Book Reviews

these objects was considered irrelevant. Tomb groups,

except in special cases, were broken up and the artifacts sent to multiple institutions. Curators at these
museums interpreted a normalized view of Predynastic
Egyptian culture where a typical burial could be concocted for public display using artifacts from different
tombs from a variety of sites so long as it contained a
representative sample of the different artifact classes
believed to date to the same period.
Worse, for the purposes of modern research, scholars often have great difficulty discovering which institutions hold artifacts from published tomb groups. Even
after locating these objects, finding the funding to visit
multiple institutions for detailed study creates more
obstacles. While institutions with sufficient resources
are helping to remedy this problem with the creation
of online catalogues of their holdings, in the absence
of well researched background for these artifacts, the
same barriers to research will exist in the virtual world.
Winifred Needlers work on the large collection of Predynastic and Archaic objects in the Brooklyn Museum
remains the gold standard for this type of publication;
however, few smaller museums have the resources to
produce such a comprehensive work even though their
collections may be quite substantial.
A welcome effort to tackle all of these issues is offered in Patenaude and Shaws catalogue of slate palettes from the Manchester University Museum. The
catalogue provides records of the 113 palettes in the
museums collection, their donors and their probable
date, where available. The authors have also made a
concerted effort to pinpoint the original locations of
the palettes in their collections and provide full descriptions of the in situ finds in the graves either from
the original publications or from field notes where this
information is available. The authors have also provided sample reproductions of the original field drawings
of the graves from which seven of their palettes come.
Admirably, the authors also point out two palettes in
their collection which are probable forgeries.
Black and white images of all the palettes are provided in addition to their description, though the images are not uniform in scale and only a third of these
images include a centimeter bar for reference, obliging

Julie Patenaude and Garry J. Shaw, A Catalogue of Egyptian Cosmetic Palettes in the Manchester University Museum Collection (Manchester, UK: Golden House Publications, 2011). ISBN 9781906137205. Pp. 119, b/w
illustrations.
The important work of fully documenting the Predynastic material in museum collections is a vital and
often neglected aspect to studies of Egypts prehistory.
Publications often focus on individual pieces possessing unusual iconography whereas the vast majority of
this material is deemed typical of its artifact class.
Any specificity of context that might aid in the construction of more nuanced or detailed interpretation
of past cultural differences is lost in vague generalizations about the description and function of an entire
class of artifacts, with slight attention being paid to cultural significance or geographic variation.
Part of this difficulty stems from the sheer numbers
of prehistoric artifacts that inhabit museums with ancient Egyptian collections. Paradoxically, in the early
twentieth century when many of these Predynastic
Egyptian cemeteries were being explored, artifacts discovered in these graves were not as highly valued as
those bearing inscriptional evidence, while the sheer
number of graves containing cultural material far
outstripped that of historic period cemeteries. The
result was that institutional subscribers to or sponsors
of these excavations were inundated with large numbers of artifacts from a variety of sites that to the average Egyptologist carried comparatively little inherent
meaning beyond where the artifact placed within the
developmental phases of prehistoric Egypt.
Another aspect of this difficulty lies in the original
cemetery publications themselves. Faced in some cases
with hundreds of graves to choose from, excavators often chose to publish a representative sample of grave
groups, while the vast majority of material went unpublished. Where the field notes of the excavator are still
extant, this problem can be remedied with some deep
research. But in cases where the original excavation
data is unavailable, primary contextual information is
lost to us.
The result was that the specific context for many of

219

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the reader to flip back and forth in the catalogue to

find the actual dimensions of most of the objects.
In the analysis section of the catalogue, the authors
provide raw counts for each cemetery site from which
their palettes come; counts for the phase of Egyptian
culture to which their palettes date; counts for the stylistic categories represented in their collection; the sex
or age of the palette owner, where known; and the general find spot of the palette whether in a mortuary or
settlement site. While all this information is welcome,
one cannot help feeling that an opportunity for deeper
analysis has been missed. No attempt to analyze the
high percentage of female and children buried with
palettes versus those buried with men is made. Neither
is the uneven geographic distribution of palettes from
southern sites to northern sites addressed. Even outstanding examples within the collection, such as the
so-called Ostrich Palette (Manchester 5476) featured
on the front cover of the book, receive no particular
reexamination. The wide temporal and stylistic range
of material contained in the Manchester University
Museum could have been used in an analysis of body
decoration and ornamentation in the composition of
Predynastic grave tableaux. Given some of the more
interesting anthropological approaches to the Predynastic Egyptian record in the last ten years, including
David Wengrows The Archaeology of Early Egypt (2006),
it seems a discussion of the role of cosmetic palettes in
prehistoric Egyptian life would have complemented the
publication of this collection.
This work is listed as the first of a planned series
of catalogues from Manchesters collections, raising
hopes that that the remainder of the museums Predynastic objects will be published in future.
Jane A. Hill
Rowan University

Franck Monnier, Les forteresses gyptiennes. Du Prdynastique au Nouvel Empire, Connaissance de lgypte
Ancienne, n 11 (Brussels: ditions Safran, 2010).
ISBN 978-2-87457-033-9. Pp. 208, 16 plates.
Les forteresses gyptiennes: Du Prdynastique au Nouvel
Empire provides an overview of the fortress system and
fortified towns of the Eastern Delta and desert, Sinai,
Syria-Palestine, Western Desert, and Nubia from the
Predynastic through the New Kingdom, and touches
upon fortified towns and sites within the Nile Valley
proper, usually to demonstrate architectural techniques. The topics are outlined in seven chapters, with
subsections, followed by three appendices, and several

annexes, which round out the publication.

