Afterlives with Kara Cooney

Kara and Jordan answer supporters' questions on the theme of “How do we study what we study?”Show NotesHow do you study coffins?* Recycling for Death: Coffin Reuse in Ancient Egypt and the Egyptian Royal CachesHow do we understand historicity in a literary text, like The Tale of Setne?* Great overview article by The Past* Golverdingen, Joost 2009. Khaemwaset: Demotic legend or the world's first Egyptologist? Saqqara Newsletter 7, 25-29.* Jay, Jacqueline E. 2016. Orality and literacy in the Demotic tales. Culture and History of the Ancient Near East 81. Leiden; Boston: Brill.* Rutherford, Ian 1997. Kalasiris and Setne Khamwas: a Greek novel and some Egyptian models. Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik 117, 203-209.* Snape (2011) ‘Khaemwaset and the present past: history and the individual in Ramesside Egypt', in M Collier and S Snape (eds), Ramesside Studies in Honour of K A Kitchen (Bolton: Rutherford Press), pp.465-473.* Vinson, Steve 2018. The craft of a good scribe: history, narrative and meaning in the First tale of Setne Khaemwas. Harvard Egyptological Studies 3. Leiden; Boston: Brill. DOI: 10.1163/9789004353107.How do you teach Egyptology?* UCLA Encyclopedia of Egyptology (UEE)* Online Egyptological Bibliography * Ancient Near East Research Quarantine “Library” * MET Publications* ISAC Publications* Google Scholar* ARCE Library Portal (needs membership)* Academia* Research Gate * Egytptological Open Access Journals * EEF Digital Journals* EEF Digitized Books* Hathi Trust* Internet Archive* Deir el-Medina Database* Deir el-Medina Online* Museo Egizio Papyri Database* Texts in Translation* Lichtheim, Miriam 2006. Ancient Egyptian literature. A book of readings, volume I: The Old and Middle Kingdoms. Berkeley, CA; London: University of California Press.* Lichtheim, Miriam 2006. Ancient Egyptian literature. A book of readings, volume II: The New Kingdom. Berkeley, CA; London: University of California Press.* Lichtheim, Miriam 2006. Ancient Egyptian literature. A book of readings, volume III: The Late Period. Berkeley, CA; London: University of California Press.* Thesaurus Linguae Aegyptiae* Dictionary of Ancient Egypt, British MuseumHow do you study woodworking practice and wooden objects?* Caroline Arbuckle MacCleod's work* Re, Alessandro, Alessandro Lo Giudice, Marco Nervo, Paola Buscaglia, Peter Luciani, Matilde Borla and Christian Greco. “The importance of tomography studying wooden artefacts: A comparison with radiography in the case of a coffin lid from ancient Egypt.” (2016).* Albertin, Fauzia, Maria Pia Morigi, Matteo Bettuzzi, Rosa Brancaccio, Nicola Macchioni, Roberto Saccuman, Gianluca Quarta, Lucio Calcagnile and Daniela Picchi. “X-ray Tomography Unveils the Construction Technique of Un-Montu's Egyptian Coffin (Early 26th Dynasty).” Journal of Imaging 8 (2022).* Helen Strudwick's work Get full access to Ancient/Now at ancientnow.substack.com/subscribe

Kara and Jordan talk with Professor Anne Austin (University of Missouri - St. Louis) about her book Healthmaking in Ancient Egypt: The Social Determinants of Health at Deir el-Medina, how she uses data from ancient Egyptian human remains to understand health care practices, disease, and illness in the past, and her work on tattooing in ancient Egypt. Introducing Prof. Anne AustinDr. Anne Austin is an Assistant Professor of History at the University of Missouri St. Louis (UMSL). She received her B.A. in Anthropology from Harvard University and earned her M.A. and Ph.D. in the Archaeology program at UCLA. She joined UMSL in 2017 after completing a three-year postdoctoral fellowship in the History Department at Stanford University. Her research combines the fields of osteology and Egyptology in order to document medicine and disease in the past. In her book, Healthmaking in Ancient Egypt, Anne uses data from ancient Egyptian human remains and daily life texts to reconstruct ancient Egyptian health networks and identify how ancient Egyptians improved their health and responded to illness. While working at Deir el-Medina, Anne discovered the mummified remains of a woman with 30 different tattoos. Since then, she and her team have identified several other tattooed women, rewriting the history of tattooing in ancient Egypt. Anne's next book will explore the practice of tattooing in ancient Egypt and its potential connections to gender, religion, and medicine.Healthmaking in Ancient Egypt: The Social Determinants of Health at Deir el-MedinaShow NotesT/W- Human Remains* Deir el-Medina* Social Determinants of Health* Working in Tomb Spaces* Butehamon* Naunakhte* Archeology Ink Get full access to Ancient/Now at ancientnow.substack.com/subscribe

Kara and Amber take a deep dive into the so-called “Cannibal Hymn” (Utterances 273–274) of the Pyramid Texts, which date to the late Old Kingdom and First Intermediate Period (ca. 2375–2055 BCE) and are the oldest funerary texts from ancient Egypt. They do some reading, some interpreting, and talk about the great power the ancient Egyptians believed these texts held, and how they're a part of the restricted knowledge and magical power that the Egyptians kept for their god–kings.SourcesEyre, Christopher. 2002. The Cannibal Hymn: a cultural and literary study. Liverpool: Liverpool University Press.Faulkner, R. O. 1969. The ancient Egyptian Pyramid Texts: translated into English, 2 vols. Oxford: Clarendon Press.Goebs, Katja. 2004. “The Cannibal Spell: continuity and change in the Pyramid Text and Coffin Text versions.” In: Bickel, Susanne and Bernard Mathieu (eds), D'un monde à l'autre: Textes des Pyramides & Textes des Sarcophages. Actes de la table ronde internationale, "Textes des Pyramides versus Textes des Sarcophages", IFAO - 24-26 Septembre 2001, 143-173. Le Caire: Institut français d'archéologie orientale.Hornung, Erik. 1992. Idea into image: essays on ancient Egyptian thought. Translated by Elizabeth Bredeck. New York: Timken.Sethe, Kurt. 1908-1922. Die altaegyptischen Pyramidentexte: nach den Papierabdrücken und Photographien des Berliner Museums, 4 vols. Leipzig: J. C. Hinrichs. Get full access to Ancient/Now at ancientnow.substack.com/subscribe

