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Papers by Andrea M . Loprieno-Gnirs
The American University in Cairo Press eBooks, Aug 31, 2021
The American University in Cairo Press eBooks, Aug 31, 2021
The American University in Cairo Press eBooks, Aug 31, 2021
Bulletin de la Société Française d'Égyptologie, 2018
Life History of Theban Tombs (LHTT) is a transdisciplinary archaeological project led by the Univ... more Life History of Theban Tombs (LHTT) is a transdisciplinary archaeological project led by the University of Basel that investigates a cluster of rock-cut tombs located at the 18 th Dynasty cemetery hillside of Sheikh 'Abd el-Qurna (SAQ). It focuses on the geological setting of the tombs and landscape development, on tomb construction and decoration, and on the funerary and domestic uses of the structures over time. After a brief introduction into the archaeological site and its individual tomb structures, the present article outlines excavation results obtained during the last two fieldwork seasons at tomb K555. In a second part, attention is paid to the social landscape that developed in South-West SAQ during the mid 18 th Dynasty (2 nd half of the 15 th century BC). It is suggested that in this part of the residential cemetery, building assignments were determined by membership in two major communities: (a) the milk kinship of the king and (b) the royal military expedition corps. The last partdiscusses 18 th Dynasty rock tomb designs and sizes in relation to the given geological settings at South-West SAQ, including failure risks and prevention.
Ancient Egypt has bequeathed us a rich archaeological heritage of texts and images. Their meaning... more Ancient Egypt has bequeathed us a rich archaeological heritage of texts and images. Their meaning often becomes apparent only when their spatial dimension is taken into account. Informed by Susanne Bickel's epigraphic and archaeological research, the present volume focuses on the interplay of textual and visual perspectives in the analysis of Egyptian monuments and their spatial location. «Text-Bild-Objekte im archäologischen Kontext» unfolds this research perspective in 17 contributions, that combine text, image and spatial context, intended to describe both the contents and the methodology. The thematic spectrum of the contributions ranges from the Old Kingdom to the 19th century and from Nubia to Switzerland.
Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment, May 17, 2019
The ancient Theban tombs at the hillside cemetery of Sheikh 'Abd el-Qurna (SAQ), west of Luxor, E... more The ancient Theban tombs at the hillside cemetery of Sheikh 'Abd el-Qurna (SAQ), west of Luxor, Egypt, were excavated mainly in the Thebes Limestone Formation and show varying degrees of damage of rock pillars and ceilings. In order to understand the rock mass behaviour in selected tombs and its impact on past failures and current stability, we carried out geological mapping and rock mass quality assessments. Our work provides a geological map and geotechnical evaluation of the rock mass of these SAQ tombs and their surroundings. We mapped and described rock fractures in situ and with remote sensing data, and estimated the rock mass quality of the different members within the Thebes Limestone Formation using the Rock Mass Rating (RMR) and Geological Strength Index (GSI) systems. In addition, we conducted a rock pillar analysis. Analyses and mapping were supported by new high-resolution terrain models computed from ground-based and aerial photogrammetry and from terrestrial laser scanning. Our analyses show that the tombs at SAQ have been cut into poor to very good quality rock masses. Rock failures of ceilings and pillars were frequently facilitated by local, unfavourably oriented persistent discontinuities, such as tension cracks and faults. Other failures were related to the disintegration of nodular limestone into individual nodules upon weathering. Our data suggest that, in 18th Dynasty monumental tomb construction, low-strength rock masses rarely resulted in modifications of the planned tomb design in order to minimise the risk of rock falls and collapses.
As part of the the Life History of Theban Tomb project led by the University of Basel, an archaeo... more As part of the the Life History of Theban Tomb project led by the University of Basel, an archaeozoological analysis was performed on ca. 550 faunal remains collected during excavations in the funerary chapel of Mery (TT95A) and its adjacent burial substructure (TT95B), both cut into the hillside of Sheikh ‘Abd el-Qurna on the Westbank of Luxor, Egypt. Four main use phases of the complex were identified on the basis of the archaeological finds: the 18th Dynasty (mid 15th century BC), when the tomb complex was built and used for interments for the first time, the Third Intermediate and Late Period (9th – 6th century BC) when its funerary structures were reused, and the subsequent occupation of the tomb complex in the Coptic Period (6th to 9th centuries AD) and in Modern times. Since all structures of the Theban tomb were severely looted, the faunal assemblage recovered was mixed and did not derive from clearly separated chronological layers. Consequently, a taphonomic analysis was un...
