- Department of History & Archaeology
Level 1, Arts Precinct, 25BWW
Macquarie University NSW 2109
Sydney, Australia - +6129850 8723
Karin Sowada
Macquarie University, History and Archaeology, Department Member
- Macquarie University, Ancient History, Department Memberadd
- 1) cultural interconnections and trade (Egypt and Levant), Archaeology of Mediterranean Trade, Early Bronze Age in the Southern Levant, Archaeology and History of the Land of the Bible, Old Kingdom Archaeology, Mummies, and 15 moreCeramics (Archaeology), Egyptian Archaeology, Predynastic and Early Dynastic Egypt, Radiocarbon Dating (Archaeology), History of Egyptology, Early Bronze Age (Archaeology), Levantine Archaeology, Mummy Studies, Egyptian Art and Archaeology, Old Kingdom (Egyptology), Archaeology of Jordan, Egyptology, Archaeology of Ancient Israel, Peter Der Manuelian, and Syro-Palestinian archaeologyedit
- Research Profile: https://researchers.mq.edu.au/en/persons/karin-sowada My primary area of research interest is Egypt... moreResearch Profile: https://researchers.mq.edu.au/en/persons/karin-sowada My primary area of research interest is Egypt and the Levant during the Early Bronze Age and wider questions of cultural, social, economic and political interaction during that period. For nearly three decades I have worked on excavations and archaeological material in Egypt, Jordan, Israel and Australia, in addition to research and publication of museum-based datasets. My Project, "Pyramids, Power and the Dynamics of States in Crisis", is a multidisciplinary endeavour networking scholars and scientists in Australia and internationally to examine the role of economic interests, statecraft and societal change in the face of climate events and the movement of people in the eastern Mediterranean during the third millennium BC.edit
Edited by Karin Sowada and Matthew J. Adams ALL PAPERS AVAILABLE ON OPEN ACCESS https://egyptianexpedition.org/volumes/vol-37-egypt-and-the-mediterranean-world-from-the-late-fourth-through-the-third-millennium-bce/ Journal of Ancient... more
Edited by Karin Sowada and Matthew J. Adams
ALL PAPERS AVAILABLE ON OPEN ACCESS https://egyptianexpedition.org/volumes/vol-37-egypt-and-the-mediterranean-world-from-the-late-fourth-through-the-third-millennium-bce/
Journal of Ancient Egyptian Interconnections (JAEI) special edition, publishing a number of papers delivered at an international conference held in four cities during 2021. The volume features 16 papers from scholars working across the region, bringing a cross-disciplinary perspective to the role of Egypt in the region during the Early Bronze Age.
ALL PAPERS AVAILABLE ON OPEN ACCESS https://egyptianexpedition.org/volumes/vol-37-egypt-and-the-mediterranean-world-from-the-late-fourth-through-the-third-millennium-bce/
Journal of Ancient Egyptian Interconnections (JAEI) special edition, publishing a number of papers delivered at an international conference held in four cities during 2021. The volume features 16 papers from scholars working across the region, bringing a cross-disciplinary perspective to the role of Egypt in the region during the Early Bronze Age.
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Full PDF now available. This study presents a revised view of Egyptian foreign relations in the eastern Mediterranean during the Old Kingdom (3rd-6th Dynasties) based on an extensive analysis of old and new archaeological data, and... more
Full PDF now available.
This study presents a revised view of Egyptian foreign relations in the eastern Mediterranean during the Old Kingdom (3rd-6th Dynasties) based on an extensive analysis of old and new archaeological data, and its relationship to the well-known textual sources. The material demonstrates that while Egypt's most important relationships were with Byblos and the Lebanese coast generally, it was an active participant in the geo-political and economic affairs of the Levant throughout much of the third millennium BCE. The archaeological data shows that the foundation of these relationships was established at the beginning of the Early Dynastic Period and essentially continued until the end of the 6th Dynasty with ebbs, flows and changes of geographical and political emphasis. It is argued that, despite the paucity of textual data, the 4th Dynasty represents the apogee of Egypt's engagement in the region, a time when the centralised state was at the height of its power and control of human and economic capital. More broadly, this study shows that Egyptian interaction in the eastern Mediterranean fits the pattern of state-to-state contact between ruling elites which was underpinned by official expeditions engaged in gift and commodity exchange, diplomatic endeavours and military incursions.
This study presents a revised view of Egyptian foreign relations in the eastern Mediterranean during the Old Kingdom (3rd-6th Dynasties) based on an extensive analysis of old and new archaeological data, and its relationship to the well-known textual sources. The material demonstrates that while Egypt's most important relationships were with Byblos and the Lebanese coast generally, it was an active participant in the geo-political and economic affairs of the Levant throughout much of the third millennium BCE. The archaeological data shows that the foundation of these relationships was established at the beginning of the Early Dynastic Period and essentially continued until the end of the 6th Dynasty with ebbs, flows and changes of geographical and political emphasis. It is argued that, despite the paucity of textual data, the 4th Dynasty represents the apogee of Egypt's engagement in the region, a time when the centralised state was at the height of its power and control of human and economic capital. More broadly, this study shows that Egyptian interaction in the eastern Mediterranean fits the pattern of state-to-state contact between ruling elites which was underpinned by official expeditions engaged in gift and commodity exchange, diplomatic endeavours and military incursions.
