www.egyptologues.net Collège de FranceInstitut français Chaire "Civilisation de l'Égypte pharaonique : d'archéologie orientale archéologie, philologie, histoire" Bulletin d'Information Archéologique BIA www.egyptologues.net XXXIX Janvier - Juin 2009 Le Caire - Paris 2009 Système de translittération des mots arabes consonnes voyelles • • 'zq • • • bks • • • shlt • • • thsm • • • GDhn • • • Ht • • • khz • • • D' • • Zgh • • f • • r • • • • • • • • • • • Parmi les dossiers historiques évoqués par la presse, on notera un regain d'intérêt pour les hautes époques, avec un long article de Jill Kamil consacré à la pierre de Palerme. Plus médiatique est l'analyse tomographique du buste de Néfertiti de Berlin, d'autant que le secrétaire général du CSA saisit l'occasion d'en demander à nouveau le retour en Égypte. Pour en rester au portrait féminin, si le nez de Cléopâtre ne fait plus le bonheur de la chanson française, il revient à la mode, avec la tentative de reconstitution en trois dimensions du visage de la reine à partir des monnaies proposée par l'université de Newcastle. Du coup ses relations avec Arsinoé, dont une origine africaine est suggérée à partir de ses restes retrouvés à Ephèse, soulèvent le vieux débat des origines de la dynastie, dont la résonnance politique apparaît clairement à travers les réactions officielles égyptiennes. Cléopâtre, toujours elle, est l'héroïne d'un épisode archéologique quelque peu surréaliste, associant le secrétaire général des Antiquités à une docteur en droit dominicaine dans la quête d'un hypothétique tombeau d'Antoine et de Cléopâtre à Taposiris Magna. La découverte de monnaies contemporaines dans la nécropole locale entretient un suspens très médiatique. Autre sujet que l'on serait tenté de qualifier de virtuel, la reconstitution d'un navire de transport en mer Rouge à partir des vestiges retrouvés à Mersa Gawâsis. Gageons que les découvertes du port d'Ayn Soukhna permettront de donner plus de corps à ces premières tentatives. Une série d'articles est consacrée aux fouilles d'Hérakléopolis, à celles de Tell el-Farkha. Saqqarah continue d'occuper la une, avec les fouilles égyptiennes de la pyramide de Sesheshet dans la nécropole de Téti, de Gisr al-Mudîr, les fouilles hollandaises des tombeaux de Ptahemwia et Meryneith. Plus au sud, les découvertes de l'université de Waseda à Dahshôr, du CSA à Illahôn, les importantes découvertes préhistoriques du nord du lac Qarôn retiennent également l'attention. À Thèbes, à côté de la polémique qui continue autour de la mise en valeur touristique des deux rives, l'accent est porté sur les fouilles du CSA sur le parvis du temple de Karnak, qui dégagent les vestiges du quai antique, également sur les découvertes d'Hourig Sourouzian au temple de Kôm al-Hîtan et celles de l'équipe de l'ULB au tombeau d'Amenhotep, de l'équipe espagnole dans celui de Djehouty. Le nord Sinaï et la mer Rouge sont également à l'honneur avec les fouilles de Tell Habwa, d'Ayn Soukhna ou de Hammâm Pharaon. Nicolas Grimal SOMMAIRE SYSTÈME DE TRANSLITTÉRATION.3 ÉDITORIAL..........................................5 SOMMAIRE...........................................7 I -THÈMES GÉNÉRAUX THIRD ANNUAL DAY FOR ARCHAEOLOGISTS...............................................9 COOPÉRATIONS.....................................9 Pays arabes .........................................9 Union Européenne ............................10 BILAN 2008...........................................11 TOURISME & ANTIQUITÉS ................14 PUBLICATIONS ....................................14 Découvrir l'art islamique en Méditerranée....................................................15 Historical Dictionary of the Coptic Church ..............................................................15 Egypt in the Cartographic Heritage (1595-1840 A.D.) .............................................16 INTERNET, TÉLÉVISION & CD-ROM16 MOMIES ................................................17 Momie de Sesheshet ..........................17 Momie de Toutankhamon .................17 Second laboratoire d'analyses ADN17 II -MUSÉES EN BREF ................................................19 JOURNÉE INTERNATIONALE DES MUSÉES ...............................................................19 MUSÉE SANS FRONTIÈRES ................20 ALEXANDRIE .......................................22 Musée des Bijoux royaux..................22 LE CAIRE ..............................................22 Musée Égyptien .................................22 Musée Copte......................................23 Association des Amis du Musée Copte ............................................................................... 24 III -RESTAURATIONS, PRÉSERVATIONS EN BREF ................................................27 LE CAIRE ..............................................28 Le Caire historique ...........................28 Rue al-Mu'izz l-Dîn Allah al-Fâtimî.. 28 Patrimoine architectural des XIXe et XXe siecles ........................................................28 Centre-ville .......................................... 28 LOUQSOR..............................................30 Temple de Karnak .............................30 ASWÂN..................................................32 Cinquantenaire du sauvetage des monuments nubiens..........................................32 IV -EXPOSITIONS ARCHÉOLOGIQUES EXPOSITIONS EN ÉGYPTE..................36 Le Caire .............................................36 Musée Égyptien : 120 ans d'archéologie espagnole en Égypte ............................................ 36 Musée Égyptien : Europe-Egypt. A Long-Lasting Archaeological Cooperation........ 38 Amîr Tâz Palace : Sultan Al-Nasir Saladin Al-Ayyubi... Between Cairo and Damascus ............................................................. 41 iiccairo: Italian Approach to the Conservation of Egyptian Antiquities ................ 42 EXPOSITIONS HORS D'ÉGYPTE.........42 France................................................43 Musée du Louvre : Les Portes du Ciel43 Italie ...................................................45 Palazzo Bricherasio : Akhenaton Faraone Del Sole.................................................. 45 Japon..................................................47 Pacifico Yokohama: Egypt's Sunken Treasures .............................................................. 47 V -VOLS & RESTITUTIONS D'ANTIQUITÉS Amendement de la loi 117/1983.......48 VOLS & TRAFIC D'ANTIQUITÉS .......50 Arrestation de 'Alî Abô Ta'am .........50 Antiquités égyptiennes ......................50 RESTITUTIONS .....................................51 Allemagne ..........................................52 Buste de Néfertiti................................. 52 États-Unis ..........................................53 Sarcophage d'Emus............................. 53 Royaume-Uni.....................................54 Myers Museum : collection Webb-Davey.................................................................... 54 Suède..................................................55 Östergötland County Museum : 212 pièces archéologiques.......................................... 