Books by Johannes Auenmüller
http://www.diss.fu-berlin.de/diss/receive/FUDISS_thesis_000000099252
The study deals with different kinds of spatial relations of the Egyptian Elite of the New Kingdo... more The study deals with different kinds of spatial relations of the Egyptian Elite of the New Kingdom that can be subsumed under and characterized with the term territoriality. The time span of the New Kingdom (ca. 1550-1070 BC) and its political situation and historical development form the cultural backcloth of the monograph to follow. Before entering into the descriptive and analytical part of the study, which focuses on the textual discourse, the prosopographical documentation and the archaeological record of the Egyptian Elite under a territorial perspective, a theoretical discussion of the three terms essential for this study – elite, territoriality, and space – is held. After the theoretical introduction, the study is divided into the three main sections III, IV and V. Part III deals with the textual discourse of the elite, which is examined in great detail to discern the different spatial relations expressed in the so-called (auto-)biographical texts, epithets and offering formulae. Part IV takes the problem of geographical provenance and its different kinds of expression into account, a central aspect of territoriality. The historical contextualization of how origin and descent are verbalised in Ancient Egyptian texts shows that this was not a widespread category of identity at all. But its existence in certain moments and circumstances indicates that it definitely had a specific meaning. Part V aims at establishing a contrastive territorial typology of two socially and functionally differentiated groups of people, the so-called 'viziers' and 'mayors of town'. The backbone of this endeavour is constituted by the collected prosopographical dossiers of these people incorporating all kinds of archaeological and inscriptional evidence. The available data on the viziers and mayors of the New Kingdom is studied from different perspectives. First, the functional agenda of both groups is characterized on the basis of official texts to determine the basic territorial relations in administrative terms. The social milieu of origin and recruitment of viziers and mayors, as well as their different titles, epithets, (auto-)biographical texts, official residences, and statues plus stelae are then taken into consideration to explicate the individual territorial relations which form the basis for a general picture on territoriality and spatial identity of both groups.
Co-Authored Books by Johannes Auenmüller
Im Frühjahr 1969 wurde bei Ausgrabungen der Universität Bonn unter Leitung von Elmar Edel auf der... more Im Frühjahr 1969 wurde bei Ausgrabungen der Universität Bonn unter Leitung von Elmar Edel auf der Qubbet el-Hawa ein außergewöhnliches Depot mit Materialien einer antiken Gusswerkstatt gefunden. Im Zuge der Fundteilung gelangten die meisten Stücke des Konvolutes in das Ägyptische Museum der Universität Bonn und werden dort aufbewahrt.
Die Deponierung des für die Forschung zur antiken Metallurgie bisher einzigartigen Konvoluts geschah im Zuge der Nachnutzung von Grabanlagen aus dem Alten Reich (um 2100 v. u. Z.) in der ägyptischen Spätzeit (um 550 – 400 v. u. Z.). Das Depot enthält Objekte, die alle Fertigungsstufen von Metallgegenständen im Wachsausschmelzverfahren dokumentieren. Es wurden Stücke von Rohwachs sowie Wachsmodelle und die zu deren Herstellung genutzten Negativformen gefunden. Weiterhin enthielt es vollständige Gussformen, die in einem aufwendigen Mehrschalenverfahren hergestellt wurden und teilweise bereits für den Guss ausgebrannt worden sind. Schließlich zählen einige Metallfiguren sowie weitere figürliche Objekte zum Konvolut, die alle in den Bereich einer kunsthandwerklichen Werkstatt deuten. Eine Besonderheit stellen zudem Gussformen dar, in denen Fragmente von Metallfiguren zur Reparatur im Überfangguss vorbereitet waren.
Das Depot wurde in der Gesamtpublikation der Bonner Grabungen bisher nur summarisch vorgestellt. 2014/15 initiierten die Abteilung Ägyptologie der Universität Bonn und das LVR-LandesMuseum Bonn unter Ludwig D. Morenz und Michael Schmauder ein gemeinsames und von der Fritz-Thyssen-Stiftung gefördertes Forschungsprojekt, das von Martin Fitzenreiter, Johannes Auenmüller und Frank Willer geleitet wurde. In Kooperation mit Dietmar Meinel (Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung Berlin / BAM, Fachbereich 8.5 Mikro-ZfP), Roland Schwab (Curt-Engelhorn-Zentrum Archäometrie gGmbH, Mannheim), Gerwulf Schneider (FU Berlin, Exzellenzcluster TOPOI), Ursula Baumer und Patrick Dietemann (beide Doerner-Institut / München), Thorsten Geisler-Wierwille (Steinmann Institut für Geologie, Mineralogie und Paläontologie der Universität Bonn) sowie Ursula Tegtmeier (Labor für Archäobotanik der Universität Köln) wurden die Objekte des Konvolutes eingehend und mit zeitgemäßen Verfahren untersucht. Die Ergebnisse dieses Forschungsprojekts werden in dieser Publikation vorgelegt.