Research Interests: Near Eastern Archaeology, Egyptian Art and Archaeology, Egyptian Archaeology, Ceramics (Archaeology), Predynastic and Early Dynastic Egypt, and 4 moreEarly Bronze Age (Archaeology), Archaeology of Mediterranean Trade, 1) cultural interconnections and trade (Egypt and Levant), and Old Kingdom Archaeology
The Nicholson Museum at the University of Sydney holds Australia's most important collection of Egyptian antiquities. This book publishes a series of major studies on important objects in the Museum, written by local and international... more
The Nicholson Museum at the University of Sydney holds Australia's most important collection of Egyptian antiquities. This book publishes a series of major studies on important objects in the Museum, written by local and international scholars. Many of the objects are published for the first time.
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Publication for general audiences featuring highlights from the Near Eastern, Egyptian, Cypriot and Classical collections in the Nicholson Museum at the University of Sydney, Australia.
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Catalogue of an exhibition held at the Nicholson Museum in 2003. The book presents forty-five objects from the show including many pieces which have never before been published. The catalogue includes essays by Professor Richard Green... more
Catalogue of an exhibition held at the Nicholson Museum in 2003.
The book presents forty-five objects from the show including many pieces which have never before been published. The catalogue includes essays by Professor Richard Green and Dr Francis Muecke, and a piece on the theatre site at Nea Paphos, Cyprus.
The book can be purchased from Abe Books or directly from the Nicholson Museum http://sydney.edu.au/museums/publications/index.shtml
The book presents forty-five objects from the show including many pieces which have never before been published. The catalogue includes essays by Professor Richard Green and Dr Francis Muecke, and a piece on the theatre site at Nea Paphos, Cyprus.
The book can be purchased from Abe Books or directly from the Nicholson Museum http://sydney.edu.au/museums/publications/index.shtml
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Publication of a cemetery of minor burials excavated by the Australian Centre for Egyptology at the Teti Cemetery (Saqqara) in 1994 and 1995, under the overall direction of Prof. Naguib Kanawati. The burials range in date from the... more
Publication of a cemetery of minor burials excavated by the Australian Centre for Egyptology at the Teti Cemetery (Saqqara) in 1994 and 1995, under the overall direction of Prof. Naguib Kanawati. The burials range in date from the mid-18th Dynasty down to the Persian Period. The book includes chapters on the burials, pottery, objects and human skeletal material
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AVAILABLE ON OPEN ACCESS Authors: A. Quiles, K. Sowada, N. Kanawati In this study, the temporal accession date of king Pepy II is modeled by using a series of 14 C dates based on samples from the burial of Djau at Deir el-Gebrawi in... more
AVAILABLE ON OPEN ACCESS
Authors: A. Quiles, K. Sowada, N. Kanawati
In this study, the temporal accession date of king Pepy II is modeled by using a series of 14 C dates based on samples from the burial of Djau at Deir el-Gebrawi in Middle Egypt. Djau was one of Pepy II's officials - overseer of Upper Egypt and nomarch of the 8th and 12th provinces. Five samples of Djau's wrapping as well as his wooden coffin were analyzed. ATR-FTIR (Attenuated Total Reflection-Fourier Transform InfraRed spectroscopy) analyses were carried out on textile samples to ensure they were not contaminated by organic chemicals due to the embalming process, prior to being dated using the conventional radiocarbon method at the IFAO Laboratory (Cairo). Based on archaeological evidence, the temporal density associated with Djau's death is then used as a chronological marker for the death date of king Pepy II. Taking into account the possibility of either biennial, annual or irregular censuses to assess the duration of his reign, the accession date of Pepy II is thus modeled using OxCal software. The results place king Pepy II's accession date between 2492 to 2256 BCE with 95.4% probability, and between 2422 to 2297 BCE with 68.3%.
Authors: A. Quiles, K. Sowada, N. Kanawati
In this study, the temporal accession date of king Pepy II is modeled by using a series of 14 C dates based on samples from the burial of Djau at Deir el-Gebrawi in Middle Egypt. Djau was one of Pepy II's officials - overseer of Upper Egypt and nomarch of the 8th and 12th provinces. Five samples of Djau's wrapping as well as his wooden coffin were analyzed. ATR-FTIR (Attenuated Total Reflection-Fourier Transform InfraRed spectroscopy) analyses were carried out on textile samples to ensure they were not contaminated by organic chemicals due to the embalming process, prior to being dated using the conventional radiocarbon method at the IFAO Laboratory (Cairo). Based on archaeological evidence, the temporal density associated with Djau's death is then used as a chronological marker for the death date of king Pepy II. Taking into account the possibility of either biennial, annual or irregular censuses to assess the duration of his reign, the accession date of Pepy II is thus modeled using OxCal software. The results place king Pepy II's accession date between 2492 to 2256 BCE with 95.4% probability, and between 2422 to 2297 BCE with 68.3%.
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Available on OPEN ACCESS go to https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jasrep.2023.103978 Co-authors Richard Newman, Francis Albarede, Gillan Davis, Michele Derrick, Timothy D. Murphy, Damian B. Gore ABSTRACT Egypt has no domestic silver ore sources... more
Available on OPEN ACCESS go to https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jasrep.2023.103978
Co-authors Richard Newman, Francis Albarede, Gillan Davis, Michele Derrick, Timothy D. Murphy, Damian B. Gore
ABSTRACT Egypt has no domestic silver ore sources and silver is rarely found in the Egyptian archaeological record until the Middle Bronze Age. Bracelets found in the tomb of queen Hetepheres I, mother of pyramid builder king Khufu (date of reign c. 2589–2566 BC), form the largest and most famous collection of silver artefacts from early Egypt, but they have not been analysed for decades. We analysed samples from the collection in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston using bulk XRF, micro-XRF, SEM-EDS, X-ray diffractometry and MC-ICP-MS to obtain elemental and mineralogical compositions and lead isotope ratios, to understand the nature and metallurgical treatment of the metal and identify the possible ore source. We found that the pieces consist of silver with trace copper, gold, lead and other elements. The minerals are silver, silver chloride and a possible trace of copper chloride. Surprisingly, the lead isotope ratios are consistent with ores from the Cyclades (Aegean islands, Greece), and to a lesser extent from Lavrion (Attica, Greece), and not partitioned from gold or electrum as previously surmised. Sources in Anatolia (Western Asia) can be excluded with a high degree of confidence. Imaging of a cross-section of a bracelet fragment reveals that the metal was repeatedly annealed and cold-hammered during creation of the artefacts. The results provide new information about silver ore sources, commodity exchange networks and metallurgy in Egypt during the Early Bronze Age.
