- Exeter, Devon, United Kingdom
Robert Morkot
University of Exeter, Archaeology, Faculty Member
- I read Ancient History at University College London (1977-1980) where I specialised in Egyptology. There I benefitted... moreI read Ancient History at University College London (1977-1980) where I specialised in Egyptology. There I benefitted from the teaching of Margaret Drower and Amelie Kuhrt in Near Eastern History; Harry Smith in Egyptology; Fergus Millar, Tim Cornell and John North in Greek, Hellenistic and Roman History. Following my degree I worked in the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology at UCL, firstly registering material, then as Archivist working on the notebooks of Flinders Petrie.
My doctoral dissertation (London, UCL from 1983) examined the complex relationship between Kush (northern Sudan) and Egypt between 1500 and 700 BCE, and the effects of Egyptian ‘colonial’ rule on the formation of an indigenous state. As part of my studies I spent a year (1986-87) in East Germany, on a British Council Exchange Scholarship at the Humboldt University, Berlin. There I studied Meroitic with the leading authority, Fritz Hintze, and Nubian archaeology with Steffen Wenig.
From 1987-1991 I was G.A. Wainwright Fellow in Near Eastern Archaeology attached to the Oriental Institute, University of Oxford. During this time I was working on material excavated by F.Ll. Griffith and Oxford University at sites in the northern Sudan during the 1920s and 1930s, now scattered in Museums around Britain and Europe.
In 1991, along with colleagues from the Institute of Archaeology in London, I.J. Thorpe, N. Kokkinos and J.A. Frankish, and led by Peter James, I contributed to Centuries of Darkness. (London: Jonathan Cape). This, rather dry, reassessment of the chronology of the Old World from the Bronze to Iron Ages was greeted with horror by many archaeologists (and derision by some). For such a dull subject, it became something of a succès de scandale , even being lampooned in The Times. Despite the hostility of many Egyptologists, the solution suggested to the archaeological problems highlighted (revising the chronology of Egypt), has gradually moved in the authors’ favour: the debate continues.
I was a member of the Committee (2004-2009) and Chair (2009-2011) of ASTENE (the Association for the Study of Travel in Egypt and the Near East http://www.astene.org.uk/ ). ASTENE has a broad membership of archaeologists, historians, Arabists and those engaged in literary studies, all with an interest in travel, travel writing, and the Near East.
Since 2013 I have been one of the Vice-Presidents of the Friends of the Petrie Museum, University College London (http://www.ucl.ac.uk/FriendsofPetrie/). The Friends is one of the largest Egyptology groups in the UK and works to preserve the most important teaching collection of artefacts from Egypt, which was formed by Sir Flinders Petrie, the first Professor of Egyptian Archaeology at UCL (http://www.ucl.ac.uk/museums/petrie/).
I have served on the Council (2006-2010), and was Chair of the Council, of the Society for Libyan Studies (SLS http://www.societyforlibyanstudies.org/) from 2011 to 2016.
I also served for many years on the main Committee (1991-1994, 2000-2003, 2004-2007), Sub-Committees (2002-2010) and Board of Trustees (2008-2009) of the Egypt Exploration Society (http://www.ees.ac.uk/).
I am currently a Trustee of Breaking Ground Heritage (http://breakinggroundheritage.org/)
I am a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries, and also a member of the Sudan Archaeological Research Society (SARS), the British Institute for the Study of Iraq (BISI, formerly British School of Archaeology in Iraq), the Roman Society, and the British School at Rome.edit
The theory of Jansen-Winkeln, which argues for a reversal of the traditional order of the late 20th Dynasty High Priests of Amun Herihor and Piankh, has provoked considerable controversy. The key to a resolution seems to lie in... more
The theory of Jansen-Winkeln, which argues for a reversal of the traditional order of the late 20th Dynasty High Priests of Amun Herihor and Piankh, has provoked considerable controversy. The key to a resolution seems to lie in recognising that Herihor, on his elevation to kingship, was able (like later monarchs of the TIP) to co-opt a colleague/relative as High Priest of Amun. This way Piankh’s pontificate can be placed within the reign of King Herihor, explaining the genealogical and other evidence which might otherwise suggest a reversal of the two but avoiding the pitfalls of Jansen-Winkeln’s case. The evidence suggests a shortening of the high priestly genealogy at this period by one to two generations (from the standard/Kitchen model). A first step is offered here towards a new model involving a short overlap between the 20th and 21st Dynasties, as well as between Herihor and Pinudjem I, as Upper Egyptian kings based at Thebes.