Edited Volumes by Johannes Auenmüller
Gesiegelt – Versiegelt – Entsiegelt. Studien zum Siegel(n) als Kulturtechnik von der Antike bis zum frühen Mittelalter, 2022
This book illustrates the state-of-the-art in settlement archaeology in Northeast Africa. As refl... more This book illustrates the state-of-the-art in settlement archaeology in Northeast Africa. As reflected in the title “From Microcosm to Macrocosm: Individual households and cities in Ancient Egypt and Nubia”, both a micro- approach introducing microhistories of individual sites according to recent archaeological fieldwork incorporating interdisciplinary methods as well as general patterns and regional developments in Northeast Africa are discussed.
This combination of research questions on the micro-level with the macro-level provides new information about cities and households in Ancient Egypt and Nubia and makes the book unique. Architectural studies as well as analyses of material culture and the new application of microarchaeology, here especially of micromorphology and archaeometric applications, are presented as case studies from sites primarily dating to the New Kingdom (Second Millennium BC). The rich potential of well-preserved but still not completely explored sites in modern Sudan, especially as direct comparison for already excavated sites located in Egypt, is in particular emphasised in the book.
Settlement archaeology in Egypt and Nubia has recently moved away from a strong textual approach and generalised studies to a more site-specific approach and household studies. This new bottom-up approach applied by current fieldwork projects is demonstrated in the book. The volume is intended for all specialists at settlements sites in Northeast Africa, for students of Egyptology and Nubian Studies, but it will be of interest to anyone working in the field of settlement archaeology. It is the result of a conference on the same subject held in 2017 as the closing event of the European Research Council funded project AcrossBorders at Munich.
The first Archaeological Bayuda Conference was held 10–12 September 2015 at Münster University, G... more The first Archaeological Bayuda Conference was held 10–12 September 2015 at Münster University, Germany. For the first time, researchers working in and about the Bayuda, a vast desert region in northern Sudan, came together to discuss the results of their archaeological studies and investigations, ranging from Palaeolithic to quite recent times. As the conference aimed at engaging in an interdisciplinary dialogue, the present proceedings want to showcase the current state of research about the Bayuda, while also attempting to define research questions for future explorations.
The conference and the publication of its proceedings were generously funded by the German Research Foundation and the Westphalian Wilhelms-University Münster, to whom we would like to express our deep gratitude. We are grateful to the Institut für Archäologie, Archäologie und Kulturgeschichte Nordostafrikas, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, for accepting the proceedings for publication in the series Meroitica, and to Steffen Wenig and Claudia Näser for their interest in this manuscript. We are also much obliged to Jens Fetkenheuer from the Harrassowitz publishing house who provided considerable assistance in finalizing the manuscript. Daniel Kischko helped with editing tasks, and Frank Joachim was responsible for the layout. We extend our sincerest thanks to all of you!
Finally, we would like to thank all our speakers and contributors for the lively discussions and their thought-provoking articles!
Münster, Spring 2018
Angelika Lohwasser – Tim Karberg – Johannes Auenmüller
Journal Papers by Johannes Auenmüller
Rivista del Museo Egizio, 2023
In 2008, the epigraphical evidence for the mid-18th Dynasty king’s daughter Nbw-m-tḫ was publishe... more In 2008, the epigraphical evidence for the mid-18th Dynasty king’s daughter Nbw-m-tḫ was published and discussed by Dina Faltings and Beatrix Gessler-Löhr. The list of objects belonging to the princess also includes four alabaster vessels held in the Museo Egizio Turin, two of which could be identified by the two scholars based on the data available back then, while two others could not be retrieved and were thus thought to be “lost”. The two “lost” pieces were recently re-identified as Turin Cat. 3254 and 3255. They are published here together with their two already known siblings Cat. 3247 and Cat. 3248.
Rademakers, F.W., Auenmüller, J., Spencer, N., Fulcher, K., Lehmann, M., Vanhaecke, F. and Degryse, P. (2023), Metals and pigments at Amara West: Cross-craft perspectives on practices and provisioning in New Kingdom Nubia, Journal of Archaeological Science 153, 105766.