55 VI -RECHERCHES & DÉCOUVERTES EN BREF ................................................57 PIERRE DE PALERME..........................60 TOMOGRAPHIE DU BUSTE DE NÉFERTITI ...........................................................62 RECONSTITUTION FACIALE ..............63 ARSINOÉ & CLÉOPÂTRE ....................64 RECONSTITUTION D'UN NAVIRE ANTIQUE..............................................................64 ALEXANDRIE & NORD-OUEST .........66 Taposiris Magna ...............................66 Phare d'Alexandrie...........................68 Jardins al-Shallâlât...........................69 DELTA...................................................70 Banî Swayf.........................................70 Ihnâsyâ al-Madîna ............................... 70 Daqahliyya ........................................71 Tell al-Farkha....................................... 71 SAQQÂRA .............................................73 Pyramide de la reine Sesheshet .......73 Gisr al-Mudîr ....................................74 Mastaba de Sénedjem .......................... 74 Tombes de Ptahemwia & Meryneith75 Dahshôr .............................................77 Tombe d'Isis-Nofret ............................ 77 FAYYÔM ...............................................78 Al-Lâhôn ............................................78 al-Qarn al-Zahabî.............................79 BANÎ SWAYF........................................79 Hérakléopolis Magna .......................79 LOUQSOR..............................................80 Temple de Karnak .............................83 Second port fluvial............................... 83 Kom al-Hitân.....................................84 Temple d'Amenhotep III..................... 84 Dayr al-Madîna.................................85 Vallée des Rois ..................................86 KV63 .................................................... 87 Vallée des Nobles ..............................88 Tombe d'Amen-Em-Epet.................... 88 Shaykh 'Abd al-Qurna ......................88 Tombe d'Amenhotep .......................... 88 Dirâ' Abô al-Nagâ ............................89 TombedeDjéhouty (TT 11)............... 89 SINAÏ .....................................................90 Nord-Sinaï .........................................90 Tell Habwa........................................... 90 MER ROUGE .........................................91 Suez ....................................................91 'Ayn al-Sukhna.................................... 91 Hammâm Pharaon ............................... 91 VII -CONFÉRENCES & COLLOQUES ALEXANDRIE .......................................93 Bibliotheca Alexandrina: La Monnaie dans le Monde ..................................................93 Bibliotheca Alexandrina: 6th International Conference on “Heritage Publishing” ......................................................94 VIII -WHO'S WHO?........................101 IX -INDEX........................................112 I – THÈMES GÉNÉRAUX This year, the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA) celebrated Archaeologists' Day differently from the two previous years. This event focussed on paying homage to those who had led the SCA over the last three decades and the role they played in exploring, enriching, documenting and preserving Egypt's heritage. A number of specialists who had helped in restoring and exploring important archaeological sites were also honoured. This year, as usual, the Main Hall of the Opera House became a temple for the day, embellished with an imposing façade, columns and statues of ancient Egyptian Pharaohs and deities. The stage had a special backdrop featuring the logo of the SCA, a cartouche bearing the ray of the sun god. Each side of the stage was lined with a large gypsum mound on which were engraved portraits of the nine previous SCA heads, along with the portrait of the late Ahmad Yôsuf, known as the sheikh of restorers. In a similar way to the sound and light performance, each portrait told the story of the chosen person's professional life, achievements and the problems he had faced during his career. During the ceremony the nine archaeologists and the restorer were honoured with a certificate and a golden collar. In the case of those who are no longer with us, the collar and certificate were received by a family representative. The nine were the late Victor Girgis who held it in 1977, the late Shihâta Âdam, head of the SCA from 1978 to 1981, the late Fu'âd al'Urâbî (1981 to 1983), the late Ahmad Qadrî who occupied the position from 1983 to 1988, the late Sayyid Tawfîq (1989 to 1990), Ibrâhîm Bakr (1991 to 1993), 'Abd al-Halîm Nôr al-Dîn (1993 to 1996), 'Alî Hasan (1996 to 1997), and Gâballah 'Alî Gâballah (1997 to 2002). The restorer Ahmad Yôsuf who was also honoured was responsible for the work on Khufu's solar boat on the Gîza Plateau. Hishâm al-Laythî, the organiser of the ceremony, said that a book of photographs in colour reviewing the trail of their work in BIA XXXIX — Janvier/Juin 2009 archaeology, along with the others honoured in the ceremony, was being printed and launched by the SCA. (Nevine El-Aref, “A line-up of greats”, Al-Ahram Weekly, January 22, 2009). Secretary General of the Supreme Council for Antiquities Dr. Zâhî Hawwâs said that bilateral agreements that Egypt signed with the European countries help in the work of missions. But within the framework of the controls and conditions which the Permanent Committee of Mission's Affairs in Egypt put, we can't issue an agreement which contradicts with these conditions, Dr. Hawwâs said. He said that the council signs bilateral agreements for facilitating the measures of restoring antiquities, as well as putting guarantees for preserving them under the control of the local authority of every country till our procedures are finished. Dr. Hawwâs said that these agreements were signed with Italy, Greece, Denmark, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Jordan, Peru, Switzerland, Romania, Ukraine, Somalia and India. He added that there is new agreement under study in the National Committee with the US which is expected to be the most major agreement. (“Signing 12 int'l agreements for protecting, restoring Egyptian antiquities”, Egypt State Information Service, May 03, 2009). Pays arabes La sauvegarde du patrimoine arabe s'avère de plus en plus urgente suite à différentes sources de menaces, dont les guerres et les troubles sociaux. C'est à cet égard que s'inscrit la IIIe réunion de l'équipe du projet de la Mémoire du monde arabe, qui vient d'être tenue dans les locaux du National Center for Documentation of Cultural and Natural Heritage (CULTNAT), qui dépend de la Bibliotheca Alexandrina. www.memoryarabworld.net est l'adresse de ce projet évocateur, qui avait été mené il y a plus de 3 ans, suite aux recommandations du premier atelier tenu en Égypte en novembre 2005. Il s'agit de plus qu'un site Internet. C'est toute une base de données documentant le patrimoine arabe à travers ses différentes représentations. La IIIe réunion de l'équipe du projet de la Mémoire du monde arabe, organisée avec la coopération de la Ligue arabe et du ministère égyptien des Télécommunications et de la Technologie de l'Information, a rassemblé une centaine de représentants de la majorité des institutions et les fondations des pays arabes concernés par la documentation et la publication du patrimoine culturel arabe, y compris l'Unesco, l'Elesco et