Spring (#209)

24 Pages·2011·2.01 MB·English

T H E Or iEnT A L i n sTiT U T E
spring 2011 pAgE 1
N E W S & N O T E S
NO. 209 spriNg 2011 © THE OriENTal iNsTiTUTE OF THE UNivErsiT y OF CHiCagO
π
Before the pyramids
the origins of egyptian civilization
Also inside:
travel to turkey and syria with the oriental institute
the 2011 oriental institute gala
pAgE 2 nEWs & nOTEs
F r o m t h e D i r e c to r ’ s st uD y
IN THIS ISSUE
We are all familiar with the sphinx, the pyramids, and the golden sarcophagus of
From the Director’s Study 2
Tutankhamun as iconic images of ancient Egypt. At the same time, book titles such
Before the Pyramids 3 as Eternal Egypt unintentionally reinforce our tendency to think of the pharaohs and
their culture as somehow timeless and unchanging. However, Egyptian civilization
Oriental Institute Travel Program 7
did not spring into being out of nowhere. For Egyptologists and archaeologists, much
of the fascinating complexity of Egypt derives from precisely the fact that it was not
Oriental Institute in the News 10
“eternal” — instead it was a rich, vibrant, living culture that was constantly evolv-
From the Field 10 ing, while at the same time grounding itself in a set of deeply rooted core elements
and symbols that make it unique among the civilizations of the ancient world. How
New Publications 11
did the Egyptian state begin?
Spring Calendar 12 The main article in this issue of News & Notes highlights the opening of our
special exhibit Before the Pyramids: The Origins of Egyptian Civilization. As Special
Registration Form 13
Exhibits Coordinator and Exhibit Curator Emily Teeter notes, Egypt existed as a
centralized complex society for more than 1,500 years before the construction of
Adult Education 14
the pyramids in the Old Kingdom. The 140 objects in our exhibit eloquently tell
Sunday Films 15 the story of the emergence of Egyptian civilization from its earliest beginnings ca.
4000 BC down to 2600 BC. Most derive from the pioneering excavations in the late
Members’ Lectures 16
nineteenth and early twentieth century at Hierakonpolis, Abydos, and Naqada — the
Suq Corner Back Cover three most important sites for understanding the late Predynastic period.
The exhibit highlights the many threads that combined to form the tapestry of
an ancient state society or civilization — kingship or centralized political power, so-
cial stratification, elite groups, economic specialization, warfare, and trade, to name
just a few. The beautifully crafted vessels of stone and ceramic show the extraordi-
NEwS & NoTES
nary skill and aesthetics of the master craft specialists in the late Predynastic and
Early Dynastic period. The presence of imported objects show us the far-flung trad-
A Quarterly Publication of ing connections of the earliest Egyptian state. We are especially fortunate to have as
The Oriental Institute, centerpieces of our exhibit two priceless loan objects from the Ashmolean Museum
of Oxford University — the Battlefield Palette and a unique limestone statue of King
printed exclusively as one of
Khasekhem, whose base is inscribed with a notation that he defeated 47,209 rebel-
the privileges of membership
lious northerners. These extraordinary objects have never before been on display
in the United States. Before the Pyramids does a won-
Maeve Reed, Editor
derful job in showing us how earliest Egypt differed
from the later, better-known magnificence of the Old
THE ORIENTAl INSTITUTE Kingdom. At the same time we can see the unmistak-
1155 East 58th Street able continuities in the symbolism of kingship and in
Chicago, IL 60637 the core values that flourished for millennia at the
heart of Egyptian civilization. By showing us the ori-
Telephone: [phone]
gins of the Egyptian state, this gem of an exhibit only
Facsimile: [phone]
enhances our sense of wonder at the later achieve-
E-mail: [email protected]
ments of this civilization when it reached its zenith.
All inquiries, comments, and
suggestions are welcome
World-Wide Web site:
http://oi.uchicago.edu
Cover illustration:
Group of Decorated vessels (D-ware).
OiM E26240, E10782, E10762, E10759, E10581.
photo by anna ressman
spring 2011 pAgE 3
Before the pyramids: the origins of
egyptian civilization
Emily Teeter, Exhibit Curator and Coordinator of Special Exhibits
Oriental Institute Members will have support of the excavations of the gathered and analyzed since his time,
their first look at our new exhibit, Egypt Exploration Fund (now Society) and the study of the earliest periods of
Before the Pyramids: The Origins of of london and the British School of Egyptian history is changing rapidly.