This paper presents the results of elemental and lead isotopic analysis of copper alloys, copper-... more This paper presents the results of elemental and lead isotopic analysis of copper alloys, copper-based pigments and an extremely rare tin-based alloy from the town of Amara West (Sudan), the centre for pharaonic control of occupied Upper Nubia between 1300 and 1070 BCE. It is the first assemblage of its kind to be analysed for Upper Nubia during this period. This research examines the selection and consumption of alloys in a colonial context, in light of earlier and contemporaneous practices and patterns in both Egypt and Nubia, to assess broader systems of resource management and metal production. Drawing on the complementary information obtained from pigment analysis, novel insights into interactions between different high-temperature crafts are obtained, particularly in terms of shared provisioning systems. From this unique perspective, pigment analysis is used for the first time to illuminate copper sources not reflected in metal assemblages, while scrap copper alloys are identified as a key colourant for Egyptian blue manufacture. The integrated application of strontium isotope analysis further highlights the potential for identifying links between glass, faience and Egyptian blue production systems within Egypt and for distinguishing these from other manufacturing regions such as Mesopotamia. The analysis of a tin artefact further expands our understanding of potential tin sources available during the New Kingdom and their role in shaping copper alloy compositions. Overall, this holistic approach to copper alloys and their application in other high-temperature industries ties together different strands of research, shaping a new understanding of New Kingdom technological practices, supply networks and material stocks circulating throughout the Nile Valley.
BIFAO 122, 2022
In 1969, a unique set of Late Period bronze casting moulds was discovered at the Qubbet el-Hawa n... more In 1969, a unique set of Late Period bronze casting moulds was discovered at the Qubbet el-Hawa necropolis illustrating the chaîne opératoire of the lost-wax technique. Usually only mould fragments, if anything at all, remain in the archaeological record, but this assemblage presents complete examples representative of different phases of the production of solid-cast bronze artefacts. µCT scans of the moulds have revealed the existence of two entirely different technological approaches. The first is for the regular production of small amulets and statuettes of deities. The second is for attempts at “re-membering” Osiris figures. Previously cast and broken bronze feet are turned into the full form of an Osiris statuette by adding a body modeled in wax, and then placing the combination in a mould to cast a new image of the deity. Technologically, this particular method does not make sense, since a fusion of the newly cast body with the extant metal feet is impossible. This paper proposes a new hypothesis that seeks to explain this casting method in the context of a local ritual use.
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En 1969, un ensemble unique de moules de l’époque tardive a été découvert dans la nécropole de Qubbet el-Hawa, illustrant la chaîne opératoire de la technique de la cire perdue. Habituellement, il reste au mieux des fragments de moules comme seuls vestiges archéologiques, difficilement identifiables, or ce lot de moules présente des exemplaires complets représentatifs des différentes phases de la production d’artefacts en cire perdue. Les µCT-scans ont révélé l’existence de deux approches technologiques totalement différentes. La première vise à produire de petites amulettes et des statuettes de divinités. La seconde permettrait de tenter des « remembrements » de figures d’Osiris. En effet, des pieds en bronze – préalablement coulés puis cassés – ont été complétés en ajoutant et en y modelant un corps en cire pour donner une forme complète de statuette d’Osiris. Ensuite, cette figure mi-métal, mi-cire, est entourée d’un nouveau moule afin de créer un nouveau corps. D’un point de vue technique, une telle méthode constitue un non-sens, puisqu’une fusion entre le corps nouvellement coulé et les pieds en métal déjà existants n’est pas possible. Dans cet article, une nouvelle hypothèse est proposée, qui pourrait expliquer une telle technique de coulée propre à une utilisation rituelle locale.
Ägypten und Levante / Egypt and the Levant, 2021
This article presents two unpublished canopic jars of the Ramesside vizier Iuty kept in the Civic... more This article presents two unpublished canopic jars of the Ramesside vizier Iuty kept in the Civico Museo Archeologico, Sezione Egizia, in the Castello Sforzesco, Milan. All other currently known elements of the prosopographical dossier of this rather enigmatic functionary are compiled and discussed. The evidence not only allows the identification of the archaeological provenance of the two canopic jars from tomb no. 1130 in the New Kingdom elite cemetery of Bubastis (Tell Basta) in the Eastern Nile Delta. It also serves as a starting point to assess the available data about this vizier in terms of his tomb, burial equipment and date in more detail. Regarding the latter, a position in the 19th Dynasty is argued for, based mainly on the typology of the vizier’s funerary equipment, including the canopic jars, several shabtis, a model scribal palette and a heart-amulet.