In month's Q&A we have questions concerning kingship & the gods, turtles (!!), and the Book of the Dead. Kara also answers some frequently asked questions about her new online course on ancient Egyptian cosmogony and cosmology.Ancient Egyptian Cosmogony and Cosmology: Secrets of the Primordial WatersAn eight-part lecture series by Dr. Kara CooneySHOW NOTESKingship & Religion* Overview of the King's role in state religion* Dunand, Françoise and Christiane Zivie-Coche. 2004. Gods and men in Egypt: 3000 BCE to 395 CE. Translated by David Lorton. Ithaca, NY; London: Cornell University Press.* Baines, Lesko, and Silverman. 1991. Religion in Ancient Egypt. Gods, Myth, and Personal Practice. Cornell University Press. * Maat vs. Isfet* Third Intermediate Period & the High Priests of Amun * Herihor* Piankhy* Royal Ka- Bell, Lanny 1985. Luxor temple and the cult of the royal Ka. Journal of Near Eastern Studies 44 (4), 251-294.* Abydos King List Book of the Dead and Ideological Textual Knowledge* Gloss* Book of the Dead, Chapter 17 Turtles vs. Tortoise in Ancient Egypt * Fischer 1968. Ancient Egyptian Representations of Turtles. The Metropolitan Museum of Art Papers 13. New York* El-Kady. 2011. The Religious Concept of the Dual Character of the Turtle in Graeco-roman Egypt* Ritner, Robert K. 2000. The "Breathing-permit of Hôr": thirty-four years later. Dialogue: a journal of Mormon thought 33 (4), 97-119Retainer Sacrifice* Review our episode with Dr. Rose Campbell- Part I & II* Animal Sacrifice/Butcher sceneRecycling for Death: Coffin Reuse in Ancient Egypt and the Theban Royal CachesIf you are a paid subscriber on Substack or Patreon and would like a signed bookplate, you can reply to this post or email us at karacooney@gmail.com. Get full access to Ancient/Now at ancientnow.substack.com/subscribe

Kara's latest book, Recycling for Death: Coffin Reuse in Ancient Egypt and the Theban Royal Caches, is now available! In this episode UCLA PhD candidate Kylie Thomsen joins the Afterlives crew to talk about the years of research and preparation behind the publication of this meticulous study of the social, economic, and religious significance of coffin reuse and development during the Ramesside and early Third Intermediate periods.Get your copy of Recycling for Death Get full access to Ancient/Now at ancientnow.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode Kara and Jordan talk to Egyptologist Melinda Nelson-Hurst about her online Egyptology platform, Voices of Ancient Egypt, which teaches you how to read the ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs that you'll see in museums, online, and on your next trip to Egypt – in less time and without the overwhelm.About our Guest:Melinda Nelson-Hurst is an Egyptologist (Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania), specializing in the social history and archaeology of ancient Egypt, especially during the Middle Kingdom. In particular, Dr. Nelson-Hurst's research has focused on families and their influence within the state administration, office acquisition, inheritance, and family members' obligations to deceased relatives, as well as on Third Intermediate Period burial assemblages and the history of modern collections.Since 2018, Melinda has run the online Egyptology platform, Voices of Ancient Egypt. Through online courses and YouTube videos with over a million views, Voices of Ancient Egypt brings the study of ancient Egypt out from behind the classroom and library walls, so you can experience it in the real world. Voices of Ancient Egypt's programs specialize in teaching you to read the ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs that you'll see in museums, on Instagram, and on your next trip to Egypt – in less time and without the overwhelm.Youtube- Voices of Ancient Egypt IG- Voices of Ancient EgyptVoices of Ancient EgyptYouTube Video on how to write your name in hieroglyphsResources for the EpisodeScripts:Hieratic and DemoticHieroglyphsStages:Old EgyptianMiddle EgyptianLate Egyptian Example 1Example 2Example 3Example 4View the Rest of the Examples Mentioned in the EpisodeSIGN UP FOR SCRIBAL SCHOOL!Want to learn more? Get all the details about Scribal School and how Melinda's students learn to read hieroglyphs by signing up for Melinda's free class:"3 Steps to Fast-Track Your Journey from Student to Scribe" Get full access to Ancient/Now at ancientnow.substack.com/subscribe

Many of you asked for it, and it's finally here—an new online course from Kara is now available. Kara and Amber take a behind-the-scenes look at how her new course on ancient Egyptian cosmogony and cosmology came together and what is covered in this eight-part lecture series. Get full access to Ancient/Now at ancientnow.substack.com/subscribe

Journey into the afterlife with Kara and Amber as they take a look at the Book of the Dead (more properly known as The Book of Going Forth by Day), a well-known collection of spells from ancient Egypt meant to aid the dead in their transition into the afterlife. Kara provides a Coffin Girl's Guide to the Book of the Dead, focusing on spells that are most associated with New Kingdom sarcophagi, coffins, and burial chambers.More on the Book of the Dead:Book of the Dead on Google Arts & CultureExplore the Book of the Dead (The Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge)The Ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead (World History Encyclopedia) Get full access to Ancient/Now at ancientnow.substack.com/subscribe

Show NotesReligion of the Masses* Kemp BJ. How Religious were the Ancient Egyptians? Cambridge Archaeological Journal. 1995;5(1):25-54. doi:10.1017/S0959774300001177* UEE Encyclopedia- Votive Practice/Personal Religion Continuity of Ancient Egyptian Religion * Abu el-Haggag Festival: The Modern-Day Opet* Moulid Festival of Abu'l HajjajEntertainment in the Egyptian Court * Autobiography of Harkhuf [the king saying] “Come north to the residence at once! Hurry and bring with you the pygmy (sic) whom you brought from the land of the horizon-dwellers life, hale, and healthy, for the dances of the gods, to gladden the heart, to delight the heart of King Neferkare who lives forever! When he goes down with you into the ship, get worthy men to be around him on deck, lest he fall into the water! When he lies down at night, et worthy men to lie around him in his tent. Inspect ten times at night! My majesty desires to see his pygmy (sic) more than the gift of the mine-lands of Punt” (Lichtheim 1973, 27).* Little People in ancient Egypt * Blind Harper motif * Westcar Papyrus and the Magician DjediHis majesty said: “Is it true , what they say, that you can join a severed head?” Said Djedi: “Yes, I can, O King, my lord.” Said his majesty: “Have brought me a prisoner from the prison, that be be executed.” Said Djedi: “But not to a human being, O king, my lord! Surely, it is not permitted to do such a thing to the noble cattle [i.e. the populace].” (Lichtheim 1973, 219)* Female Dancers* SenebKing's Ancestors* Royal titulary * Divine Birth * Oppenheimer, Adela. The Early Life of Pharaoh: Divine Birth and Adolescence Scenes in the Causeway of Senwosret III at Dahshur," in M. Bârta, F. Coppens, and J. Krejci, eds., Abusir and Saqqara in the Year 2010 (Prague, 2011), 171-88* Alexander Romance Get full access to Ancient/Now at ancientnow.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode Kara and Amber discuss the builders and destroyers of Karnak. Who could create and who could destroy? If we look at the ancient living temple space of Karnak as social document, what can it tell us?Evolution of a Temple (Elizabeth Blyth)More info on KarnakUniversity of Santa Cruz Digital KarnakUCSC Maps of Karnak Get full access to Ancient/Now at ancientnow.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode Kara and Jordan sit down with Prof. Solange Ashby (Assistant Professor, Near Eastern Languages and Cultures, UCLA) to discuss her academic journey and her research on Nubian women. Solange Ashby received her Ph.D. in Egyptology from the University of Chicago. Dr. Ashby's expertise in ancient languages, including Egyptian hieroglyphs, Demotic, and Meroitic, underpins her research into the history of religious transformation in Northeast Africa. Her book, Calling Out to Isis: The Enduring Nubian Presence at Philae, explores the Egyptian temple of Philae as a Nubian sacred site. Her second book explores the lives of five Nubian women from history including queens, priestesses, and mothers. Dr. Ashby is an Assistant Professor in the department of Near Eastern Languages and Cultures at UCLA where she teaches Egyptology and Nubian StudiesAcademia WebsiteSHOW NOTES* Download the full article here- Ashby, Solange. 2018. “Dancing for Hathor: Nubian Women in Egyptian Cultic Life.” Dotawo 5. https://doi.org/10.5070/D65110046.* Meroitic Language* C-Group Culture * Hathor* Dance in ancient Egypt & Nubia* Inner panel of the sarcophagus of Aashyt* Tattoo practice in Nubia and Egypt * Philae Temple* William Leo Hansberry Society * The Hansberry Society panel on Early Christianity, commemorating Rev. Dr. Gay L. Byron will be on Saturday August 17th at 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT on their YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0HcD4L9_k0YFz8L_vH-jzw Get full access to Ancient/Now at ancientnow.substack.com/subscribe