l'ISESCO. Cette réunion a, entre autres, mis la lumière sur le patrimoine palestinien, surtout après la dernière attaque sur la bande de Gaza. Un appel a été lancé pour consacrer une section de ce site pour les antiquités, l'architecture et le patrimoine palestinien ainsi que les tentatives des Israéliens de judaïser ce patrimoine. Les participants, qui représentent presque tous les pays arabes, ont ainsi discuté et identifié les différents moyens et solutions à travers lesquels ils peuvent œuvrer ensemble pour enrichir le contenu électronique du patrimoine arabe sur le réseau international de l'Internet. « La présence arabe sur Internet est très faible dans le domaine des sites traitant le patrimoine. La majorité du contenu des sites Web qui abordent le patrimoine arabe est en général diffusée en langue anglaise, ou même en d'autres langues, dont rarement l'arabe. C'est une honte que les générations arabes connaissent leur patrimoine et leur histoire à travers des sites non-arabes dont on ne connaît ni la fin ni la mission », souligne Fathî Sâlih, directeur du CULTNAT. Un contenu donc qui ne va pas de pair avec la culture antique et impressionnante de notre région arabe, berceau des civilisations. Le projet Mémoire du monde arabe avait recommandé donc le recours au travail collectif pour documenter et mettre en numérique ce patrimoine arabe, et pour construire aux générations arabes futures un contenu arabe qui aille de pair avec la valeur de notre civilisation arabe et islamique. Cet objectif serait atteint, notamment en encourageant la production de copies numérisées et de catalogues disponibles sur Internet, ainsi qu'en publiant et en diffusant livres, CD, DVD et autres produits aussi largement que possible. BIA XXXIX — Janvier/Juin 2009 « On s'est réuni aujourd'hui pour accentuer les efforts déployés par les pays arabes, participants au projet dans le domaine de la documentation du patrimoine culturel arabe et les façons par lesquelles ils ont pu assiéger les expériences à cet égard. Chaque pays participant a cependant exposé son expérience dans ce domaine », indique le Dr Sa'îd Maghawrî, professeur d'archéologie et de civilisation islamique à l'Université de Munôfiyya. En fait, de grands projets ont été déjà réalisés. L'Égypte a, de son côté, présenté les projets exécutés par CULTNAT. Il s'agit d'abord de sept grands projets de la documentation provenant de différents genres du patrimoine culturel. Citons : la carte archéologique de l'Égypte, la documentation du patrimoine architectural, les manuscrits scientifiques de l'époque islamique, la mémoire photographique de l'Égypte. D'autres projets pilotes de différents organismes et institutions régionaux et internationaux ont été présentés lors de 4 ateliers en marge de cette IIIe réunion. Citons entre beaucoup d'autres : les projets du Centre koweïtien des documents et des bibliothèques et ses efforts déployés dans la documentation et l'enregistrement du patrimoine du Koweït ; les projets du centre syrien Tarim en la sauvegarde du patrimoine architectural ; et les projets du Programme soudanais de la documentation du patrimoine manuscrit... Les porteurs sur le projet de la Mémoire du monde arabe œuvrent en fait à classer leur projet dans le cadre du grand programme « La mémoire du monde », lancé par l'Unesco et visant la conservation et la diffusion des collections d'archives et de bibliothèques partout dans le monde. Ainsi, est-il venu le temps oò les pays arabes possèdent un projet commun pour la documentation de leur patrimoine ? Une affaire régionale très importante, surtout qu'on est à l'ère de la numérisation. (Amira Samir, « La mémoire arabe en numérique », Al-Ahram Hebdo du 4 février 2009). Union Européenne Egyptian and European archaeologists gathered in Cairo yesterday to discuss the best means of conserving historic sites around the Mediterranean Basin countries. “This important scientific meeting comes within the framework of a Europeansupported project that is being implemented under the banner of Preservation of Ancient Mediterranean Sites in terms of their ornamental and buildings stone,” the organisers said, adding that the event, hosted by the Supreme Council of Antiquities, runs for five days. “The project, officially known as MEDISTONE, is a contribution to the knowledge and the conservation of Volubilis in Morocco, Djemila in Algeria, and the Alexandria Lighthouse in Egypt,” they said. It involves technical institutes, universities and research organisations, government institutions in charge of cultural heritage from North African countries and Europe, they added. (Hassan Saadallah, “Cairo meeting on preserving historic sites”, The Egyptian Gazette, May 21, 2009). This year saw several important discoveries, the restoration of ancient Egyptian, Coptic and Islamic monuments, and the return of artefacts smuggled illegally out of Egypt. Almost every day, excavators carrying out routine excavation or cleaning stumbled on a new discovery. It might be potsherds or decorative fragments, but it could be a major discovery leading to further understanding of Egypt's history and culture. One of the most important discoveries of 2008 was made at the forefront of Karnak Temple in Luxor. According to archaeologists it has changed the landscape and the history of this great religious complex. Supreme Council of Antiquities' (SCA) archaeologists found a Ptolemaic ceremonial bath, a private ramp for the 25th-Dynasty Pharaoh Taharqa, a large number of bronze coins, an ancient dock and the remains of a wall that once protected the temple zone from the rising Nile flood. SCA Secretary-General Zâhî Hawwâs says further excavation will lead to the ancient harbour and canal that once connected the temple to the Nile. According to an old map, this canal was used to gain access to the west bank of the river in a position corresponding to Hatshepsut's Dayr al-Baharî Temple, which was built on the same axis. The first evidence that the Nile once ran alongside the temple is found in the so-called Madrasa area, 50 metres southwest of the first pylon. It includes remains of what was a massive, sandstone embankment wall built some 3,000 years ago to reinforce the bank of the river, which has since moved. The discovery of the embankment has changed the thinking about the temple's BIA XXXIX — Janvier/Juin 2009 ancient façade. Previous theories, based on depictions found in several 18th-Dynasty private tombs such as that of a government official named Neferhotep, were based on the view that Karnak Temple was linked to the Nile by a canal through a rectangular pool dug in front of the temple. Burayk says this theory was supported by the uncovering in the 1970s of a small part of this embankment, which was assumed to be the back wall of the pool. Archaeologists now believe that the pool depicted in ancient drawings was backfilled in antiquity and that the temple was expanded on top of it, built out to the edge of where the Nile flowed 3,000 years ago. One of the most important discoveries in the area was the remains of a great circular Ptolemaic bath with an intricate mosaic tiled floor and seating for 16 people, with some seats flanked by dolphin statuettes. The latest technology has helped, more or less, solve the enigma of the mummy of Pharaoh Tuthmosis