Chapter 1: Historical Context gives a brief overview of
Egypts history from the Predynastic period through
the New Kingdom, up through the reign of Ramesses
XI. Monnier does not include post-Pharaonic military
architecture. He also uses ancient Egyptian historical
documents in his discussion of Egypts external contacts.
Chapter 2: Representation of Fortresses and the Architectural Evolution addresses the representation of fortresses in Egyptian art from the Predynastic period through
the New Kingdom. This chapter focuses specifically on
architectural evolution, although there is slight overlap
with chapter 1.
Monnier discusses the depictions of early circular,
semicircular, and rectangular enclosures that appear
on labels and in tomb scenes. He also introduces the
concept of the funerary enclosures at Abydos. The author presents the reader with a very nice table (fig. 11,
p. 38) of representations of fortresses from Dynasty
0 through Dynasty 1. The discussion of Dynasty 12 is
very brief with a focus on the Nubian fortresses. However, Monnier returns to the issue of the Nubian forts
later in the publication. He notes that the archetypal
fortress plan, often described as the plains fortress
type, as well as the second phase of the Nubian fortress
system is called the schema triangulaire, or the cataract fortresses.
The authors discussion is enhanced by the inclusion of several nice illustrations. However, the use of
illustrations is not consistent; for some sites, the lack
of figures was frustrating. Likewise, some of his points
were not as thoroughly examined as one might wish,
such as the issue of higher water levels during the annual inundation and how the architects dealt with this
problem (5253). In these cases, the lack of references
exacerbated the problem.
Monniers New Kingdom discussion centers on
the fortified urban hubs and large temple complexes,
rather than true fortified military architecture. This is
understandable, however, since some Middle Kingdom
fortresses continued to be in use during the New Kingdom, especially in Nubia. Since the southern portion
of Egyptian-occupied Nubia was fairly quiet, fortified
towns and temple sites were more appropriate to protect the populace from any surprise attacks. While he
uses sites such as Deir el Medina, Medinet Habu, and
Tell el Daba to illustrate the fortified towns, one questions why he does not also discuss similar Nubian sites,
such as Seseb.
In addition to archaeological remains, the author
uses contemporary documentation in the form of
tomb paintings and other examples, such as the tomb
of Mahu (Tomb 9, Tell el Amarna) and its depiction of

reviews 221

fortified architecture. Similarly, Monniers discussion

regarding the fortresses constructed along the Ways
of Horus is set in the context of their representations
on the north wall of Seti Is hypostyle hall at Karnak.
He uses the larger grouping of campaign records at
Karnak to review Hlschers repurposing of Badaways
original set of seven types of fortresses, which Hlscher
condensed into four. While the discussion of the types
is helpful, it is very brief and it is unclear why the conversation concerning the types is not addressed earlier
in the book. Although Monnier introduces the dialogue, he rarely refers back to it in the later chapters.
While Monnier moves easily between archaeological, iconographical, and textual evidence and examples, the organization of the chapter sometimes makes
it difficult for the reader to follow. Placing the discussion of the fortress types at the beginning would have
allowed him to group, within larger headers, the discussions within their appropriate fortress types (Type
1, Type 2, Type 3, Type 4), but he does not do this. As a
result, it is easy to lose ones focus on the examples for
the different types.
Chapters 3 through 6 concentrate on a particular
geographic area: the Eastern Delta and the Northern
Sinai, the Middle East, the Western Frontier, and
Nubia. The chapters are split into mini descriptions of
various fortified sites dating from the Old Kingdom
through the New Kingdom. The individual site reviews
often come with basic bibliography, and are sometimes
accompanied by an architectural plan. Although these
chapters were the richest in bibliographic references
for the reader, Monnier often gives only the basic publications on the sites. This, however, is certainly an asset
for the lesser known sites.
Chapter 3: The Fortresses of the Eastern Delta and the
Northern Sinai concentrates only on the fortresses of
the Eastern Delta and Northern Sinai. It encompasses
the time frame from the Predynastic period through to
the New Kingdom. He opens the chapter with a geographical description of the northeastern Delta and the
northern Sinai; he defines several terms for the reader:
la zone dunaire, la langue, la zone plusiaque, and
la zone postplusiaque.
Monniers discussion of the Old Kingdom fortified frontier is concerned mainly with titles and place
names within Old Kingdom and First Intermediate period texts. He does expand on the Ways of Horus, but
this part is the only in-depth examination prior to the
Middle Kingdom.
The Middle Kingdom sections focus is concerned
with the Walls of the Prince (inbw HqA), which are mentioned in both the Prophecy of Neferti and the Tale
of Sinuhe. With this discussion, the author also reintroduces the Ways of Horus. Once he completes his

review of the Ways and the Walls, Monnier begins a

dialogue concerning the military routes of Seti I. At
the end of this discussion, the reader is introduced to
a series of fortified sites from Tell Hebua northward to
Kom el Qolzoum, in the Isthmus of Suez.
Chapter 4: The Egyptian Fortresses of the Middle East is
a discussion of the New Kingdom fortified sites of the
Egyptian Syro-Palestinian territory from Sharuhen to
Deir el Baleh. Monnier introduces this chapter with a
brief discussion on the problems and issues of identification of New Kingdom fortresses in this area. The set
up of the site discussions is the same as chapter 3.
Chapter 5: The Fortresses of the Western Frontier is another review of a series of sites, dating to the mid- to
late New Kingdom (Dynasties 19 and 20), but this time
in the western Delta and the northwestern territory of
the Egyptian coast. Monnier reviews the sites starting
from Qaret el Dahr (in the Wadi el Natrun) to westernmost fort at Zawiyet Umm el Rakham. Again, he uses
the same set up of the site overviews in chapter 3.
Chapter 6: The Nubian Fortresses concentrates on the
Nubian fortress system. The introduction to the chapter includes a very brief overview of the basic history of
the Egyptian fortress system, as well as a brief discussion on the archaeology of the area. The author also
gives a list of fortresses with their modern and ancient
names.
Following this, Monnier addresses the Great
Walls, such as those at Aswan, Elephantine, Semna
West, and Semna South. His discussion on the fortress system starts with the northern fortified site of
Elephantine and then moves southward. He does not
separate out the fortresses by date, instead using location as the method of organization. This chapter also
has some of the best selection of architectural plans,
though this may be due to the fact that many of them
were excavated and published during the salvage work
that was done to rescue sites before the Aswan dam
was finished.
The author also includes the fortified town sites in
Nubia, which were constructed during the New Kingdom. These sites include Askha, Amara West, Sai, Seseb, and Soleb. Although his discussion in some places
is short, the author does provide some basic bibliography. The chapter concludes with a review of the literary sources: the Thutmose III stela at Aswan, the list
of fortresses from the Ramesseum Onomasticon, the
inscriptions from el Girgaoui, the stela at Tombos, and
the stela from Kerma.
Although chapter 6 deals solely with the Nubian fortresses, some of the discussion concerning these fortresses occurs in chapter 2. It would seem that chapter
6 would have been made stronger by concentrating the
discussion of Nubian fortresses in this chapter. Since