Episode Notes Parasites and other diseases* Mitchell, Piers D. 2024. Chapter two - parasites in ancient Egypt and Nubia: malaria, schistosomiasis and the pharaohs. Advances in Parasitology 123, 23-49. DOI: 10.1016/bs.apar.2023.12.003* Metwaly AM, Ghoneim MM, Eissa IH, Elsehemy IA, Mostafa AE, Hegazy MM, Afifi WM, Dou D. Traditional ancient Egyptian medicine: A review. Saudi J Biol Sci. 2021 Oct;28(10):5823-5832. doi: 10.1016/j.sjbs.2021.06.044. Epub 2021 Jun 19. PMID: 34588897; PMCID: PMC8459052.* The Art of Medicine in Ancient EgyptReligion, Cult and Morality* Kemp, B. J. (1995) How Religious were the Ancient Egyptians? Cambridge archaeological journal. [Online] 5 (1), 25–54.* Van Blerk, N. (2019) The ancient Egyptians' “Religious World” : the foundation of Egyptian law. Journal for Semitics. [Online] 28 (1), 1–20.* Crime and punishment* Law in Ancient Egypt“New” Nile Branch* The Egyptian pyramid chain was built along the now abandoned Ahramat Nile BranchCultural Memory in ancient Egypt and Nubia* Prehistoric Egypt* Newman, J. & Wendrich, W. (2022) ‘Neolithic and Predynastic Egypt', in Reference Module in Social Sciences. [Online]. Elsevier Inc. p.* British Museum- Egyptian rock art* EES- Drawings along the Nile * Wadi Hammamat Project Valley of the Queens* AMAZING website charting all the tombs- Valley of the Queens and Western Wadis Get full access to Ancient/Now at ancientnow.substack.com/subscribe

Show NotesEvolution of Temple Architecture * Digital Karnak* Blyth, E. (2006) Karnak : evolution of a temple  / Elizabeth Blyth. New York, NY: Routledge.* Wilkinson, R. H. (2000) The complete temples of ancient Egypt. Thames & Hudson.* For Pre-formal → Formal temples see, Kemp, B. J. (2018) Ancient Egypt : anatomy of a civilization : pbk. 3rd ed. Routledge.Rekhyt Bird Meaning* Griffin, Kenneth 2018. All the rxyt-people adore: the role of the rekhyt-people in Egyptian religion. GHP Egyptology 29. London: Golden House Publications. * Griffin, Kenneth 2007. A reinterpretation of the use and function of the Rekhyt rebus in New Kingdom temples. In Cannata, Maria and Christina Adams (eds), Current research in Egyptology 2006: proceedings of the seventh annual symposium which took place at the University of Oxford, April 2006, 66-84. Oxford: Oxbow.* Niwiński, Andrzej 2014. Did the Pat-people and the Rekhyt-people have different burial ceremonies? In Jucha, Mariusz A., Joanna Dębowska-Ludwin, and Piotr Kołodziejczyk (eds), Aegyptus est imago caeli: studies presented to Krzysztof M. Ciałowicz on his 60th birthday, 253-260. Kraków: Institute of Archaeology, Jagiellonian University in Kraków; Archaeologica Foundation.Sex & Aphrodisiacs* Norris, Pauline 2020. Lettuce as an offering to Mnw (Min). In Maravelia, Alicia and Nadine Guilhou (eds), Environment and religion in ancient and Coptic Egypt: sensing the cosmos through the eyes of the divine. Proceedings of the 1st Egyptological conference of the Hellenic Institute of Egyptology, co-organized with the Writing & Scripts Centre of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina and the Institute of Coptic Studies (University of Alexandria), at the People's University of Athens, under the high auspices of his Eminence Mgr Damianos, archbishop of Sinai; Athens: Wednesday 1st, Thursday 2nd Friday 3rd February 2017, 317-329. Oxford: Archaeopress. * Leitz, Christian 1999. Magical and medical papyri of the New Kingdom. Hieratic Papyri in the British Museum 7. London: The British Museum Press. * The Contendings of Horus and Seth* Guiter, Jacques 2001. Contraception en Égypte ancienne. Bulletin de l'Institut Français d'Archéologie Orientale 101, 221-236* Ladinig-Morawetz, Franz-Stephan 2023. Defining "magic" using the example of Egyptian gynaecology. In Aguizy, Ola el- and Burt Kasparian (eds), ICE XII: proceedings of the Twelfth International Congress of Egyptologists, 3rd-8th November 2019, Cairo, Egypt 2, 1109-1115. [Cairo]: Institut français d'archéologie orientale.* Casini, Emanuele 2018. Rethinking the mutifaceted aspects of mandrake in ancient Egypt. Egitto e Vicino Oriente 41, 101-115. DOI: 10.12871/97888333918616.* Mathieu, Bernard 1999. L'univers végétal dans les chants d'amour égyptiens. In Aufrère, Sydney H. (ed.), Encyclopédie religieuse de l'univers végétal: croyances phytoreligieuses de l'Égypte ancienne 1, 99-106. Montpellier: Université Paul Valéry-Montpellier III. Get full access to Ancient/Now at ancientnow.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode Kara and Jordan discuss animals in ancient Egyptian society. What does the archaeological evidence tell us about the ancient Egyptians' attitudes and practices towards non-human members of their society? Show notesHerodotus Book II, 65-66There are many household animals; and there would be many more, were it not for what happens to the cats. When the females have kittened they will not consort with the males; and these seek them but cannot get their will of them; so their device is to steal and carry off and kill the kittens (but they do not eat what they have killed). The mothers, deprived of their young and desiring to have more will then consort with the males; for they are creatures that love offspring. And when a fire breaks out very strange things happen to the cats. The Egyptians stand round in a broken line, thinking more of the cats than of quenching the burning; but the cats slip through or leap over the men and spring into the fire. When this happens, there is great mourning in Egypt. Dwellers in a house where a cat has died a natural death shave their eyebrows and no more; where a dog has so died, the head and the whole body are shaven.Oracular amuletic decree (ISAC, Chicago, Illinois)Veterinary Papyrus Janssen, “Commodity Prices from the Ramesside Period” including animals The Temple Cats of Philae Island Organization Facebook and Instagram Get full access to Ancient/Now at ancientnow.substack.com/subscribe