Co-authors Richard Newman, Francis Albarede, Gillan Davis, Michele Derrick, Timothy D. Murphy, Damian B. Gore
ABSTRACT Egypt has no domestic silver ore sources and silver is rarely found in the Egyptian archaeological record until the Middle Bronze Age. Bracelets found in the tomb of queen Hetepheres I, mother of pyramid builder king Khufu (date of reign c. 2589–2566 BC), form the largest and most famous collection of silver artefacts from early Egypt, but they have not been analysed for decades. We analysed samples from the collection in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston using bulk XRF, micro-XRF, SEM-EDS, X-ray diffractometry and MC-ICP-MS to obtain elemental and mineralogical compositions and lead isotope ratios, to understand the nature and metallurgical treatment of the metal and identify the possible ore source. We found that the pieces consist of silver with trace copper, gold, lead and other elements. The minerals are silver, silver chloride and a possible trace of copper chloride. Surprisingly, the lead isotope ratios are consistent with ores from the Cyclades (Aegean islands, Greece), and to a lesser extent from Lavrion (Attica, Greece), and not partitioned from gold or electrum as previously surmised. Sources in Anatolia (Western Asia) can be excluded with a high degree of confidence. Imaging of a cross-section of a bracelet fragment reveals that the metal was repeatedly annealed and cold-hammered during creation of the artefacts. The results provide new information about silver ore sources, commodity exchange networks and metallurgy in Egypt during the Early Bronze Age.
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ALSO ON OPEN ACCESS! https://egyptianexpedition.org/articles/contents-status-and-symbolism/ Throughout the 4th to 6th Dynasties of the Old Kingdom (c. 2613-2181 BCE), liquid commodities were imported in ceramic combed jars made in... more
ALSO ON OPEN ACCESS! https://egyptianexpedition.org/articles/contents-status-and-symbolism/
Throughout the 4th to 6th Dynasties of the Old Kingdom (c. 2613-2181 BCE), liquid commodities were imported in ceramic combed jars made in workshops in the Byblos region, enabling proximal geographic identification of the original contents. Results of scientific, archaeometric, and archaeological research on a large corpus of jars found in elite tombs at Giza, now in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, reveal a complex story of the use and reuse of the jars and that very little remains of the original and even secondary contents. Rather, from the moment of production, the jars had a complex itinerary. At different times, jars were invested with diverse meanings that included their original use as a transport and product container, a symbol of royal power, an elite status symbol, and, more recently, a 20th-century museum artifact. It is argued that a number of jars were used more than once before final deposition in elite tombs, where they were provided as gifts to high officials and royal family members. The jars acquired the significance of prestige markers in the status framework of Egyptian elites, signifying proximity to royal grace and favor. As a result of ancient use and modern interventions, the original contents of the jars are difficult to discern, with wider implications for how to characterize the liquid commodities trade with the region.
Throughout the 4th to 6th Dynasties of the Old Kingdom (c. 2613-2181 BCE), liquid commodities were imported in ceramic combed jars made in workshops in the Byblos region, enabling proximal geographic identification of the original contents. Results of scientific, archaeometric, and archaeological research on a large corpus of jars found in elite tombs at Giza, now in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, reveal a complex story of the use and reuse of the jars and that very little remains of the original and even secondary contents. Rather, from the moment of production, the jars had a complex itinerary. At different times, jars were invested with diverse meanings that included their original use as a transport and product container, a symbol of royal power, an elite status symbol, and, more recently, a 20th-century museum artifact. It is argued that a number of jars were used more than once before final deposition in elite tombs, where they were provided as gifts to high officials and royal family members. The jars acquired the significance of prestige markers in the status framework of Egyptian elites, signifying proximity to royal grace and favor. As a result of ancient use and modern interventions, the original contents of the jars are difficult to discern, with wider implications for how to characterize the liquid commodities trade with the region.
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Co-authors M.Ownby, U. Hartung, K. Sowada - The petrographic investigations of imported vessels from Abydos, published a few years ago in “Egypt and the Levant,” confirmed their origin from different regions of the Levant. In addition to... more
Co-authors M.Ownby, U. Hartung, K. Sowada - The petrographic investigations of imported vessels from Abydos, published a few years ago in “Egypt and the Levant,” confirmed their origin from different regions of the Levant. In addition to vessels from Early Dynastic royal tombs and from Cemetery B, the samples also included five jars from Predynastic Cemetery U, especially from Tomb U-j. For the latter, such an origin had already become apparent from the archaeological point of view, as well as from NAA and XRF analyses when the material was first published 20 years ago. However, the interpretation of the results of petrographic investigations at the time neglected this option. The new series of samples from Abydos has since been supplemented by 13 additional vessels from U-j and other Cemetery U tombs. The analysis presented below leaves no doubt as to the Levantine origin of the jars and shows that an evaluation of analytical results based on a limited database can easily lead to misinterpretation, which has long hindered the archaeological discussion concerning the significance of these finds. In the case of the U-j jars, this is regrettable as this thus far unique finding is not only important for the understanding of the connections to the Levant from an Egyptian point of view, but also sheds light on the socio-economic developments in different regions of the Levant in the late 4th millennium BCE.
