Lea Rees (geb. Röfer) | University of Oxford (original) (raw)

Books by Lea Rees (geb. Röfer)

Papers by Lea Rees (geb. Röfer)

"What does this have to do with Archaeology?" Essays on the Occasion of the 65th Birthday of Reinhard Bernbeck , 2023

In all of Pharaonic history, certain occupational groups were bound closely to the state (i.e., t... more In all of Pharaonic history, certain occupational groups were bound closely to the state (i.e., the ruler, the ruling elite, and a large apparatus of officials) by material dependence: When soldiers, workers, craftspeople, farmers, or priests were involved in state-f(o)unded projects, not only their salaries but also their board and lodging was provided for. Soldiers as well as the masses of workers on monumental construction sites, for instance, were both referred to as mšꜤ, “troops”, and were housed in barrack-like structures for the time of their duty (Seidlmayer 2009, 160). Thus, Ancient Egypt is often portrayed in popular as well as scientific literature as a monolithic, authoritative state seeking all-encompassing control over its population.

In Egyptology, it is primarily the Middle Kingdom (2055–1650 BCE) which has been referred to as the culmination of central planning, governance, and surveillance. Most notably, Barry J. Kemp has argued that the ruling elite of the time created a “provider state” (Kemp 2006 [1989], 161), resulting in a “prescriptive society” (Kemp 2006 [1989], 241), aiming to micro-manage everyone’s life, work, and home. This has mainly been argued on the basis of meticulous administrative sources implying an increased level of bureaucracy (Kemp 2006 [1989], 163–192), and on the evidence of state-founded settlements like Tell el-DabꜤa, Lahun, Wah-sut, and Qasr el-Sagha, which all show a high degree of central planning with their grid-like structure, their long orthogonal streets, and repetitive house layouts (Kemp 2006 [1989], 193–244; Moeller 2018 [2016], 249–333, 378–379).

Without questioning the narrative of a control-seeking state in its essence, the question to what extent the state actually influenced people’s lives arises. The archaeological site of Dahshur offers a particularly suitable case study to demonstrate how a more nuanced view on authoritative control and central planning can be gained by factoring in planned cemeteries as well as earlier planned settlements, and by looking for “spaces of possibilities”, in which space was negotiated by different entities.

Journal of Egyptian Archaeology, 2021

Since antiquity, the tomb of Ramesses III (KV 11) has been among the most frequently visited roya... more Since antiquity, the tomb of Ramesses III (KV 11) has been among the most frequently visited royal tombs in the Valley of the Kings. It was also one of the first to be described and documented in detail by European travellers in the 18th-19th centuries. As large parts of the wall decoration of the tomb, especially in its rear, are now destroyed, the drawings, notes and squeezes of those early researchers who saw the site in its former splendour offer an invaluable resource for the reconstruction of the tomb’s unique decoration programme. The collection, revision, and publication of all relevant archive material concerning KV 11 is an important goal of The Ramesses III (KV 11) Publication and Conservation Project. The following article reports on first and preliminary results from the authors’ research in the archives of the British Library and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, as well as the Bodleian Libraries and the Griffith Institute in Oxford, carried out in September 2019 and made possible through the Centenary Award 2019 of the Egypt Exploration Society.

Article by Anke Weber, Willem Hovestreydt, and Lea Rees

Egyptian Archaeology, 2021

Between 1890 and 1914, the tomb of Ramesses III (KV 11) suffered severe damage caused by several ... more Between 1890 and 1914, the tomb of Ramesses III (KV 11) suffered severe damage caused by several flooding events. Nevertheless, it will be possible to reconstruct a substantial part of the tomb’s decoration with the aid of notes, drawings and squeezes left by early travellers and researchers. The authors report on their archive research.

JARCE 56, 2020

The Ramesses III (KV 11) Publication and Conservation Project is currently developing a site mana... more The Ramesses III (KV 11) Publication and Conservation Project is currently developing a site management, conservation and publication strategy for the severely damaged tomb of pharaoh Ramesses III in order to prevent further deterioration and to preserve this cultural heritage site for future generations. Along with first urgent measures of conservation, a geo-archaeological survey of KV 11 and its surroundings, as well as a geomatic and photogrammetric survey of the tomb itself were carried out. The detailed recording of the current state of the architecture and wall decoration allowed for further reconstruction of scenes and texts. Moreover, an archaeological sondage in the burial chamber revealed additional information about the flooding and sedimentation processes. A field school with students of Luxor University offered training in digital recording methods and epigraphy, geo-archaeological survey and mapping methodologies, and conservation treatment and assessment. The following article outlines preliminary results in the fields of geology, conservation, recording, reconstruction, and excavation.