During the process of recommodification and reburial by 21st Dynasty elites, several royal mummies in the Deir el Bahri 320 (also known as TT 320) burial cache were badly damaged. In this episode, Kara and Amber discuss the evidence we have for the ritual repair of these mummies carried out during their reburial, including the term rdit Wsir, “to make an Osiris.” Ritner, Robert, 2009, The Libyan Anarchy: Inscriptions from Egypt's Third Intermediate Period.Ritner, Robert, 1993, The Mechanics of Ancient Egyptian Magical Practice.Read more about the DeB 320 royal cache Get full access to Ancient/Now at ancientnow.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode Kara and Jordan answer listener questions from April. To submit a question for the monthly Q&A podcast, become a paid subscriber on Substack or join our Patreon!A few photos from Kara's Egypt tripShow Notes:Female Genitalia Lexicography* Bednarski, Andrew 2000. Hysteria revisited. Women's public health in ancient Egypt. In McDonald, Angela and Christina Riggs (eds), Current research in Egyptology 2000, 11-17. Oxford: Archaeopress.* Ghalioungui, P. 1977. The persistence and spread of some obstetric concepts held in ancient Egypt. Annales du Service des Antiquités de l'Égypte 62, 141-154.* Westendorf, Wolfhart 1999. Handbuch der altägyptischen Medizin, 2 vols. Handbuch der Orientalistik, erste Abteilung 36 (1-2). Leiden: Brill.Burial of Children * Barba, Pablo 2021. Power, personhood and changing emotional engagement with children's burial during the Egyptian Predynastic. Cambridge Archaeological Journal 31 (2), 211-228. DOI: 10.1017/S0959774320000402.  * Kaiser, Jessica 2023. When death comes, he steals the infant: child burials at the Wall of the Crow cemetery, Giza. In Kiser-Go, Deanna and Carol A. Redmount (eds), Weseretkau "mighty of kas": papers in memory of Cathleen A. Keller, 347-369. Columbus, GA: Lockwood Press. DOI: 10.5913/2023853.22.  Export >>* Marshall, Amandine 2022. Childhood in ancient Egypt. Translated by Colin Clement. Cairo; New York: American University in Cairo Press. * Saleem, Sahar N., Sabah Abd el-Razek Seddik, and Mahmoud el Halwagy 2020. A child mummy in a pot: computed tomography study and insights on child burials in ancient Egypt. In Kamrin, Janice, Miroslav Bárta, Salima Ikram, Mark Lehner, and Mohamed Megahed (eds), Guardian of ancient Egypt: studies in honor of Zahi Hawass 3, 1393-1403. Prague: Charles University, Faculty of Arts.Skin Color and Gender* Shelley Halley, Prof. Emerita of Classics and Africana Studies, Hamilton College* Tutankhamun out of the lotus blossom with ‘naturalistic' skin * Roth, Ann Macy 2000. Father earth, mother sky: ancient Egyptian beliefs about conception and fertility. In Rautman, Alison E. (ed.), Reading the body: representations and remains in the archaeological record, 187-201. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press.* Tan Men/Pale Women: Color and Gender in Archaic Greece and Egypt, a Comparative Approach by Mary Ann Eaverly Kara's ARCE Talk- “Elites Relying on Cultural Memory for Regime Building”Abstract: Theban elites of the late 20th and 21st Dynasties relied on veneration of 17th and 18th Dynasty kings to support their regimes ideologically. The cults of Ahmose-Nefertari and Amenhotep I were vibrant in the west Theban region, and their oracles were essential to solving many disputes. Herihor connected his militarily-achieved kingship to his position in the Karnak priesthood using the ancestor kings as touchstones. Twenty-first Dynasty Theban elites named their children after 18th Dynasty monarchs; Theban High Priest and king Panedjem named a daughter Maatkare, ostensibly after Hatshepsut of the 18th Dynasty, and a son Menkheperre after Thutmose III. Examination of the 20th and 21st Dynasty interventions of the royal mummies from Dra Abu el Naga and the Valley of the Kings indicates these royal corpses were used as sacred effigies of a sort, rewrapped and placed into regilded containers even after they had been stripped of their treasures and golden embellishments. This paper will examine how immigrants and mercenaries were able to move into Theban elite circles by marshaling ancestral connections to power. Men like Herihor and Panedjem, one of them at least of Meshwesh origins, worked within an Upper Egyptian cultural system that put its temple communities of practice before its military and veiled its politics with pious rituals and oracular pronouncements. Such elites had to negotiate their identities and power grabs through the cultural memory of the region's royal ancestors.* Episode 83- Thutmose III and the Veneration of the Royal Ancestors * Cooney, Kathlyn M. 2022. The New Kingdom of Egypt under the Ramesside dynasty. In Radner, Karen, Nadine Moeller, and D. T. Potts (eds), The Oxford history of the ancient Near East, volume III: from the Hyksos to the late second millennium BC, 251-366. New York: Oxford University Press. DOI: 10.1093/oso/9780190687601.003.0027. * Cooney, Kara. 2024. Recycling for Death AUC Press. * The Khonsu Temple at Karnak Get full access to Ancient/Now at ancientnow.substack.com/subscribe

In Part 2 of a two-part episode, Kara and multiple Emmy-nominated Executive Producer and novelist Neil Laird continue their conversation about their experiences making television documentaries about the ancient world, how things get done behind the scenes, whether or not romanticizing the past is a bad thing, and what the future may hold for documentary programs.About Neil LairdNeil Laird is a multiple Emmy and BAFTA-nominated creator and Executive Producer on long-running series such as Brain Games, Mysteries of the Abandoned, Border Wars, Through the Wormhole With Morgan Freeman, What on Earth?, How It's Made, Secrets of the Underground, Expedition Unknown With Josh Gates and Survivorman.Neil has worked extensively on both the network and production side of non-fiction TV since 1996. He has developed, overseen, and produced over 1,000 hours of non-fiction programs and specials in nearly every genre, with a particular passion, expertise, and professional contacts in history, mystery, science, and adventure.Neil's novels Prime Time Travelers and Prime Time Pompeii are slated for release in 2024. Get full access to Ancient/Now at ancientnow.substack.com/subscribe

