least twice in antiquity and has suffered extensive damage since, a large part of the funerary collection was found well preserved at its original position. Early studies suggest that the burial must belong to one of the governor or a member of his family.

Mohamed Ismail, the director of Foreign Missions Affairs at the Ministry of State for Antiquities (MSA), pointed out that a collection of ritual objects in alabaster, faience, copper and pottery was found in its original position – embedded in the dried lime crust. It includes many alabaster model vessels, offering table head rests, faience libation vases, copper vases and dishes.

Among the grave goods recovered from the tomb are libation vessels (above), alanaster head reasts (centre) and copper vases [Credit: Ahram Online]

These funerary items, Ismail explained, enable Egyptologists to envision how ancient Egyptians practiced their religious rituals in detail. He went on to say that ancient Egyptians might have installed the sarcophagus in the middle of the burial chamber and then started the purification and offering processes.

Harco Willems, field director of the Belgian mission, told Ahram Online that the coffin remains discovered in the burial are in bad condition, yet early studies reveal that the coffin remains were inscribed with texts showing that it was the burial of a man called Djehutinakht.

This is important, Willems asserted, because the inscriptions in the Ahanakht tomb also mention his father, also Djehutinakht. This man had an offering place in the tomb, which suggests that Ahanakht buried his father in his own tomb. “Djehutinakht is known to have been the last nomarch of the Hare Nome of the First Intermediate Period. It can now be concluded that this person was buried here.”

The coffin is inscribed with a group of Coffin Texts among the most important religious texts of the Middle Kingdom, forming the link between the royal Pyramid Texts of the Old Kingdom and the famous Book of the Dead of the New Kingdom.

When you have an intelligence agency like MI5 endorsing a presidential candidate, like Moussa in Egypt right now, you know its not in the interests of democracy

'MI6 endorsing Amr Moussa for Egypt president'
Press TV
May 2, 2012


A team of British spies from UK’s foreign spying apparatus MI6 are in Egypt to run the election campaign of Amr Moussa, who’s affiliated to Western and US governments, a report said.

After several reports and close observations of the secrecy surrounding Amr Moussa’s election campaign, a reporter working for the Islam Times in Cairo confirmed that there are a team of British intelligence officers that are running Moussa’s presidential campaign.

The sources also confirmed that Britain has agreed with Amr Moussa to train a squad of its secret intelligence agents to work in Egypt through British ambassador to Cairo “James Watt”.

The group had been sent to Cairo as part of a tourist group three months ago, but the group carried out studies on the conditions under which the Egyptian people are living and mapped out the demography of the country based on classes and sects.

According to reports British spies are directly leading the financial spending of Moussa’s electoral campaign, on which a huge amount of money is spent.

Amr Moussa is an Egyptian politician and diplomat who was the Secretary General of the Arab League, a 22-member forum representing Arab countries, from 1 June 2001 until 1 June 2011. Previously he served in the government of Egypt as Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1991 to 2001. He is a candidate in the 2012 presidential election.

MOL/JR/HE

Amr Moussa calls Camp David Accords "dead and buried"

Egypt-Israel Camp David Accords dead and buried: Amr Moussa
Press TV
Tue May 1, 2012

The former Egyptian Arab League secretary general and presidential candidate in Egypt, Amr Mousa, speaks during a press conference in Cairo, April 22, 2012. Photo credit: Press TV

Egyptian presidential candidate Amr Mousa says the Camp David Accords signed by his country and the Israeli regime in 1978 are "dead and buried."

Addressing a mass rally in southern Egypt on Sunday, the former Arab League chief described the agreement as a document which should be put "on the shelves of history," Ha'aretz reported.

The Camp David Accords were signed by then Egyptian President Anwar El Sadat and then Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin on September 17, 1978, following thirteen days of secret negotiations at Camp David in Washington D.C.


The deal comprises of two agreements, a Framework for Peace in the Middle East, and a Framework for the Conclusion of a Peace Treaty between Egypt and Israel. The latter agreement led to the signing of the Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty in 1979 which also took place in the United States.

"The Camp David Accords is a historical document whose place is on the shelves of history, as its articles talk about the fact that the aim of the agreement is to establish an independent Palestinian state," said Mousa.

Mousa seems to be speaking about the first part of the Camp David Accords, signed in 1978, which included articles on the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.