Article by Anke Weber, Judith Bunbury, Klara Dietze, Willem Hovestreydt, Dora Petrova, Lutz Popko, Gareth Rees, Lea Rees, and Karin Schinken.

Akhet Neheh. Studies in Honour of Willem Hovestreydt on Occasion of His 75th Birthday, edited by Anke Weber, Martina Grünhagen, Lea Rees, and Jan Moje, 2020

The sarcophagus of Ramesses III was removed from his tomb in the Valley of the Kings in the early... more The sarcophagus of Ramesses III was removed from his tomb in the Valley of the Kings in the early 19th century and was moved to two different museums: the Musée du Louvre in Paris now holds the coffer (Inv. No. D1), while the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge houses the lid (Inv. No. E.1.1823). In Egyptological literature, many contrasting versions exist of who removed the sarcophagus and its lid from the tomb, who broke the lid and when, or if it was even retrieved from the tomb of Ramesses III (KV 11). This article seeks to clarify the confusion concerning the removal of the sarcophagus by revisiting the travelogues of early travellers to Egypt. Moreover, the excavations of Ted Brock in the 1980’s as well as recent fieldwork by The Ramesses III (KV 11) Publication and Conservation Project have brought to light additional sarcophagus fragments. These archaeological finds raise the question whether Ramesses III owned more than one sarcophagus, or who else were the owners of those sarcophagi.

Égypte, Afrique et Orient No. 102, 2021

Le dieu égyptien Bès combine des attributs nains, humains, animaux, masculins et féminins. Des re... more Le dieu égyptien Bès combine des attributs nains, humains, animaux, masculins et féminins. Des représentations du dieu sont attestés dès le IIe millénaire avant notre ère en Mesopotamie, en Anatolie, en Phénicie, à Chyphre et au Lévant. Mais sous le règne des Achéménides aus VIe-IVe siècles avant notre ère, il obtient un popularité jusque-là inconnu dans le grand Empire perse.

Journal of Contemporary Archaeology 7, 2020

Drawing on the theories of Michel Foucault’s Discipline and Punish, Hannah Arendt’s Origins of To... more Drawing on the theories of Michel Foucault’s Discipline and Punish, Hannah Arendt’s Origins of Totalitarianism and Wolfgang Sofsky’s The Order of Terror, this article takes the panoptic layout of Sachsenhausen concentration camp as a case study to explore the diverging intentions of disciplinary and absolute power. Research into the history, architectural layout and social hierarchies of Sachsenhausen can help us to understand the psychological impacts of the built environment and the social structure of the camp on its inmates. The article is based not only on scientific literature but also on eyewitness reports of survivors in the form of written accounts and visual history. Moreover, archaeological material of excavations carried out at Sachsenhausen offers insights into – otherwise undocumented – aspects of daily life, strategies of survival and ways of resistance of the prisoners.

Forum Kritische Archäologie, 2019

Abstract Understanding subalternity not as a fixed condition, but as a process of subjectificatio... more Abstract
Understanding subalternity not as a fixed condition, but as a process of subjectification, that constantly creates subjects through hegemonic discourses and practices makes it possible to identify past discourses and practices archaeologically. Just like today, these discourses and practices were used to make subaltern groups in society almost invisible. Therefore, the evidence of subaltern actors in the archaeological record can only be indirect. Moreover, archaeological disciplines themselves function as instruments of hegemonic knowledge, once again producing and marginalising subalterns in the past. Paradoxically, once subaltern counter-discourses and practices appear ‘tangible’, they can no longer be considered as subaltern. Nevertheless, we see a potential in the material record to reveal ‘spaces of possibilities’ (Möglichkeitsräume) that enabled subaltern groups to act and to articulate themselves. Although they move in hegemonic spaces, the subaltern are able to produce subversive counter-spaces, by modifying function, occupying space or creating spatial ambiguities. We would like to illustrate and discuss these subaltern ‘spaces of possibilities’ on the basis of a few case studies from Ancient Egypt, ranging from workers’ strikes and modification of hegemonic spaces to the occupation of temples.