In Part 1 of a two-part episode, Kara and multiple Emmy-nominated Executive Producer and novelist Neil Laird talk about their experiences making television documentaries about the ancient world, how things get done behind the scenes, and what the future may hold for documentary programs.Secrets of Egypt's Lost QueenOut of EgyptDigging for the TruthAbout Neil LairdNeil Laird is a multiple Emmy and BAFTA-nominated creator and Executive Producer on long-running series such as Brain Games, Mysteries of the Abandoned, Border Wars, Through the Wormhole With Morgan Freeman, What on Earth?, How It's Made, Secrets of the Underground, Expedition Unknown With Josh Gates and Survivorman.Neil has worked extensively on both the network and production side of non-fiction TV since 1996. He has developed, overseen, and produced over 1,000 hours of non-fiction programs and specials in nearly every genre, with a particular passion, expertise, and professional contacts in history, mystery, science, and adventure.Neil's novels Prime Time Travelers and Prime Time Pompeii are slated for release in 2024. Get full access to Ancient/Now at ancientnow.substack.com/subscribe

This week Kara and Amber discuss color (also known as polychromy) in ancient Mediterranean art and how it is studied and understood today. What role did color play in ancient art? How does polychromy affect the way modern audiences view ancient art? What are the origins of the aesthetic preference for plain white marble sculpture in Western art? The Color of Life exhibition (Getty Villa)Kelsey Museum (University of Michigan) resources on color in ancient artBibliography for color in ancient artThe Metropolitan Museum of Art resources on color in ancient artSeated statue of Hatshepsut (Metropolitan Museum of Art)Statue of Leda and the Swan (Getty Villa)Curator and artist jill moniz Get full access to Ancient/Now at ancientnow.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode Kara and Amber talk about the veneration of ancestor kings in the late 20th-21st Dynasties. During this period the coffins of ancestor kings were manipulated, buried, and reburied in caches like that of Theban Tomb 320 (also known as Deir el Bahri 320). Who was reburying and caching these royal ancestors together and why? Using the coffin of Thutmose III as a case study, they discuss the interplay of the religious, political, and economic factors behind these royal caches. Kara's forthcoming book, Recycling for Death: Coffin Reuse and the Theban Royal CachesMore about Theban Tomb 320Amber's post on presidential homes and America's historical landscape Get full access to Ancient/Now at ancientnow.substack.com/subscribe

CW// self harm and suicide In this episode Kara and Amber discuss the death of Cleopatra VII and whether or not we should trust the ancient Roman accounts regarding the circumstances of her death. Did she really commit suicide, as Roman historians tell us? Or were the accounts of her death by suicide part of a cunning Roman propaganda campaign?Read more about the death of Cleopatra and the ancient sources on it here and here.Listen to our other episodes on Cleopatra:Episode 57 | Reception, Ownership, and Race: Netflix's ”Queen Cleopatra”Episode 60 | Part II: Reception, Ownership, and Race: Netflix's ”Queen Cleopatra” Get full access to Ancient/Now at ancientnow.substack.com/subscribe

EPISODE 81 | This episode is a recording of a live zoom Q&A with our listeners. Thank you to everyone who attended and submitted questions!Show notes* Byblos * Baal and Seth * Prof. Dani Candelora – Her research focuses on interactions between Egypt and West Asia.* Prof. Marian Feldman, Diplomacy by Design* Amarna Letter 23 – A Goddess Travels to Egypt* 1 3 - 1 7 Thus Sauska of Nineveh (goddess statue), mistress of all lands: "I wish to goto Egypt, a country that I love, and then return." Now I herewith sendher, and she is on her way." (Moran 1992)* Hathor and the Myth of the Heavenly Cow* Spalinger Anthony, “The Destruction of Mankind: A Transitional Literary Text,” Studien Zur Altagyptischen Kultur 28: 2000, 257–282. https://www.jstor.org/stable/25152827* Amenhotep III's Mortuary Temple & Sekhmet Statues* Kara's Cambridge Elements – Coffin Commerce * Judith Flanders – “Rites of Passage: Death & Mourning in Victorian Britain”* Peter Saris – “Justinian”* Lady Sennuwy, Boston Museum of Fine Arts * Augustus Meroë Head* Great Sphinx of Tanis, Louvre* Vatican Phases of Construction* Demon Bes – Coptic Magical Papyri* End of the ancient Egyptian Religion, Christian Erasure * Egyptian obelisks * Egyptian object outside of Egypt – Egypt's Dispersed Heritage Project * Maat* Eloquent Peasant – status dynamics, misuse of Maat* Lichtheim, M. (1992) Maat in Egyptian autobiographies and related studies  / Miriam Lichtheim. Freiburg, Schweiz: Universitätsverlag.* Teeter, Emily. (1997) The presentation of Maat : ritual and legitimacy in ancient Egypt  / by Emily Teeter. Chicago, Ill: Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago.* Isfet* Kemp, B. J. (1995) How Religious were the Ancient Egyptians? Cambridge archaeological journal. [Online] 5 (1), 25–54.* James C. Scott, “Weapons of the Weak” Get full access to Ancient/Now at ancientnow.substack.com/subscribe

EPISODE 80 | In this episode, Jordan and Kara interview Malayna Evans, author of Neferura, about the inspiration behind the story, her writing process, and how her knowledge of Egyptology factored into the choices she made as she was writing the book.About the authorMalayna Evans was raised in Utah and spent her childhood climbing mountains and reading Sci-Fi. She moved to Chicago in her early twenties where she earned an M.A. in the ancient history of the Mediterranean, an M.A. in the ancient history of the Near East, and a Ph.D. in ancient Egyptian history. She enjoys sharing her passion for the ancient world with readers, adores travel, and plays a mean game of cards. A single mom, Malayna lives in Oak Park, IL, with her two children and two very spoiled Frenchies. You can learn more about her on her website or connect with her on Twitter, or Instagram. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ancientnow.substack.com/subscribe

EPISODE 79 | In this episode Kara and Jordan answer this month's listener questions. They discuss which ancient Egyptians they would like to see a tv show about, colonialism in the ancient world, extreme climate events in ancient Egypt, and more. Get full access to Ancient/Now at ancientnow.substack.com/subscribe

EPISODE 78 | In this episode Kara and Jordan talk with archaeobotanist and Assistant Professor of Archaeology Claire Malleson (American University in Beirut) about agriculture in ancient Egypt. What can archaeologists learn about the way ancient Egyptians lived from botanical remains? What are the traditional narratives about agriculture in ancient Egypt and how is our understanding of it changing? How was the profession of farming seen in ancient Egypt? Scorpion macehead (Ashmolean Museum) The Satire of the Trades“Tiger nut” - Cyperus esculentus and Cyperus rotundusAbout Professor Claire MallesonAfter a short career in contemporary dance as a designer and technical manager, Claire started Egyptological studies at the University of Liverpool in 2002, and completed her PhD there in 2012 (published in 2019 by AUC Press). Throughout her studies she trained and worked in Egypt as an archaeobotanist at numerous settlement excavations, following graduation she re-located to Cairo to pursue work as a free-lance archaeobotanical specialist, working for multiple international archaeological projects all over Egypt. In 2018 she was appointed as an Assistant Professor of Archaeology at the American University in Beirut, where she teaches Egyptian Archaeology and Archaeobotany. She continues to work as archaeobotanist all over Egypt, gathering data for studies on ancient Egyptian agriculture, and working towards a new book. Get full access to Ancient/Now at ancientnow.substack.com/subscribe