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there is significantly more information about the Nubian fortresses, starting off the set of chapters with the
Nubian sites, rather than the Eastern Delta fortresses,
might have also allowed for a better organization of the
material.
Chapter 7: Three Fortresses, which is the last chapter,
focuses on three additional fortresses: Tell Ras Budran,
Ayn Asil, and Wadi el Hudi. These three sites are at
the very edges of the empire and are either located in
oases or associated with mines. It is a good basic introduction to the sites. Fortunately, Monnier also includes
bibliography at the end of each site discussion.
Appendices: Monnier includes three appendices:
The Walled Cities, White Wall, and The Walls of
the Palermo Stone: funerary palaces or divine fortresses. Unlike the previous chapters, he does not include
site-specific bibliography, which is a disappointment,
although the author does include extensive footnotes.
The appendices offer the same amount of information
as the main chapters. Appendix 1 would have better
served the reader as a main chapter, while appendices
2 and 3 could have been easily folded into chapter 2.
After the appendices, there are eight additional sections, or annexes. These include a general map of
Egypt (which might better serve at the beginning of
the book), a chronological table (also probably better
situated at the front of the book), a glossary of architectural terms, a list of Egyptian terms (hieroglyphs, transliteration, and modern [French] equivalent terms), a
list of Egyptian fortresses and fortified sites by their
Egyptian names (hieroglyphs, transliterations, and
modern [French] names), foundation dates, locations,
the general bibliography, and the credits for photos
and illustrations. The final entry of the book is a set of
seventeen colored plates.
Monniers first two chapters provide the reader with
a historical and architectural introduction to the subject. While necessary, this did result in repetition in the
following chapters, which also focus on military architecture of specific areas. Although not an easy problem to solve, better organization of these two chapters
and additional references, both external and internal,
would allow the reader to further pursue issues raised
and provide greater cohesion with the remainder of the
book.
Chapters 4 through 6 are the strongest chapters of
the book and provide the reader with a short bibliography of each site, which is excellent, particularly because
some of the sites are not very well known. I would recommend purchasing the book for these chapters alone.
Chapter 7, while a good chapter, could have been expanded. In addition, it is not clear why the specific sites
in the chapter were chosen for review as opposed to
others: a short introduction to this chapter would have

been useful in this regard.

I would have preferred more bibliographic references within the chapters, most especially chapters 1
and 2, but that is a purely personal preference. The appendices were excellent additions and could have been
expanded in order to make them into proper chapters,
but perhaps external reasons necessitated keeping
them as appendices. The annexes were very helpful as were the glossary and list of Egyptian-to-modern
terms. These formed admirable additions to the book
and give the reader handy, well-organized vocabulary
references.
Although the book is not an in-depth treatment of
fortress sites of Egypt, it is a strong review of the general knowledge of Egyptian military architecture. As
a basic introductory reference, it would enhance both
institutional and personal libraries for those who are
interested in the fortress system of ancient Egypt.
Beth Ann Judas
University of Pennsylvania

Peter F. Dorman and Betsy M. Bryan, eds., Perspectives

on Ptolemaic Thebes: Papers from the Theban Work
shop 2006, SAOC 65 (Chicago: The Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago, 2011). ISBN 9781-885923-85-1. Pp. xiv + 146; 77 figures, 5 tables.
This volume is the second publication of the Theban
Workshop held at the University of Chicago in 2006.
The Epigraphic Survey has spent decades copying reliefs and inscriptions from Theban temples of the New
Kingdom, but the present book showcases research its
members and colleagues have conducted on the later
Ptolemaic period.
Ptolemaic Thebes is an excellent subject for interdisciplinary conferences such as this one, since the
variety of available evidence attracts diverse specialists in both Pharaonic and Hellenistic history. A major
conference focused on this subject in the 1990s (S. P.
Vleeming, ed., Hundred-Gated Thebes, 1995), and another took place in Brussels in 2005 (A. Delattre and
P. Heilporn, eds., Et maintenant ce ne sont plus que
des villages. Thbes et sa rgion aux poque hellnistique,
romaine et byzantine, 2008; not mentioned in the book
under review).
Alexandria presents few Hieroglyphic or Demotic
documents, and little remains of the great temples of
Graeco-Roman Memphis. Thebes, by contrast, preserves over a dozen major temples from this time, as
well as tombs, papyri, funerary material, not to mention Greek and Demotic ostraca, papyri, and graffiti.