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The paper looks at evidence from the Western and Eastern Deserts relating to Roman forts and routes, and Meroitic travel in the desert and challenges the assumption that long-distance travel was a late development. Dismissed by Roger... more
The paper looks at evidence from the Western and Eastern Deserts relating to Roman forts and routes, and Meroitic travel in the desert and challenges the assumption that long-distance travel was a late development. Dismissed by Roger Bagnall as 'speculative', Old and Middle Kingdom evidence from the Western Desert (Dakhla and Gilf Kebir) and New Kingdom evidence from the Eastern Desert of Nubia has shown quite clearly that desert travel extends back into the remote past.
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An overview chapter examining issues of the 'Late Napatan' Period and its connections with Egypt under Achaemenid Persian rule. The Bibliography was for the entire volume, hence its length. NB the article cited as Morkot forthcoming... more
An overview chapter examining issues of the 'Late Napatan' Period and its connections with Egypt under Achaemenid Persian rule.
The Bibliography was for the entire volume, hence its length. NB the article cited as Morkot forthcoming (Post-pharaonic Nubia...) never forthcame, but is effectively replaced by the chapter in James et al, Centuries of Darkness
The Bibliography was for the entire volume, hence its length. NB the article cited as Morkot forthcoming (Post-pharaonic Nubia...) never forthcame, but is effectively replaced by the chapter in James et al, Centuries of Darkness
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A chapter in a volume on relics throughout history. It addresses the difficult idea of whether the ancient Egyptians venerated 'relics'. It touches on issues of divine and human remains, mummification, modern display of mummies, other... more
A chapter in a volume on relics throughout history. It addresses the difficult idea of whether the ancient Egyptians venerated 'relics'. It touches on issues of divine and human remains, mummification, modern display of mummies, other elements that might be deemed 'heirlooms'.
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An overview of Kushite expansion into Upper Egypt, the ways in which the Kushites administered Thebes, and their building works there from the reign of Kashta to the rise of Psamtik I and withdrawal from Egypt by Tanwetamani.
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The paper discusses regime change and some initial thoughts on how style and iconography reflect, and are reflected in, those changes. This paper has considerable overlap with other papers by the writer on the nascent Kushite state, and... more
The paper discusses regime change and some initial thoughts on how style and iconography reflect, and are reflected in, those changes. This paper has considerable overlap with other papers by the writer on the nascent Kushite state, and on archaism (eg the invocation of the Sandstone Stela of Piye).
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The paper consider Kingship in Kush before the Napatan Period; the Kushite royal succession and debates around matrilineage and patrilineage; the Kushite royal genealogy and its reconstructions; modes of succession; whether the 'Napatan'... more
The paper consider Kingship in Kush before the Napatan Period; the Kushite royal succession and debates around matrilineage and patrilineage; the Kushite royal genealogy and its reconstructions; modes of succession; whether the 'Napatan' royal family was one family. NB an error on p 291 table 6 in which Shabaqo is shown as son of Piye and brother of Taharqo: this should be Qalhata as daughter of PIye and sister of Taharqo.
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The issue of “archaism” in the artistic production of Libyan-Kushite- Saite Egypt has been widely debated, and its complex sources and developments are now being more closely charted. Three details—the shape of the cartouche base, ear... more
The issue of “archaism” in the artistic production of Libyan-Kushite-
Saite Egypt has been widely debated, and its complex sources and developments are now being more closely charted. Three details—the shape of the cartouche base, ear tabs, and the “reeded” lines on the red crown—are presented here as further features for discussion which might enable further understanding of models, sources, and chronological and geographical use of elements.
Saite Egypt has been widely debated, and its complex sources and developments are now being more closely charted. Three details—the shape of the cartouche base, ear tabs, and the “reeded” lines on the red crown—are presented here as further features for discussion which might enable further understanding of models, sources, and chronological and geographical use of elements.
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A broad view of trade and exchange in the Late Bronze to Iron Ages in north East Africa.
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A study of George Hoskins, with biographical information and a critique of his Travels in Ethiopia, contemporary responses to it, and the place of his history of 'Ethiopia' (Nubia) and Meroe.
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This paper takes a broad view, chronologically and geographically, of the evidence from the Eastern Sahara to the Nile Valley, and from the Mediterranean to the sub-Saharan routes. There has been extensive discussion of the evidence for... more
This paper takes a broad view, chronologically and geographically, of the evidence from the Eastern Sahara to the Nile Valley, and from the Mediterranean to the sub-Saharan routes. There has been extensive discussion of the evidence for the Libyans of the Late Bronze Age and the nature of their society: this is briefly discussed with some consideration of the implications for settlement in the oases as well as the Nile Valley. The issues of the historiography and its legacy are considered. The recent work in the Egyptian deserts and implications for understanding long-distance travel and interconnections from sub-Saharan Africa to the Mediterranean are reviewed. The existence of networks of interconnecting roads does not mean that long routes were regularly, if ever, used but shorter sections were.
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A study of the Libyan ruler of Nen-nesut (Herakleopolis), knwon from the stela of Piye, with comments on archaism and proposals of his identity and relationships.