Zusammenfassung
Wird Subalternität nicht als Zustand konzipiert, sondern als Prozess von Subjektivierungen, der Subjekte beständig durch hegemoniale Diskurse und Praktiken herstellt, gilt es, jene Diskurse und Praktiken auch archäologisch zu identifizieren. Da diese Diskurse und Praktiken Subalterne bereits in der Vergangenheit nahezu unsichtbar machen sollten, ist der Nachweis subalterner Akteur*innen nur indirekt möglich. Zudem sind die Archäologien selbst hegemoniale Wissensapparate, die dazu beitragen, Subalterne in der Vergangenheit zu produzieren und zu marginalisieren. Versuchen wir, subalterne Gegendiskurse und -praktiken sichtbar zu machen, sind wir mit dem Paradoxon konfrontiert, dass Subalterne, sobald sie ‚greifbar‘ erscheinen, nicht mehr als subaltern gelten können. Dennoch scheint es uns möglich, anhand des archäologischen Befunds Möglichkeitsräume zu erschließen, die subalternen Gruppen ein Handlungs- und Artikulationspotential ermöglichten. Zwar bewegen sich Subalterne in hegemonialen Räumen, produzieren aber beispielsweise mittels Umnutzung, Besetzung oder Doppeldeutigkeiten Gegenräume, in denen subversives Handeln möglich wird. Diese subalternen Möglichkeitsräume möchten wir anhand einiger altägyptischer Beispiele illustrieren und diskutieren, die von Streiks, über Umbauten hegemonialer Räume bis hin zur Besetzung von Tempeln reichen.

Das Altertum 62, 2017

Die Anwendbarkeit (post-)moderner raumsoziologischer Theorien wird in diesem Artikel anhand eines... more Die Anwendbarkeit (post-)moderner raumsoziologischer Theorien wird in diesem Artikel anhand eines konkreten Fallbeispiels, der sog. Ramsesstadt (Pi-Ramesse), überprüft. Eine kritische Auseinandersetzung mit den der Stadt gewidmeten Hymnen ermöglicht einen Vergleich des imaginierten Raumes mit dem gebauten Raum der Stadt und den Lebensrealitäten der Bewohner*innen.

Blickpunkt Archäologie, 2015

Die Berufsmesse ARCHAEOworks und die Workshop-Reihe ARCHAEOskills wurden 2015 erstmals parallel d... more Die Berufsmesse ARCHAEOworks und die Workshop-Reihe ARCHAEOskills wurden 2015 erstmals parallel durchgeführt. Beide Veranstaltungen haben erneut ihre Bedeutung bei der Berufsfeldorientierung für junge Studierende archäologischer Fachrichtungen bewiesen.

Talks by Lea Rees (geb. Röfer)

Restoration, Dismantlement, and Reuse of the Memphite Necropolis, 2024

The UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Memphite Necropolis in Egypt encompasses numerous archaeolo... more The UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Memphite Necropolis in Egypt encompasses numerous archaeological sites in an area which served as a burial ground for the rulers as well as courtiers and high officials of the Pharaonic state in the 3 rd-1 st millennium BCE. Traditionally, Egyptological research has focused on major royal building activities and the main occupational phases of these sites, each seen in relative isolation. The best researched phase of a building's life is often its making and what preceded it, its demise being hidden in plain sight. In this workshop, however, the changing stages of the long lifecycle of the necropolis will be addressed, with a special focus on the restoration, dismantlement, and reuse of the monuments in antiquity and Medieval times.

International Conference "Who was poor in Pharaonic Egypt and in its Near Eastern neighbourhood? Social Stratification and Visibility according to texts, pictures and archaeology", Vienna 4th-6th of September, 2024

Social topographies analyse and map the spatial distribution of different social groups within ur... more Social topographies analyse and map the spatial distribution of different social groups within urban spaces and landscapes, often focussing on indicators of wealth and poverty, crafts and professions, family structures, gender, age, ethnicity, or religious denomination. Developed in Geographical Sciences and adopted in historical and archaeological disciplines (especially for the study of the Middle Ages and the Early Modern Age), this concept has rarely been applied to ancient case studies due to the (comparatively!) scarce written sources. Yet, many social-archaeological studies have pointed out ways to identify social structures based on material remains, be it field boundaries, architectural elements, the dimensions of houses, the size of tombs, osteological data, the distribution of finds, as well as prosopographical information and inscribed objects.