I, the father of Queen Hatshepsut. Up to now the mummy of Tuthmosis I was assumed to be known until this year, when a CT scan of the supposed mummy the Pharaoh indicated that it belonged to a young man who was not even placed in the royal pose and had an arrow embedded in his chest, while Tuthmosis I is known to have died of natural causes. Not only were the pose and the cause of death wrong, but also the dates did not fit. The mummy was that of a man 30 years of age, making it impossible for him to be Hatshepsut's father since she died at the age of 50. To solve the riddle, CT-scans and DNA tests were being conducted on three unidentified mummies, Pharaoh Seti II and two other mummies of unknown females and were discovered by Giovanni Battista BELZONI in tomb number 21 in 1817, but were later deliberately damaged. CT-scans and DNA analysis were carried out on two foetuses found in Tutankhamun's tomb, one four months old and the other two months, in order to identify their genders and the identity of their mother and grandmother. It was long thought that Ankhesenamun was Tutankhamun's wife and stepsister and their grandmother was Queen Nefertiti, wife of the monotheistic King Akhenaten. At the Valley of the Kings on the west bank at Luxor, Egyptian excavators cleaning the corridor of Pharaoh Seti I's tomb unearthed a quartzite ushabti figure and the cartouche of Pharaoh Seti I, the second ruler of the 19th Dynasty, while a number of clay vessels were also unearthed along with fragments from the tomb wall paintings that may have become dislodged and fallen off after its discovery. The length of the corridor was remeasured and found to be 136 metres long, not the 100 metres recorded in the original report by BELZONI, the tomb's discoverer. Geological studies revealed the corridor was not carved inside the tomb as one single piece but was formed of separate parts, each with its own architectural features as if it were a gate leading towards the afterlife. Utensils used by the famous 19thcentury tomb robber 'Abd al-Rasôl and his family were found in the dust, among them a tea caddy, cigarette packets and a flywhisk. The SCA undertook an underwater exploration on the Nile bed at Aswân, this time searching for objects that sank more than 2,500 years when obelisks, blocks and statues were transported from the quarries at Aswân to the temples of Karnak and Luxor. Underwater archaeologists raised a complete portico of the Khnum Temple and two huge unidentified columns. Several 26th-Dynasty decorative pieces, along with Roman amphora and a number of clay vessels, were also removed from the river. Japanese archaeologists working on the Gîza Plateau enabled King Khufu's second solar boat to be seen by the public. They inserted a tiny camera through a hole in the boat chamber's limestone ceiling to transmit video images of the boat to a small TV monitor. The images screened show layers of wooden beams and cedar and acacia timbers, as well as ropes and other materials. At Saqqâra the discovery of the subsidiary pyramid of Queen Sesheshet, mother of the Sixth-Dynasty King Teti, was another clue to understanding more about this enigmatic dynasty, while the discovery of the tombs of King Unas's favourite singer and the supervisor of his exploration missions revealed new burial patterns. There were also several small finds such as Ptolemaic artefacts from the north coast near Alexandria, traces of a fortified New Kingdom city in North Sinai, and a Byzantine wine factory in South Sinai. The SCA embarked on several restoration schemes, among them was the restoration of the Arab Kelly house in Rosetta with a view to transform it into the city's national museum. The house illustrates the history of Rosetta from the city's construction in ancient times right through to the modern era. On display are 600 artefacts carefully selected from the Islamic and Coptic museums and the Gayer Anderson House in BIA XXXIX — Janvier/Juin 2009 Cairo, along with another 200 objects unearthed from archaeological sites around Rosetta. These include Umayyad and Ottoman gold and bronze coins, pots and pans, versions of the Quran and a number of 18th-and 19th-century weapons such as arrows, swords, knives and pistols. Tapestry, military and national Ottoman and Mameluke costumes are also exhibited. The Karnak Temple forefront, which for decades was a stage for encroachment, chaos and grime and a large parking lot have been transformed into one of the most beautiful areas of the Upper Egyptian city of Luxor. The LE85 million Karnak development project has been implemented in collaboration with the Luxor City Council and is now almost in place. Following 18 months of studies and fieldwork, all infringements on the archaeological site have been removed, clearing a plot for further excavation. In the meantime, bazaars neighbouring the temple walls have been removed from what was formerly the Luxor stadium on the Nile Corniche. The vacated area is now a onestorey commercial zone with a vast parking area along with a visitor centre, built in the same colonial style as Georges LEGRAIN's house — now demolished — to provide visitors with all the information they need about the history of Karnak and what lays within its enclosure walls. A memorabilia gallery commemorates the early French archaeologists who worked at Karnak, including Auguste MARIETTE, Gaston MASPERO and Georges LEGRAIN, and tells their stories through photographs taken during excavation and restoration as well as copies of their publications and correspondence. In the heart of Fatimid Cairo, all the monuments that line al-Mu'izz Street have been restored. The whole street will become a pedestrian zone. Thirty-four monuments on al-Mu'izz Street and 67 in neighbouring alleyways have now been restored. The treatment of road surfaces and street furniture enhances the experience of visitors to al-Mu'izz Street, which lies between Bâb al-Futôh and Bâb Zuwayla and was the main thoroughfare of the Fatimid city. The road has been lowered to its original level and a high-tech drainage system for rainwater has been installed, while nearby houses have been spruced up and painted in colours that are sympathetic with the street's historic buildings. This is the first phase of a major plan aimed at reviving mediaeval Cairo which began with refurbishing 62 Islamic monuments, including Cairo's old walls and gates. Also restored were the Abô al-'Abbâs and Shaykhôn Mosques and two Islamic buildings in al-Khalîfa close to the Ibn Tôlôn Mosque. In Sayyida Zaynab, the historic mosque and khânqah (hostel for itinerant Sufis) of Prince Shaykhô and the sabîl-kuttâb (water fountain and Quranic school) of Prince 'Abdallah Kathudâ, which reflect the brilliance of the mediaeval Mameluke period when Islamic architecture flourished in Cairo, have been restored and opened to the public. At the Gîza necropolis the first phas