reviews 223

The present book balances a fascinating variety of perspectives, highlighting new methodologies and avenues
of research, including political and socioeconomic history (Manning, Moyer), administrative papyri (Arlt),
temple graffiti (Di Cerbo and Jasnow), statuary (Albersmeier), religious texts (McClain), and detailed analysis
of royal titularies (Ritner). A relatively quick read, this
volume provides an excellent companion to general
histories of the period (e.g., Bevan, Hlbl), which rely
heavily on classical historical narratives, Greek papyri,
and Egyptian royal decrees.
In the preface, the editors emphasize the separateness of Thebes during the Ptolemaic period, a region
that seemingly resisted Hellenizing cultural and political influences more than other multicultural regions
such as Memphis or the Fayyum, most notably because
of its major political revolts. Unlike temples at Edfu
and Philae, which were built entirely anew under the
Ptolemies, Thebes witnessed remarkably few additions
to its New Kingdom shrines. Scholars have often suggested this resulted from a grand political strategy of
the Hellenistic rulers, privileging neighboring cities
(e.g., Ptolemais, Coptos, Edfu) while neglecting the
historically significant Theban monuments, ushering
in the eventual decline of this city.
Nonetheless, it is important to remember that decoration and restoration took place almost continually in
Karnak during this time (see C. Thiers, Membra disiecta ptolemaica III, Cahiers de Karnak 13, 2010, 37399;
14, 2013, 46791), while numerous subsidiary temples
were constructed as well, such as Opet, Mut, Montu
(North Karnak), Medamud, Deir el-Bahari (Ptolemaic
Shrine), Deir el-Medina, Qasr el-Agouz, Armant (Montu temple and Mammisi), and Tod. Thus, while the results are not as visually striking as at Edfu or Dendera,
significantly greater resources were provided to the
Theban region than scholars generally admit.
Furthermore, Ptolemaic kings and priests appear
not to have been interested in radically overhauling
the temples in Thebes, but intentionally preserved the
Pharaonic buildings and decoration, maintaining the
antiquarian prestige of this world-renowned city. Following the lead of Alexander the Great, who restored
the inner sanctuaries at Karnak and Luxor, thereby
adding archaizing reliefs of himself alongside Thutmosis III and Amenhotep III, subsequent kings sponsored the renewal of New Kingdom texts, including at
Medinet Habu and Karnak (cf. McClain and Ritners
essays). As Albersmeier discusses in this volume, local
Theban priestesses specifically revived New Kingdom
garments and poses for their private statuary, emphasizing their appreciation of the glory days of Karnak.
The authors are all leading experts in their respective areas of specialization, and each essay deserves

multiple close readings. Nonetheless, the conference

took place in 2006 and was not published until late
2011, and only some of the contributions incorporated
more recent bibliography, not to mention additional
studies published since then. The following comments
are not intended as criticisms, but aim to provide interested readers with bibliography on further developments in these areas of research. In general, there are
the two volumes edited by Christophe Thiers (Documents de Thologies Thbains Tardives [D3T 1-2], 2009
and 2013), and the reviewers own monograph (Caesar
in the City of Amun: Egyptian Temple Construction and
Theology in Roman Thebes, 2012), all of which discuss
many of the same questions and sources.
Joseph G. Manning (115) suitably introduces the
following essays, primarily concerned with Theban
sacred institutions, by addressing motivations for Ptolemaic support of building activity in Upper Egypt. He
notes that state funds were not mere gifts to the clergy,
since strings were usually attached. Increased funding also meant a surge of Ptolemaic bureaucrats and
soldiers from Alexandria. Furthermore, this activity
was concentrated at strategically or economically important hubs such as Edfu, with access to the Eastern
Desert, Red Sea, and Nubian trade routes. Thus the
new temple building in the Thebaid, I believe, was a
means by which the Ptolemies gained control of the
south (7).
While Manning focuses on Upper Egypt, it is worth
noting that the first two Ptolemies focused almost exclusively on Lower Egyptian temples (Philae and the
Mut Temple at Karnak being notable exceptions), since
these cities (e.g., Sais, Mendes, Buto, Memphis, Sebennytos, Behbeit el-Hagar, Tanis, Pithom) were the true
centers of indigenous elite in the preceding centuries
(Dynasties 2630). It is only under Ptolemy III Euergetes that temple construction really begins in the Thebaid. Why the sudden shift in strategy? Perhaps it is
partly due to increased Ptolemaic activity in the Red
Sea, but it could also be a direct consequence of the
national priestly synods and administrative reorganization initiated during this reign. As Manning notes (1,
n. 4), much of the present paper was incorporated into
his more recent book (The Last Pharaohs: Egypt under
the Ptolemies, 2010, especially 84110).
Carolin Arlt (1734) studies various scribal institutions in Thebes, and investigates the decline of Demotic and rise of Greek for official documents. From
the numerical distribution of surviving documents,
Arlt notices two sharp declines in Demotic around 250
and 90 BCE, precisely around the times of two major
Theban revolts. Arlt studies prosopographic evidence
for native Egyptian notaries (for which see now M.
Vierros, Bilingual Notaries in Hellenistic Egypt: A Study of

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Greek as a Second Language, 2012), and argues that traditional positions of Royal Scribe and Scribe of Amun
appear to die out by 220 BCE.
However, Arlt notes that new sources might change
this picture. In fact, a block from Karnak currently in
the Brooklyn Museum of Art (16.580.214), preserves
extended titles of a Theban priest named Horemhab,
who was active under Ptolemy VIII Euergetes II (c.
145116; C. Traunecker, Les graffites des frres Horsaisis et Horemheb. Une famille des prtres sous les derniers Ptolmes, in Gs. Jan Quaegebeur, 1995, II, 1192,
1204). Among various duties, he was also accounting
scribe of Amun of the five phyles in Thebes (sS Imn iw=f
(Hr) ip(.t) pA zA 5-nw n Niw.t), and his prominent family had close relations to the Ptolemaic dynasty, holding titles such as Priest of Royal Crowns and Statues.
While administrative reforms certainly took place over
time, particularly regarding the language of the papyri,
at least some Theban temple scribes remained in office. Ongoing research on Ptolemaic statues from the
Karnak Cachette may further nuance the chronology
of these administrative changes
Christina Di Cerbo and Richard Jasnow (3551)
offer preliminary remarks on their comprehensive
documentation of devotional graffiti at Medinet Habu.
Although many were published already by William
Edgerton, and some translated by Heinz-Josef Thissen,
a considerable number remain unedited, including
many hieratic texts. Furthermore, rediscovered photographic negatives from the 1920s permit significant
revisions to Edgertons facsimile copies, particularly
for damaged graffiti that can no longer be collated in
person.
As the authors observe, a large percentage of the
graffiti belongs to priests of Montu from Armant to
the south of the temple. These dedications were likely
inscribed during the Khoiak festival, when Montu and
his clergy visited Amuns temple (Klotz, Caesar in the
City of Amun, 39297, especially 393, n. 70). Accordingly, the date on the new graffito from roofblock no.
99 (41, 43) can probably be restored to Khoiak ([IV]
Akhet), day 26, just like graffito no. 129.
Sabine Albersmeier (5367) describes a group of
Ptolemaic statuettes belonging to queens and priestesses from Thebes, which revive poses and attributes from
the New Kingdom. Since most of these objects come
from the Karnak Cachette, additional photographs
and updated bibliography can now be found online
(http://www.ifao.egnet.net/bases/cachette/). In particular, note that the translation of Doc. 8 (63) should
be modified slightly (L. Coulon, in Et maintenant ce ne
sont plus que des villages, 3032; D. Klotz, The Theban
Cult of Chonsu the Child in the Ptolemaic Period, in
Documents de Thologies Thbaines Tardives I, 127). As