This paper will investigate how the spatial arrangement of tombs was used to mark social status by transferring the concept of social topographies to the site of Dahshur, while referring to a number of case studies, including the sites of Giza, Beni Hassan, Harageh, Amarna, and Deir el-Medina. It will be argued that social stratification could be communicated through the vertical and horizontal placement of tombs within the funerary landscape. Thus, the necropoleis can be considered visual metaphors of prevalent social hierarchies (although they do not directly mirror the society at the time). The creation of spatial topographies makes it possible to (re)populate Ancient Egyptian cultural landscapes with all the people shaping them, and to reintroduce social groups into the discussion which are often overlooked since they have left no, or only few, material traces.

Oxford Summer School on Ancient Egyptian and Sudanese Art, 2024

Images of the Egyptian god Bes have been found widespread, even in the furthest outskirts of the ... more Images of the Egyptian god Bes have been found widespread, even in the furthest outskirts of the Persian Empire. In this multicultural setting, Bes takes on varying shapes and functions, reflecting diverse local variations and interpretations, sometimes being merged with other powerful creatures. By studying the integration of Bes into Persian iconography, different theories trying to explain the integration of this Egyptian deity into Achaemenid royal ideology and religion(s) will be assessed.

University of Warsaw, Faculty of Archaeology, Department of Archaeology of Egypt & Nubia, Seminar... more University of Warsaw, Faculty of Archaeology, Department of Archaeology of Egypt & Nubia, Seminar Series 2024

The archaeological site of Dahshur forms the southernmost site of the large Memphite Necropolis emanating from the Old Kingdom capital at Memphis, as well as the northernmost site of the pyramids in the realm of the Middle Kingdom residence at Iṯj-Tawj near Lisht. Dahshur thus holds an unrivalled cultural prominence as a centre of intense royal building activity in both periods, unlike any other site in that area. By analysing the transformations of the cultural landscape of Dahshur through time – from the time before the first pyramids were erected until the name of the owners of these monuments were forgotten – it becomes possible to trace a layered life-story of constant functional and social changes, ranging from a place of work to a place of worship, from a place of the living to a place of the dead. Thus, the multiplicity of people who have shaped the cultural landscape of Dahshur will be acknowledged, shifting the narrative from the pharaohs to the people.

Writing in and out of monumentality: Patterns and performance of ancient Egyptian writing practices, Workshop Harris Manchester College Oxford, 2024

Large-scale construction sites are, and always have been, enormous logistical projects which need... more Large-scale construction sites are, and always have been, enormous logistical projects which need to be organised and managed in some way or other. This is also true for the pyramids of Pharaonic Egypt. By analysing the administrative marks on the building blocks of the pyramids of the Old and Middle Kingdom at Dahshur, it becomes possible to trace diachronic changes in the complex bureaucratic system at work. Thus, this paper allows an insight into the organisation of the workforces and the management of the construction sites at Dahshur, while highlighting the fuzzy boundary of monumental and non-monumental graphic registers.

Research Seminar of the Department of Classics, University of Reading, 2023

Egypt has often been called one of the most artificial landscapes of the ancient world. Human int... more Egypt has often been called one of the most artificial landscapes of the ancient world. Human intervention has attempted to shape and modify it – mainly in the interest of agriculture – by creating artificial lakes, canals, and channels to water the fields. While managing its waters, the population of Egypt has always been subject to the behaviour of the river Nile, hugely depending on the water and fertile soil it was bringing during the annual inundation. Thus, the example of the Nile river perfectly illustrates the mutual influence and constant interaction of an active landscape and the people depending on it and dwelling in it, while also manipulating and shaping it. The concept of 'landscape biographies' stresses two points which are particularly important for the case study of Dahshur presented in this paper. First of all, it stresses the temporal depth and the dynamics of an ever-changing landscape, and secondly, it acknowledges the influence of various social groups on shaping it. In this paper, the cultural landscape of Dahshur will be approached from different hypothetical perspectives: from those of the people working at the pyramid construction sites, from those of the people living in the settlements nearby, and from those merely passing Dahshur from afar.

International Workshop "Egypt through the eyes of Ahmed Fakhry", Cairo, 2023

During the excavations of Ahmed Fakhry in the Valley Temple of the Bent Pyramid at Dahshur in the... more During the excavations of Ahmed Fakhry in the Valley Temple of the Bent Pyramid at Dahshur in the 1950’s, a large corpus of inscribed statues, pedestals, altars, shrines, stelae, and offering tables was found. By drawing on Fakhry’s work as well as the new documentation of these finds by the German Archaeological Institute in Cairo, this paper aims to reconstruct the social profile of the local communities of priests and to offer a glimpse into the wider population living at Dahshur in the Old and Middle Kingdom.