Rademakers, F.W., Verly, G., Téreygeol, F., and Auenmüller, J. (2021): Contributions of experimental archaeology to excavation and material studies, Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports 38, 103036, 2021
Göttinger Miszellen, 2021
Bojo ald, Stefan: Le ikologische Disk ssionen I-Eine ne e Erkl r ng für das Wort "bAc in CT I 293... more Bojo ald, Stefan: Le ikologische Disk ssionen I-Eine ne e Erkl r ng für das Wort "bAc in CT I 293b / Einige ne e berleg ngen m Wort "cbAg T tigkeit in Verbind ng mit Sche nen a s Dendara ........
Journal of the Society of the Study of Egyptian Antiquities, 2018
In this fourth article regarding New Kingdom Hermopolis and its social elites, the focus is shift... more In this fourth article regarding New Kingdom Hermopolis and its social elites, the focus is shifted to (potential) Hermopolitans that are attested by various sources outside of their home town or place of of ce. In doing so, the territorial sphere of action of at least a certain local group of elite people – primarily those who are identi able as members of the Hermopolitan religious administration – becomes visible. After considering problems of prosopographical identi cation in relation to the distribution of the local gods Thot and Nehemetaui, apparent members of the Hermopolitan elite attested beyond ancient Ashmunein are individually discussed in geographical order from the First Cataract to the Sinai. In some cases, a relation to Hermopolis can also be ruled out based on the available epigraphical evidence. Besides assessing the reasons for the elites’ presence elsewhere, the contribution also addresses the relationships between these places and Hermopolis, as portrayed by the people themselves. The main aim of this article series is to establish an up-to-date ‘regional prosopography’ for Hermopolis in the New Kingdom.
The paper presents a relief panel from the tomb of a Great Overseer of Cattle in the House of Tho... more The paper presents a relief panel from the tomb of a Great Overseer of Cattle in the House of Thot, Lord of Hermopolis, called 9Hw.tj-ms. It is of disputable provenance and has recently resurfaced at the international art market. Following a discussion of its modern history, a description of its technological and iconographical details as well as a commentary on the inscriptional remains are provided. In assessing the relief's chronological and potential archaeological context as well as its most probable provenance combined with a consideration of additional prosopographical data, it is argued that the relief panel derives from the necropolis of Tuna el-Gebel. The object therefore constitutes another eminent piece of evidence attesting to the nature and appearance of this Hermopolitan New Kingdom elite cemetery of which only little is known archaeologically. This article is part of a series on New Kingdom regional prosopography, particularly focussing on the area of Hermopolis Magna in Middle Egypt.
The article aims at publishing a pottery mould for a rectangular New Kingdom sealing plaque. The ... more The article aims at publishing a pottery mould for a rectangular New Kingdom sealing plaque. The mould is housed at the Egyptian Museum of Bonn University, Germany, as part of the municipal collection Grevenbroich. After a discussion of its prosopographical data, an identification of the overseer of the treasury Netjeruimes, who is named on the mould, with Netjeruimes Pirikhnawa is proposed. The latter is, inter alia, known as eminent royal messenger from his tomb at Saqqara and in the context of the Egyptian-Hittite diplomatic correspondence. The mould therefore constitutes another significant entry to the prosopographical dossier of this Ramesside high official. The contribution is concluded with a short technological discussion of the use of such moulds for producing rectangular faience plaques.
This article aims to highlight the location of tombs of a specific group of the Egyptian New King... more This article aims to highlight the location of tombs of a specific group of the Egyptian New Kingdom religious elite, the so-called high priests. A first look at Theban, Memphite and Abydene high-priests and their tombs reveals that their tombs were in fact all erected in the elite necropolis of their place of office. In dis-cussing tombs of high priests of other cults throughout Egypt, the elite necropoleis of Saqqara and particularly Thebes emerge as ‚funerary magnets‘ for the highest New Kingdom clergy. Besides the nexus between hometown and tomb, there are, therefore, other significant factors influencing the location of tombs: the pulling power of prestigious necropoleis and the functional attachment of the respective people to local religious institutions. In the case of the high priests, essentially the last factor seems to play the most important role for the choice or assignment of the burial place, which is especially valid for Ramesside times.
aMun - Magazin für die Freunde Ägyptischer Museen und Sammlungen, Apr 1, 2015
English Title: Finds of a Late Period Egyptian Bronze Caster Workshop – Current research on an un... more English Title: Finds of a Late Period Egyptian Bronze Caster Workshop – Current research on an unparalleled group of artifacts.