Coulon demonstrated, this statuette can be linked to

a high-ranking Theban family, just like Doc. 11, and
thus dates to the reign of Ptolemy III or IV (L. Coulon,
not the second century [so Albersmeier, 54]). Note also
that the proposed translation of a female epithet, with
festively decorated breasts (sHb mnD.tj) (60) is incorrect; this should properly be with festively decorated
eyelids (also mnD.tj; see Wb. II, 93, 1314).
J. Brett McClain (6996) offers preliminary copies
and translations of Ptolemaic inscriptions from the
Small Temple of Medinet Habu. Final facsimile copies and detailed commentary are currently in preparation by the Epigraphic Survey. These inscriptions are
enormously important for studying Theban theology
in the Graeco-Roman period, particularly regarding
the serpentine form of Amun (Kematef), his successor (Irita), and the Ogdoad reportedly buried near
the temple in the Mound of Djeme. Nonetheless, while
some of the texts were published in the Nineteenth century by Champollion and Dmichen, and Sethe quoted
excerpts in his fundamental study (Amun und die Acht
Urgtter von Hermopolis, 1929), they have remained virtually unstudied until recently. One eagerly anticipates
the final Epigraphic Survey drawings, particularly for
the jamb reliefs featuring less common ram-headed
forms of Amun and Osiris (91, 93).
The texts feature many difficult spellings characteristic of the Ptolemaic period, and McClains translation
contains several uncertainties. C. Zivie-Coche recently
published a new translation with improved readings
and extensive commentary (LOgdoade Thbes
lpoque ptolmaque [II]. Le priptre du petit temple
de Mdinet Habou, in Documents de Thologies Thbaines Tardives 2, 22784), and the reviewer discussed
many passages pertaining to Kematef and the Ogdoad
(Caesar in the City of Amun, 467).
Robert K. Ritner (97114) discusses temple constructions in Thebes from the reign of Ptolemy IX Soter, a complicated era involving coregencies, temporary
exile, and the brutal quashing of a Theban revolt (for
which one may also consult A. E. Vsse, Les rvoltes
gyptiennes, 2004). By closely analyzing the different
titularies, Ritner distinguished between the discreet
portions of the reign (a phenomenon explored recently
by S. Caor-Pfeiffer, Zur Reflexion ptolemischer Geschichte in den gyptischen Tempeln aus der Zeit Ptolemaios IX. Philometor II./Soter II. und Ptolemaios
X. Alexander I. [11680 v. Chr.]: Teil 1: Die Bau- und
Dekorationsttigkeit, Journal of Egyptian History 1,
2008, 2177). This revision allows Ritner to conclude
that Ptolemy IX continued supporting temple decoration in Karnak and Medinet Habu even after the Theban rebellion which had been endorsed by the local
clergy.

reviews 225

Claude Traunecker recently surveyed much of the

same material (Thbes, t 115 avant J.-C.: les travaux
de Ptolme IX Ster II et son prtendu Chteu de
lOr Karnak, in Documents de Thologies Thbaines
Tardives 2, 177226), publishing for the first time the
Ptolemaic Karnak reliefs mentioned by Ritner (detailed
photographs are also available at http://www.cfeetk.
cnrs.fr/karnak/?iu=2196). Note that Traunecker argues against Ritners interpretation of a royal epithet
(Ritner, 105, 107, 110), providing detailed photographs
which favor the traditional reading: iwa mnx n nTr.wymnx.w (Traunecker, 196; note also that the horizontal
aA-signs in the divine epithets of Amun on 2045 look
quite different than the mnx hieroglyph).
Finally, Ian Moyer (11545), returns to a more
general theme, cultural interaction between Egyptian
priests and the Ptolemaic administration, a subject he
explored more broadly in his recent book (Egypt and
the Limits of Hellenism, 2011). Moyer eschews traditional
assumptions about Hellenization (or the lack thereof)
during this period by introducing the concept of a
Middle Ground. This artificial space, in which Egyptians boasted fictive, honorary Greek titles and Macedonian rulers acted as traditional Pharaohs, was created by two groups attempting to maintain mutually
beneficial relations in the particular social and political
conditions of Ptolemaic Egypt. Moyer illustrates this
new approach by investigating the trilingual decrees
(imperfect hybrids of Greek and Egyptian epigraphic
traditions), and the self-presentation of Hellenized
Egyptian officials of Upper Egypt, especially regarding their unabashed display of the Alexandrian wreath
(mitra).
David Klotz
Yale University