Egyptian Civilization, in the Marshall Archaeology in Egypt, both led by For example, our understanding of the
and Doris Holleb Family Gallery for William Flinders Petrie, the “father of rise and development of the state has
Special Exhibits during the Members’ Egyptian archaeology.” But what is even completely changed in the last thirty
Preview on Monday, March 28. The more astounding is that the collection years, largely due to excavations at
show, which includes approximately 140 includes material from the tombs of the Abydos, Hierakonpolis, and sites in the
objects from our permanent collection first kings, at Abydos, including model Nile Delta. The older idea that Egypt
of Predynastic and Early Dynastic Egypt tools, ivory tags, seal impressions, stone was united by King Narmer, as suggest-
(ca. 4000 to 2685 bc), will be on view vessels, game pieces, and pottery, all of ed by the Narmer Palette, is now super-
through December 31, 2011. which collectively give a tantalizing seded by the idea of a gradual cultural
A major incentive to develop this glimpse of the wealth of the first kings and political assimilation of the north
exhibit was the desire to bring the and the skill of the early craftsmen. by the south.
highlights of our Predynastic and Early Other material in the exhibit comes Developing this exhibit gave us the
Dynastic holdings back to the galler- from Predynastic cemeteries in Upper opportunity to study our collection
ies. Ordinarily, only a few pieces of the Egypt at Hu, Abadiya, and Naqada. anew. Much of it has not been exhib-
collection of 2,500 objects are on per- The exhibit’s goal is to reveal the ited since the days of the late profes-
manent view in the Joseph and Mary “hidden” history of Egypt — the less sor Helene Kantor (at the Institute from
Grimshaw Egyptian Gallery. The size well-documented 1,500 years that pre- 1945 to 1989). Many object descriptions
and comprehensive nature of the col- ceded the building of the pyramids. In are incomplete or inaccurate, making it
lection make it important, but what 1939, Petrie himself wrote, “Until [the difficult for researchers to know what
makes it extraordinary is that most excavations at Abydos in 1895–1896], is in the collection, but even more so,
of it is provenanced, coming to the the history of prehistoric Egypt only
University of Chicago in the late 1800s began with the Great Pyramid.”1 An
and early 1900s through its financial enormous amount of data has been
Figure 1 (left). red breccia vessel in the form of a bird.
Naqada iii, ca. 3200–3100 bC. OiM E10859
Figure 2 (above). Elegant diorite jar that is a tour de
force of the stonecarver’s craft. Diorite was mined
northwest of abu simbel. Naqada ii–iii, ca. 3800–3100
bC. OiM E10610
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Figure 3. (top left) limestone statue Figure 5. (above) ivory figurine
of King Khasekhem wearing a of a youth. The pose with finger
ritual robe. The base of the statue to mouth was used throughout
is incised with a text claiming Egyptian history to denote
that he defeated 47,209 enemies. a child. Dynasties 1–3(?), ca.
Dynasty 2, ca. 2685 bC (Courtesy 3100–2615 bC. OiM E7910
of the ashmolean Museum, Oxford
Figure 6. (left) Jar painted with
aN1896–1908 E.517)
a scene of a boat, a dancing
Figure 4. (top middle) ivory incised woman, and two men. Naqada
with an image of King Den holding a iiC–D, ca. 3400 bC. OiM E10581
mace. He stands behind a standard
Figure 7. (below) selection of
with a jackal, the protector of the
black-Topped ware. Naqada i–iia,
necropolis and of Upper Egypt. The
ca. 4000–3600 bC. OiM E9026,
king’s ritual name written in front of
E5811, E905
him is a reference to foreign lands
in which he may have campaigned.