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pp. 81-83 - Discussion of a mud or clay carapace on the mummified individual in the Third Intermediate Period coffin of Meruah now located in the Chau Chak Wing Museum at the University of Sydney. For primary publication of this... more
pp. 81-83 - Discussion of a mud or clay carapace on the mummified individual in the Third Intermediate Period coffin of Meruah now located in the Chau Chak Wing Museum at the University of Sydney. For primary publication of this discovery, see the paper by Sowada et al in PLOS One 2021 below.
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Co-authors V. Levchenko, J. Fraser, G. Jacobsen, K. Sowada - Discussion of the program of AMS radiocarbon dating conducted by the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) facility on the ancient Egyptian mummified... more
Co-authors V. Levchenko, J. Fraser, G. Jacobsen, K. Sowada - Discussion of the program of AMS radiocarbon dating conducted by the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) facility on the ancient Egyptian mummified individuals located in the Chau Chak Wing Museum at the University of Sydney.
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NOW AVAILABLE ON OPEN ACCESS! Click here https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jasrep.2021.103309 Co-authors K. Badreshany, K. Sowada, M. Ownby, M. Jean, M. De Vreeze, A. McClymont, G. Philip. A recent petrographic study of ceramic jars from Giza... more
NOW AVAILABLE ON OPEN ACCESS! Click here https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jasrep.2021.103309 Co-authors K. Badreshany, K. Sowada, M. Ownby, M. Jean, M. De Vreeze, A. McClymont, G. Philip. A recent petrographic study of ceramic jars from Giza imported into Egypt during the 4th Dynasty of the Pyramid Age (c. 2613-2494 BCE) identified the original production zone as the Lebanese coast generally between Beirut and Tripoli, including the region of Byblos. The jars and their contents were imported to Egypt by maritime trade expeditions conducted at the behest of the Egyptian state. This study analyses a selection of these ceramic samples using ICP-AES and-MS for comparison with published data from the region of Byblos. The results not only confirmed the underlying petrography, but together with new evidence from Lebanon suggests the vessels likely belonged to specialised workshop production in the Byblos environs and were made specifically for export to Egypt. The finding sheds new light on the relationship between the Egyptian state and the polity of Byblos in the Early Bronze Age, indicating the presence of standardised local production and commodity procurement mechanisms tailored to the needs of a large trade entity. This relationship in turn delivered significant prestige and status to local elites in an environment of competitive local peer-polity interactions.
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Please send me a message if you want a PDF of this paper. Authors Karin Sowada, Mary Ownby, and Miroslav Bárta. Thin-section petrography on imported Combed jars from the 6th Dynasty Abusir tomb complex of Qar and his family identified the... more
Please send me a message if you want a PDF of this paper. Authors Karin Sowada, Mary Ownby, and Miroslav Bárta. Thin-section petrography on imported Combed jars from the 6th Dynasty Abusir tomb complex of Qar and his family identified the central Levant, between Beirut and Tripoli, as the production zone of the vessels. Dating to the reign of 6th Dynasty king Pepy II (ca. 2278–2184 B.C.), the jars were made of the same mixed Cretaceous clay type used for imports of the early Old Kingdom. None of the Abusir material was an Egyptian imitation, contrary to previous assessments. The petrography demonstrates the long continuity of exchange networks with a specific area of the central Levant for over 350 years. During the Old Kingdom from the early 4th Dynasty to the late 6th Dynasty, exchange networks with the region intensified, confirming long-held understandings based on fragmentary archaeological data and the slender textual record.
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CT scans of an unnamed mummified adult from Egypt, now in the Chau Chak Wing Museum, University of Sydney (NMR.27.3), reveal it to be fully sheathed in a mud shell or carapace, exposing a mortuary treatment not previously documented in... more
CT scans of an unnamed mummified adult from Egypt, now in the Chau Chak Wing Museum, University of Sydney (NMR.27.3), reveal it to be fully sheathed in a mud shell or carapace, exposing a mortuary treatment not previously documented in the Egyptian archaeological record. The carapace was placed between layers of linen wrappings thus it was not externally visible. Radiocarbon dating of textile samples provide a range of c.1370-1113 cal BC (95.4% probability), with a median date of 1207 cal BC. When assessed against mummification techniques of the era, the individual is placed in the late 19th-20th Dynasty, at the later end of this date range. Multi-proxy analysis including μ-XRF and Raman spectroscopy of carapace fragments from the head area revealed it to consist of three layers, comprising a thin base layer of mud, coated with a white calcite-based pigment and a red-painted surface of mixed composition. Whether the whole surface of the carapace was painted red is unknown. The carapace was a form of ancient conservation applied subsequent to post-mortem damage to the body, intended to reconfigure the body and enable continued existence of the deceased in the afterlife. The carapace can also be interpreted as a form of elite emulation imitating resin shells found within the wrappings of royal bodies from this period.
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A mummified head of a man, NMR.32, was donated to the Nicholson Museum at the University of Sydney in 1860 by scholar-traveller Sir Charles Nicholson. Little was known about the head until it was radiocarbon dated to 204–49 cal B.C. This... more
A mummified head of a man, NMR.32, was donated to the Nicholson Museum at the University of Sydney in 1860 by scholar-traveller Sir Charles Nicholson. Little was known about the head until it was radiocarbon dated to 204–49 cal B.C. This date was confirmed by recent macroscopic examination and computerised tomography (CT) scans, which revealed further detail about the mummification technique. Of particular interest is the presence of molded objects under the wrappings, applied directly over the eyes and close to the surface of the head, likely made of gilded beeswax. The high level of preservation and care taken in the mummification process attests to the social status of the individual and quality of the embalmer’s art in the Ptolemaic era.