Abstract: The Egyptian Museum of Bonn University (Germany) houses a unique collection of bronze casting workshop materials from the Qubbet el-Hawa necropolis, opposite from modern Aswan. They were discovered in 1969 by members of the Bonn excavation team under Elmar Edel in tomb QH 207. This tomb dates back to the end of the Old Kingdom (2347-2216 BC). It was reused during the Late Period (664-332 BC) for several burials of members of the local Elephantine priesthood. The aforementioned artifacts belong to the latest burial (»Bestattung 1«), but their specific archaeological context has not been recorded in detail. Nevertheless, they enable Egyptologists, conservators and natural scientists alike to thoroughly study the technology of Bronze casting in the Late Period for the first time using a wide range of modern methods of analysis.
Proceedings of the Sixth Central European Conference of Egyptologists. Egypt 2012: Perspectives of Research held in Krakow, 2014
This paper deals with the significance of provincial New Kingdom elite tomb location. It aims to ... more This paper deals with the significance of provincial New Kingdom elite tomb location. It aims to describe a key element of the relationship between the elite and the spatial distribution of their archaeological evidence in terms of ‘territoriality’. It focuses especially on the tomb, the pivotal component of the elite’s monumental display. A unique perspective is adopted, derived from both the sociology of space and cultural anthropology. The theoretical background of ‘territoriality’ and its wide range of applications are outlined firstly with a short review of key definitions. The paper’s focus then shifts to the domain of funerary archaeology by examining the location of tombs and its significance. The factors affecting location are discussed from a prosopographical perspective and contrasted with statements from so-called (auto-)biographical self-presentations. Both inscriptional and prosopographical data is the key to understand the underlying considerations for tomb location.
Antike Welt 2014/06, 58-64, Oct 2014
Göttinger Miszellen 240, 7-17., 2014
This article aims to discuss the dating of the Mastaba of Ti in Saqqara. Several scholarly perspe... more This article aims to discuss the dating of the Mastaba of Ti in Saqqara. Several scholarly perspectives on the chronology of this famous monument are dealt with, focussing on and contrasting their methods and results. There are two general points of view regarding its date, one that argues for the time of the kings Neferirkare and Niuserre, the other favouring a later date from the time of Niuserra until the end of the 5th Dynasty. In taking the available evidence and scholarly literature into account and describing the underlying reasons for the different conclusions, the discrepancy between the two points of view needs to be explained. In the end, an argument will be made for a construction history of the tomb of Ti from at least Neferirkare to Niuserre, the decoration most likely being completed under the last named king.
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Books by Johannes Auenmüller
Co-Authored Books by Johannes Auenmüller
Die Deponierung des für die Forschung zur antiken Metallurgie bisher einzigartigen Konvoluts geschah im Zuge der Nachnutzung von Grabanlagen aus dem Alten Reich (um 2100 v. u. Z.) in der ägyptischen Spätzeit (um 550 – 400 v. u. Z.). Das Depot enthält Objekte, die alle Fertigungsstufen von Metallgegenständen im Wachsausschmelzverfahren dokumentieren. Es wurden Stücke von Rohwachs sowie Wachsmodelle und die zu deren Herstellung genutzten Negativformen gefunden. Weiterhin enthielt es vollständige Gussformen, die in einem aufwendigen Mehrschalenverfahren hergestellt wurden und teilweise bereits für den Guss ausgebrannt worden sind. Schließlich zählen einige Metallfiguren sowie weitere figürliche Objekte zum Konvolut, die alle in den Bereich einer kunsthandwerklichen Werkstatt deuten. Eine Besonderheit stellen zudem Gussformen dar, in denen Fragmente von Metallfiguren zur Reparatur im Überfangguss vorbereitet waren.
Das Depot wurde in der Gesamtpublikation der Bonner Grabungen bisher nur summarisch vorgestellt. 2014/15 initiierten die Abteilung Ägyptologie der Universität Bonn und das LVR-LandesMuseum Bonn unter Ludwig D. Morenz und Michael Schmauder ein gemeinsames und von der Fritz-Thyssen-Stiftung gefördertes Forschungsprojekt, das von Martin Fitzenreiter, Johannes Auenmüller und Frank Willer geleitet wurde. In Kooperation mit Dietmar Meinel (Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung Berlin / BAM, Fachbereich 8.5 Mikro-ZfP), Roland Schwab (Curt-Engelhorn-Zentrum Archäometrie gGmbH, Mannheim), Gerwulf Schneider (FU Berlin, Exzellenzcluster TOPOI), Ursula Baumer und Patrick Dietemann (beide Doerner-Institut / München), Thorsten Geisler-Wierwille (Steinmann Institut für Geologie, Mineralogie und Paläontologie der Universität Bonn) sowie Ursula Tegtmeier (Labor für Archäobotanik der Universität Köln) wurden die Objekte des Konvolutes eingehend und mit zeitgemäßen Verfahren untersucht. Die Ergebnisse dieses Forschungsprojekts werden in dieser Publikation vorgelegt.