Dynasty 1, ca. 2950 bC. OiM E6146
spring 2011 pAgE 5
the dates assigned to the objects are MacArthur has made the Predynastic
very vague and inadequate, often just her area of study, I wanted to present a
“Predynastic.” The chronology of the wider perspective. I was gratified that
Predynastic period has been refined and fifteen of the leaders in the field from
modified in the last half century, evolv- the United States and Europe agreed
ing from the progression of Badarian, to contribute essays on their own re-
Amratian, and Gerzean for the Upper search. These contributions include
Egyptian sequence, to Werner Kaiser’s theories of state formation; summaries
1957 scheme that divided Amratian, of the Predynastic in lower Egypt; the
Gerzean, and Dynasty 1 into eleven newest work at Hierakonpolis, Abydos,
“Stufen” or stages (Naqada Ia-Naqada and Tell el-Farkha; and relations be-
IIIb). In the last several decades, the tween Egypt and the levant and Egypt
classifications have been further re- and Nubia. The range of topics could
fined. With the impending implemen- not easily be written by one scholar,
tation of our integrated database, it is especially with the tight deadlines that
imperative that we update our registra- are characteristic of exhibit catalogs.
tion records, and this exhibit provided The contributors were given access to
the impetus to do so. images of our collection through our
Producing the catalog for the show ftp server, and as a result, some of them
presented it own challenges. I envi- were able to incorporate our material
sioned that the catalog be a review into their essays, furthering our own
Figure 8. Furniture support in the form of a bull leg.
of the most up-to-date research on knowledge of our holdings. This was Tomb of King Djet at abydos. Dynasty 1, ca. 2890 bC.
Predynastic and Early Dynastic Egypt, the result of long-range planning and OiM E6901
ideally in a highly illustrated format coordination. In early 2009, Museum
was finalized, the artifacts for the ex-
that would bring the exciting new dis- intern Noëlle Timbart and Assistant
hibit were photographed for the catalog
coveries and conclusions to a wider au- Registrar Susan Allison implemented
in Anna Ressman’s studio. It is rare for
dience. However, the Oriental Institute a project originated by then–chief cu-
such artifacts to get the full art-object
has not traditionally been a center rator Geoff Emberling to take record
treatment, and the results are stunning.
for Predynastic studies, and although photos of the entire Predynastic–Early
The conservation of objects was
Research Associate Bruce Williams is Dynastic collection in preparation for
another residual benefit of doing this
an authority on decorated pottery of this exhibit and for the integrated data-
show. A grant from the Antiquities
the period, and graduate student Elise base project. Once the object selection
Endowment Fund of the American
Research Center in Egypt supported
the purchase of conservation supplies
and analytical testing of objects using
the Department of Geophysics scanning
electron microscope (SEM) on campus.
Of special interest was the analysis of
colored residues on two cosmetic pal-
ettes, the results of which indicate the
presence of iron- and copper-based
pigments.
An overarching theme of the ex-
hibit is to show that many of the funda-
mental aspects of Egyptian culture were
established in the Predynastic and Early
Dynastic periods. The belief in life after
death, the institution of a semi-divine
pharaoh, funerary and non-funerary
offering cults, the invention of writing
— all were achievements of these eras.
Further, the apparent appeal and poten-
cy of these iconographic motifs ensured
Figure 8. palette in the form of an elephant. palettes were originally used to grind cosmetics, but they evolved
that many of them were employed for
into decorative objects. Many, like this example, were pierced for suspension, suggesting a further ritual nature.
Naqada ii, ca. 3800–3300 bC. OiM E12170 the next 3,000 years.
pAgE 6 nEWs & nOTEs
The exhibit is organized around ivory game piece in the form of a lion-
a number of themes. The first is the ess recovered from the subsidiary buri-
Nile Valley, addressing the unique en- als that surround the kings of Dynasty
vironment in which the early civili- 1 may reflect gifts from the king to his
zation rose, and the early Egyptians’ retainers. The nature of these subsid-
trade and contact with their neighbors. iary burials continues to be subject of
Another topic is the discovery of the debate. On the basis of the shared walls
Predynastic period with a discussion of and roofing of the tombs, many scholars
sequence dating and how pottery can have suggested that hundreds of people
be dated through its stylistic develop- were sacrificed and buried alongside
Figure 10. ivory game piece in the form of a lioness,
ment. A large section of the show is the king, while others propose that the from a subsidiary burial at abydos. lion markers were
devoted to Predynastic culture with tombs were granted to courtiers and probably used with the circular mehen (snake) game.