www.egyptologues.net college de franceinstitut francais chaire "civilisation de l'egypte pharaonique: d'archeologie orientale archeologie, philologie, histoire" bulletin d'information archeologique bia www.egyptologues.net xxxix janvier - juin 2009 le caire - paris 2009 systeme de translitteration des mots arabes consonnes voyelles • • 'zq • • • bks • • • shlt • • • thsm • • • gdhn • • • ht • • • khz • • • d' • • zgh • • f • • r • • • • • • • • • • • parmi les dossiers historiques evoques par la presse, on notera un regain d'interet pour les hautes epoques, avec un long article de jill kamil consacre a la pierre de palerme. plus mediatique est l'analyse tomographique du buste de nefertiti de berlin, d'autant que le secretaire general du csa saisit l'occasion d'en demander a nouveau le retour en egypte. pour en rester au portrait feminin, si le nez de cleopatre ne fait plus le bonheur de la chanson francaise, il revient a la mode, avec la tentative de reconstitution en trois dimensions du visage de la reine a partir des monnaies proposee par l'universite de newcastle. du coup ses relations avec arsinoe, dont une origine africaine est suggeree a partir de ses restes retrouves a ephese, soulevent le vieux debat des origines de la dynastie, dont la resonnance politique apparait clairement a travers les reactions officielles egyptiennes. cleopatre, toujours elle, est l'heroine d'un episode archeologique quelque peu surrealiste, associant le secretaire general des antiquites a une docteur en droit dominicaine dans la quete d'un hypothetique tombeau d'antoine et de cleopatre a taposiris magna. la decouverte de monnaies contemporaines dans la necropole locale entretient un suspens tres mediatique. autre sujet que l'on serait tente de qualifier de virtuel, la reconstitution d'un navire de transport en mer rouge a partir des vestiges retrouves a mersa gawasis. gageons que les decouvertes du port d'ayn soukhna permettront de donner plus de corps a ces premieres tentatives. une serie d'articles est consacree aux fouilles d'herakleopolis, a celles de tell el-farkha. saqqarah continue d'occuper la une, avec les fouilles egyptiennes de la pyramide de sesheshet dans la necropole de teti, de gisr al-mudir, les fouilles hollandaises des tombeaux de ptahemwia et meryneith. plus au sud, les decouvertes de l'universite de waseda a dahshur, du csa a illahun, les importantes decouvertes prehistoriques du nord du lac qarun retiennent egalement l'attention. a thebes, a cote de la polemique qui continue autour de la mise en valeur touristique des deux rives, l'accent est porte sur les fouilles du csa sur le parvis du temple de karnak, qui degagent les vestiges du quai antique, egalement sur les decouvertes d'hourig sourouzian au temple de kom al-hitan et celles de l'equipe de l'ulb au tombeau d'amenhotep, de l'equipe espagnole dans celui de djehouty. le nord sinai et la mer rouge sont egalement a l'honneur avec les fouilles de tell habwa, d'ayn soukhna ou de hammam pharaon. nicolas grimal sommaire systeme de translitteration.3 editorial..........................................5 sommaire...........................................7 i -themes generaux third annual day for archaeologists...............................................9 cooperations.....................................9 pays arabes .........................................9 union europeenne ............................10 bilan 2008...........................................11 tourisme & antiquites ................14 publications ....................................14 decouvrir l'art islamique en mediterranee....................................................15 historical dictionary of the coptic church ..............................................................15 egypt in the cartographic heritage (1595-1840 a.d.) .............................................16 internet, television & cd-rom16 momies ................................................17 momie de sesheshet ..........................17 momie de toutankhamon .................17 second laboratoire d'analyses adn17 ii -musees en bref ................................................19 journee internationale des musees ...............................................................19 musee sans frontieres ................20 alexandrie .......................................22 musee des bijoux royaux..................22 le caire ..............................................22 musee egyptien .................................22 musee copte......................................23 association des amis du musee copte ............................................................................... 24 iii -restaurations, preservations en bref ................................................27 le caire ..............................................28 le caire historique ...........................28 rue al-mu'izz l-din allah al-fatimi.. 28 patrimoine architectural des xixe et xxe siecles ........................................................28 centre-ville .......................................... 28 louqsor..............................................30 temple de karnak .............................30 aswan..................................................32 cinquantenaire du sauvetage des monuments nubiens..........................................32 iv -expositions archeologiques expositions en egypte..................36 le caire .............................................36 musee egyptien: 120 ans d'archeologie espagnole en egypte ............................................ 36 musee egyptien: europe-egypt. a long-lasting archaeological cooperation........ 38 amir taz palace: sultan al-nasir saladin al-ayyubi... between cairo and damascus ............................................................. 41 iiccairo: italian approach to the conservation of egyptian antiquities ................ 42 expositions hors d'egypte.........42 france................................................43 musee du louvre: les portes du ciel43 italie ...................................................45 palazzo bricherasio: akhenaton faraone del sole.................................................. 45 japon..................................................47 pacifico yokohama: egypt's sunken treasures .............................................................. 47 v -vols & restitutions d'antiquites amendement de la loi 117/1983.......48 vols & trafic d'antiquites .......50 arrestation de 'ali abu ta'am .........50 antiquites egyptiennes ......................50 restitutions .....................................51 allemagne ..........................................52 buste de nefertiti................................. 52 etats-unis ..........................................53 sarcophage d'emus............................. 53 royaume-uni.....................................54 myers museum: collection webb-davey.................................................................... 54 suede..................................................55 ostergotland county museum: 212 pieces archeologiques.......................................... 55 vi -recherches & decouvertes en bref ................................................57 pierre de palerme..........................60 tomographie du buste de nefertiti ...........................................................62 reconstitution faciale ..............63 arsinoe & cleopatre ....................64 reconstitution d'un navire antique..............................................................64 alexandrie & nord-ouest .........66 taposiris magna ...............................66 phare d'alexandrie...........................68 jardins al-shallalat...........................69 delta...................................................70 bani swayf.........................................70 ihnasya al-madina ............................... 