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Chris Naunton

Egyptologist

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Akhenaten and Nefertiti holding images of themselves venerating the Aten’s names, and Wael joining in. TA 10, tomb of Apy. Still catching up on photos from our recent #actualnilecruise Always a special day at Amarna, such a wonderful atmosphere, the ancient past somehow feels close here perhaps because the landscape is still so free, relatively, of modern clutter. Saw a couple of tombs in the south group that I hadn’t seen before, and somehow images of the main protagonists I hadn’t seen or at least photographed before were leaping out at me everywhere (what was I looking at before…?). Suze’s first visit too. I didn’t post this last week as I didn’t want to spoil the surprise of a gift I bought @suzehaworth here. This lovely man is Ashraf (of @ashraf_hashem_khyamia) one of the famous ‘tentmakers’ whose shops line the 17th century covered market, the Qasaba of Radwan Bey, just outside the walls of Medieval Cairo, south of the Bab Zuweila (a monumental gateway). Ashraf makes Khayamiyya, decorative appliqué textiles - a bit like elaborate patchwork quilts - which were originally used to decorate tents across the Middle East. Cairo is the great centre of their production and I was hoping to bring away a couple of souvenirs. As it was the Eid last week this famous street was almost deserted, the shops were almost all closed but Ashraf’s was open, he saw me linger and invited me to take a look. I could tell straight away that he was a good guy and his wall hangings and other works were beautiful and inexpensive. I saw some I liked but I’m a hesitant shopper so I asked him what time he would be closing, and said I would think about it and then return. He was delighted and seemed to think I was very honourable when I went back on my way home. I bought a brightly decorated cushion cover and a wall hanging decorated with a calligraphic version of the phrase ‘and say, may god increase the knowledge’. I met some very nice Iraqi / British ladies there who helped with some translations, said some very elaborate and effusive goodbyes, and then embarrassed myself by going back to buy something else. I loved the experience. Abu Roash. Site of the pyramid of Khufu’s successor, Djedefra. Most of it is king gone - the stone was removed in Roman times - but the lower courses of limestone and some of the outer granite casing remain, along with a boat pit, remains of a pyramid temple, an enclosure wall, a 1700m-long ramp back down to lower ground and, most spectacularly, a massive, deep cut into the bedrock into which the entrance passageway and burial chamber were built. Such an interesting day, only my second visit to the site, first time scrambling down into the cutting, and a pleasure to do it w fellow contributor Frank Monnier who knows much more about pyramids than I do! I even got to drive a 4x4… OK so for anyone still wondering where the photo in my last post was taken these photos are a pretty big clue… (And well done to everyone who guessed right!). And a big thank you to our DoP Kai for the last pic feat. a v sweaty Dr Chris… New assignment started today. As always with such things (filming) I’m not going to tell you where or what for - partly because that’s how it works until broadcast but also because it’s fun seeing who knows where we are 😀 (Actually, I don’t think it will be too hard this time…). Stairway with vaulted ceiling leading out of the Sety temple to the west, towards the Osireion. When I first went to Egypt as an undergrad in 1998 this was probably the thing I wanted to see most: the kinglist in the Sety temple at Abydos. I’d written an essay about the Egyptians’ concept of their own history and was fascinated by the list. I still am. The future Ramesses II, depicted as a youth, stands before his father Sety I, reading from a papyrus roll the names of their distinguished predecessors. All the evidence we have shows that the list by no means includes the names of all the kings to have ruled in Egypt but it’s remarkable for how good it is - some of the kings named here had been dead for almost 2,000 years by this point. Staggering that they were able to draw on records of people and events so long ago - we have almost nothing comparable for Britain. The list for the Fourth Dynasty - Khufu and several other great pyramid builders - is complete. I looked for this part of the list in particular that n this visit as my next assignment focusses on one of their number - watch this space :) Heads, shoulders, knees and toes (and other parts). Sety I’s artists were unmatched in raised relief as these details from his Abydos temple show. That little finger? Used to apply ointment - the king is holding the pot in his other hand.

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