Ancient Egypt Links - Egyptological Archaeology Resources - Societies - Publications

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EgyptSites - Reflections in the Nile

Egyptian Monuments

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Egyptological Resources

Absolute Egyptology

Ottar Vendel’s site containing extensive text and more than 1000 illustrations on Ancient Egyptian history and religion

Abydos

In French and English, by Robert Rothenfluq, this website is dedicated to the city of Abydos and contains very detailed descriptions with photographs and plans of the area, including temples and rituals.

Abzu

A guide to information related to the study of the Ancient Near
East on the web

Aera

A window into the ongoing work of Dr. Mark Lehner and the international team of the Giza Plateau Mapping Project

Amarna Project

The official website of the Amarna Project directed by Barry Kemp and Pamela Rose

Amarna
Research Foundation

Dedicated exclusively to the advancement of interest and research in
the Amarna Period

Amunirdis.net

Website dedicated to the Nubian Queen Amenirdis I, Dynsty XXV ‘God’s Wife of Amun’ in Thebes

Ancient Egypt - History and Chronology

English language version of Polish website covering every aspect of
Egyptian chronology

Ancient Egypt Portal

A portal for accessing Egyptological websites that are of potential
use and interest, subjects many and varied

Ancient Egypt Website

This site focuses on Egyptology information via images, with links to
reports, pictures and articles

Ancient Near East

Exploring and resourcing the Ancient Near East including sites and excavations in Egypt

Ancient World Tours

British tour company specialising in the highest quality adventures
to out of the ordinary places in Egypt and other World Heritage Sites

Antiguo Egipto

A photographic journey through Ancient Egypt by Juan de la Torre Suárez and Teresa Soria Trastoy

Antiquity News

The Ministry of Tourism of Egypt’s up-to-date listings of news and information on the ancient monuments of Egypt

Archaeogate

An Italian portal for archaeology, Egyptology and related subjects

Archaeolink

Excellent resource site designed for students and others interested
in archaeology, anthropology and ancient civilisations - includes many topics on Ancient Egypt

Brooklyn Museum: Mut Project

Brooklyn Museum’s website documenting their archaeological work at the Temple Precinct of Mut at South Karnak.

British Museum

Department of Ancient Egypt and Sudan at The British Museum in London

Dakhla Oasis Project

A Study of environmental changes and Human activity in the Dakhla
region of the Western Desert

Deir el-Medina

Images of Deir el-Medina past & present by Lenka & Andy Peacock

Deir el-Medina Database

A survey of the New Kingdom non-literary texts from Deir el-Medina
of Leiden University

Digital Karnak

Experience Karnak temple in many new ways with the Digital Karnak Project from UCA.

Egypt State Information Service

Egypt’s main information awareness public relations agency - many useful links

Égypte Éternelle

Michel Guay’s French language site dedicated to the exploration and
study of Pharaonic Egypt

Egyptian Museum

The Egyptian Museum’s official site which includes a virtual tour of
the galleries

Egyptology.com

Greg Reeder’s Egyptology site and information on KMT magazine

Egyptology Blog

Mark Morgan’s Egyptology news from around the world

Egyptology News

Andie Byrnes’s site for Egyptology news, updated daily, covering
the Egyptian past from the Predynastic to Late Period

Egyptology Online

Articles, news, study aids, recommended book lists, and a wealth
of interesting and factual information concerning Egypt

Egyptology Resources

Website of the Newton Institute, Cambridge to provide information
on Egyptological resources

Eternal Egypt

An illustrated visitor’s guide to Egypt by Stan Kurowski which includes many of the aspects often missed on the guided tour

Eternal Egypt

A tri-lingual interactive website from the SCA offering a journey
through Egyptian cultural history

Gavin’s Egyptomania Pages

Illustrating the inspiration Ancient Egypt has provided in all forms
of media in the last 200 years

Guardians Egypt

One of the most complete and inclusive websites on Ancient Egypt
- with a bulletin board covering serious Egyptological news and topics

Hierakonpolis Online

Official website of the Hierakonpolis Expedition

Karnak Great Hypostyle Hall Project

Epigraphic survey in the Great Hypostyle Hall of Karnak Temple by
the Institute of Egyptian Art and Archaeology, University of Memphis

