Egypt
Following on from my recent posts about the threat to the prehistoric archaeology of the Faiyum Depression it is very sad to hear from Josef Eiwanger, the excavator of the related site Merimde Beni Salama in the 1980s, that in spite of it having been declared an Antiquities area, most of the site has been cultivated over the last 25 years.
- Growing And Grinding
IHC An advert for an upcoming talk by Willeke Wendrich, but it contains some information about the Faiyum and is quite well timed given the above discussions about the risks to the archaeology of the Faiyum. The north shore of Lake Qarun in the Egyptian...
- More Sad News From The Faiyum
Geoffrey Tassie has highlighted the challenge the archaeology of the Faiyum on a number of occasions, but the news never seems to get any better, as the demands of tourism and agriculture see the ongoing destruction of archaeological sites. Rinus Ormeling...
- The Endangered Faiyum
www.faiyum.com Geoffrey Tassie has written a paper, posted on the above page, which looks at the modern threat to the archaeology of the Faiyum. Here's his introduction: As already highlighted in the ECHO news article Faiyumi Sites to be placed on...
- Sa El Hagar (sais) Website Updated
http://www.dur.ac.uk/penelope.wilson/sais.htmlThe Sais website has been updated with an excavation report from 2005, and an excavation and post-excavation report for 2006. There are some gorgeous photographs of lithics which have a lot in common with...
- Travel: Qasr El Sagha, Faiyum Depression
http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2007/827/tr401.htm"Qasr Al-Sagha, or rather the Golden Fortress, is one of Fayoum's mysterious marvels. Located north of Lake Qarun, the building once stood on the shore of the ancient Lake Moeris. Now the lake has shrunk...
Egypt
Neolithic archaeology under threat in Egypt
Following on from my recent posts about the threat to the prehistoric archaeology of the Faiyum Depression it is very sad to hear from Josef Eiwanger, the excavator of the related site Merimde Beni Salama in the 1980s, that in spite of it having been declared an Antiquities area, most of the site has been cultivated over the last 25 years.Josef Eiwanger (German Institute in Cairo) was responding to a request by Mrs. Ungureanu on the Egyptologist Electronic Forum.
Merimde and several Faiyum sites provide the earliest evidence of mixed farming in Egypt. They are therefore of fundamental importance to the understanding of the development of Egyptian civilization, which was based on the agricultural components that were employed and developed at that time.
It is sad to see so much disrespect for the earliest evidence of Egypt's development within Egypt itself.
I was once told that Zahi Hawass had a home on the edge of the site. My informer must have been wrong about that because I am sure that he would not have watched the site's destruction without intervening.
It is sad to see so much disrespect for the earliest evidence of Egypt's development within Egypt itself.
I was once told that Zahi Hawass had a home on the edge of the site. My informer must have been wrong about that because I am sure that he would not have watched the site's destruction without intervening.
- Growing And Grinding
IHC An advert for an upcoming talk by Willeke Wendrich, but it contains some information about the Faiyum and is quite well timed given the above discussions about the risks to the archaeology of the Faiyum. The north shore of Lake Qarun in the Egyptian...
- More Sad News From The Faiyum
Geoffrey Tassie has highlighted the challenge the archaeology of the Faiyum on a number of occasions, but the news never seems to get any better, as the demands of tourism and agriculture see the ongoing destruction of archaeological sites. Rinus Ormeling...
- The Endangered Faiyum
www.faiyum.com Geoffrey Tassie has written a paper, posted on the above page, which looks at the modern threat to the archaeology of the Faiyum. Here's his introduction: As already highlighted in the ECHO news article Faiyumi Sites to be placed on...
- Sa El Hagar (sais) Website Updated
http://www.dur.ac.uk/penelope.wilson/sais.htmlThe Sais website has been updated with an excavation report from 2005, and an excavation and post-excavation report for 2006. There are some gorgeous photographs of lithics which have a lot in common with...
- Travel: Qasr El Sagha, Faiyum Depression
http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2007/827/tr401.htm"Qasr Al-Sagha, or rather the Golden Fortress, is one of Fayoum's mysterious marvels. Located north of Lake Qarun, the building once stood on the shore of the ancient Lake Moeris. Now the lake has shrunk...