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This chapter reviews the recent debates within Egyptology and Kushite studies about the Libyan rulers, ordering of Kushite kings, political geography of late-Libyan-Kushite Egypt, and the implications for Egyptian-Israelite relations.... more
This chapter reviews the recent debates within Egyptology and Kushite studies about the Libyan rulers, ordering of Kushite kings, political geography of late-Libyan-Kushite Egypt, and the implications for Egyptian-Israelite relations.
These are second proofs, with minor differences to the published version.
These are second proofs, with minor differences to the published version.
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A revised and abbreviated version of a chapter from my PhD, this paper asks questions about the economy of Nubia during the New Kingdom, changes effected by Egyptian rule in Lower Nubia, and 'luxury' and 'non-luxury' goods, cross-frontier... more
A revised and abbreviated version of a chapter from my PhD, this paper asks questions about the economy of Nubia during the New Kingdom, changes effected by Egyptian rule in Lower Nubia, and 'luxury' and 'non-luxury' goods, cross-frontier and long-distance trade. (apologies for the poor copy)
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The paper discusses the Nubian Dark Age and origins of the Kingdom of Kush, specifically addressing issues raised by László Török in hi Main Paper for the Conference.
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This short paper was, along with a chapter in Peter James et al., Centuries of Darkness, the first to characterise the period from the end of the New Kingdom 'imperial' and 'colonial' occupation of Nubia and the beginning of the Kushite... more
This short paper was, along with a chapter in Peter James et al., Centuries of Darkness, the first to characterise the period from the end of the New Kingdom 'imperial' and 'colonial' occupation of Nubia and the beginning of the Kushite period as a 'Dark Age', and challenge that characterisation.
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A fake stela in the Egyptian Museum Turin raises interesting questions about access to 25th Dynasty monuments in the mid-19th century and the reconstruction of the dynasty's history, genealogy and role.
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The paper looks at whether we might find an international 'arms trade' in the Late Bronze Age using the evidence of the Amarna Letters and similar documents, and the spread of military technologies.
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The paper discusses various aspects of 'archaism' and iconography relating to the God's Wives of Amun in the late Libyan and Kushite periods.
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Images of Nefertiti smiting Egypt's enemies, and as a sphinx trampling them underfoot, are well-know. This paper explores their origin in images of Queen Tiye, along with other aspects of Tiye's divine status, and how this was not... more
Images of Nefertiti smiting Egypt's enemies, and as a sphinx trampling them underfoot, are well-know. This paper explores their origin in images of Queen Tiye, along with other aspects of Tiye's divine status, and how this was not continued by later 18th and 19th dynasty queens.
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This paper examines the offices of the administration in New Kingdom Nubia, aspects of political geography. It proposes that the title 'Overseer of Southern Foreign Lands' is used by some Viceroys and by local rulers who have... more
This paper examines the offices of the administration in New Kingdom Nubia, aspects of political geography. It proposes that the title 'Overseer of Southern Foreign Lands' is used by some Viceroys and by local rulers who have responsibilities in the marginal regions of Upper Nubia, rather than just being a flowery title. The chapter was a revision of a chapter in my PhD dissertation
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The paper was an original outline for the first part of my PhD: it considers aspects of Egyptian expansion into Nubia in the New Kingdom, and my first ideas about the political geography of Nubia, with Upper Nubia south of the Third... more
The paper was an original outline for the first part of my PhD: it considers aspects of Egyptian expansion into Nubia in the New Kingdom, and my first ideas about the political geography of Nubia, with Upper Nubia south of the Third Cataract left under the control of indigenous rulers, and different Egyptian type of 'control/influence'.
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Starting with a discussion of a statue of the Steward of memphis, Amenhotep, in the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, the paper explores the statue and cult of the king Amenehotep III as 'Neb-Maet-re-United-with-Ptah', and a later cult of... more
Starting with a discussion of a statue of the Steward of memphis, Amenhotep, in the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, the paper explores the statue and cult of the king Amenehotep III as 'Neb-Maet-re-United-with-Ptah', and a later cult of Ramesses II, along with comments on the royal cult in the New Kingdom.
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... Centuries of Darkness. London: Jonathan Cape James, P., Thorpe, IJ, Kokkinos, N., Morkot, R., & Frankish, J., 1991b. ... The Tyrian Annals and the chronology of the Judaean Kingdom. Studies in Ancient Chronology 3 Kuniholm, P.,... more
... Centuries of Darkness. London: Jonathan Cape James, P., Thorpe, IJ, Kokkinos, N., Morkot, R., & Frankish, J., 1991b. ... The Tyrian Annals and the chronology of the Judaean Kingdom. Studies in Ancient Chronology 3 Kuniholm, P., 1988. ...
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Review of Abydos: Egypt’s First Pharaohs and the Cult of Osiris, by David O’Connor, 2009, London, Thames and Hudson