Professor Maggie Geoga joins Kara and Jordan to discuss ancient Egyptian wisdom literature (also known as instruction texts), specifically “The Teaching of Amenemhat,” a Middle Egyptian poem from ca. 1550 to 500 B.C.E. in which the murdered King Amenemhat I advises his son from beyond the grave. They discuss the challenges of studying this ancient text, who the intended audience for this text might have been, and how its reception by the the ancient Egyptians changed over the centuries.Learn more about “The Teaching of Amenemhat”Read a translation of “The Teaching of Amenemhat”Read Prof. Geoga's article: “New Insights into Papyrus Millingen and the Reception History of The Teaching of Amenemhat”Read about Emily Post and check out the website dedicated to her rules of etiquetteMaggie Geoga is Assistant Professor of Egyptology at the University of Chicago and a Junior Fellow in the Society of Fellows in Critical Bibliography. Her research focuses on ancient Egyptian literature, scribal culture, textual transmission, and reception in both ancient Egypt and later periods. Maggie earned her PhD in Egyptology from Brown University, where she also completed a concurrent MA in Comparative Literature. She is currently working on a monograph on the reception history of the Middle Egyptian poem The Teaching of Amenemhat from ca.1550 to 500 BCE. She also maintains an ongoing project on Jean Terrasson's 1731 novel Séthos, whose depiction of Egypt strongly influenced numerous eighteenth-century authors, artists, and thinkers and still underlies many contemporary beliefs about ancient Egypt. Get full access to Ancient/Now at ancientnow.substack.com/subscribe

EPISODE 76 | In this episode Kara and Jordan are joined by Drs. Danielle Candelora and Nadia Ben-Marzouk, who discuss their experience co-editing Ancient Egyptian Society: Challenging Assumptions, Exploring Approaches, what inspired the book, and how they wanted it to differ from other studies of ancient Egyptian society. Get the book here: Ancient Egyptian Society: Challenging Assumptions, Exploring ApproachesDanielle Candelora is Assistant Professor of Ancient Mediterranean History at SUNY Cortland and co-director of excavations at South Karnak. She received her PhD in Egyptology from UCLA. Her research focuses on immigration in ancient Egypt, the reception of foreigners, strategies of identity maintenance and advertisement.Nadia Ben-Marzouk is Postdoctoral Fellow at Tel Aviv University and the University of Zurich working on the Stamp Seals from the Southern Levant project. Her research explores craft production, producers, and modes of technological transmission in the Bronze and Iron Age Levant, Egypt, and east Mediterranean. She received her PhD from UCLA. Get full access to Ancient/Now at ancientnow.substack.com/subscribe

CW// war, violence, explicit languageIn this month's Q&A episode Kara and Jordan answer questions about Kara's upcoming book Recycling for Death: Coffin Reuse in Ancient Egypt and the Theban Royal Caches, their favorite fictional books related to ancient Egypt and Egyptology, female identity and rebirth in ancient Egyptian religion, animal mummies, and more. Show notes:* The Witch Trials of J. K. Rowling* Forest Lawn cemetery * "Where does the Masculine Begin and the Feminine End? The Merging of the Two Genders in Egyptian Coffins during the Ramesside Period," in: Ehrenmord und Emanzipation: Die Geschlechterfrage in Ritualen von Parallelgesellschaften, Geschlecht--Symbol--Religion series, B. Heininger, ed., LIT Verlag (Münster 2009).* "The Fragmentation of the Female: Re-gendered Funerary Equipment as a Means of Rebirth," in: Sex and Gender in Ancient Egypt, C. Graves-Brown, ed., Classical Press of Wales (Swansea 2008), 1-25.* “An eternal aviary: bird mummies from ancient Egypt” (Salima Ikram)* Divine Creatures: Animal Mummies in Ancient Egypt (Salima Ikram) Get full access to Ancient/Now at ancientnow.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode we are crossing the podcast streams of the past and the present, by bringing you a vintage episode of Eric's Guide to Ancient Egypt in which Eric Wells discusses the ancient Egyptian tale of the shipwrecked sailor. Eric, who earned his PhD in Egyptology from UCLA, produced his podcast from 2015-2016 and has kindly granted us access to his archives. We hope you enjoy it!Read The Shipwrecked SailorMore information on The Shipwrecked Sailor (historical background, synopsis, etc.) Get full access to Ancient/Now at ancientnow.substack.com/subscribe

Is Kara's book The Good Kings “colonialist”? Should a non-Egyptian write a critical history of ancient Egyptian pharaohs? Kara and Amber discuss the possible reasoning behind this perspective, and Kara talks about how her book came together and why she set out to write a book calling into question the typical positivist historical narratives surrounding ancient Egypt's “good kings.” Jurman, Claus. Pharaoh's new clothes. On (post)colonial Egyptology, hypocrisy, and the elephant in the roomCan history be apolitical? (Afterlives of Ancient Egypt, Episode #65) Get full access to Ancient/Now at ancientnow.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode Kara and Jordan answer this month's listener questions.Listener Notes:Time & Calendars:* MET- Telling Time in Ancient Egypt* Nile Scribes- Celebrating the Seasons* SAOC 26. The Calendars of Ancient Egypt. Richard A. Parker* Tomb aligned with Winter Solstice Wills & Funerals * NJ van Blerk, The basic tenets of intestate (customary) succession law in Ancient Egypt* Will of NaunakhteAnthropoid Clay Coffins* Cotelle-Michel, Laurence. 2004. “Les Sarcophages en terre cuite”* Wikipedia- Anthropoid Ceramic Coffins* María Rosa Valdesogo blog- The Iconography in a Clay Coffin of Ancient Egypt. A Guarantee of Resurrection.* Kazimierczak, Magdalena, and Konrad Grzyb. “DISTRIBUTION OF THE POTTERY COFFINS AND CERAMIC VESSELS WITHIN THE EARLY DYNASTIC GRAVES FROM TELL EL-MURRA CEMETERY.” Ägypten und Levante / Egypt and the Levant, vol. 30, 2020, pp. 415–44. JSTOR, https://www.jstor.org/stable/27045094. Accessed 20 Dec. 2023. Get full access to Ancient/Now at ancientnow.substack.com/subscribe

With the growing number of labor disputes and strikes around the world, Kara and Jordan delve into how labor was organized and issues were settled in ancient Egypt. This is part two of a two-part episode. Listen to Part I here.Also read Jordan's companion post to this episode, Fashion and Hidden Labor in the Ancient World. Sources:* Papyrus Stories- The First Recorded Strike in History* Turin Strike Papyrus* Edgerton, William F. “The Strikes in Ramses III's Twenty-Ninth Year.” Journal of Near Eastern Studies, vol. 10, no. 3, 1951, pp. 137–45. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/542285. Accessed 11 Dec. 2023.* Wente, Edward F. “A Letter of Complaint to the Vizier To.” Journal of Near Eastern Studies, vol. 20, no. 4, 1961, pp. 252–57. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/543915. Accessed 11 Dec. 2023. Get full access to Ancient/Now at ancientnow.substack.com/subscribe