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Results of the Associated Regional Chronologies for the Ancient Near East Project (ARCANE) have produced a sweeping new dating schema for Western Asia. In particular, the radiocarbon-based “High Chronology” for the southern Levant... more
Results of the Associated Regional Chronologies for the Ancient Near East Project (ARCANE) have produced a sweeping new dating schema for Western Asia. In particular, the radiocarbon-based “High Chronology” for the southern Levant fundamentally changes the dating of the Early Bronze Age periodisations on which the archaeology of the region is based. This period covered by the ARCANE Project is coeval with the Egyptian First Dynasty to First Intermediate Period, covering the late fourth and third millennia B.C. A significant opportunity has thus emerged to examine interregional engagement in the eastern Mediterranean. Within this new framework, assessment of archaeological and radiocarbon data from both Egypt and the Levant exposes the need for a transformation of traditional constructions of international relations and the dynamics behind the collapse of urban entities. This paper examines some implications of the High Chronology for our understanding of Egyptian relations with the southern Levant.
Research Interests: Levantine Archaeology, Egyptian Archaeology, Old Kingdom (Egyptology), Predynastic and Early Dynastic Egypt, Early Bronze Age (Archaeology), and 5 moreAncient Near East (Archaeology), Ancient Trade & Commerce (Archaeology), Chronology, Early Bronze Age in the Southern Levant, and Early Dynastic Period, Old Kingdom of Ancient Egypt
Egyptian imitations of foreign ceramic forms in either pottery or stone are known from the late Predynastic period onward. Throughout the Dynastic age, local copies of certain types continued in production. During the Old Kingdom, the... more
Egyptian imitations of foreign ceramic forms in either pottery or stone are known from the late Predynastic period onward. Throughout the Dynastic age, local copies of certain types continued in production. During the Old Kingdom, the favoured shape was a flat-based jar with two handles. To Egyptian eyes, it was an instantly recognisable symbol of foreign exotica from the Levant. An imitation Combed jar in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA 20.1914), from the Giza tomb of an Old Kingdom official dating to the late 4th-early 5th Dynasty, was made in Egypt but imitates an imported jar. It served the dual purpose of magically enabling the provision of an imported luxury product for the deceased, and the appearance of royal favour at court.
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In the Early Levant and Mesopotamia, stone vessels functioned at different levels of ancient societies. Key areas - Egypt, Crete, the Gulf, Iran and Southern Mesopotamia - produced distinctive shapes with characteristic stones, using... more
In the Early Levant and Mesopotamia, stone vessels functioned at different levels of ancient societies. Key areas - Egypt, Crete, the Gulf, Iran and Southern Mesopotamia - produced distinctive shapes with characteristic stones, using manufacturing techniques that differed across the region. Using the ARCANE Regional and chronological framework, key shapes, stone types, and the movement of stone vessels are outlined. With emphasis on exchange mechanisms in the Levant, it is demonstrated that stone vessels purposed beyond the strictly utilitarian were a prestige item, coveted and acquired by elites for religious, political or funerary display, and as a means of projecting state ideologies.
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At the site of Tell es-Safi/Gath in the southern Levant, domestic animals from Egypt were recently identified in Early Bronze Age III levels. This finding is significant as it opens the possibility of a previously unseen and potentially... more
At the site of Tell es-Safi/Gath in the southern Levant, domestic animals from Egypt were recently identified in Early Bronze Age III levels. This finding is significant as it opens the possibility of a previously unseen and potentially long-standing trade in live domestic animals between Egypt and its neighbours. The discovery also supplies critical new data regarding the nature of Egypt's economic relationship with the southern Levant during the Early Bronze Age. This paper briefly canvasses evidence for the likelihood that live cattle were also part of this trade, and poses several questions for future research.
Research Interests: Egyptian Archaeology, Syro-Palestinian archaeology, Ancient Near East, Old Kingdom (Egyptology), Cross-cultural interaction (Archaeology), and 4 morePredynastic and Early Dynastic Egypt, Early Bronze Age (Archaeology), 1) cultural interconnections and trade (Egypt and Levant), and Early Bronze Age in the Southern Levant
Archaeological discovery in the Bible lands continues to reveal the complexity of early societies and their interactions. But tightly aligning the Bible with the archaeological record is not straightforward, and is an unhelpful way of... more
Archaeological discovery in the Bible lands continues to reveal the complexity of early societies and their interactions. But tightly aligning the Bible with the archaeological record is not straightforward, and is an unhelpful way of approaching these two very different records of the past.
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In the early 1990s, the Australian Centre for Egyptology excavated and recorded Theban Tomb 148 belonging to the high official Amenemope, who served Rameses III, IV and V in the first half of the twelfth century BC. Ceramics from the Main... more
In the early 1990s, the Australian Centre for Egyptology excavated and recorded Theban Tomb 148 belonging to the high official Amenemope, who served Rameses III, IV and V in the first half of the twelfth century BC. Ceramics from the Main Burial Apartments are discussed. Analysis reveals that despite the fragmented dataset, elements of the original interment material can be found in the primary burial apartments, thus helping construct the assemblages of the original tomb owner(s).