The University of Edinburgh, School of History, Classics and Archaeology, Archaeology Seminar Series , 2023

The archaeological site of Dahshur in Egypt forms part of the large UNESCO World Heritage site of... more The archaeological site of Dahshur in Egypt forms part of the large UNESCO World Heritage site of the Memphite necropolis. For a long time, archaeological research at the site has predominantly focused on the royal pyramids and temples of the Old and Middle Kingdom as well as the monumental tombs of the highest social strata. Recent excavations at the site and a re-evaluation of earlier finds, however, make it possible to shift the focus towards earlier and later time periods, and towards daily life in the quarries, workshops, production sites, and settlements.

Building on my PhD research at Free University Berlin and my Postdoc Project at University College Oxford, this paper will present a number of case studies which offer insights into the wide chronological, social, and functional range of the cultural landscape at Dahshur. By studying the infrastructure of the pyramid construction sites, the organisation of the workforces, the architecture of the settlements as well as textual and prosopographical sources, a social profile of each of the cemeteries, settlements, and workspaces can be created. This is a way to shift the narrative from the pharaohs to the people who built the monuments and who lived in this place for generations. By creating a social topography, it is aimed to (re)populate the sacred landscape with all the people shaping it and to reintroduce social groups into the discussion which are barely ever mentioned since they have left such few material traces.

"What does this have to do with Archaeology?" Essays on the Occasion of the 65th Birthday of Reinhard Bernbeck , 2023

Journal of Egyptian Archaeology, 2021

Article by Anke Weber, Willem Hovestreydt, and Lea Rees

Egyptian Archaeology, 2021

JARCE 56, 2020

Article by Anke Weber, Judith Bunbury, Klara Dietze, Willem Hovestreydt, Dora Petrova, Lutz Popko, Gareth Rees, Lea Rees, and Karin Schinken.

Akhet Neheh. Studies in Honour of Willem Hovestreydt on Occasion of His 75th Birthday, edited by Anke Weber, Martina Grünhagen, Lea Rees, and Jan Moje, 2020

Égypte, Afrique et Orient No. 102, 2021

Journal of Contemporary Archaeology 7, 2020

Forum Kritische Archäologie, 2019

Das Altertum 62, 2017

Blickpunkt Archäologie, 2015

Restoration, Dismantlement, and Reuse of the Memphite Necropolis, 2024

Oxford Summer School on Ancient Egyptian and Sudanese Art, 2024

Writing in and out of monumentality: Patterns and performance of ancient Egyptian writing practices, Workshop Harris Manchester College Oxford, 2024

Research Seminar of the Department of Classics, University of Reading, 2023

International Workshop "Egypt through the eyes of Ahmed Fakhry", Cairo, 2023

The University of Edinburgh, School of History, Classics and Archaeology, Archaeology Seminar Series , 2023

IFAO/PCMA conference "Living in the House. Researching the Domestic Life in Ancient Egypt and Sudan" Cairo, 2022

At the site of Dahshur, various settlement structures from the Old Kingdom have been uncovered, r... more At the site of Dahshur, various settlement structures from the Old Kingdom have been uncovered, ranging from barracks and a planned settlement of elite houses from the time of the construction of king Snefru’s pyramids, to pyramid towns and priests’ settlements that have been occupied until the beginning of the First Intermediate Period. Drawing on recent fieldwork that has been carried out on site, this paper will offer an up-to-date overview of domestic life at Dahshur, which will be compared with structures of similar function, date, or social composition, especially in the Memphite necropolis.

Building on the author’s PhD research, the paper aims to present a social profile of each of these settlements based on a combined analysis of their architectural layout, textual sources such as the Dahshur-Decree and administrative papyri as well as prosopographical evidence from nearby tombs. By following a phenomenological approach, the living conditions in these different types of settlements can be envisioned and contrasted with each other. With a focus on the perception of space through the human body, the questions of how both the natural and the built environments may have influenced peoples’ movements and behaviour are raised. Concurrently, the influence of different social groups in transforming the spaces they lived in will be discussed. Individual modifications offer a rare insight into how people adjusted centrally planned architecture to make it fit their needs as well as into how space was planned, used, and negotiated by different entities.