Les tombes thebaines (TT) 95 (Meri, grand-pretre d'Amon sous Amenophis II) et 84 (Jamonedjeh,... more Les tombes thebaines (TT) 95 (Meri, grand-pretre d'Amon sous Amenophis II) et 84 (Jamonedjeh, premier Herault de Thoutmosis III) sont liees par un phenomene d'usurpation : certaines scenes et inscriptions de TT84 ont ete reprises par Meri, sans doute a cause d'importants dommages subis lors de la construction de sa propre tombe. Les fouilles menees dans la cour de TT84 ont revele les restes d'un quartier copte. En ce qui concerne les tombes 85 et 88, il apparait evident que le proprietaire de la TT88 (Pehsoucher ; Amenophis II) a repris des elements de la TT85 (Imenemhab ; ToutmosisIII/Amenophis II), les adaptants a ses propres besoins
7. Symposium zur Königsideologie / 7th Symposium on Egyptian Royal Ideology: Royal versus Divine Authority
Ancient Egyptian Administration, 2013
§ 1 Introduction § 2 Political power of the army § 3 State bureaucracy and "navy" § 3.1 Military ... more § 1 Introduction § 2 Political power of the army § 3 State bureaucracy and "navy" § 3.1 Military functions and ranks in the "navy" § 3.2 Naval administration § 4 State bureaucracy and army § 4.1 The Royal Guard § 4.2 Abuse of military authority § 4.3 Military management, workforces, and army logistics § 4.4 Military administration abroad § 4.4.1. Nubian provincial administration and the military § 4.4.2. Foreign administration and the military in Asia § 4.4.3 Supplies of troops, fortresses and garrisons § 4.5. Soldiers' civil careers: Aspects of a loyalistic model of the state § 5 Conclusions § 1 Introduction In ancient Egypt, centralized power was always connected with a (sanctioned) use of violence and the control of armed forces. Historical evidence shows that at least from the Middle Kingdom, the mastery of specialized weapons, the organization of manpower, leadership, and battle experience were basic features of any claim to the throne. An efficient bureaucracy and military organization guaranteed political stability and success in Egypt and aborad. Both sectors flourished particularly during the earlier New Kingdom until the beginning of the 19 th Dynasty, when Egypt made her appearance on the political stage in Syria and the Levant and became one of the leading superpowers of the ancient Near East. 1 One major achievement of the New Kingdom-with possible roots in the Late Middle Kingdom-was the change from a rather heterogeneous economic administration controlled by municipal or provincial governments towards a more tightened bureaucracy centralized in the royal residence. In the Middle Kingdom, the organization of the military and related branches depended on the same system of regional administrations. Implicitly corroborating the socioeconomic importance of township, soldiers were called anx.w n.w nw.t, literally "(armed) inhabitants of a town", i.e., "soldiers of a town regiment", 2 later changed into anx.w n.w
The American University in Cairo Press eBooks, Aug 31, 2021
The American University in Cairo Press eBooks, Aug 31, 2021
The American University in Cairo Press eBooks, Aug 31, 2021
Bulletin de la Société Française d'Égyptologie, 2018
Life History of Theban Tombs (LHTT) is a transdisciplinary archaeological project led by the Univ... more Life History of Theban Tombs (LHTT) is a transdisciplinary archaeological project led by the University of Basel that investigates a cluster of rock-cut tombs located at the 18 th Dynasty cemetery hillside of Sheikh 'Abd el-Qurna (SAQ). It focuses on the geological setting of the tombs and landscape development, on tomb construction and decoration, and on the funerary and domestic uses of the structures over time. After a brief introduction into the archaeological site and its individual tomb structures, the present article outlines excavation results obtained during the last two fieldwork seasons at tomb K555. In a second part, attention is paid to the social landscape that developed in South-West SAQ during the mid 18 th Dynasty (2 nd half of the 15 th century BC). It is suggested that in this part of the residential cemetery, building assignments were determined by membership in two major communities: (a) the milk kinship of the king and (b) the royal military expedition corps. The last partdiscusses 18 th Dynasty rock tomb designs and sizes in relation to the given geological settings at South-West SAQ, including failure risks and prevention.