KV-63

The official excavation website for the newly discovered tomb in the
Valley of the Kings

Late Predynastic and Early Dynastic Egypt

Francesco Raffaele describes the earliest periods of Egyptian history

Luxor Magazine Online

Luxor Magazine is a tourist information magazine providing opening
times and news of the sites in the Luxor area

MFA Giza Archive

Providing integrated, online access to the Boston Museum of Fine Arts Giza excavations

Mission Française des Fouilles d’Abou Rawach

French language site reporting on the excavations of the Dynasty IV
pyramids and necropolis at Abu Rawash, including maps and panoramic views

Museums with online collections

General web presences of major museums with material on Ancient
Egypt

Mysteries of the Nile

Nova Online website with Quicktime views of Egyptian sites

North Kharga Oasis Survey

Results of the NKOS project to record the archaeology in North Kharga Oasis co-directed by Dr Corinna Rossi and Dr Salima Ikram

Oriental Institute, Chicago

The Epigraphic Survey based at Chicago House in Luxor, Egypt

OsirisNet

Thierry Benderitter’s French and English language site devoted to the tombs and mastabas of Ancient Egypt, with regularly updated news and a vast collection of photographs

Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology

The Petrie Museum has one of the most inspiring collections of Egyptian and Sudanese archaeology in the world

Pyramid of Man - The House of Going Forth by Day

An illustrated discussion by Vincent Brown on the architecture of Old
Kingdom pyramids

Pyramid Texts Online

An extension of Vincent Brown’s Pyramid site with interactive Pyramid Text translations

RAKM

Richard & Angela Knisely-Marpole, archaeological surveyors, kite aerial photographers and members of the North Kharga Oasis Survey team.

Satellite Survey of Western Thebes

A Differential GPS Mapping Project of the Private Tombs of Sheikh
Abd el-Qurnah

Saqqara Online

The Leiden Excavations in the New Kingdom necropolis at Saqqara

Survey and Excavation Projects in Egypt

The official SEPE website detailing current excavations in the Eastern
Delta and Sinai directed by Dr Gregory Mumford

Tell Edfu Project

Uncovering a provincial capital

The Ancient Egypt Site

Website created by Egyptologist Jacques Kinnaer containing excellent
links to pages covering all aspects of Egyptology

Theban Tombs

Information on the owners of Theban tombs collected from different souces by Anneke Bart

The Plateau

The official website for Dr Zahi Hawass, Secretary General of the
Supreme Council of Antiquities

Theban Mapping Project

Interactive version of the Atlas of the Valley of the Kings by Dr
Kent Weeks

Theban Royal Mummy Project

Archaeological data about the royal mummies from the Theban cache
tombs presented by William Max Miller

Thotweb

French and English language site by Dr Renaud de Spens covering
all aspects of Egyptological study and research

Tour Egypt

Website of the Ministry of Tourism of Egypt - a complete Egypt guide

TT320

The cachette of royal mummies of the Theban Dynasty XXI - details of research from the Russian Academy of Sciences Centre for Egyptological Studies

Une promenade en Égypte

French language site by Alain Guilleux with almost 3,000 photographs with commentaries covering all sites in Egypt

UEE: Encyclopedia of Egyptology

Online information on publications by and for Egyptologists, and all
other disciplines that are involved in research in Egypt.

Upuat Website

Rudolf Gantenbrink’s website reporting his findings in the Great
Pyramid of Cheops

Valley of the Kings Foundation

The work of Dr Nicholas Reeves’s project 1998-2002 seasons in the
Kings Valley

Waseda Excavations

Excavations in Egypt by the Archaeological Mission of Waseda

Societies

AEMES

Ancient Egypt and Middle East Society based in Horncastle, Lincolnshire, UK

ARCE

The American Research Center In Egypt, founded in 1948 to support
research on all phases of Egyptian civilisation and culture - includes
details of local chapters and upcoming events

ASADE
- Asociación Andaluza de Egiptología Association to promote the study of Ancient Egypt in Spain