"This accord is dead and buried," the leading Egyptian presidential candidate stressed.

"There is an agreement between Israel and Egypt that we will honor as long as Israel honors it," he added however, apparently referring to the 1979 Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty.

His remarks come against the backdrop of tense ties between Cairo and Tel Aviv since the downfall of former dictator Hosni Mubarak last year.

Egypt recently announced plans to halt natural gas exports to Israel. There have been growing calls in Egypt for a review of relations with the Tel Aviv regime.

DB/MA/HJL

Reality of the so-called 'Arab Spring': Egypt now knows the truth

Egyptian officials lift travel ban on US employees of pro-democracy groups
Editor’s Note: Egypt’s military government figured out months ago that the Arab Spring was engineered by pro-democracy groups and NGO’s with direct links to the US State Department, and moved quickly to shut down their operations inside Egypt. After angry U.S. officials threatened to cut off $1.3 billion in military aid and $250 million in economic aid, Egypt finally backed down. But this event is significant, in that many overseas governments have become wise to the regime change/revolution business which globalists have been exporting for decades under the guise of seemingly innocent not-for-profit orgs. The veil has been completely lifted on this Soros-funded international program of deception.

AP/Washington Post
February 29, 2012

CAIRO — Egypt on Wednesday lifted a travel ban on seven Americans employed by pro-democracy U.S. groups has been lifted, signaling an end to the worst crisis in relations between Egypt and the U.S. in 30 years.

The seven, who include the son of U.S. Transportation secretary Ray LaHood, are among 16 Americans who are on trial along with 27 others on charges of using illegally obtained funds to foment unrest in Egypt and incite protests against the nation’s military rulers.

The trial opened on Sunday and adjourned until April 26, but the court’s three judges resigned from the case on Tuesday, citing “uneasiness.” None of the 16 Americans were in court on Sunday. Only the seven affected by the travel ban are still in Egypt.

Egyptian officials said the travel ban was lifted by the country’s top prosecutor at the recommendation of the case’s investigating judge. It was not immediately clear whether the charges against the Americans would be dropped.
...

(Click here to read the full article)

Papyrus from the Book of the Dead of Nakht

The British Museum
From Thebes, Egypt
Late 18th Dynasty, 1350-1300 BC
EA 10471/13

Agricultural scenes-

Nakht was a royal scribe and overseer of the army (general) at the end of the Eighteenth Dynasty (about 1550-1295 BC). His Book of the Dead is a beautifully illustrated example below:

image: British Museum EA 10471/13

This papyrus shows Spell 110, a series of addresses to deities who dwell in the 'next world', specifically in the Field of Offering and the Field of Rushes. The deceased was expected to undertake agricultural work in the Field of Rushes.

The vignette evolved from a map of the Field in the earlier Coffin Texts. It shows areas of land surrounded by water. Nakht is shown with Thoth at top right, with the balance and feather of Maat (referring to the Judgement Scene). He then paddles his boat across the Lake of Offerings where two mummiform deities stand before a table of offerings. Nakht is also shown worshipping the Heron of Plenty. He is shown pulling flax, reaping, and ploughing below. The boat of Wennefer (a name for the god Osiris), shown with a head of a snake, is moored in a channel of the water at the bottom. Three deities of the ennead (group of nine gods) are shown bottom right.

Here is a close up of Nakht in the 'Agriculture in the afterlife - The Field of Reeds' scene:

image: egyptology.blogspot

Sources (The British Museum):
R.O. Faulkner, The Ancient Egyptian Book of t, (revised ed. C. A. R. Andrews) (London, The British Museum Press, 1985)

R.B. Parkinson and S. Quirke, Papyrus, (Egyptian Bookshelf) (London, The British Museum Press, 1995)

E.R. Russmann, Eternal Egypt: masterworks of (University of California Press, 2001)

S. Quirke and A.J. Spencer, The British Museum book of anc (London, The British Museum Press, 1992)

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[View the blog`s full Fair Use Copyright Disclaimer at the end of the homepage]

Will the mystery of the Great Pyramid`s secret doors finally be revealed in 2012?

[Image: The Great Pyramid of Giza. Credit: Nina/Creative Commons]

One thought with the current Djedi robotic project, (a joint international-Egyptian mission named after the magician whom Khufu consulted when planning the layout of his pyramid), the mission would have been wrapped up by now with finally unlocking the secret behind the mysterious pyramids shaft doors of the Great pyramid of Khufu.