70 daqahliyya ........................................71 tell al-farkha....................................... 71 saqqara .............................................73 pyramide de la reine sesheshet .......73 gisr al-mudir ....................................74 mastaba de senedjem .......................... 74 tombes de ptahemwia & meryneith75 dahshur .............................................77 tombe d'isis-nofret ............................ 77 fayyum ...............................................78 al-lahun ............................................78 al-qarn al-zahabi.............................79 bani swayf........................................79 herakleopolis magna .......................79 louqsor..............................................80 temple de karnak .............................83 second port fluvial............................... 83 kom al-hitan.....................................84 temple d'amenhotep iii..................... 84 dayr al-madina.................................85 vallee des rois ..................................86 kv63 .................................................... 87 vallee des nobles ..............................88 tombe d'amen-em-epet.................... 88 shaykh 'abd al-qurna ......................88 tombe d'amenhotep .......................... 88 dira' abu al-naga ............................89 tombededjehouty (tt 11)............... 89 sinai .....................................................90 nord-sinai .........................................90 tell habwa........................................... 90 mer rouge .........................................91 suez ....................................................91 'ayn al-sukhna.................................... 91 hammam pharaon ............................... 91 vii -conferences & colloques alexandrie .......................................93 bibliotheca alexandrina: la monnaie dans le monde ..................................................93 bibliotheca alexandrina: 6th international conference on “heritage publishing” ......................................................94 viii -who's who?........................101 ix -index........................................112 i – themes generaux this year, the supreme council of antiquities (sca) celebrated archaeologists' day differently from the two previous years. this event focussed on paying homage to those who had led the sca over the last three decades and the role they played in exploring, enriching, documenting and preserving egypt's heritage. a number of specialists who had helped in restoring and exploring important archaeological sites were also honoured. this year, as usual, the main hall of the opera house became a temple for the day, embellished with an imposing facade, columns and statues of ancient egyptian pharaohs and deities. the stage had a special backdrop featuring the logo of the sca, a cartouche bearing the ray of the sun god. each side of the stage was lined with a large gypsum mound on which were engraved portraits of the nine previous sca heads, along with the portrait of the late ahmad yusuf, known as the sheikh of restorers. in a similar way to the sound and light performance, each portrait told the story of the chosen person's professional life, achievements and the problems he had faced during his career. during the ceremony the nine archaeologists and the restorer were honoured with a certificate and a golden collar. in the case of those who are no longer with us, the collar and certificate were received by a family representative. the nine were the late victor girgis who held it in 1977, the late shihata adam, head of the sca from 1978 to 1981, the late fu'ad al'urabi (1981 to 1983), the late ahmad qadri who occupied the position from 1983 to 1988, the late sayyid tawfiq (1989 to 1990), ibrahim bakr (1991 to 1993), 'abd al-halim nur al-din (1993 to 1996), 'ali hasan (1996 to 1997), and gaballah 'ali gaballah (1997 to 2002). the restorer ahmad yusuf who was also honoured was responsible for the work on khufu's solar boat on the giza plateau. hisham al-laythi, the organiser of the ceremony, said that a book of photographs in colour reviewing the trail of their work in bia xxxix - janvier/juin 2009 archaeology, along with the others honoured in the ceremony, was being printed and launched by the sca. (nevine el-aref, “a line-up of greats”, al-ahram weekly, january 22, 2009). secretary general of the supreme council for antiquities dr. zahi hawwas said that bilateral agreements that egypt signed with the european countries help in the work of missions. but within the framework of the controls and conditions which the permanent committee of mission's affairs in egypt put, we can't issue an agreement which contradicts with these conditions, dr. hawwas said. he said that the council signs bilateral agreements for facilitating the measures of restoring antiquities, as well as putting guarantees for preserving them under the control of the local authority of every country till our procedures are finished. dr. hawwas said that these agreements were signed with italy, greece, denmark, cuba, kazakhstan, jordan, peru, switzerland, romania, ukraine, somalia and india. he added that there is new agreement under study in the national committee with the us which is expected to be the most major agreement. (“signing 12 int'l agreements for protecting, restoring egyptian antiquities”, egypt state information service, may 03, 2009). pays arabes la sauvegarde du patrimoine arabe s'avere de plus en plus urgente suite a differentes sources de menaces, dont les guerres et les troubles sociaux. c'est a cet egard que s'inscrit la iiie reunion de l'equipe du projet de la memoire du monde arabe, qui vient d'etre tenue dans les locaux du national center for documentation of cultural and natural heritage (cultnat), qui depend de la bibliotheca alexandrina. www.memoryarabworld.net est l'adresse de ce projet evocateur, qui avait ete mene il y a plus de 3 ans, suite aux recommandations du premier atelier tenu en egypte en novembre 2005. il s'agit de plus qu'un site internet. c'est toute une base de donnees documentant le patrimoine arabe a travers ses differentes representations. la iiie reunion de l'equipe du projet de la memoire du monde arabe, organisee avec la cooperation de la ligue arabe et du ministere egyptien des telecommunications et de la technologie de l'information, a rassemble une centaine de representants de la majorite des institutions et les fondations des pays arabes concernes par la documentation et la publication du patrimoine culturel arabe, y compris l'unesco, l'elesco et l'isesco. cette reunion a, entre autres, mis la lumiere sur le patrimoine palestinien, surtout apres la derniere attaque sur la bande de gaza. un appel a ete lance pour consacrer une section de ce site pour les antiquites, l'architecture et le patrimoine palestinien ainsi que les tentatives des israeliens de judaiser ce patrimoine. les participants, qui representent presque tous les pays arabes, ont ainsi discute et identifie les differents moyens et