Dynasty 1, ca. 2950 bC. OiM E7895
spectacular examples of thin-walled that the bodies were deposited over a
Black-Topped pottery and painted ves- longer period of time.
sels covered with images of animals, We are very fortunate to have re- himself, wearing the crown of Upper
people, and ceremonial boats. A selec- ceived two very important loans from Egypt and the crown of lower Egypt,
tion of stone vessels and tools and dec- the Ashmolean Museum of Art and smites his enemies. The statue of King
orative cosmetic palettes gives an idea Archaeology, Oxford University: a frag- Khasekhem is one of the earliest larger-
of the accomplishments of craftsmen. A ment of the Battlefield Palette and a scale statues of an Egyptian king. The
discussion of religion includes objects statue of King Khasekhem, the last manner in which he is shown was the
from offering cults and artifacts that king of Dynasty 2. Neither has ever standard representation of the king for
reflect a conscious differentiation of been exhibited in the United States. millennia afterwards. He is portrayed
the semi-divine king from his subjects. The Battlefield Palette, which dates seated on a throne, wrapped in a gar-
The material from the royal tombs and to the late Predynastic period, shows ment that may be associated with the
the subsidiary burials — ivory game the development of royal iconogra- heb-sed, a festival of the king’s renewal.
pieces, a fragment of a crystal ves- phy, with the subjugation of foreign- The base of the statue is carved with a
sel, fragments of inlaid furniture with ers by animals that are associated with text claiming that he defeated 47,209
elaborately carved legs — gives a sense the king. The further development of enemies. This sort of claim, like those
of the wealth and splendor of life in these motifs is shown on the cast of of victory on the Narmer Palette, has to
the palace. Stelae, stone vessels, and an the Narmer Palette, where the king be treated with caution, for one of the
king’s obligations was to protect Egypt
and her people and also to more sym-
bolically ward off the forces of chaos
that threatened the cosmic order. Such
written reference to victories ensured
the king’s success, whether he actually
went into battle or not.
We thank Tom and linda Heagy,
the Antiquities Endowment Fund of the
American Research Center in Egypt, and
Exelon for their generous support of
this exhibit and the entire Museum staff
who have worked together so seamless-
ly to bring the show to reality.
The special exhibit is open from March 29
through December 31, 2011.
note
1 Petrie, The Making of Egypt. London:
Sheldon Press, 1939, p. 160. I thank Elise
MacArthur for bringing this quote to my
attention.
Figure 9. group of miniature faience vessels recovered from caches of votive offerings at abydos. The same
forms of vessels were used for 3,000 years. Dynasties 1–2, ca. 3100–2685 bC. OiM E8315, E7900, E6651
spring 2011 pAgE 7
ThE ORIENTAL INSTITuTE TRAvEL PROgRAM
IN ThE FOOTSTEPS OF ThE hITTITES: TuRkEy & SyRIA
Led by Dr. Theo van den Hout
September 10–27, 2011
Dear members of the oriental institute:
by Professor van den Hout around his expertise and interests.
You will have the opportunity to tour Hattusa and Karatepe,
The Oriental Institute is the world leader in Hittitology and
the great centers of the Hittites and Neo-Hittites, as well
has been at the forefront of the study of Anatolian civiliza-
as fascinating excavations in the region, including Göbekli
tions for over seventy-five years. In the 1920s and 1930s, we
Tepe and Tel Ta’yinat. You will follow in the footsteps of the
sponsored expeditions that probed the origins of the Hittites
Hittites, from Turkey to Syria, and observe firsthand how these
in southeast Turkey. The late professor Hans Güterbock, one
ancient people made Anatolia one of the greatest cradles of
of the greatest figures in the rise of Hittitology, was a major
civilization.
force in establishing the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations
This is a very special tour with an exceptional lecturer.
in Ankara. One of the most lasting contributions that we are
Even if you have visited Turkey or Syria before, this program
making to Hittitology and Anatolian studies is the compilation
will give you new perspectives. Space is very limited. I urge
of the great Chicago Hittite Dictionary, the research tool used
you to join us for this extraordinary program.
by all scholars of the region, now under the editorship of your
tour leader, Professor Theo van den Hout.