The project began with a exploration of the southern shaft, which ends at the so called "Gantenbrink's door (1993 mission)."

A robot, designed by Rob Richardson at the University of Leeds, was able to climb inside the walls of the shaft while carrying a "micro snake" camera that can see around corners. The Djedi team has revealed to finding hieroglyphs written in red ink not seen by human eyes since the pyramid was constructed. They also unveiled details about the two copper pins embedded in one of the "secret doors" in the southern shaft.

Worked has since stopped on the project at its most promising stage, due to the political uprisings and turmoil in Egypt which ceased all archaeological work across Egypt. But, the prospects of the project resuming is quite well. "As with other missions, we have had to resubmit our application to the SCA [Supreme Council of Antiquities] to be allowed to continue. We are currently waiting for the various committees to formalize the approval," project mission manager Shaun Whitehead, of the exploration company Scoutek UK, told Discovery News.

"Once we're allowed to continue, I have no doubt that we can complete our work in 2012," he added.Whitehead is confident that the robot will reveal much more once the team is allowed to resume their research.

So 2012, here we come, hope the new year brings much joy and answers to the questions we all the seek.

BIG QUESTION FOR 2012: THE GREAT PYRAMID'S SECRET DOORS

Analysis by Rossella Lorenzi
Fri Dec 9, 2011 02:26 PM ET
Discovery News

Will the mystery over the Great Pyramid's secret doors be solved in 2012?

I dare say yes. After almost two decades of failed attempts, chances are now strong that researchers will reveal next year what lies behind the secret doors at the heart of Egypt's most magnificent pyramid.

New revelations on the enduring mystery were already expected this year, following a robot exploration of the 4,500-year-old pharaonic mausoleum.

But unrest in Egypt froze the project at its most promising stage, after it produced the first ever images behind one of the Great Pyramid's mysterious doors.

Now the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA), once led by the controversial yet charismatic Zahi Hawass, is slowly returning to granting permits for excavations and archaeological research...

(click here to read the full article)

Related info:
[Rubaiat`s Blog] post (05/27/2011) - Hidden Hieroglyphs Revealed by New Robot in Khufu Pyramid Shafts (The first images of ancient Egyptian markings in a tiny chamber that have not been seen for 4500 years!) - [A MUST READ AND VIEW DETAILED INFO AND VIDEOS]

Exclusive video - Hidden Hieroglyphs in the Great Pyramid - Djedi robot mission:

[video courtesy of & uploaded by TVniman (05/30/2011)
credit: Solidworks simulations by Ben WILLCOCKS (UK)

The Great Queen Nefertari (QV66)

From the burial tomb of Queen Nefertari, an ode dedicated to his love by Ramesses II

Ramesses II, who said of Nefertari - "the one for whom the sun shines," wrote:

My love is unique, no one can rival her for she is the most beautiful woman alive.

Just by passing, she has stolen my heart away.

Slender necked & breasted she is,

Her hair, the color of pure lapis.

Gold is nothing compared to her arms, but her fingers are like lotus flowers.

Her buttocks are full but her waist is narrow...

For she is the one for whom the sun shines...

...Alas... the eyes, the gateway to the splendid soul...

Image (CorbisImages): Queen Nefertari, the beloved wife of Ramses II, is depicted wearing a golden vulture's-wing headress and worshipping a group of sacred cattle in a wall painting in her tomb in the Valley of the Queens at Thebes, Egypt. The goddess Neith is depicted to the right of Nefertari. | Detail of: Mural Painting of Queen Nefertari in her Tomb in the Valley of the Queens.

Nefertari`s tomb (QV66, Valley of the Queens): (Egyptians.blogspot)

Video of Ramses II`s Great Royal wife Nefertari's tomb Qv66 in the Valley of Queens:

video courtesy of & uploaded by atharona`s channel (11/10/2010)

Video of Nefertari's Temple of Hathor:

video courtesy of & uploaded by atharona`s channel (11/10/2010)

Stunning 3D Video Animation inside Pharaoh Seti I`s Tomb

The tomb of Pharaoh Seti I, is one of the largest and best preserved in the Valley of the Kings

3D video animation into Seti`s tomb:


[video courtesy of & uploaded by fercicer`s Channel - YouTube (04/17/2010)]

Richly decorated burial chamber of Seti I`s Tomb:


[video courtesy of & uploaded by fercicer`s Channel - YouTube (06/11/2010)]

Hatshepsut, King of Egypt (1479–1458 BC)

By Barbara O’Neill.
Published on Egyptological, December 7th 2011, Magazine Edition 3.