solutions a travers lesquels ils peuvent oeuvrer ensemble pour enrichir le contenu electronique du patrimoine arabe sur le reseau international de l'internet. "la presence arabe sur internet est tres faible dans le domaine des sites traitant le patrimoine. la majorite du contenu des sites web qui abordent le patrimoine arabe est en general diffusee en langue anglaise, ou meme en d'autres langues, dont rarement l'arabe. c'est une honte que les generations arabes connaissent leur patrimoine et leur histoire a travers des sites non-arabes dont on ne connait ni la fin ni la mission", souligne fathi salih, directeur du cultnat. un contenu donc qui ne va pas de pair avec la culture antique et impressionnante de notre region arabe, berceau des civilisations. le projet memoire du monde arabe avait recommande donc le recours au travail collectif pour documenter et mettre en numerique ce patrimoine arabe, et pour construire aux generations arabes futures un contenu arabe qui aille de pair avec la valeur de notre civilisation arabe et islamique. cet objectif serait atteint, notamment en encourageant la production de copies numerisees et de catalogues disponibles sur internet, ainsi qu'en publiant et en diffusant livres, cd, dvd et autres produits aussi largement que possible. bia xxxix - janvier/juin 2009 "on s'est reuni aujourd'hui pour accentuer les efforts deployes par les pays arabes, participants au projet dans le domaine de la documentation du patrimoine culturel arabe et les facons par lesquelles ils ont pu assieger les experiences a cet egard. chaque pays participant a cependant expose son experience dans ce domaine", indique le dr sa'id maghawri, professeur d'archeologie et de civilisation islamique a l'universite de munufiyya. en fait, de grands projets ont ete deja realises. l'egypte a, de son cote, presente les projets executes par cultnat. il s'agit d'abord de sept grands projets de la documentation provenant de differents genres du patrimoine culturel. citons: la carte archeologique de l'egypte, la documentation du patrimoine architectural, les manuscrits scientifiques de l'epoque islamique, la memoire photographique de l'egypte. d'autres projets pilotes de differents organismes et institutions regionaux et internationaux ont ete presentes lors de 4 ateliers en marge de cette iiie reunion. citons entre beaucoup d'autres: les projets du centre koweitien des documents et des bibliotheques et ses efforts deployes dans la documentation et l'enregistrement du patrimoine du koweit; les projets du centre syrien tarim en la sauvegarde du patrimoine architectural; et les projets du programme soudanais de la documentation du patrimoine manuscrit... les porteurs sur le projet de la memoire du monde arabe oeuvrent en fait a classer leur projet dans le cadre du grand programme "la memoire du monde", lance par l'unesco et visant la conservation et la diffusion des collections d'archives et de bibliotheques partout dans le monde. ainsi, est-il venu le temps ou les pays arabes possedent un projet commun pour la documentation de leur patrimoine? une affaire regionale tres importante, surtout qu'on est a l'ere de la numerisation. (amira samir, "la memoire arabe en numerique", al-ahram hebdo du 4 fevrier 2009). union europeenne egyptian and european archaeologists gathered in cairo yesterday to discuss the best means of conserving historic sites around the mediterranean basin countries. “this important scientific meeting comes within the framework of a europeansupported project that is being implemented under the banner of preservation of ancient mediterranean sites in terms of their ornamental and buildings stone,” the organisers said, adding that the event, hosted by the supreme council of antiquities, runs for five days. “the project, officially known as medistone, is a contribution to the knowledge and the conservation of volubilis in morocco, djemila in algeria, and the alexandria lighthouse in egypt,” they said. it involves technical institutes, universities and research organisations, government institutions in charge of cultural heritage from north african countries and europe, they added. (hassan saadallah, “cairo meeting on preserving historic sites”, the egyptian gazette, may 21, 2009). this year saw several important discoveries, the restoration of ancient egyptian, coptic and islamic monuments, and the return of artefacts smuggled illegally out of egypt. almost every day, excavators carrying out routine excavation or cleaning stumbled on a new discovery. it might be potsherds or decorative fragments, but it could be a major discovery leading to further understanding of egypt's history and culture. one of the most important discoveries of 2008 was made at the forefront of karnak temple in luxor. according to archaeologists it has changed the landscape and the history of this great religious complex. supreme council of antiquities' (sca) archaeologists found a ptolemaic ceremonial bath, a private ramp for the 25th-dynasty pharaoh taharqa, a large number of bronze coins, an ancient dock and the remains of a wall that once protected the temple zone from the rising nile flood. sca secretary-general zahi hawwas says further excavation will lead to the ancient harbour and canal that once connected the temple to the nile. according to an old map, this canal was used to gain access to the west bank of the river in a position corresponding to hatshepsut's dayr al-bahari temple, which was built on the same axis. the first evidence that the nile once ran alongside the temple is found in the so-called madrasa area, 50 metres southwest of the first pylon. it includes remains of what was a massive, sandstone embankment wall built some 3,000 years ago to reinforce the bank of the river, which has since moved. the discovery of the embankment has changed the thinking about the temple's bia xxxix - janvier/juin 2009 ancient facade. previous theories, based on depictions found in several 18th-dynasty private tombs such as that of a government official named neferhotep, were based on the view that karnak temple was linked to the nile by a canal through a rectangular pool dug in front of the temple. burayk says this theory was supported by the uncovering in the 1970s of a small part of this embankment, which was assumed to be the back wall of the pool. archaeologists now believe that the pool depicted in ancient drawings was backfilled in antiquity and that the temple was expanded on top of it, built out to the edge of where the nile flowed 3,000 years ago. one of the most important discoveries in the area was the remains of a great circular ptolemaic bath with an intricate mosaic tiled floor and seating for 16 people, with some seats flanked by dolphin statuettes. the latest technology has helped, more or less, solve the enigma of the mummy of pharaoh tuthmosis i, the father of queen hatshepsut. up to now the mummy of tuthmosis i was assumed to be known until this year, when a ct scan of the supposed mummy the pharaoh indicated that it belonged to a young man who was not even placed in the royal pose and had an arrow embedded in his chest, while tuthmosis i is known to have died of natural causes. not only were the pose and the cause of death wrong, but also the dates did not fit. the mummy was that of a man 30 