P. Vernus, Affairs and Scandals in Ancient Egypt, Translated from the French by David Lorton, (IthacaLondon: Cornell University Press, 2003). ISBN
0801440785. Pp. xi+211, 46 illustrations.
Pascal Vernuss book represents not only a thoughtful and detailed study of social, political, and moral
scandals occurring during the Late New Kingdom in
Egypt, but also a critical interpretation of the moral
transformations affecting the fading power of the late
Ramesside kings and the society and culture of this
period. In its foreword, Christiane Desroches Noblecourt already reveals to the reader that the target of
this work is not the brilliant and harmonious Egyptian
civilization, but rather the atmosphere propitious

for the commission of felonies by cheerful and cynical

rascals far from the seat of royal power in the capital
(viii). Thus, the reader of Vernuss work embarks on a
journey through the most pernicious deeds attested in
the textual and archaeological evidence from the New
Kingdom.
The exceptional selection of court records, memoranda, indictments and administrative documents allows the author to discuss i) legal hearings about tomb
and temple robberies; ii) strikes, protests, and offenses
committed by workers at Deir el-Medina; iii) the misdeeds of Paneb, a particularly incorrigible scoundrel
of this community; iv) the misbehavior of Penanukis,
a priest of the domain of Khnum in Elephantine; and
v) the intricate plot against Ramses III. The study was
first published in French in 1993 under the title Affaires
et scandales sour les Ramss, although its current translation into English by David Lorton is not an updated revision of the original, which in some cases deprives the
reader of the most recent bibliography on the subject.
Furthermore, the English title is misleading as the target of Vernuss examination is exclusively the scandals
that occurred during the Ramesside period and not in
the entire history of ancient Egypt.
The book consists of five chapters in which Vernus
analyzes symptomatic cases of the profound moral
decline observed in the New Kingdom, followed by a
chapter of recapitulation in which he compares old and
new values, namely, the traditional and novel concepts
of justice, ethics, divine intervention, and individuality.
He makes it clear that a major reason for moral deterioration was peoples skepticism with regard to the
effectiveness of their institutions. A foreword by the
late Desrosches Noblecourt (viiviii), a preface by the
author (ixx), and a translators note (xi) precede chapters 1 through 6. An appendix with the attested terms
for bribery (15155), a list of abbreviations (15557)
and the endnotes (159200) complement the main section, ending with the indices for subjects (2015), Egyptian terms (2078), and passages translated (20911).
The first chapter (149) covers the robberies of the
royal tombs in western Thebes and other cases of thievery in tombs of nobles and mortuary temples. This
section begins with Vernuss opinion that the particular mortuary beliefs in Egypt ultimately had an effect
on the economy as [e]normous quantities of goods
and precious materials lay wasted in tombs, removed
in principle from use or enjoyment by the living (3).
Thus, the deficient circulation of goods and even of
persons stimulated the activities of thieves at Thebes,
which Vernus tracks down mainly through the papyrological evidence dating to years 1617 of Ramses IX and
19 of Ramses XI (i.e., year 1 of wHm-mswt). Regarding
their methods, Vernus comments that, for violating a

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rock-cut tomb, thieves needed to carry out clearing and

digging for days, finally penetrating the burial chamber and removing amulets and jewelry. In temples, they
removed portable items of gold, silver, and wood, and
snipped off the metal sheeting of door frames, naoi,
and divine barks. The evidence shows that robbers
usually organized into bands of roughly a dozen members, centered on men united by family and professional ties [cf. the unpublished work by Ben Rayner, Tomb
Robbery in the Late New Kingdom at Thebes: The Social and
Political Implications, Birmingham, MPhil thesis, 2000].
Spending the loot was not easy, as honest individuals
could cancel any kind of transactions if they suspected
the origin of the items. Vernus points out the existence
of brokers (Swtyw), agents attached to institutions far
from Thebes whose function was to negotiate in-kind
exchanges of products or materials, suggesting that accepting goods stemming from the result of robberies
was not considered to be an act of wrongdoing in these
types of transactions: [i]n a way, the sack of the west of
Thebes permitted the recycling into daily life of assets
that ideology had confiscated, so to speak, in its hieratic realizations (49). Additionally, Vernus examines a
second scandal in the Nineteenth Dynasty, the armed
conflict between the Kings Son of Kush, Panhesy, and
the High Priest of Amun, Amenhotep. For this event,
the reader might want to examine the latest literature:
J. Palmer, The High Priests of Amun at the End of
the Twentieth Dynasty, Birmingham Egyptology Journal 2 (2014), 122; A. Thijs, The Troubled Careers of
Amenhotep and Panehsey: The High Priest of Amun
and the Viceroy of Kush under the Last Ramessides,
SAK 31 (2003), 289306; and A. Morales, The Suppression of the High Priest Amenhotep: A Suggestion
to the Role of Panhesi, GM 181 (2001), 5976. During
the conflict, Amenhotep was removed from his office,
Libyan troops conducted raids at Thebes, and looting
continued in the western necropolis.
The second chapter (5069) takes us to the reign of
Ramses III and the periodic interruption of wages to
pay the workers of the Institution of the Tomb, a situation that gradually led to their discontent, protests, and
strikes. Beginning with year 29, the Turin Strike Papyrus refers to the workers continuous demonstrations
of discontentment with the authorities at Thebes and,
ultimately, the supreme power of pharaoh. Beyond
the intricate chain of events that forced the builders of
royal tombs to threaten the Theban authorities, Vernus
explains the procedure by which these workers went
on strike. Having abandoned their administrative area
(lit. this day of passing the five redoubts of the tomb
hrw pn sS tA 5 inbw n pA xr), they proceeded to the rear
of the central administrative center in western Thebes,
the temple of Medinet Habu, demanding to discuss the

concessions with the highest authorities.