This program has a different focus than other tours to

Turkey or Syria. It will take you to the homelands of the an-
Gil J. Stein
cient Indo-European peoples of Anatolia, the Hittites, and their
Director, Oriental Institute
successors, the Neo-Hittites. The tour was specially designed
Professor of Near Eastern Archaeology
us to Ankara | saturday, september 10 Boğazköy | tuesday, september 13 Konya | thursday, september 15
Depart Chicago on Turkish Airlines. We depart Ankara for the Hittite capi- After visiting Kaymakli, one of the many
Ankara | sunday, september 11 tal Hattusa at Boğazköy, first excavated underground towns hewn from the tufa
in 1906. A complete tour of this incred- to a depth of eight to ten stories, we
Our Turkish Airlines flight arrives this ible site includes the famous lion Gate, drive to Konya, stopping en route at the
evening. the fortifications, and the temples and Selcuk caravanserai Sultan Hani.
Ankara | monday, september 12 palaces of the city. After lunch, tour- Dedeman Hotel (B/L/D)
ing continues with the cult center of
We begin our touring at the Ankara Konya | Friday, september 16
Yazilikaya, its reliefs cut into the living
Museum of Anatolian Civilizations. Its
rock.
outstanding collection of Hittite and This morning touring begins at Yalburt,
Neo-Hittite art provides an excellent in- Hotel Asikoglu (B/L/D) a Hittite water monument or reservoir
troduction to the tour. After a break for cappadocia | Wednesday, september 14 lined on three sides with inscribed
lunch, we will stroll through the citadel, stone blocks. The inscription describes
where the old wooden Ottoman houses A beautiful drive through the moun- the campaign of Tudhaliya IV. We then
are slowly being restored. We will stop tains of central Anatolia brings us into drive to the village of Hatip to see a rock
to view the Alaeddin Camil, built dur- Cappadocia, famed for its unusual and relief showing a Hittite king with an in-
ing the Selcuk period, before continu- beautiful rock formations known as scription alongside. We then return to
ing our city tour with some of the city’s “fairy chimneys,” and its rock-hewn Konya to visit the Selcuk monuments
Roman remains, including the Temple Byzantine churches decorated with of Alaeddin Park, including the ruins
of Augustus. This evening we will gath- elaborate frescoes. We will spend the of the Ince Minare Medriesesi and the
er for our opening dinner at our hotel. remainder of the day touring in the Sirçali Medrese. We will also visit the
wondrous Göreme Valley. Mevlīna, founder of the Mevlevi order
Hilton Hotel (breakfast, lunch, dinner)
Doubletree Hilton Avanos (B/L/D) of dervishes, and the Mosaic Museum,
housed in a former madrassa.
Dedeman Hotel (B/L/D)
pAgE 8 nEWs & nOTEs
Antakya | Wednesday, september 21
Our touring begins with a drive through
the Plain of Amuk, dotted with hun-
dreds of tells dating from the Neolithic
to the Hellenistic period. At Tell
Ta’yinat, the Oriental Institute excava-
tions uncovered the remains of several
large Neo-Hittite palaces, a temple, and
numerous beautifully carved stone re-
liefs and sculptures. Its lengthy settle-
ment history spans the Early Bronze and
Iron Age periods. Numerous inscrip-
tions that helped to identify the site
as ancient Kunulua, capital of the Neo-
Hittite/Aramean kingdom of Patina/
Unqi, were found here. Excavations
continue today under the auspices of
the University of Toronto. After visiting
nearby Tell Acana (Alalakh), we return
to Antakya to visit the Archaeological
Museum, which houses and outstanding
collection of mosaics from the region.
Column base. iron age. Tell Ta’yinat. OiM a27859
Savon Hotel (B/L)
Adana | saturday, september 17 palace contains some of the earliest and Aleppo | thursday, september 22
best-preserved ancient wall paintings.
We continue east to Adana, stopping in Today we cross the border into Syria
These finds all date to more than 5,000
Kizilda and to view the Neo-Hittite re- and visit the extraordinary Neo-Hittite
years ago. Arslantepe is also one of the
liefs near the village of Ivriz. Here we tell of ‘Ain Dara en route to Aleppo. Its
sites where the Hittite empire tried to
will see the elaborately dressed king of acropolis is crowned with a fine temple
continue after its demise around 1200
Tuwana, Warpalawas, worshiping the and beautifully preserved basalt reliefs.
bc. After examining some of the finds
god Tarhunza. We will reach Adana in Although still under excavation, six
from this impressive site at the Malatya
time for dinner at our hotel. settlements dating to the ninth century
Museum, we will drive to Gaziantep.