years of age, making it impossible for him to be hatshepsut's father since she died at the age of 50. to solve the riddle, ct-scans and dna tests were being conducted on three unidentified mummies, pharaoh seti ii and two other mummies of unknown females and were discovered by giovanni battista belzoni in tomb number 21 in 1817, but were later deliberately damaged. ct-scans and dna analysis were carried out on two foetuses found in tutankhamun's tomb, one four months old and the other two months, in order to identify their genders and the identity of their mother and grandmother. it was long thought that ankhesenamun was tutankhamun's wife and stepsister and their grandmother was queen nefertiti, wife of the monotheistic king akhenaten. at the valley of the kings on the west bank at luxor, egyptian excavators cleaning the corridor of pharaoh seti i's tomb unearthed a quartzite ushabti figure and the cartouche of pharaoh seti i, the second ruler of the 19th dynasty, while a number of clay vessels were also unearthed along with fragments from the tomb wall paintings that may have become dislodged and fallen off after its discovery. the length of the corridor was remeasured and found to be 136 metres long, not the 100 metres recorded in the original report by belzoni, the tomb's discoverer. geological studies revealed the corridor was not carved inside the tomb as one single piece but was formed of separate parts, each with its own architectural features as if it were a gate leading towards the afterlife. utensils used by the famous 19thcentury tomb robber 'abd al-rasul and his family were found in the dust, among them a tea caddy, cigarette packets and a flywhisk. the sca undertook an underwater exploration on the nile bed at aswan, this time searching for objects that sank more than 2,500 years when obelisks, blocks and statues were transported from the quarries at aswan to the temples of karnak and luxor. underwater archaeologists raised a complete portico of the khnum temple and two huge unidentified columns. several 26th-dynasty decorative pieces, along with roman amphora and a number of clay vessels, were also removed from the river. japanese archaeologists working on the giza plateau enabled king khufu's second solar boat to be seen by the public. they inserted a tiny camera through a hole in the boat chamber's limestone ceiling to transmit video images of the boat to a small tv monitor. the images screened show layers of wooden beams and cedar and acacia timbers, as well as ropes and other materials. at saqqara the discovery of the subsidiary pyramid of queen sesheshet, mother of the sixth-dynasty king teti, was another clue to understanding more about this enigmatic dynasty, while the discovery of the tombs of king unas's favourite singer and the supervisor of his exploration missions revealed new burial patterns. there were also several small finds such as ptolemaic artefacts from the north coast near alexandria, traces of a fortified new kingdom city in north sinai, and a byzantine wine factory in south sinai. the sca embarked on several restoration schemes, among them was the restoration of the arab kelly house in rosetta with a view to transform it into the city's national museum. the house illustrates the history of rosetta from the city's construction in ancient times right through to the modern era. on display are 600 artefacts carefully selected from the islamic and coptic museums and the gayer anderson house in bia xxxix - janvier/juin 2009 cairo, along with another 200 objects unearthed from archaeological sites around rosetta. these include umayyad and ottoman gold and bronze coins, pots and pans, versions of the quran and a number of 18th-and 19th-century weapons such as arrows, swords, knives and pistols. tapestry, military and national ottoman and mameluke costumes are also exhibited. the karnak temple forefront, which for decades was a stage for encroachment, chaos and grime and a large parking lot have been transformed into one of the most beautiful areas of the upper egyptian city of luxor. the le85 million karnak development project has been implemented in collaboration with the luxor city council and is now almost in place. following 18 months of studies and fieldwork, all infringements on the archaeological site have been removed, clearing a plot for further excavation. in the meantime, bazaars neighbouring the temple walls have been removed from what was formerly the luxor stadium on the nile corniche. the vacated area is now a onestorey commercial zone with a vast parking area along with a visitor centre, built in the same colonial style as georges legrain's house - now demolished - to provide visitors with all the information they need about the history of karnak and what lays within its enclosure walls. a memorabilia gallery commemorates the early french archaeologists who worked at karnak, including auguste mariette, gaston maspero and georges legrain, and tells their stories through photographs taken during excavation and restoration as well as copies of their publications and correspondence. in the heart of fatimid cairo, all the monuments that line al-mu'izz street have been restored. the whole street will become a pedestrian zone. thirty-four monuments on al-mu'izz street and 67 in neighbouring alleyways have now been restored. the treatment of road surfaces and street furniture enhances the experience of visitors to al-mu'izz street, which lies between bab al-futuh and bab zuwayla and was the main thoroughfare of the fatimid city. the road has been lowered to its original level and a high-tech drainage system for rainwater has been installed, while nearby houses have been spruced up and painted in colours that are sympathetic with the street's historic buildings. this is the first phase of a major plan aimed at reviving mediaeval cairo which began with refurbishing 62 islamic monuments, including cairo's old walls and gates. also restored were the abu al-'abbas and shaykhun mosques and two islamic buildings in al-khalifa close to the ibn tulun mosque. in sayyida zaynab, the historic mosque and khanqah (hostel for itinerant sufis) of prince shaykhu and the sabil-kuttab (water fountain and quranic school) of prince 'abdallah kathuda, which reflect the brilliance of the mediaeval mameluke period when islamic architecture flourished in cairo, have been restored and opened to the public. at the giza necropolis the first phase of a site management plan that will serve the twin goals of establishing a suitable visitor reception centre and preserving the plateau from the inherent dangers of mass tourism has been completed. the site is protected by an 18.5m enclosure wall equipped with 200 mobile and fixed cctv cameras which will keep the inside areas and the surrounding streets under round-the-clock surveillance. the cameras will videotape any movement in or out of the plateau. a movement alarm system is also installed there, consisting of electronic sensors using infrared rays that will trigger an alarm if anyone tries illicitly to enter the site or perpetrate any illicit excavation. the entrance opposite the mena house hotel, which after the completion of the project's three phases will be for vips and private visits only, is controlled by electronic security g