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Two imported amphoriskoi from southern Canaan were found in Theban Tomb 148 belonging to the high official Amenemope, who served Rameses III, IV and V in the Twentieth Dynasty. One vessel was inscribed and both belonged to the original... more
Two imported amphoriskoi from southern Canaan were found in Theban Tomb 148 belonging to the high official Amenemope, who served Rameses III, IV and V in the Twentieth Dynasty. One vessel was inscribed and both belonged to the original burial equipment of the tomb owner. Known examples from Egypt - including local imitations - and southern Canaan are surveyed, establishing that the type is relatively rare in Egypt and Canaan. The presence of the vessels in an Egyptian tomb of the first half of the twelfth century BC helps shed further light on relations between Egypt and the Southern Levant at the end of the Egyptian Empire in the transitional Late Bronze Age-Iron Age 1A period.
Research Interests: Egyptian Archaeology, Ceramics (Archaeology), Ancient Near East (Archaeology), Egypt and Canaan, New Kingdom (Egyptology), and 5 moreBronze and Iron Ages in Eastern Mediterranean (Archaeology), Theban Tombs, Ancient Near Eastern Economy, Early Iron Age, and Foreign relations during Ancient Egypt`s New Kingdom
Re-assessment of the terminology, manufacture, function and distribution of Levantine 'Combed Ware', and the implications of this ceramic marker for commodity exchange and chronology in the eastern Mediterranean (including Egypt) during... more
Re-assessment of the terminology, manufacture, function and distribution of Levantine 'Combed Ware', and the implications of this ceramic marker for commodity exchange and chronology in the eastern Mediterranean (including Egypt) during the third millennium BC.
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This paper assesses the issues involved in developing an integrated archaeological and radiocarbon-based synchronisation of the chronologies of Egypt and the Levant in the third millennium BC. The paper arises from a presentation made at... more
This paper assesses the issues involved in developing an integrated archaeological and radiocarbon-based synchronisation of the chronologies of Egypt and the Levant in the third millennium BC. The paper arises from a presentation made at a Workshop in Berlin during 2011, based on the author's research for the Associated Regional Chronologies of the Ancient Near East Project (ARCANE).
Research Interests: Egyptian Archaeology, Old Kingdom (Egyptology), Early Bronze Age (Archaeology), Chronology, 1) cultural interconnections and trade (Egypt and Levant), and 5 moreRadiocarbon Dating (Archaeology), Early Bronze Age in the Southern Levant, Egypt chronology, Old Kingdom Archaeology, and Social Change During the Early Bronze Age
Short report on the author's work for the Associated Regional Chronologies of the Ancient Near East (ARCANE) Project
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During excavations in 1996 on a tomb in the Teti Cemetery at Saqqara by the Australian Centre for Egyptology (Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia), evidence of ancient weather events was revealed. The tomb belonged to the high... more
During excavations in 1996 on a tomb in the Teti Cemetery at Saqqara by the Australian Centre for Egyptology (Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia), evidence of ancient weather events was revealed. The tomb belonged to the high official Inumin, who late in his career served as vizier of King Pepy I of the Sixth Dynasty. Over a metre of eolian sand sealed by extensive laminated silt deposits in the subterranean burial chamber was the result of a sustained dry windy period, followed by a short period of intense rainfall. These events are dated on stratigraphic grounds to the Late Old Kingdom – early First Intermediate Period. Evidence of the same weather event was recorded near the enclosure of Netjerykhet Djoser at Saqqara, which was dated by the excavators to the 23rd century BC.
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This article reports on the study of New Kingdom, Late Period and Coptic ceramics found during excavations of Theban Tombs 147 (reign of Amenhotep III), 233 (reign of Rameses II), and 148 (20th Dynasty). The work was undertaken under the... more
This article reports on the study of New Kingdom, Late Period and Coptic ceramics found during excavations of Theban Tombs 147 (reign of Amenhotep III), 233 (reign of Rameses II), and 148 (20th Dynasty). The work was undertaken under the auspices of the Macquarie University (Sydney) Theban Tombs Project.
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Note to readers: I have corrected this finding in Sowada, 'Fake it till you make it' BCE 28 (2018) following recent re-examination of the the UCL jar - it is definitely imported. Throughout the Dynastic age, Egyptian pottery workshops... more
Note to readers: I have corrected this finding in Sowada, 'Fake it till you make it' BCE 28 (2018) following recent re-examination of the the UCL jar - it is definitely imported.
Throughout the Dynastic age, Egyptian pottery workshops imitated foreign ceramic shapes in local clays. An Egyptian imitation of an Early Bronze Age Levantine Combed Ware jar, found at the Upper Egyptian site of Ballas and currently held in the Petrie Museum, University College London, is discussed in the context of known imports and local copies during the Old Kingdom. The fabric, manufacture and date of the jar are discussed against the background of imported ceramics from this period.
Throughout the Dynastic age, Egyptian pottery workshops imitated foreign ceramic shapes in local clays. An Egyptian imitation of an Early Bronze Age Levantine Combed Ware jar, found at the Upper Egyptian site of Ballas and currently held in the Petrie Museum, University College London, is discussed in the context of known imports and local copies during the Old Kingdom. The fabric, manufacture and date of the jar are discussed against the background of imported ceramics from this period.
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In the 19th and early 20th centuries, many museums acquired Egyptian coffins containing mummies from private donors who bought them from dealers in Egypt. Owing to the unknown context of such acquisitions, it cannot be assumed that the... more
In the 19th and early 20th centuries, many museums acquired Egyptian coffins containing mummies from private donors who bought them from dealers in Egypt. Owing to the unknown context of such acquisitions, it cannot be assumed that the mummified individual inside the coffin is the same person named on it. Radiocarbon dating is a key diagnostic test, within the framework of a multidisciplinary study, to help resolve this question. The dating of an adult mummy in the Nicholson Museum at the University of Sydney was therefore checked using 14C dating. For over 150 yr, mummy NM R28.2 was identified as Padiashaikhet as per his coffin, dated to the 25th Dynasty, about 725–700 BC. 14C results from samples of linen wrappings revealed that the mummy was an unknown individual from the Roman period, cal AD 68–129. The mummification technique can now be understood within its correct historical context.