Edited Volumes by Johannes Auenmüller
This combination of research questions on the micro-level with the macro-level provides new information about cities and households in Ancient Egypt and Nubia and makes the book unique. Architectural studies as well as analyses of material culture and the new application of microarchaeology, here especially of micromorphology and archaeometric applications, are presented as case studies from sites primarily dating to the New Kingdom (Second Millennium BC). The rich potential of well-preserved but still not completely explored sites in modern Sudan, especially as direct comparison for already excavated sites located in Egypt, is in particular emphasised in the book.
Settlement archaeology in Egypt and Nubia has recently moved away from a strong textual approach and generalised studies to a more site-specific approach and household studies. This new bottom-up approach applied by current fieldwork projects is demonstrated in the book. The volume is intended for all specialists at settlements sites in Northeast Africa, for students of Egyptology and Nubian Studies, but it will be of interest to anyone working in the field of settlement archaeology. It is the result of a conference on the same subject held in 2017 as the closing event of the European Research Council funded project AcrossBorders at Munich.
The conference and the publication of its proceedings were generously funded by the German Research Foundation and the Westphalian Wilhelms-University Münster, to whom we would like to express our deep gratitude. We are grateful to the Institut für Archäologie, Archäologie und Kulturgeschichte Nordostafrikas, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, for accepting the proceedings for publication in the series Meroitica, and to Steffen Wenig and Claudia Näser for their interest in this manuscript. We are also much obliged to Jens Fetkenheuer from the Harrassowitz publishing house who provided considerable assistance in finalizing the manuscript. Daniel Kischko helped with editing tasks, and Frank Joachim was responsible for the layout. We extend our sincerest thanks to all of you!
Finally, we would like to thank all our speakers and contributors for the lively discussions and their thought-provoking articles!
Münster, Spring 2018
Angelika Lohwasser – Tim Karberg – Johannes Auenmüller
Journal Papers by Johannes Auenmüller
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En 1969, un ensemble unique de moules de l’époque tardive a été découvert dans la nécropole de Qubbet el-Hawa, illustrant la chaîne opératoire de la technique de la cire perdue. Habituellement, il reste au mieux des fragments de moules comme seuls vestiges archéologiques, difficilement identifiables, or ce lot de moules présente des exemplaires complets représentatifs des différentes phases de la production d’artefacts en cire perdue. Les µCT-scans ont révélé l’existence de deux approches technologiques totalement différentes. La première vise à produire de petites amulettes et des statuettes de divinités. La seconde permettrait de tenter des « remembrements » de figures d’Osiris. En effet, des pieds en bronze – préalablement coulés puis cassés – ont été complétés en ajoutant et en y modelant un corps en cire pour donner une forme complète de statuette d’Osiris. Ensuite, cette figure mi-métal, mi-cire, est entourée d’un nouveau moule afin de créer un nouveau corps. D’un point de vue technique, une telle méthode constitue un non-sens, puisqu’une fusion entre le corps nouvellement coulé et les pieds en métal déjà existants n’est pas possible. Dans cet article, une nouvelle hypothèse est proposée, qui pourrait expliquer une telle technique de coulée propre à une utilisation rituelle locale.
The full Special Issue is accessible through this link:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/journal-of-archaeological-science-reports/special-issue/10F58JK2BKZ
Abstract: The Egyptian Museum of Bonn University (Germany) houses a unique collection of bronze casting workshop materials from the Qubbet el-Hawa necropolis, opposite from modern Aswan. They were discovered in 1969 by members of the Bonn excavation team under Elmar Edel in tomb QH 207. This tomb dates back to the end of the Old Kingdom (2347-2216 BC). It was reused during the Late Period (664-332 BC) for several burials of members of the local Elephantine priesthood. The aforementioned artifacts belong to the latest burial (»Bestattung 1«), but their specific archaeological context has not been recorded in detail. Nevertheless, they enable Egyptologists, conservators and natural scientists alike to thoroughly study the technology of Bronze casting in the Late Period for the first time using a wide range of modern methods of analysis.