Egypt Exploration Society

Website of the EES - publications, news and events

Egypt Society of Bristol

Society based at University of Bristol

Egyptological Societies

A list of British and worldwide Egyptological societies and their
websites

Friends of the Egypt Centre

Egyptology Society based at University of Wales Swansea

Manchester Ancient Egypt Society

MAES is one of the longest running Egyptology Societies in the UK

NEMES

Egyptian appreciation society based in Prestwich, Manchester, UK

North East Lincolnshire Egyptology Association

Society based in the South Humber area of the UK

Plymouth and District Egyptology Society

Society serving Devon and Cornwall based in Plymouth, UK

Society for the Study of Ancient Egypt

Society based around South Yorkshire, Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire, UK

Southampton Ancient Egypt Society

Society to promote interest in all aspects of Ancient Egyptian civilisation, based in Hampshire, UK

Sussex Egyptology Society

Egyptology Society based in Brighton, Horsham and Worthing, UK

Tameside Egypt Group

Egyptology Society based in Cheshire, UK

Thames Valley Ancient Egypt Society

Society based at University of Reading, Berkshire, UK

Publications

Ancient Egypt

The history, people and culture of the Nile Valley - website of the British magazine researched and written by Egyptologists

KMT

A Modern Journal of Ancient Egypt - the periodical devoted exclusively to articles on the culture, history, personalities, arts and monuments of ancient Egypt

Museum Books

New and out-of-print books in the fields of Egyptology, Ancient
Near East, Classical World and selected archaeology

Photographs

Archival Maps

Reproductions of old maps, illustrations and photographs, including
Napoleon’s survey of Egypt between 1798 and 1801

Artworks

Digital art by Su Bayfield

Baciar Art

Photographic artworks in black and white, representing ancient and
modern of Egypt

Bernice Williams - Fine Art Photography

Black and white images and Polaroid transfers of sacred sites, landscape and people of Egypt

Breasted Expeditions to Egypt and the Sudan 1905-1907

A photographic study by Professor James Henry Breasted and his colleagues

CultureFocus

Beautiful travel photographs of Egypt and other fascinating countries
by Steve Underwood

Dogon-Lobi

Huib Blom’s superb collection of around 1000 photographs taken on
location in a number of African countries including Egypt

Griffith
Institute Photographic Archive

Checklist of nineteenth-century studio photographs of Egypt at the
Griffith Institute at Oxford

Journey to the Ruins of Ancient Egypt

Evocative panoramic black and white images by photographer Zbigniew Kosc

The Egypt Archive

An archive of superb images of Egyptian antiquities by Jon Bodsworth

The Egyptian Theben Desert

Photographs taken 1993-2002 by Yarko Kobylecky

The Pyramids of Egypt

Frank P Roy’s collection of stunning images of the Pyramid Fields

Thebes Photographic Project

Tom Van Eynde’s panoramic photographs of Thebes

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Harwa - Great of the Greats - Theban Tomb TT37 - Doorkeeper in the Temple of Amun - Grand Steward and High Priest

Harwa: "Great of the Greats".

Harwa was an important man in ancient Egypt. He was an important figure in the life of Amenirdis I of ancient Egypt's XXV Dynasty. He acted as the 'Chief Steward', or 'Grand Steward' for Amenirdis I, as God's Wife of Amun and also whilst Queen Amenirdis served as Divine Adoratrice.
Additionally, he held the title (as High Priest) of "Doorkeeper in the Temple of Amun".

Born in to a family of Theban Priests, Harwa held high office in Thebes (modern-day Luxor) with great responsibility to Amun and God's Wife of Amun, the Divine Votaress, Amenirdis I. He was son of the "Lady of the House", Nestaureret, and of a Priest attached to the temple of Amun in Karnak, Padimut son of Ankhefenamon.

His tomb is located in el-Assasif, part of the Theban Necropolis, near to Deir el-Bahri and is known as TT37 (Theban Tomb 37) which has been under archaeological examination for some years (14+) and currently not accessible to the public.

The tomb of Harwa (TT37) displays important features of a man holding such religious, spiritual and political power. Scenes and texts - at least those engraved in the principal axis of the monument - can be read as part of a description of the Egyptian man's journey from his daily life to the Netherworld, passing through the ultimate experience of death and beyond. Each part of the monument concurs to document a different step of the path leading to eternal life.