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Primary publication of the mummified head of an adult male acquired by Sir Charles Nicholson and donated to the Nicholson Museum in 1860. Radiocarbon dating of human tissue samples places the head in the date range of 204 - 49 cal. BC,... more
Primary publication of the mummified head of an adult male acquired by Sir Charles Nicholson and donated to the Nicholson Museum in 1860. Radiocarbon dating of human tissue samples places the head in the date range of 204 - 49 cal. BC, providing a foundation for the further study of the individual and the mummification technique within its correct historical context.
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Abydos Cemetery F is an Old Kingdom burial ground that was excavated on behalf of the Egypt Exploration Fund by E. R. Ayrton and W. L. S. Loat in 1908-1909. It was never fully published. Cemeteries of this type were generally neglected in... more
Abydos Cemetery F is an Old Kingdom burial ground that was excavated on behalf of the Egypt Exploration Fund by E. R. Ayrton and W. L. S. Loat in 1908-1909. It was never fully published. Cemeteries of this type were generally neglected in the past but the unpublished records of Cemetery F provide an opportunity to partially rectify this, especially as the material can now be compared with the results of recent archaeological work nearby. Through the lens of Tomb F40, the objects from which are located in Sydney museums, this article briefly re-examines what can be understood from this cemetery about the social position and burial practices of a Sixth Dynasty population cohort from Abydos. Further examination of the excavation records would illuminate more about the people interred, including the social milieu, burial customs and spatial organisation of the cemetery.
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A coffin in the Nicholson Museum at the University of Sydney, NM R29, was donated by Sir Charles Nicholson in 1860. Belonging to a woman called Merneithis, it dates to the Saite Period and was likely recovered from Saqqara. The wood from... more
A coffin in the Nicholson Museum at the University of Sydney, NM R29, was donated by Sir Charles Nicholson in 1860. Belonging to a woman called Merneithis, it dates to the Saite Period and was likely recovered from Saqqara. The wood from which the coffin was made was subjected to scientific analysis and found to be an imported conifer, probably cedar (Cedrus sp.). The coffin has not been previously published.
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The Nicholson Museum at the University of Sydney holds Australia's most important collection of Egyptian antiquities. It was established thanks to a major donation from Sir Charles Nicholson, who travelled to Egypt in 1856-7, purchasing... more
The Nicholson Museum at the University of Sydney holds Australia's most important collection of Egyptian antiquities. It was established thanks to a major donation from Sir Charles Nicholson, who travelled to Egypt in 1856-7, purchasing material along the way. This paper re-constructs his journey using the objects themselves and previously unpublished 19th century source material. What emerges is a man who, understanding the 'newness' of Sydney, deliberately sought to imbue its inhabitants and students of the new University with a deep understanding of its roots in Western civilisation, through the material culture of ancient Egypt and other places of great antiquity.
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Publication of the archaeological report on the excavation of the Sixth Dynasty tomb of Inumin at Saqqara. Inumin served during the reigns of Teti, Userkare and early Pepy I. The excavation report is followed by a description of the... more
Publication of the archaeological report on the excavation of the Sixth Dynasty tomb of Inumin at Saqqara. Inumin served during the reigns of Teti, Userkare and early Pepy I. The excavation report is followed by a description of the objects and pottery from the shafts (including the Main Shaft) and the Main Burial Chamber (MBC) of the tomb owner. The MBC contained a number of objects from the original burial equipment. Assessment of the archaeology of the MBC and the Shaft reveals that the robbing was likely limited to a couple of centuries immediately after the original interment. The unusual deposits excavated in the MBC reveal evidence of weather events from the end of the third millennium BC. This is further discussed by the author in Studia Quaternaria 30/2 (2013).
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The Nicholson Museum at the University of Sydney holds a significant collection of human remains from Egypt, including several complete mummies, their coffins and various body parts. Much of this was collected in the 19th century. Over... more
The Nicholson Museum at the University of Sydney holds a significant collection of human remains from Egypt, including several complete mummies, their coffins and various body parts. Much of this was collected in the 19th century. Over the last 15 years, the remains and associated burial equipment have been examined using a range of multidisciplinary techniques. This has included analysis of the coffins and texts, study of the mummy wrappings, coffin timbers, radiocarbon dating, CT scans and x-rays. The results of DNA testing on one of the mummies, NM R27/3, are presented here. Tests were conducted to identify the presence of specific diseases and to confirm the mummy's sex. The results of this analysis show how DNA testing can help to resolve questions of historical inquiry, individual identity and the presence or absence of disease, even when dealing with ancient human remains. These results raise wider methodological issues, showing that caution should be exercised in the identification, dating and interpretation of mummies, particularly those in museums.
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During a single season at Saqqara in 1996, the Australian Centre for Egyptology (Macquarie University, Sydney), re-examined the standing remains of the late 18th Dynasty tomb of Amenemone. The burial apartments were also excavated. This... more
During a single season at Saqqara in 1996, the Australian Centre for Egyptology (Macquarie University, Sydney), re-examined the standing remains of the late 18th Dynasty tomb of Amenemone. The burial apartments were also excavated. This contribution examines the stratigraphy of the northeast corner of the Teti Cemetery as revealed during the excavations of the tomb and other remains in the area. In addition, objects and ceramics found in and around Amenemone's tomb are presented and discussed.