(image: Hatshepsut, Metropolitan Museum of Art. By Verne Appleby)

“There’s a world of difference between truth and facts. Facts can obscure the truth” - (Maya Angelou)

In the Beginning

Most people first learn about Hatshepsut on discovering her elegant mortuary temple at Deir el Bahri. Some visitors to the site may be puzzled by the fact that the royal woman whose temple this was, is often referred to as ‘king’, for surely the Egyptian ruler had to be male? Other views on Hatshepsut go further; acknowledging that while she may have ruled Egypt as monarch, she did so as a female usurper of the role; a devious power-hungry woman. Although theories abound, we do not know why Hatshepsut, wife and daughter of Egyptian kings, stepped outside her conventional female role, crowned herself king and went on to rule alongside her stepson, Thutmosis III until her death two decades later.

As daughter of Thutmosis I and sister-wife to his son and her half-brother, Thutmosis II, there is little exceptional in Hatshepsut’s early life as an Eighteenth Dynasty royal wife and daughter. Upon her husband’s death, having no male child of her own, Hatshepsut acted as regent to her young stepson Thutmosis III. This is where the facts of the matter become rather murky, for instead of stepping aside upon her young charge’s maturity and allowing him to assume his role as sole ruler, Hatshepsut had herself crowned king, leaving the younger king in the background of history for approximately twenty years.

More than three thousand years after her death, scholars continue to explore Hatshepsut’s kingship, the details of which are sometimes viewed as a persistent, unsolvable problem. Why did she usurp this role when there appears to be no valid reason for her actions? Upon his step-mother’s death, Thutmosis finally became sole ruler of Egypt, proving to be one of the most successful kings of the Eighteenth Dynasty. While the enigma surrounding Hatshepsut remains, perhaps the most illuminating information on her reign can be found within her monuments and inscriptions. For it is here where her efforts to legitimise her own actions can be found.

In this article, I will explore Hatshepsut’s legitimisation of her rule as evidenced within the components of two structures; her mortuary temple at Deir el Bahri and her inscription at Speos Artemidos. The first contains a considerable amount of information within its architecture, inscriptions and imagery. The second bears an exquisitely refined legitimisation strategy, in what could be Hatshepsut’s own words. Both sites serve to illuminate how a powerful Egyptian king was able to utilise her gender, political acumen and vision, bequeathing Egypt the legacy of an accomplished rule, whilst revealing something of how she wished her kingship to be perceived.

Hatshepsut’s Mortuary Temple at Deir el Bahri

Djeser-Djeseru or ‘Holiest of the Holy’, Hatshepsut’s mortuary temple built into the Theban hills at Deir el Bahri, encapsulates a carefully constructed presentation of her reign. Scholars have hypothesised as to whether Hatshepsut’s husband Thutmosis II, her official, Senenmut, or Hapuseneb, her High Priest of Amun, may have contributed to its design. Hatshepsut herself may have moulded the project, influencing the layout of this temple. Whatever the case, her reign saw an explosion of artistic creativity, with a reinterpretation of the traditional and mastery of the innovative incorporated within this structure. The first attested example of a processional avenue of sphinxes on the temple approach was one such original element, serving to highlight the temple’s importance and functioning as a ritually protective feature. Djeser-Djeseru’s design emulates that of earlier structures, in particular the Eleventh Dynasty mortuary temple of Nebhepetre Mentuhotep II, located nearby.

The Middle Kingdom was viewed as a time of great achievement in Egypt’s history; its earliest kings had successfully reunited Egypt after the collapse of the Old Kingdom. Hatshepsut’s regard for the Eleventh Dynasty ‘founder king’ Mentuhotep II, and her decision to build her mortuary temple...

(click here to read the full article)

Related Info:

(Video) Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, [Deir El Bahri]; Luxor, Egypt., uploaded by
atharona (11/11/2010):