KV 11 Study Day at Leiden University, 2022

The Valley of the Kings in Western Thebes is one of the most famous and intensively explored arch... more The Valley of the Kings in Western Thebes is one of the most famous and intensively explored archaeological sites of Egypt, where archaeological investigations and excavations have been carried out since nearly three centuries. Nevertheless, it is astonishing how little information is published on some tombs and their burial equipment – and how contradictory accounts of their research history are. Concerning its early history of exploration, the tomb of Ramesses III is no exception. Objects that once formed the burial equipment of this pharaoh have ended up in museum collections all over the world. This presentation focuses on the sarcophagus ensemble of Ramesses III as a case study.

Origins 7. The 7th International Conference "Origin of the State. Predynastic and Early Dynastic Egypt", 2022

Over 1000 years before the first pyramids were built and the vast residence cemeteries of the Mem... more Over 1000 years before the first pyramids were built and the vast residence cemeteries of the Memphite necropolis were established, the cultural landscape in this area was shaped by monuments of the Pre- and Early Dynastic periods. In fact, all of the later pyramid sites including Abu Roash, Gizeh, Zawyet el-Aryan, Abusir, Abu Ghorab and Saqqara are known to have been important elite burial grounds before the Old Kingdom monuments were erected. Only for Dahshur, no such activities were known – or at least they were not broadly acknowledged, for the absence of early material has been commented on in various studies. By now, however, the narrative of pharaoh Snefru initiating the site by building the Bent Pyramid and the Red Pyramid on “virgin ground”, untouched by human activity, can seriously be challenged.

Archaeological discoveries in the last 30 years have changed our picture of Dahshur, making it possible to draw a first, if still very provisional and party hypothetical picture of Dahshur before Snefru. The discovery of an archaic mastaba by the German Archaeological Institute in Cairo as well as the excavations of the Metropolitan Museum of Art New York in the area of the pyramid complex of Senwosret III have produced evidence of an early cemetery and maybe even of a royal funerary complex of the 3rd Dynasty. The possibility of such an Early Dynastic monument at Dahshur will be discussed in detail by re-evaluating formerly excavated material as well as critically assessing unprovenanced objects that have been said to come from Dahshur. These include the stela of king Qahedjet in the Musée du Louvre, which still lies in the centre of a heated debate concerning its provenance, dating, and authenticity, as well as a stone bowl inscribed with the cartouche of 3rd Dyn. king Khaba, which has so far received little attention in the discussion. The presentation draws on recent debates concerning the chronology of the 3rd Dyn., while critically reviewing discussions concerning the reuse of objects in the Old, Middle, and New Kingdom as well as the Late Period.

By bringing all available evidence together, the material offers a new explanation why Snefru may have chosen Dahshur as his burial site after giving up Meidum. Snefru would have deliberately placed himself in a direct connection to the mortuary cult of one of his ancestors, his pyramids thus presenting a visible manifestation of his personal relationship with his predecessor(s) in the sacred landscape of the Memphite necropolis.

This paper is a revised version of a presentation held for the German Archaeological Institute Cairo’s lecture series TELL!, and is based on a chapter of the author’s PhD thesis which deals with the transformations of the cultural landscape of Dahshur.

In diesem Vortrag soll den Fragen nach der Präsenz von Ausländer*innen in Dahschur, ihrer Verortu... more In diesem Vortrag soll den Fragen nach der Präsenz von Ausländer*innen in Dahschur, ihrer Verortung innerhalb der Kulturlandschaft sowie ihrer Stellung in der lokalen und der gesamtägyptischen Gesellschaft nachgegangen werden.