In the third chapter (7086), Vernus examines the
magnitude of the crimes of Paneb, a foreman of the Institution of the Tomb, living in the times of Seti II and
Siptah (ca. 12001188 BCE). Based on the inventory
of Panebs misdeeds written by the scribe Amennakht
(i.e., Pap. Salt 124), Vernus reports the atrocities that
this foreman from Deir El-Medina perpetrated against
the community, its institutions, and even pharaoh.
Paneb was not only involved in the assassination of the
previous foreman, Neferhotep, but also on stealing his
slaves, using some nekhet (lit. something, bak-shish) to
buy the silence of the highest officials when he attacked
some people, threatened to kill them, or when he had
amorous excesses with several wives of his village. In
addition to stealing objects from the tomb of Seti II
and tools belonging to the workers, he commanded
his gang to work on his own funerary monument, and
even stole limestone from the tomb of Seti II.
Chapter four (95107) deals with a provincial
scandal that occurred in the domain of Khnum in Elephantine during the reigns of Ramses IV and V (ca.
11531143 BCE), in which Penanukis, a pure priest of
the temple, committed various crimes against his colleagues in the temple, the community of Senet, and the
patron god. The Turin Indictment Papyrus, which constitutes the primary source for Penanukiss scandals,
articulates the denunciations made by the gods father
Qakhepesh against Penanukis, namely, proof of sexual
misdeeds with several womenincluding forcing one
of them to abort a pregnancy, burning a house with
two women in it (whom he later blinded), approaching the statue of the god while intoxicated, manipulating the local divine oracle, cutting off a persons ear
(without permission from pharaoh!), stealing various
kinds of objects from the temple, and committing
sacrilege by taking with him five sacred Mnevis calves
from the region of Heliopolis (hypostases of Atum-Re)
and selling them later to Medjay troops in the fortress
of Senmut (act. Biga). A periodic inventory made by
the White House revealed that Penanukis had stolen
property from the domain of Khnum equivalent to the
total amount of barley for workman during a period of
seventeen to thirty-three years.
In chapter five (10820), Vernus covers the scandalous attack plotted by queen Teye and prince Pentaweret against Ramses III. The major source for this event
is the well-known Turin Judicial Papyrus, a summary of
the declarations and decisions taken in respect to the
harem conspirators. Here, Vernus gives the reader a
strong feel for the presence of ideological censorship
in the text, in which editors made use of all kinds of
omissions, periphrases, circumlocutions (e.g., there
were performed the bad deeds that he did, but that Pre

reviews 227

did not permit to succeed), euphemisms, derogatory

appellation, and various devices aimed at modifying
what, unadorned, was unacceptable to ideology (117).
In the judicial document, Ramses III himself reports
the appointment of a commission and the outcome of
its investigations, the list of conspirators found guilty,
and the particular punishments applied to them. The
list of conspirators include many individuals, mainly
queen Teye (the instigator who wanted to bring her
son Pentaweret to the throne), the chamberlain Pabekkamen, the cupbearer Mesedsure, and other members
of the kings royal harem, such as the overseer and the
scribe of the kings chamber of the itinerant harem,
Panik and Penduau. In addition, several accomplices
constituted the armed contingent of the conspiracy,
mainly the chief of the archers of Kush, the overseer of
the White House, a general, and some troop officials.
Interestingly, a third network of persons involved in
the plot consisted of a magician, an overseer of pure
priests of Sakhmet, and two scribes of the House of
Life, which demonstrates that conspirators also made
use of sorcery against the king. According to their
punishment, the papyrus divided the guilty into three
groups: i) those who were considered guilty and executed in the place of examination, the most dishonorable death; ii) those who were compelled to commit
suicide in the same place; and iii) a third group who
were to commit suicide where they were, probable a
lesser degree of dishonor. As Vernus notes, the summary of the guilty parties reveals a further surprise: three
members of the commission appointed by Ramses III
were also charged with accepting bribes from conspirators, debauchery, and fornication. Vernus concludes
that the sources at our disposal yield no irrefutable
indication regarding the outcome of the conspiracy
(117).
In the sixth and last chapter (12149), Vernus concludes his attractive analysis of flesh and blood characters with a revision of the major shifts in morality
and ethics attested during the New Kingdom. These
changes can explain some of the social differences,
abuses, and protests; such acts were the symptoms and
catalysts of a profound moral crisis that began by the
time of Ramses II and the upheavals that marked the
end of the Nineteenth Dynasty. The author enumerates some causes for these changes, such as climate
change, the loss of control over Syria-Palestine, the disruption of tribute from this area, and the emergence of
corruption, prevarication, and exploitation in society.
As Vernus notes, the lack of confidence in the effectiveness of institutions, from the crown to the local priesthoods and administration, influenced the mentality,
behavior, and delinquency in the late New Kingdom
communities. Vernus brings this chapter to a close

with the idea that the advent of theocracy at the end of

the Twentieth Dynasty benefitted the priesthood and
severely impacted the crown.
In general, Vernus offers the general audience, the
specialist, and the student a myriad of known cases that
have never been anchored in this manner before. The
use of textual evidence and the contextualization of the
particular episodes within the topography of Thebes,
the West Bank, and Elephantine allows the reader to
understand the local idiosyncrasies, vagaries, and caprices of individuals whose misdeeds made them eminent rogues of their times, and perceive some of the
most prevalent difficulties facing local communities in
the first millennium BCE. Three comments that do not
detract from the value of the book have to do with the
system of endnotes, which complicates the use of this
work; the absence of bibliography, which could have
benefitted the reader; and the illustrations in 8794,
to which the author does not refer in his discussions.
All in all, Vernus does a remarkable job contextualizing various cases of misconduct and depravity, and
introducing the reader, with his rigorous knowledge of
the textual evidence, to some of the most exciting and
suspenseful cases of everyday life and misconduct from
ancient Egypt.
Antonio J. Morales
Freie Universitt Berlin

Bernard Mathieu, Minitri Meeks, and Myriam Wissa,

eds., Lapport de lgypte lhistoire des techniques.
Bd 142 (Cairo: IFAO, 2006). ISBN 2-7247-0417-7.
Pp. viii + 301, map, ill.
This volume is the product of an international and
interdisciplinary round table held in Cairo in September 2003, the collaborative brainchild of the editors.
The publication contains eighteen essays covering diverse technologies, as well as a foreword by Mathieu
and a chapter by Meeks concerning the study of ancient technology and Egyptology. The other essays cover a wide variety of technological specializations across
a broad expanse of time, with an emphasis on the later
periods. The essays are not restricted to technological
considerations, but explore the various technologies as
culturally embedded phenomena.
The essays are primarily in French, with six in English, and are organized by the name of the author, with
the exception of the two just-mentioned contributions
from the editors, which appear at the beginning of the
volume. Each essay includes its own references and illustrations, some in color. There is no index or cumula-