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This paper publishes a number of Egyptian Naqada IIIB and First Dynasty palettes found in EB II and EB III contexts in the Southern Levant. The contexts are assessed and reasons advanced for the presence of these objects in deposits... more
This paper publishes a number of Egyptian Naqada IIIB and First Dynasty palettes found in EB II and EB III contexts in the Southern Levant. The contexts are assessed and reasons advanced for the presence of these objects in deposits generally later than the production date of this palette type. The same material was later discussed in detail in Sowada 2009.
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Black-topped ware is commonly associated with the Predynastic era, but a handful of examples made in the Early Dynastic Period are known to exist. Generally these vessels are variations of the hes-jar shape; their findspots, in tombs or... more
Black-topped ware is commonly associated with the Predynastic era, but a handful of examples made in the Early Dynastic Period are known to exist. Generally these vessels are variations of the hes-jar shape; their findspots, in tombs or temples, associate this shape with ritual or funerary use. It is argued here that during the Early Dynastic Period, black-topped ware acquired a symbolic significance linked to the shape and colours of the vessel. This symbolism continued in depictions of such vases on the walls of tombs although the ware itself was probably no longer produced after the Early Dynastic Period.
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This paper examines the work of Flinders Petrie on behalf of the Egypt Exploration Fund at the site of Diospolis Parva (Abadiyeh and Hu) in Upper Egypt, through the lens of the Predynastic collection held by the Nicholson Museum at the... more
This paper examines the work of Flinders Petrie on behalf of the Egypt Exploration Fund at the site of Diospolis Parva (Abadiyeh and Hu) in Upper Egypt, through the lens of the Predynastic collection held by the Nicholson Museum at the University of Sydney. According to its records, the University received a considerable amount of material from the excavation. However, most of the objects from the consignment cannot be identified, except in a general way, owing to the incomplete nature of the excavation records and the supporting documentation. The history of Petrie's excavation at the site is examined in light of the inadequacies of the original publication.
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The fruit of the ished tree is a motif often seen at the peak of the atef crown during the Ramesside period. However, a relief from the Hathor chapel at Deir el-Bahari shows that this element appeared during the co-regency of Hatshepsut... more
The fruit of the ished tree is a motif often seen at the peak of the atef crown during the Ramesside period. However, a relief from the Hathor chapel at Deir el-Bahari shows that this element appeared during the co-regency of Hatshepsut and Tuthmosis III. This is possibly the earliest occurrence of the element.
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Publication of pottery and objects from the Sixth Dynasty mastaba of Nedjet-em-pet and other Old Kingdom tombs from the Teti Cemetery at Saqqara
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Primary publication of a black diorite statue (NM R1138) identified as a pre-royal statue of Horemheb, donated to the Museum by Sir Charles Nicholson in 1864.
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Primary publication of a fragment of painted raised relief held in the Nichsolson Museum at the University of Sydney, AML 74/E16270. The fragment depicts a male figure wearing an atef crown, which is identified as Tuthmosis III. The... more
Primary publication of a fragment of painted raised relief held in the Nichsolson Museum at the University of Sydney, AML 74/E16270. The fragment depicts a male figure wearing an atef crown, which is identified as Tuthmosis III. The fragment originates from the temple of Tuthmosis III at Deir el-Bahari. This article should be read in conjunction with a paper by Janina Wiercińska in Egyptian Art in the Nicholson Museum (2005), which places the piece in the wider decorative scheme of the temple.
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Publication of a conference paper airing initial ideas on late Predynastic forms of Black-topped Ware. The content of this paper was developed and more fully published by the author in JEA 85 (1999).
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Short paper summarising the Egypt Exploration Fund/Society archaeological sites and artefacts represented in the Nicholson Museum at the University of Sydney. A useful article for researchers trying to track down material from EEF/EES... more
Short paper summarising the Egypt Exploration Fund/Society archaeological sites and artefacts represented in the Nicholson Museum at the University of Sydney. A useful article for researchers trying to track down material from EEF/EES excavations divided to museums around the world.
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Egypt has no domestic silver ore sources and silver is rarely found in the Egyptian archaeological record until the Middle Bronze Age. Bracelets found in the tomb of queen Hetepheres I, mother of pyramid builder king Khufu (date of reign... more
Egypt has no domestic silver ore sources and silver is rarely found in the Egyptian archaeological record until the Middle Bronze Age. Bracelets found in the tomb of queen Hetepheres I, mother of pyramid builder king Khufu (date of reign c. 2589-2566 BC), form the largest and most famous collection of silver artefacts from early Egypt, but they have not been analysed for decades. We analysed samples from the collection in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston using bulk XRF, micro-XRF, SEM-EDS, X-ray diffractometry and MC-ICP-MS to obtain elemental and mineralogical compositions and lead isotope ratios, to understand the nature and metallurgical treatment of the metal and identify the possible ore source. We found that the pieces consist of silver with trace copper, gold, lead and other elements. The minerals are silver, silver chloride and a possible trace of copper chloride. Surprisingly, the lead isotope ratios are consistent with ores from the Cyclades (Aegean islands, Greece), and to a lesser extent from Lavrion (Attica, Greece), and not partitioned from gold or electrum as previously surmised. Sources in Anatolia (Western Asia) can be excluded with a high degree of confidence. Imaging of a cross-section of a bracelet fragment reveals that the metal was repeatedly annealed and cold-hammered during creation of the artefacts. The results provide new information about silver ore sources, commodity exchange networks and metallurgy in Egypt during the Early Bronze Age.