Ein ausschlaggebender Hinweis auf die Präsenz von Personen aus Nubien während des späten Alten Reiches findet sich im sogenannten Dahschur-Dekret, in dem eine Bevölkerungsgruppe unter der Bezeichnung nHs.jw Htp.w aufgeführt wird. Da dieser terminus nur hier vorkommt, ist seine Bedeutung stark umstritten: Interpretationen reichen von „befriedeten Nubiern“, die vielfach mit den auf dem Annalenstein erwähnten Deportationen nubischer Bevölkerungsgruppen unter Snofru in Verbindung gebracht werden, bis hin zu „angeworbenen Nubiern“, womit in der 6. Dynastie angeheuerte Söldner gemeint sind. Das Dahschur-Dekret bezeugt allerdings in erster Linie die soziale Ausgrenzung dieser Personen, die von den Privilegien der Pyramidenstädte ausgeschlossen werden. Die Notwendigkeit, solche Verbote auszusprechen, verdeutlicht aber auch, dass es ihnen zuvor oder anderswo vielleicht gelungen war, sich solche Privilegien zu sichern. Neben textlichen Quellen lässt auch die materielle Kultur auf die Anwesenheit nubischer Personen vor Ort schließen: Neben Keramikfunden sind hier v. a. die Grabstelen einer Nubierin namens Anchet-Neni aus dem Mittleren Reich hervorzuheben. Im Mittleren Reich finden sich auch Hinweise auf den Einsatz von Kriegsgefangenen in Dahschur. Ein letztes interessantes Fallbeispiel bieten die Bildgraffiti in der Pyramide Sesostris‘ III., die häufig als Selbstportraits von Ausländern aus dem südwestasiatischen Raum interpretiert wurden. Zunächst wurden die Hyksos für diese Graffiti verantwortlich gemacht, doch wurden auch religiös motivierte aAm.w als Urheber*innen vermutet. Die Fragen zur stark umstrittenen Datierung sowie zur ethnischen Identität der Urheber*innen und der Dargestellten – bei denen es sich nicht zwangsweise um dieselben Personen handeln muss – sollen in diesem Vortrag kritisch diskutiert und eine alternative Interpretation der Darstellungen vorgeschlagen werden.

Anhand der hier genannten Fallbeispiele aus Dahschur lassen sich schließlich auch umfassendere Fragen zu ethnischen Identitäten, gesellschaftlichen Konflikten und sozialer In- und Exklusion aufwerfen, wobei das Spannungsfeld zwischen staatlich angestrebten Idealen und deren realer Umsetzung bzw. deren Unterwanderung aufgezeigt werden kann.

6th Research Network „Building, Building Economy, Building Sites“, German Archaeological Institut... more 6th Research Network „Building, Building Economy, Building Sites“, German Archaeological Institute Istanbul

Workshop: „The ‚Human Factor‘ in Building and Building Economy“
2nd Session, 5th & 6th March 2021

The pyramid site of Dahshur is a palimpsest of several large‐scale construction projects of the Old and Middle Kingdom namely royal pyramids and their adjacent cult complexes as well as cemeteries for elite members of society. The enormous effort that had to be invested into the planning, construction and maintenance of those monumental structures, however, is difficult to assess. The infrastructure probably consisted largely of temporary constructions, seasonal camps, and transitory workplaces. Many structures, like the massive construction ramps, workshops, housing for the many workers on site, etc., have even been deliberately erased after the main building process was finished. Thus, Egyptologist BARRY KEMP has referred to these “hidden aspects of pyramid building” as “the archaeology of what is no longer there”.

Due to the scarcity of material evidence, the ‘human factor’ in the logistics of pyramid sites has rarely been the primary focus of Egyptological research. Nevertheless, few material traces, like the so-called team marks, indicating the organisation of the workforce into different crews of workmen, provide an insight into subaltern groups of society, otherwise absent from the material record.

Our contribution aims not only to present the available archaeological evidence for the ’construction site‘ of Dahshur but to specifically address the absence of knowledge of what else may have been there. In the following discussion of the broader topic of ’the archaeology of what is no longer there’, we would like to focus on other aspects that remain ‘invisible’ for archaeologists today, which may help us to theorise and reconstruct missing elements in the building process.

Tell! The Cairo Department of the German Archaeological Institute is pleased to announce that the... more Tell! The Cairo Department of the German Archaeological Institute is pleased to announce that the lecture series 'Tell!' will resume after a five year break. TELL! provides a forum for early career researchers (advanced PhD students and early stage Postdocs) to present their research on Egypt and Nubia-results, preliminary results and/or approaches-through all time periods and scientific fields related to archaeology and to obtain constructive feedback in a supportive environment.

The lecture series will be held online (Zoom) every last Tuesday of the month at 6 pm (Cairo time, EET)

Further information on this and other events can also be found on the Institute's website at : https://tinyurl.com/5aar6hn2 and https://www.dainst.org/dai/termine.

TELL! Lecture Series of the German Archaeological Institute in Cairo

The pyramid site of Dahshur is traditionally associated with the pyramids built by pharaoh Snefru... more The pyramid site of Dahshur is traditionally associated with the pyramids built by pharaoh Snefru, the founder of the 4th Dynasty. Popular as well as scientific literature often give the impression that the pyramids of the Old Kingdom were built on “virgin ground”, untouched by human activity before the rulers decided to erect their monuments at this very location. But in fact, all of the pyramid sites of the Memphite necropolis had already served as an elite burial ground in Pre- and Early Dynastic times. Only at Dahshur such early material seemed to be missing. However, a re-evaluation of excavations carried out in the late 19th century as well as archaeological discoveries of the last 30 years make it possible to draw a provisional picture of the pre-pyramid cultural landscape of Dahshur.