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tive bibliography. A list of the contributors with their

institutional affiliations would have been helpful. Both
the conference and the publication were supported by
the IFAO.
In the Foreword, Mathieu notes that the goal of the
organizers for both the conference and the resultant
volume was to assemble a multidisciplinary group of
scholars to facilitate discussion, bring recent advancements in the history of technology to the attention of
those within the disciplines, and to develop theoretical
tools and methodologies. Meeks essay points out that
the terms history and technology have multiple
and complex meanings both singly and in combination
and, as the essays title indicates, tradition and innovation among Egyptologists, as well as the ancient Egyptians, are considered. He remarks on the intellectual
silos that have traditionally separated archaeologists
(the typical consumers of technology studies), philologists, and historians of ancient Egypt and argues for a
new, multidisciplinary approach to the history of technology and its potential for a productive synergy between the disciplines.
The essays vary in content from those focused primarily on technical aspects of a particular subject, to
textually based studies, to integrative studies including
data, theoretical approaches, and models from one or
more of the following disciplines: archaeology, ethnology (ethno-archaeology, ethno-technology), history,
scientific analyses (especially chemical analyses), experimental archaeology, texts and philology (Egyptian
and otherwise), art history, etc. These are used to examine questions relevant to materials and techniques
of manufacture, as well as to the study of society and
culture, trade and exchange, religion, and the transmission, submission, communication, acquisition, and
learning of technological skills both by and from the
ancient Egyptians. For this review, I have grouped the
essays by type of material discussed.
Ceramics are the subject of four essays. The most
technically detailed is the chapter by Ballet et al., covering Roman period ceramic production, including firing technology, and discussion of a possible new method of manufacture identified at Buto (Tell el-Farain).
Gayraud discusses the appearance of glazed ceramics
in Egypt during the Islamic period and the impact of
Far Eastern trade on this development. Defernez and
Marchand present a study of Egyptian copies of foreign
container vessels in Late period and Ptolemaic Egypt.
Bourriaus essay emphasizes the broader issues of the
conference and the utility of technology and materials
studies for understanding various aspects of ancient
culture, society, religion, etc. She proposes six research
questions that could be studied using Middle and New
Kingdom ceramic data.

Textiles, including basketry, are the subject of another four essays. Weaving and dying in the Roman
period are discussed in separate essays by Cardon
and Mossakowska-Gaubert, the former with special
attention to archaeological and analytic data from
rigorously controlled excavations in the Eastern Desert, and the latter focused on terminology, especially
Hellenistic, related to tunics and tunic production.
Mathieu addresses issues of work, coexisting systems
of measurement, social status, and other factors affecting the laundrymen who served the community at Deir
el-Medina. Wendrich uses her ethnographic studies of
basketry to address questions of knowledge acquisition and transmission of craft skills, emphasizing the
importance of repeated motor activity in learning a
manual (vs. intellectual) craft.
Glass and Egyptian faience are the subjects of two
essays. Nicholson reports again on the glass furnace
experiments at Amarna and gives his evaluation of
Petries knowledge and background in technology and
the physical sciences as a step toward understanding
his (Petries) reconstruction of the two-phase process
in glassmaking. Nenna discusses the history of glass
working and glass manufacture in Egypt from the New
Kingdom through Roman periods, as well as the last
great burst of faience production in the Ptolemaic period and its sudden disappearance by the third century
CE. She also briefly discusses the two-phase issue in
glass manufacture.
Intellectual property and ritual knowledge related
to boats and shipbuilding are explored by two authors.
Mathieu, in the first section of the article mentioned
above, uses Old Kingdom archaeological, representational and textual sources to suggest that ancient Egyptian mortuary examples of boats and boat building
could be seen as un substitut iconographique et condens d'une formule funraire for funerary spells related to boats. Based primarily on a piece of diplomatic
correspondence between Ramses II and Hattushili III,
Pomey addresses the question of how the design of
seagoing ships may have been planned; political and
historical implications of Ramses offer to share such
information with this former rival are discussed.
Two articles address topics related to the production of works of art. Following the theme of transmission of technology, technological processes, and/
or products, Jockey discusses the question of ancient
Egypts influence (or not) on Archaic Greek sculpture
and the results and significance of chemical analyses
documenting the presence of the manmade pigment
known as Egyptian blue on works of art from Delos
(Greece). Based on art-historical and chemical analyses of a painted relief in the church at Deir el-Surian,
Inneme proposes that encaustic painting did not die

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out in Egypt in the early first millennium, but was still

practiced in the seventh century.
Other essays cover meat preservation and experimental archaeology (Ikram) and discuss evidence for
the significance of land-based transportation infrastructure for communication as well as transmission
of raw materials and finished goods (Shaw). Specific
examples of brick masonry techniques used for public and private architecture from the site of Tebtunis
(Umm el-Baragat) are presented by Hadji-Minaglou.
The chanes opratoires for copper and iron/steel metalwork during the Graeco-Roman period are discussed
by Pichot et al.; a detailed outline of processes and a
glossary of technical terms in French are included. The
final essay by Wissa discusses the use of leather and
parchment, especially as surfaces for writing, in Egypt
and adjacent regions, with an emphasis on the later
periods. Terms are defined, an ethnographic study of
tanners in Old Cairo is reported, and detailed descriptions of the processes of leatherworking and the mak-

ing of parchment and are given.

This is a worthwhile volume for anyone interested
in Pharaonic and/or Graeco-Roman culture, society, history, or technology. Perhaps its most valuable
contribution is not the specific technical information
reported, but the ways in which the essays explore
various aspects of the cultural embeddedness of the
respective technologies, throwing light on economics,
exchange, concepts of value, worth of work, religion
and ritual, society, knowledge and skills acquisition
and dissemination, political issues, etc. These are concepts that some scholars may not immediately associate
with studies of technology. This volume will also be of
interest to scholars of classical or eastern Mediterranean antiquity, although it may go unnoticed due to
the presence of gypte in the title.
Patricia Podzorski
University of Memphis