Sources:* Papyrus Stories- The First Recorded Strike in History * Turin Strike Papyrus* Edgerton, William F. “The Strikes in Ramses III's Twenty-Ninth Year.” Journal of Near Eastern Studies, vol. 10, no. 3, 1951, pp. 137–45. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/542285. Accessed 11 Dec. 2023.* Wente, Edward F. “A Letter of Complaint to the Vizier To.” Journal of Near Eastern Studies, vol. 20, no. 4, 1961, pp. 252–57. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/543915. Accessed 11 Dec. 2023. Get full access to Ancient/Now at ancientnow.substack.com/subscribe

Here's an uncomfortable fact: Having a woman's body allows one to be much more easily controlled and commodified in patriarchal systems. We are watching this play out in real time in a post-Roe America, but what role did the female body play in the ancient world, and more specifically: How did ancient Egyptians negotiate female power in ancient patriarchal systems like ancient Egypt? In this episode Kara discusses her research on this topic with Amber, and her effort to gain a better understanding of how ancient patriarchal societies used body differences to control, commodify, and exploit female bodies. For more of Kara's thoughts on some feminist schools of thought and their attitudes toward the female body, read her post from last June: Get full access to Ancient/Now at ancientnow.substack.com/subscribe

This month's Q&A episode features questions on ancient festivals, food, human sacrifice, and marriage and incest in ancient Egypt. Episode Notes* Food* The Pharaoh's Kitchen, by Madga Mehdawy* Ikram, Salima. 1995. Choice Cuts : Meat Production in Ancient Egypt. Leuven: Peeters.* Ancient Egyptian Festivals * Coppens, F. 2009. Temple Festivals of the Ptolemaic and Roman Periods. UCLA Encyclopedia of Egyptology.* Stadler, M. 2008. Procession. UCLA Encyclopedia of Egyptology.* Beverages* Ancient Egyptian Beer * Discovery of an Industrial Brewery in Ancient Egypt Rewrites the History of Beer* Dr. Amr Shahat's paleobotany work* Listen to Dr. Rose Campbell's episode on human sacrifice on Substack at the links below or on Apple Podcasts (Part I and Part II) or Spotify (Part I and Part II):* Campbell, Roselyn. 2023. “Hidden Violence: Reassessing Violence and Human Sacrifice in Ancient Egypt,” in Danielle Candelora, Nadia Ben-Marzouk, & Kathlyn M. Cooney (eds.) Ancient Egyptian Society : Challenging Assumptions, Exploring Approaches. Abingdon; New York: Routledge. Purchase!* Reception of Ancient Egypt - P. Djèlí Clark's books* Marriage and incest in the ancient world* Ager, Sheila L. 2021. “Royal brother-sister marriage, Ptolemaic and otherwise,” in Elizabeth D. Carney and Sabine Müller (eds.), The Routledge companion to women and monarchy in the ancient Mediterranean world, 346-358. Abingdon; New York: Routledge.* Robinson, Joanne-Marie. 2020. "Blood is thicker than water": non-royal consanguineous marriage in ancient Egypt. An exploration of economic and biological outcomes. Archaeopress Egyptology 29. Oxford: Archaeopress. Get full access to Ancient/Now at ancientnow.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode Kara and Jordan talk with PhD candidate Kylie Thomsen about her research contextualizing statuary reuse using new technologies like photogrammetry and RTI (Reflectance Transformation Imaging).About Kylie ThomsenKylie is an Egyptology PhD candidate in the department of Near Eastern Languages and Cultures at the University of California, Los Angeles. She received her bachelor's degree in anthropology from the University of Arizona and holds a master's degree in Egyptology from Indiana University Bloomington. Kylie is currently a researcher and graphic designer for the UCLA Coffins Project, which investigates coffin reuse in ancient Egypt during the Third Intermediate Period. Her dissertation research focuses on the documentation and contextualization of ancient Egyptian statuary reuse, including documenting statues via high-resolution photography, photogrammetry, RTI (reflectance transformation imaging), and traditional art historical methods in order to analyze the statues for signs of recarving, reinscribing, and other indicators of object reuse.Episode Notes* This article by Daniel Soliman discusses the reuse of two 12th Dynasty colossal statues that were reworked during the reign of Ramesses II.* Soliman, Daniel. “At the Hands of Senwosret III? The Iconography and Style of the Reworked Colossi Cairo JE 45975 and JE 45976.” The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology 105, no. 1 (2019): 97–105. https://www.jstor.org/stable/26949435.* Partially Reworked Statue from the Museo Egizio: https://collezioni.museoegizio.it/en-GB/material/Cat_3017 * This statue demonstrates that a statue could be completely recrafted into a new object. Get full access to Ancient/Now at ancientnow.substack.com/subscribe

This month's listener questions covered a variety of topics from ancient Egyptian clothing and furniture to the portrayal of mummies in popular culture.Episode NotesEgyptian linenPleated dresses from the Museo Egizio of Turin: study of the technical data of fabrics in Moor, A. de (Antoine) et al. (eds.) (2015) ‘Textiles, tools and techniques of the 1st millennium AD from Egypt and neighbouring countries : proceedings of the 8th conference of the research group “Textiles from the Nile Valley” Antwerp, 4-6 October 2013  / edited by Antoine De Moor, Cäcilia Fluck and Petra Linscheid.', in 2015 Tielt, Belgium: Lannoo.Tamburini, D. et al. (2021) A multi-scalar investigation of the colouring materials used in textile wrappings of Egyptian votive animal mummies. Heritage science. [Online] 9 (1), 1–26.Stool Inscriptions Get full access to Ancient/Now at ancientnow.substack.com/subscribe

Historians are products of their time, place, and life experiences, and yet in many ways they approach their work with the idea that it can be (at least to some degree) separated from all of those things. In this episode Kara and Amber discuss whether or not history can—or should—be apolitical and how historical narratives inevitably reflect the zeitgeist in which they are written. Get full access to Ancient/Now at ancientnow.substack.com/subscribe

Kara and Jordan discuss iconoclasm in the ancient and medieval worlds with Lexie Henning, the host of the Ancient Office Hours podcast. Below is information about Lexie and some visuals! We include Aya Sofia, also called Hagia Sophia, a 6th century CE multi-domed church turned mosque turned museum turned back to mosque. We also discuss the 13th century CE church of Santa Maria Sopra Minerva, which literally means St. Mary on top of (the goddess) Minerva, indicating a Christian claim over what is now defined as pagan. Both Aya Sofia and Santa Maria Sopra Minerva were victims of iconoclasm, that is having elements of one belief system removed in favor of a different belief system. To that point, check out the removal of the god Amen's name from a block in Luxor temple in the last image; this removal was ordered by Akhenaten, who was creating a whole new religious system that prioritized the visible sun god Aten.About Lexie HenningLexie is the host of the Ancient Office Hours podcast and Founder/CEO of The Ozymandias Project. She earned her BA in Classics from the University of Missouri (Mizzou) in 2018. Her scholarly interests are in exploring Classical reception through the lens of contemporary storytelling in media, advocating for open access to the ancient world, and making ancient studies applicable in the modern world. In January 2023, she completed an MSc in Southeast European Studies at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, writing her thesis on the effects of Islamic iconoclasm on the Hagia Sophia and its impact on cultural heritage policy in Erdoğan's Turkey. She now serves as the programs and administration coordinator for UCLA's Pourdavoud Center for the Study of the Iranian World. Hagia Sophia (Istanbul, Turkey)Santa Maria sopra Minerva (Rome, Italy) Get full access to Ancient/Now at ancientnow.substack.com/subscribe