The tomb (TT37) is large and in the "Osiris Hall" there is a wall relief describing the moment of the death where Harwa is shown 'between worlds', and separated from his physical body, with Anubis holding one hand. Harwa then exists in two (or more?) dimensions simultaneously - in the Land of Osiris and still in the land of the living, just.

Harwa's tomb shows the moment of death in its supreme glory and Harwa continues to be shown 'in the middle', almost in a 'freeze-frame' reliefwith both his Ka and Ba 'conscious' (possibly his Akh + Ren + Shwt), 'present' and aware of their 'state' i.e. Harwa's Ba - or possibly his Shwt or Ren - is shown as young and healthy whilst his Ka and physical form is as it was before the 'freeze-frame': corpulent, bald/ing and approximately 60 years old.

Alternatively, could the 'freeze-frame' relief depict the split-second when the Ka, Ba, Akh, Ren and Shwt 'meet' prior to the 'magical' departure to the different realms?

We will never know exactly why this complex scene is shown but it was most certainly important to Harwa and the explanation could possibly be beyond the understanding of our modern-day thought processes.
For the ancient Egyptians everything exists also in its complementary form. Nothing existed isolated, only for itself. The function/s was always intertwined with their universe, with Netjer and with Man.

This relief is highly unusual in ancient Egyptian scenes and whilst the above is purely personal conjecture, there is little doubt that Harwa was 'more than a mortal' given his almost 'pharaoh-like' status and titles.

Harwa was not only a dignitary holding vast powers but the ruler of Upper Egypt, ruling on behalf of the pharaohs of the twenty-fifth Dynasty, along with God's Wives of Amun et al. This conclusion is supported by a limestone ushabti (shabty), discovered in TT37 during 1997, showing Harwa holding in his hands the crook and the flail i.e. the regalia - characteristic emblems of pharaonic royalty. A further ushabti is kept in the Egyptian collection of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.

Could it be that Harwa had numerous 'Kas', similar to the pharaohs of ancient Egypt?

Could the 'freeze-frame' be indicative of Harwa's status as a ruling, 'semi-royal' noble?

Any further ideas, suggestions or comments would be most welcome - please e-mail me: Research@Amunirdis.net

A ushabti (shabty) of Harwa from TT37 - [image link].

More information and images from Harwa's tomb - [link]

As an aside: I find it interesting that the tomb of Akhamenerau - TT404 (Theban Tomb 404) - is adjacent to TT37, the huge tomb of Harwa. Akhamenerau was "Chief Steward of the Divine Adoratrix Amenirdis I (Amunirdis I) and Shepenupet II (Shepenwepet II)" and, obviously, held office under these two powerful God's Wives of Amun. It seems strange to me - though I'm no scholar - that Akhamenerau ruled at this time (though I can find no dates for Akhamenerau) and that placement of TT404 was so very close to TT37. Was this significant in itself, as - possibly - with the adjacent placement of the tombs of Montuemhat (TT34) and Petamenophis (TT33)? I would suggest so.

Did Amenirdis I and Shepenupet II's rule of Upper Egypt overlap...?
Coregency for a few years before Amenirdis died? Did Harwa hold Office under both God's Wives of Amun...? Amenirdis I 'adopted' Shepenupet II and the latter obviously held Amenirdis I in high regard (see Medinet Habu, Chapel of the Adoratrice Amunirdis I) or did Akhamenerau live long enough to serve - and rule - under both God's Wives of Amun?

Montuemhat and Petamenophis' Theban Tombs

Montuemhat (TT34) served the Nubian Kings Taharqa and
Tanutamun (Tanutamani, Tanwetamani or Tanutamon) as Fourth Prophet of Amun, Mayor of Thebes and Governor of Upper Egypt in the XXV dynasty.

[Bust of Montuemhat]

[Statue Group of Montuemhat and His Son, Nesptah]

Petamenophis (TT33) (Padiamenope, Padiamenipet, Petamenofi or Padiamenopea) served as Chief Lector Priest during the XXV to XXVI dynasties.