Die Deponierung des für die Forschung zur antiken Metallurgie bisher einzigartigen Konvoluts geschah im Zuge der Nachnutzung von Grabanlagen aus dem Alten Reich (um 2100 v. u. Z.) in der ägyptischen Spätzeit (um 550 – 400 v. u. Z.). Das Depot enthält Objekte, die alle Fertigungsstufen von Metallgegenständen im Wachsausschmelzverfahren dokumentieren. Es wurden Stücke von Rohwachs sowie Wachsmodelle und die zu deren Herstellung genutzten Negativformen gefunden. Weiterhin enthielt es vollständige Gussformen, die in einem aufwendigen Mehrschalenverfahren hergestellt wurden und teilweise bereits für den Guss ausgebrannt worden sind. Schließlich zählen einige Metallfiguren sowie weitere figürliche Objekte zum Konvolut, die alle in den Bereich einer kunsthandwerklichen Werkstatt deuten. Eine Besonderheit stellen zudem Gussformen dar, in denen Fragmente von Metallfiguren zur Reparatur im Überfangguss vorbereitet waren.
Das Depot wurde in der Gesamtpublikation der Bonner Grabungen bisher nur summarisch vorgestellt. 2014/15 initiierten die Abteilung Ägyptologie der Universität Bonn und das LVR-LandesMuseum Bonn unter Ludwig D. Morenz und Michael Schmauder ein gemeinsames und von der Fritz-Thyssen-Stiftung gefördertes Forschungsprojekt, das von Martin Fitzenreiter, Johannes Auenmüller und Frank Willer geleitet wurde. In Kooperation mit Dietmar Meinel (Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung Berlin / BAM, Fachbereich 8.5 Mikro-ZfP), Roland Schwab (Curt-Engelhorn-Zentrum Archäometrie gGmbH, Mannheim), Gerwulf Schneider (FU Berlin, Exzellenzcluster TOPOI), Ursula Baumer und Patrick Dietemann (beide Doerner-Institut / München), Thorsten Geisler-Wierwille (Steinmann Institut für Geologie, Mineralogie und Paläontologie der Universität Bonn) sowie Ursula Tegtmeier (Labor für Archäobotanik der Universität Köln) wurden die Objekte des Konvolutes eingehend und mit zeitgemäßen Verfahren untersucht. Die Ergebnisse dieses Forschungsprojekts werden in dieser Publikation vorgelegt.
This combination of research questions on the micro-level with the macro-level provides new information about cities and households in Ancient Egypt and Nubia and makes the book unique. Architectural studies as well as analyses of material culture and the new application of microarchaeology, here especially of micromorphology and archaeometric applications, are presented as case studies from sites primarily dating to the New Kingdom (Second Millennium BC). The rich potential of well-preserved but still not completely explored sites in modern Sudan, especially as direct comparison for already excavated sites located in Egypt, is in particular emphasised in the book.
Settlement archaeology in Egypt and Nubia has recently moved away from a strong textual approach and generalised studies to a more site-specific approach and household studies. This new bottom-up approach applied by current fieldwork projects is demonstrated in the book. The volume is intended for all specialists at settlements sites in Northeast Africa, for students of Egyptology and Nubian Studies, but it will be of interest to anyone working in the field of settlement archaeology. It is the result of a conference on the same subject held in 2017 as the closing event of the European Research Council funded project AcrossBorders at Munich.
The conference and the publication of its proceedings were generously funded by the German Research Foundation and the Westphalian Wilhelms-University Münster, to whom we would like to express our deep gratitude. We are grateful to the Institut für Archäologie, Archäologie und Kulturgeschichte Nordostafrikas, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, for accepting the proceedings for publication in the series Meroitica, and to Steffen Wenig and Claudia Näser for their interest in this manuscript. We are also much obliged to Jens Fetkenheuer from the Harrassowitz publishing house who provided considerable assistance in finalizing the manuscript. Daniel Kischko helped with editing tasks, and Frank Joachim was responsible for the layout. We extend our sincerest thanks to all of you!
Finally, we would like to thank all our speakers and contributors for the lively discussions and their thought-provoking articles!