Hilton Hotel (B/L/D) bc and earlier have been identified. We
Dedeman Hotel (B/L/D)
will spend two nights in the old city of
malatya | sunday, september 18
Antakya | tuesday, september 20 Aleppo at a charming hotel, formerly
Before leaving Adana, we will take a the home of a prosperous merchant.
Our day begins with another amazing
short city tour to see its Roman bridge Beit Salahieh Hotel (B/L/D)
site, Göbekli Tepe, dated to 10,000 bc
and the Sabanci Merkez Cami, the larg-
and considered to be the oldest man- Aleppo | Friday, september 23
est dome in Turkey. We then continue
made place of worship yet discovered.
to Karatepe, the Neo-Hittite capital of Aleppo, established in the second mil-
Here ongoing excavations have revealed
Azitawada. Here we will see a number lennium bc, will be the subject of our
seven stone circles precisely carved
of monumental sculptures and reliefs full day of touring. Touring will include
and erected with great care on top of
that have been restored and are in situ. the National Museum (which displays
a hill that is the highest point in the
Our day ends in Malatya, a crossroad of the finds from Mari and Ebla), the
Urfa Plain. Many of the large T-shaped
major trade routes since Chalcolithic Grand Mosque, and the citadel with
megaliths are covered with carved re-
times. its remains of a temple from the Neo-
liefs of animals. Driving south, we stop
Anemon Hotel (B/L/D) Hittite period. We will have a walking
at Yesemek, a Neo-Hittite stone-carving
tour of the charming old Armenian
Gaziantep | monday, september 19 workshop, where we will see dozens of
Quarter and wander through Aleppo’s
partially completed sculptures and re-
Excavations at Arslantepe have re- colorful souks.
liefs scattered on a hillside now situated
vealed the first known palace, swords, Beit Salahieh Hotel (B/L)
in the middle of a tiny village.
toothed locks operated with a key, and
Savon Hotel (B/L/D)
a princely tomb with what appears to
be evidence of human sacrifice. The
spring 2011 pAgE 9
Latakia | saturday, september 24 Damascus | monday, september 26
room with a private bath as listed or
similar; meals as listed in the detailed
Our touring begins today at Ebla, Our last day of touring begins at the
itinerary; baggage handling for one
the great Bronze Age trading city National Museum. The museum hous-
suitcase per person; all gratuities to
whose excavations have revealed its es an excellent collection of artifacts
tour escorts, guides, drivers, and por-
palaces, halls, and courts, as well as from Palmyra, Mari, and Ugarit, as
ters; and a $400, tax-deductible contri-
the base of its monumental gateway. well as magnificent frescoes from Dura
bution to the Oriental Institute.
The most important and controver- Europos. We will complete our touring
Does not include:
sial find has been the royal archives, at the city walls, the Tomb of Saladin, Passport and visa fees,
which are still being examined by and the Umayyad Mosque, which sits excess baggage charges, transfers to
the excavation team. We then visit amid the Corinthian columns of the and from airports for participants ar-
the fascinating city of Apamea, with third-century Temple of Jupiter. This riving or departing on flights other
its extraordinary colonnade running evening we will gather for our farewell than the group flights, travel insurance,
2 km north–south along the Cardo dinner at one of the city’s traditional beverages and items not on the menu,
Maximus. We end our day at Ugarit’s restaurants. items of a purely personal nature, any
sister city, Ras Ibn Hani. Talisman Boutique Hotel (B/L/D) items not listed.
Rotana Apamea Hotel (B/L/D) Please note:
Damascus to us | tuesday, september 27 This tour should be con-
Damascus | sunday, september 25 sidered moderately strenuous. It will
We will transfer to the airport for our require some walking over rough, un-
Touring begins at the impressive Turkish Airlines flights to Chicago. even terrain or climbing steps without
port of Ugarit, famous in antiquity tour price per person: handrails and some long driving days.