Ancient Egypt has bequeathed us a rich archaeological heritage of texts and images. Their meaning... more Ancient Egypt has bequeathed us a rich archaeological heritage of texts and images. Their meaning often becomes apparent only when their spatial dimension is taken into account. Informed by Susanne Bickel's epigraphic and archaeological research, the present volume focuses on the interplay of textual and visual perspectives in the analysis of Egyptian monuments and their spatial location. «Text-Bild-Objekte im archäologischen Kontext» unfolds this research perspective in 17 contributions, that combine text, image and spatial context, intended to describe both the contents and the methodology. The thematic spectrum of the contributions ranges from the Old Kingdom to the 19th century and from Nubia to Switzerland.
Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment, May 17, 2019
The ancient Theban tombs at the hillside cemetery of Sheikh 'Abd el-Qurna (SAQ), west of Luxor, E... more The ancient Theban tombs at the hillside cemetery of Sheikh 'Abd el-Qurna (SAQ), west of Luxor, Egypt, were excavated mainly in the Thebes Limestone Formation and show varying degrees of damage of rock pillars and ceilings. In order to understand the rock mass behaviour in selected tombs and its impact on past failures and current stability, we carried out geological mapping and rock mass quality assessments. Our work provides a geological map and geotechnical evaluation of the rock mass of these SAQ tombs and their surroundings. We mapped and described rock fractures in situ and with remote sensing data, and estimated the rock mass quality of the different members within the Thebes Limestone Formation using the Rock Mass Rating (RMR) and Geological Strength Index (GSI) systems. In addition, we conducted a rock pillar analysis. Analyses and mapping were supported by new high-resolution terrain models computed from ground-based and aerial photogrammetry and from terrestrial laser scanning. Our analyses show that the tombs at SAQ have been cut into poor to very good quality rock masses. Rock failures of ceilings and pillars were frequently facilitated by local, unfavourably oriented persistent discontinuities, such as tension cracks and faults. Other failures were related to the disintegration of nodular limestone into individual nodules upon weathering. Our data suggest that, in 18th Dynasty monumental tomb construction, low-strength rock masses rarely resulted in modifications of the planned tomb design in order to minimise the risk of rock falls and collapses.
As part of the the Life History of Theban Tomb project led by the University of Basel, an archaeo... more As part of the the Life History of Theban Tomb project led by the University of Basel, an archaeozoological analysis was performed on ca. 550 faunal remains collected during excavations in the funerary chapel of Mery (TT95A) and its adjacent burial substructure (TT95B), both cut into the hillside of Sheikh ‘Abd el-Qurna on the Westbank of Luxor, Egypt. Four main use phases of the complex were identified on the basis of the archaeological finds: the 18th Dynasty (mid 15th century BC), when the tomb complex was built and used for interments for the first time, the Third Intermediate and Late Period (9th – 6th century BC) when its funerary structures were reused, and the subsequent occupation of the tomb complex in the Coptic Period (6th to 9th centuries AD) and in Modern times. Since all structures of the Theban tomb were severely looted, the faunal assemblage recovered was mixed and did not derive from clearly separated chronological layers. Consequently, a taphonomic analysis was un...