Münster, Spring 2018
Angelika Lohwasser – Tim Karberg – Johannes Auenmüller
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En 1969, un ensemble unique de moules de l’époque tardive a été découvert dans la nécropole de Qubbet el-Hawa, illustrant la chaîne opératoire de la technique de la cire perdue. Habituellement, il reste au mieux des fragments de moules comme seuls vestiges archéologiques, difficilement identifiables, or ce lot de moules présente des exemplaires complets représentatifs des différentes phases de la production d’artefacts en cire perdue. Les µCT-scans ont révélé l’existence de deux approches technologiques totalement différentes. La première vise à produire de petites amulettes et des statuettes de divinités. La seconde permettrait de tenter des « remembrements » de figures d’Osiris. En effet, des pieds en bronze – préalablement coulés puis cassés – ont été complétés en ajoutant et en y modelant un corps en cire pour donner une forme complète de statuette d’Osiris. Ensuite, cette figure mi-métal, mi-cire, est entourée d’un nouveau moule afin de créer un nouveau corps. D’un point de vue technique, une telle méthode constitue un non-sens, puisqu’une fusion entre le corps nouvellement coulé et les pieds en métal déjà existants n’est pas possible. Dans cet article, une nouvelle hypothèse est proposée, qui pourrait expliquer une telle technique de coulée propre à une utilisation rituelle locale.
The full Special Issue is accessible through this link:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/journal-of-archaeological-science-reports/special-issue/10F58JK2BKZ
Abstract: The Egyptian Museum of Bonn University (Germany) houses a unique collection of bronze casting workshop materials from the Qubbet el-Hawa necropolis, opposite from modern Aswan. They were discovered in 1969 by members of the Bonn excavation team under Elmar Edel in tomb QH 207. This tomb dates back to the end of the Old Kingdom (2347-2216 BC). It was reused during the Late Period (664-332 BC) for several burials of members of the local Elephantine priesthood. The aforementioned artifacts belong to the latest burial (»Bestattung 1«), but their specific archaeological context has not been recorded in detail. Nevertheless, they enable Egyptologists, conservators and natural scientists alike to thoroughly study the technology of Bronze casting in the Late Period for the first time using a wide range of modern methods of analysis.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/journal-of-archaeological-science-reports/special-issue/10F58JK2BKZ
Rademakers (F.), Verly (G.), Téreygeol (F.), Auenmüller (J.): Guest editors
The Egyptian Museum of Bonn University (Germany) holds a unique collection of
casting moulds, discovered in tomb 207 of the Qubbet el-Hawa necropolis (Egypt) in
1969. Despite questions about their deposition and function in a funerary context,
they allow a detailed study of Late Period bronze casting technology. The moulds
elucidate all steps of the lost wax casting process, as well as failed casting
attempts. Employing a range of archaeometric methods, an initial research project
(Bonn) provided insight into their material technology and revealed remarkable cases
for the mending of bronze Osirises. A collaborative follow-up project with EACOM,
supported by the Fonds Comhaire, is presented here. This ongoing research is
dedicated to developing an integrated experimental and archaeometric methodology
to better understand the functionality of these casting moulds.
The artifacts from the Qubbet el-Hawa display the complete Bronze casting process, starting with the preparation of wax models to the finished god's bronze. The group consists of some failed castings of Bronze, parts of Bronze votive statuettes with wax additions for reconstruction casts, moulds partly filled with Bronze, and empty moulds for statuettes and amulets that obviously have never been used for casting. Additionally, there are negative forms for wax models, the wax models themselves and pieces of wax as raw material as well as some other wooden artifacts which attest to the origin of the artifacts from a workshop specialized in manufacturing statuettes and amulets.
After a general introduction to the artifacts, the paper will shortly focus on the analyses and imaging methods which have been applied to the objects (Micro-Computed Tomography, metal analysis, analysis of the organic material, thin sections of casting mould material). The construction of the casting moulds will afterwards be dealt with in more detail. Especially Micro-CT imaging and thin section examination are of help to elucidate the technology and material composition of the casting moulds. The data and results gained enable the researcher to recreate the whole casting process not only by modern means, but also by applying experimental archaeological materials and methods.
After an introduction to the artifacts and their archaeological context the results of the different scientific methods of analysis, which are applied to the objects in the Bonn project on Casting Workshop Artifacts from the Qubbet el-Hawa thanks to the cooperation with renowned research labs, will be reviewed: EDXRF (energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence) of the metal artifacts, thin sections of the ceramic material of the molds, IS (infrared spectroscopy) and GC (gas chromatography) analysis of the organic materials (wax, bitumen, resin) in combination with MS (mass spectrometry), and the Micro-CT (X-ray computed tomography) evaluation on the casting molds. The presentation of the data will show the rich potential of the interplay of archaeology and archaeometry in obtaining information which help to elucidate and understand hitherto unknown technological procedures. In generating this data, the Bonn project seeks to establish the reference for future research on Ancient Egyptian small votive Bronze technology and beyond.