$6,995 (includes
for its trading contacts across the All participants are expected to be
round-trip airfare from Chicago)
Mediterranean as well as its con- physically active and able to walk in-
single supplement:
tributions to the first alphabet. We $925 dependently throughout our full tour-
then drive into the Orontes Valley to Land-only rate: $5,890 (without group ing days. If you have questions about
one of the best-preserved Crusader airfare) your ability to participate in this tour,
castles in the region, Krak des please contact the Oriental Institute or
tour price includes:
Transatlantic
Chevaliers. This magnificent struc- Archaeological Tours to discuss your
group flights from Chicago on Turkish
ture guards passage between inland options. This tour is not recommended
Airlines; surface travel by air-condi-
Syria and its ports. Our last two for participants under the age of eigh-
tioned motor coach as detailed in the
nights will be spent at a traditional teen. For additional information, or
itinerary; accommodations based on
Damascene house. to register for In the Footsteps of the
two persons sharing a twin-bedded
Talisman Boutique Hotel (B/L) Hittites: Turkey & Syria, please con-
tact the Oriental Institute Membership
Office at [email protected]
or [phone].
theo van den hout
(PhD, University of
Amsterdam, 1989) is a professor of Hittite
and Anatolian languages at the Oriental
Institute of the University of Chicago, and
chief editor of the Chicago Hittite Dictionary
project since 2000. He is the author of sev-
eral books and numerous articles covering
Anatolian civilizations of both the second
and first millennia bc. In 2003 Professor
van den Hout took part in the Turkish film
“The Hittites” as well as the BBC documen-
tary “The Dark Lords of Hattusha” in 2006.
Besides his work on the dictionary, his per-
sonal interests focus on ancient record man-
agement and early literacy in Hittite society.
Professor van den Hout led the 2008 Oriental
Neo-Hittite double-sphinx column base excavated in the 1930s at Zincirli, Turkey,
Institute tour to west and central Turkey.
now in the Museum of the ancient Orient in istanbul. 8th century bC
pAgE 10 nEWs & nOTEs
❝ ❞
ThE ORIENTAL INSTITuTE IN ThE NEwS
A selection of recent coverage of the Oriental Institute in Chicago and national media sources
audio tours egypt visible language exhibit
World Journal Chicago Maroon University of Chicago
November 1, 2010 November 3, 2010 Alumni Magazine
Coverage of Chinese audio Tour of the Coverage of 2010 Members’ lecture January–February 2011, pp. 38–41
Museum galleries — http://worldjourn- by barry Kemp. “Egyptian burial site “Origins of Writing,” by ruth Kott —
al.com/bookmark/10118208 shows Evidence of sun-Worship, prof. http://magazine.uchicago.edu/1102/
The Chicago Tribune says,” by Hiba Fatima ahmed — http:// freatures/theoriginsofwriting.shtml
www.chicagomaroon.com/2010/11/5/
November 13, 2010
egyptian-burial-site-shows-evidence-of- jericho mafjar project
“Mandarin appearing at City’s attractions
sun-worship-prof-says
aid increase of Tourism from China,” by Ma’an News Agency
Wall Street Journal
William Mullen — http://www.chicago- January 15, 2011
tribune.com/travel/ct-met-chinese-tour- November 11, 2010 Coverage of the Jericho Mafjar project.
ists-1113-20101112,0,1545160.story “Egypt Hunts ancient artifacts,” by “New Excavations at Hisham’s palace in
ashraf Khail — http://online.wsj.com/ Jericho” — http://www.maannews.net/
chicago house
article/sb1000142405274870468980457 eng/viewdetails.aspx?id=351275
5535662169204940.html
Al Ahram Weekly
November 25, 2010
“Never better, Never bettered,” by Jill
Kamil — http://weekly.ahram.org.
eg/2010/1024/he11.htm
from the field
Jericho Mafjar Project,
West Bank
Excavations at the Oriental Institute’s new-
est archaeological project, the Jericho Mafjar
Project, officially began on December 15, 2010.
The project is the first joint Palestinian-American
archaeological excavation, making it a unique
milestone for scholarship. Under the direction
of Dr. Donald Whitcomb (Oriental Institute), the
project will investigate the theory that the site of
Khirbat al-Mafjar was not just an important palace
complex, but was instead an incipient Islamic city
inhabited until the thirteenth century AD.
For more information on the Jericho Mafjar
Project, including how you can support this and
Dr. Donald Whitcomb and his team at Khirbat al-Mafjar. From left to right:
other Oriental Institute projects, visit http:// (back) bassam Nassasira, awni shawamra, Don Whitcomb, iman saca, Jehad
oi.uchicago.edu/getinvolved/donate/adoptadig/ yasin, Michael Jennings, (front) Enrico Cirelli, Muhammad ghayyada, and John
jericho.html. Whitcomb.