[Limestone fragment of tomb relief]

[Serpentine ushabti]

In Harwa's Tomb (TT37), a text well-engraved on the southern wall of the passage leading to the First Pillared Hall enumerates his good deeds having recourse to the most typical phraseology of the Egyptian "ideal biography". It is Harwa himself who is speaking. He tells the visitor to the tomb:

"I gave bread to the hungry man, clothes to the naked man".

This phrase is pivotal in the connection between Harwa and Queen Amenirdis I as, on the reverse (and base) of the famous alabaster statue of Amenirdis I, there is a well-carved series of hieroglyphs which say:

"I gave food to the hungry, drink to the thirsty, clothes to
the naked man." (the full translation can be found Here...)

I have not seen a connection made anywhere regarding these two series of hieroglyphs - online or offline. I believe that this connection hasn't yet been made by the scholars but the importance of the similar phrases is amazing to me.

Harwa held the position of "Grand Steward" for about forty years from the time of Piankhy, serving under Nubian pharaohs Shabaqo or Shabaka (713-698 BCE) and Shebitqo (698-690 BCE), until the reign of Taharqo or Taharqa (690 - 664 BCE).

Coincidentally, Amenirdis I is said to have served as God's Wife of Amun, Divine Adoratrice (or Divine Votaress) and "God's Hand" for approximately forty to forty-six years.

[Taharqo (or Taharqa) was the uncle of Amunirdis.]

It is my personal belief that Amenirdis I and Harwa had a close 'royal' relationship and ruled 'together' (in various roles) from ancient Thebes at approximately the same times in ancient Egypt.

During the 1997 archaeological campaign in Harwa's tomb (TT37), a limestone ushabty (or shabti) was unearthed showing features which shed new light on some aspects of the role played by Harwa inside the Theban administration. It is a typically mummiform funerary statuette of the XXV Dynasty but it holds in his hands the crook and the flail, that is to say, the regalia, the characteristic emblems of the pharaonic royalty.

As far as it is known, it is the only example of non-royal ushabty displaying such characteristics.

Furthermore, in the Chapter VI of the Book of the Dead engraved on the body, Harwa is mentioned as "Great of the Greats".

These evidences should point out that Harwa had more power than the one deriving from his role and that he can be considered as the co-governor of the Theban region on the behalf of the Nubian King alongside the Divine Adoratrice, Amunirdis I.

Also the vastness of his tomb and the high number of his statues can support the hypothesis that Harwa was the most politically influential person of the State; stretching to the First Cataract (a graffito signed by him has been found at Nag'esh Sheikh, near Aswan).

If this assumption is confirmed by further excavations, then the positions of Montuemhat and Petamenophis will have to be reconsidered. They chose in fact to place their tombs east and west of the tomb of Harwa as if they attributed a high reverence to him and considered him a sort of ancestor. Does this also apply to Akhamenerau in TT404 and Peshuper (tomb location unknown at this time)? In this frame one has to ask: is it possible to speak of a "dynasty" of functionaries governing the Theban region with the consent of the Nubian kings? If this proves to be true, then, as they did not belong to the one family nor did they share the same titles and position, what was the mechanism of succession of these functionaries? No-one yet knows the answer to that question or the countless others raised by the life, works and tomb of Harwa, Grand Steward in the Precinct of Amun.

Many questions are raised merely because of the surviving evidence belonging to Amenirdis I and Harwa et al., but there are some issues which are quite clear:

Upper Egypt was ruled well under the governance of these two mighty figures (and others) and for forty to firty-six years, approximately, Upper Egypt was relatively peaceful (as opposed to the XXIII to XXIV Dynasties political and religious unrest and turmoil) whilst Pharaoh
Shabaka (Amunirdis I's brother) ruled from Memphis. Even after the death of her brother, Amunirdis I remained in control and acted, along with others, answering the State's needs on many levels. Order was temporarily restored and both Amunirdis I and Harwa played a major role in ancient Egypt at that time.

A video introduction to Harwa - "Great of the Greats" - from YouTube can be found here:

http://www.Amunirdis.net/harwa_chief_steward_xxv_dynasty_tt37.htm


Research@Amunirdis.net
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