Les tombes thebaines (TT) 95 (Meri, grand-pretre d'Amon sous Amenophis II) et 84 (Jamonedjeh,... more Les tombes thebaines (TT) 95 (Meri, grand-pretre d'Amon sous Amenophis II) et 84 (Jamonedjeh, premier Herault de Thoutmosis III) sont liees par un phenomene d'usurpation : certaines scenes et inscriptions de TT84 ont ete reprises par Meri, sans doute a cause d'importants dommages subis lors de la construction de sa propre tombe. Les fouilles menees dans la cour de TT84 ont revele les restes d'un quartier copte. En ce qui concerne les tombes 85 et 88, il apparait evident que le proprietaire de la TT88 (Pehsoucher ; Amenophis II) a repris des elements de la TT85 (Imenemhab ; ToutmosisIII/Amenophis II), les adaptants a ses propres besoins
7. Symposium zur Königsideologie / 7th Symposium on Egyptian Royal Ideology: Royal versus Divine Authority
Ancient Egyptian Administration, 2013
§ 1 Introduction § 2 Political power of the army § 3 State bureaucracy and "navy" § 3.1 Military ... more § 1 Introduction § 2 Political power of the army § 3 State bureaucracy and "navy" § 3.1 Military functions and ranks in the "navy" § 3.2 Naval administration § 4 State bureaucracy and army § 4.1 The Royal Guard § 4.2 Abuse of military authority § 4.3 Military management, workforces, and army logistics § 4.4 Military administration abroad § 4.4.1. Nubian provincial administration and the military § 4.4.2. Foreign administration and the military in Asia § 4.4.3 Supplies of troops, fortresses and garrisons § 4.5. Soldiers' civil careers: Aspects of a loyalistic model of the state § 5 Conclusions § 1 Introduction In ancient Egypt, centralized power was always connected with a (sanctioned) use of violence and the control of armed forces. Historical evidence shows that at least from the Middle Kingdom, the mastery of specialized weapons, the organization of manpower, leadership, and battle experience were basic features of any claim to the throne. An efficient bureaucracy and military organization guaranteed political stability and success in Egypt and aborad. Both sectors flourished particularly during the earlier New Kingdom until the beginning of the 19 th Dynasty, when Egypt made her appearance on the political stage in Syria and the Levant and became one of the leading superpowers of the ancient Near East. 1 One major achievement of the New Kingdom-with possible roots in the Late Middle Kingdom-was the change from a rather heterogeneous economic administration controlled by municipal or provincial governments towards a more tightened bureaucracy centralized in the royal residence. In the Middle Kingdom, the organization of the military and related branches depended on the same system of regional administrations. Implicitly corroborating the socioeconomic importance of township, soldiers were called anx.w n.w nw.t, literally "(armed) inhabitants of a town", i.e., "soldiers of a town regiment", 2 later changed into anx.w n.w
Die Welt zu Gast in Zürich, Ringvorlesung in Kooperation mit dem «Zürcher Zirkel», 2021
Das archäologische Projekt “Life Histories of Theban Tombs” an der Universität Basel widmet sich ... more Das archäologische Projekt “Life Histories of Theban Tombs” an der Universität Basel widmet sich seit 2015 der Erforschung einer Gruppe altägyptischer Felsgräber, die mehrheitlich im späten 15. Jh. v.Chr. am Hügel von Sheikh ‘Abd el-Qurna, einem Gebiet der Thebanischen Nekropole (westlich des Nils gegenüber dem heutigen Luxor, seit 1980 UNESCO Weltkulturerbe), entstanden waren. Neben der archäologischen Erschliessung eines gänzlich von einem Schutthügel überdeckten Grabes und dessen Umgebung stehen die Entstehung, Entwicklung und Nutzungsgeschichte dieser über Jahrtausende von natürlichen Ereignissen und Menschenhand veränderten Felslandschaft im Zentrum der Untersuchungen.
Die relative Nähe zum besiedelten Niltal und zu wichtigen natürlichen und gebauten Landmarken und -zonen, aber auch eine günstige geologische Disposition erklären, warum die dem Nil zugewandten Flanken des Hügels besonders während des 15. und 14. Jh. v.Chr. zu einer Grossbaustelle wurden. Unter Einbeziehung von Kartierungen und 3D Landschafts- und Architekturmodellierungen erörtert der Vortrag die topografischen und geologischen Vorzüge des Hügels für den Felsgrabbau, aber auch die Gefahren, die sich durch die Felsbeschaffenheit, Umwelteinflüsse und risikobehaftete Baupläne für Mensch und Bauwerk ergaben. Ebenfalls ausgeführt werden die unterschiedlichen Antworten der altägyptischen Bauherren und -experten auf diese Herausforderungen. Eine offensichtlich statusorientierte restriktive Planung und Verteilung hochwertigen Baugrunds verhinderte nicht nachträgliche Grundstücks- und Architekturerweiterungen und deren Auswirkungen auf die Umwelt; dies legen bautechnische, geomechanische, materialanalytische und epigrafische Beobachtungen in drei Grabkomplexen nahe. Der Vortrag schliesst auch vorläufige Ergebnisse der aktuellen Ausgrabung in Sheikh ‘Abd el-Qurna ein.
Lingua Aegyptia Studia Monographica 22, 2020