Excavation with UBC’s Dr. Thomas Hikade
The Ubyssey (Anthea Tsoukalas)
A student shares her experiences of working at Hierakonpolis with Dr Hikade:
On Christmas day of 2007, I began my journey to Egypt to participate in a world class archaeological excavation at Hierakonpolis led by UBC’s Dr Thomas Hikade, which consisted of an international team of undergraduates, graduates, and archaeologists. The area of interest was the ruins of Hierakonpolis, 80km south of Luxor, near the village of Kom el-Ahmar. The former city was an early Egyptian settlement headed by Narmer, the first Pharoh of unified Egypt. The archaeologists hoped that the ruins could yield clues to how states form, since Hierakonpolis was the original capital of one of the earliest large civilizations.
“When I was an officer in the German army in the early 1980s I had the opportunity to travel as a tourist twice to Egypt,” said Dr Hikade. “I have been working in Egypt since 1988 and have joined many international excavations. In addition to its role in state formation, Hierakonpolis is important in that it raises intriguing questions about trade links and contacts with Nubia in the south, the Red Sea Coast area in the east, and societies in the Near East.
“In general studying the past is important. As history shows, people are confronted with similar challenges and circumstances that occur in one way or another again and again around the world. And ancient Egypt, is no exception. So when we learn about the economy, religion, international affairs, the material culture of ancient Egypt we try to understand their mind and their way of solving problems and creating things.
“When it comes to ancient Egypt, as one of the cradles of civilization, it has held a fascination for both ancient and modern man in terms of history, technology, literature and art, among other things.”
Through participating in Egyptology courses with UBC’s Classical, Near Eastern and Religious Studies Department I was able to participate in this excavation. I had to pay my way to Egypt, but the rest of the costs were handled by the team.
See the above page for the full story
- New Book: Egypt At Its Origins 3
Peeters Publishers R.F. Friedman & P.N. Fiske (eds.). Egypt at its Origins 3. Proceedings of the Third International Conference "Origin of the State. Predynastic and Early Dynastic Egypt", London, 27th July - 1st August 2008 Summary: This volume,...
- Hierakonpolis Website Address Changed
Hierakonpolis Online The Hierakonpolis Online website address, complete with the Nekhen News archive, has changed to: http://www.hierakonpolis-online.org/ Egyptology News Blog, Andie Byrnes...
- Hierakonpolis On Archaeology Magazine Site - Updated
http://www.archaeology.org/interactive/hierakonpolis/field/fortd.html http://www.archaeology.org/interactive/hierakonpolis/field/index.html Follow the team's stabilization and repair of King Khasekhemwy's Ceremonial Enclosure on the Archaeology...
- Hierakonpolis Online
http://www.archaeology.org/interactive/hierakonpolis/fort.html Archeology Online's Interactive Dig has been updated with the latest from the important site of Hierakonpolis. It concerns that only upstanding structure at Hierakonpolis, the so-called...
- Interactive Hierakonpolis
http://www.archaeology.org/interactive/hierakonpolis/index.html Hierakonpolis is one of Egypt's most important sites, dating from the Predynastic when it became the major power of Upper Egypt. This site details the excavations and has some marvellous...