In this month's Q&A episode, Kara and Jordan discuss questions relating to ancient papyri, display and study of human remains in museums, female power in the ancient world, and more. Get full access to Ancient/Now at ancientnow.substack.com/subscribe

CW// Human remainsThe red-shroud mummy of a young man named Herakleides—don't ask us how he died so young; we don't know—presents some tantalizing insights into certain religious practices of the first century CE in Egypt. On view at the Getty Villa in Malibu, the mummy of Herakleides is unprovenanced, but archaeological evidence suggests it probably comes from el-Hibeh (near the Fayum). The mummified remains of Herakleides are wrapped in a linen shroud painted from head to toe in a red pigment derived from red lead imported from Spain, making it part of a group of portrait mummies known as “red-shroud mummies.” Get full access to Ancient/Now at ancientnow.substack.com/subscribe

In this month's Patreon Q&A Kara and Jordan answer questions about literature, what they did over the summer and other topics. And as a special treat-- Kara debriefs about the recent International Congress of Egyptologists' conference in Leiden.  Get full access to Ancient/Now at ancientnow.substack.com/subscribe

EPISODE 59 | In this episode Kara and Amber discuss Patron questions covering topics ranging from Cleopatra to balancing historical accuracy in entertainment and more. ---- If you want knowledgable hot takes on headlines about archaeology, Egyptology, and antiquity in general delivered to your inbox, subscribe to our Substack Ancient/Now. You can also support the podcast by becoming a Patron. Follow Kara on social media: https://linktr.ee/karacooney

EPISODE 60 | In Part II of our discussion on Cleopatra VII and reception, ownership, and race we welcome guests Dr. Mai Musie and Professor Rebecca Futo Kennedy. Dr. Musie and Professor Kennedy both study aspects of identity formation, race, and ethnicity in the ancient world and bring their expert perspectives to this discussion of Cleopatra VII, her world, and our modern obsession with her.   ---- If you want knowledgable hot takes on headlines about archaeology, Egyptology, and antiquity in general delivered to your inbox, subscribe to our Substack Ancient/Now. You can also support the podcast by becoming a Patron. Follow Kara on social media: https://linktr.ee/karacooney

Kara and Jordan meet with Dr. Serena Love to discuss her ongoing work with Seamus Blackley on the collection of ancient yeast and reconstruction of ancient bread making techniques. How does one collect ancient yeast without contamination? What can be learned through experimental archaeology? And most importantly, what did ancient bread taste like?! --- Bio: Serena is an anthropological archaeologist with 30 years' experience working in Egypt, Turkey, Israel, Iraq and most recently in Australia. She earned a PhD from Stanford University with a specialty in geoarchaeology and prehistoric architecture, where her research developed new methods for analysing mudbricks and theoretically blending phenomenology and archaeological science to reach innovative interpretations about social lives in the past. Serena's publications have focused on symbolic landscapes in Egypt and the Neolithic site of Çatalhöyük in Turkey. Serena has lectured internationally and taught archaeology at Stanford, Brown University and University of Queensland, and held a Senior Fellowship at Koç University in Istanbul in 2016. Serena is committed to science communication and community-led research and has spent the past 7 years working with Aboriginal communities in Queensland with grant writing, capacity building and developing curriculum aligned, archaeology themed teaching materials for Australian classrooms. Serena uses archaeology to connect the people of today with the people of the past and she is driven to constantly explore, learn and share the subject wherever possible.  -- If you want knowledgable hot takes on headlines about archaeology, Egyptology, and antiquity in general delivered to your inbox, subscribe to our Substack Ancient/Now. You can also support the podcast by becoming a Patron. Follow Kara on social media: https://linktr.ee/karacooney

EPISODE 57 | In this episode, special guests Dr. Katherine Blouin and Dr. Heba Abd el Gawad join Kara and Jordan for a conversation about Netflix's docu-drama Queen Cleopatra and the ways in which modern issues of reception, ownership, and race have played into how Cleopatra is seen today. Dr. Abd el Gawad brings her nuanced perspective as a scholar and an Egyptian to the discussion, and Dr. Blouin helps us get into the deep-cuts of how the threads of imperialism, Orientalism, and patriarchy have been used to weave narratives about Cleopatra that continue to influence how she is viewed as an historical figure. ---- If you want knowledgable hot takes on headlines about archaeology, Egyptology, and antiquity in general delivered to your inbox, subscribe to our Substack Ancient/Now. You can also support the podcast by becoming a Patron. Follow Kara on social media: https://linktr.ee/karacooney  

This is a recording from live Zoom event held on May 27th for this month's Patreon Q&A with a focus on women, women's experiences and goddesses in ancient Egypt.  ---- If you want knowledgable hot takes on headlines about archaeology, Egyptology, and antiquity in general delivered to your inbox, subscribe to our Substack Ancient/Now. You can also support the podcast by becoming a Patron. Follow Kara on social media: https://linktr.ee/karacooney

Kara and Jordan explore the world of magic & medicine and how illnesses were treated in ancient Egypt. Did the Egyptians distinguish between magic and medicine in efficacy? What illnesses did the Egyptians suffer from?  How were they treated? Stay tuned until the end to hear them read from some actual magico-medical papyri!  If you want knowledgable hot takes on headlines about archaeology, Egyptology, and antiquity in general delivered to your inbox, subscribe to our Substack Ancient/Now. You can also support the podcast by becoming a Patron. Follow Kara on social media: https://linktr.ee/karacooney

"Don't bring a mace to a gunfight." In our latest Bookclub installment Jordan and Amber cover another book from Egyptologist/author Barbara Mertz (also known as Barbara Michaels and Elizabeth Peters), "Search the Shadows." Spoiler's ahead!! If you want knowledgable hot takes on headlines about archaeology, Egyptology, and antiquity in general delivered to your inbox, subscribe to our Substack Ancient/Now. You can also support the podcast by becoming a Patron.  

Kara and Jordan answer this month's Patron questions. Want to submit a question? Become a patron

Kara and Jordan cover four ancient Egypt-themed headlines from the void in the Great Pyramid to the recently restored zodiac at the Temple of Esna.    Make sure to stay up-to-date with other Egypt and archaeology related news via out substack-- ancientnow.substack.com