Darstellungen des ägyptischen Gottes Bes waren im persischen Großreich weit verbreitet und wurden... more Darstellungen des ägyptischen Gottes Bes waren im persischen Großreich weit verbreitet und wurden selbst in den abgelegensten Regionen des achämenidischen Einflussgebiets gefunden. In diesem multikulturellen Umfeld nimmt Bes verschiedene Gestalten und Funktionen an, die lokale Variationen und Interpretationen widerspiegeln. Bes wurde jedoch auch in den offiziellen Kanon achämenidischer Kunst aufgenommen, indem er in Ritual- und Kampfszenen eingebunden oder mit anderen mächtigen Wesen vereint wurde. Der Vortrag beleuchtet die Integration des Gottes Bes in die achämenidische Ikonographie und seine Einbindung in achämenidische Glaubensvorstellungen und Königsideologie.

Wird Subalternität nicht als Zustand konzipiert, sondern als eine Relationierung, die beständig d... more Wird Subalternität nicht als Zustand konzipiert, sondern als eine Relationierung, die beständig durch hegemoniale Diskurse und Praktiken hergestellt wird, gilt es, jene Diskurse und Praktiken auch archäologisch zu identifizieren. Da diese Subalterne nahezu unsichtbar machen, ist der Nachweis subalterner Akteur_innen nur indirekt möglich. Zudem sind die Archäologien selbst hegemoniale Wissensapparate, die dazu beitragen, Subalterne in der Vergangenheit zu produzieren und zu marginalisieren. Statt menschlicher Akteur_innen werden oftmals Artefakte zu Agenten der Vergangenheit. Dadurch wird eine Identifizierung Subalterner doppelt (ver)unmöglich(t). Uns erscheint es daher angemessen, den umgekehrten Weg einzuschlagen. Statt einer Analyse hegemonialer Praktiken möchten wir zur Diskussion stellen, inwiefern alternativ subalterne Gegendiskurse und –praktiken analysiert werden können. Zwar bewegen sich vergangene Subalterne in hegemonialen Räumen, produzieren aber beispielsweise mittels Umnutzung und Umwidmung Gegenräume, in denen subversives Handeln möglich wird. Diese subalternen Möglichkeitsräume möchten wir anhand einiger altägyptischer Beispiele, die von Streiks über Graffiti bis hin zu Tempelbesetzungen reichen, illustrieren und diskutieren.

Entwurf einer Sozialtopographie Dahschurs. Über die zeitlichen, funktionalen und sozialen Transformationen einer antiken Kulturlandschaft, 2022

Meine Dissertation beschäftigt sich mit dem Entwurf einer Sozialtopographie Dahschurs, basierend ... more Meine Dissertation beschäftigt sich mit dem Entwurf einer Sozialtopographie Dahschurs, basierend auf der Fragestellung, inwiefern die kulturelle Landschaft Dahschurs als Metapher vorherrschender sozialer Hierarchien verstanden werden kann. Um unterschiedliche soziale Gruppierungen innerhalb der Kulturlandschaft zu verorten, habe ich die Organisation der Arbeitermannschaften auf den Pyramidenbaustellen, Textquellen sowie Personennamen und Titel, die in nahegelegenen Gräbern und in Tempeln gestifteten Objekten belegt sind, untersucht. Somit konnte für jede Siedlung und jedes Gräberfeld ein soziales Profil erstellt werden. Gleichzeitig konnte so die Kulturlandschaft mit den Menschen wiederbelebt werden, die dort lebten und arbeiteten. Um ein möglichst umfassendes Bild der Demographie Dahschurs zu erhalten, wurde ein weiterer Schwerpunkt darauf gelegt, Ausländer*innen und andere soziale Gruppen zu identifizieren, die im archäologischen Be¬fund häufig nur schwer auszumachen sind, wie beispielsweise Frauen, Kinder, alte Menschen und marginalisierte Personengruppen. Meine Studie hat aufgezeigt, dass durch die räumliche Anordnung von Monumentalgräbern und von Häusern innerhalb der Siedlungen in der Tat soziale Hierarchien kommuniziert wurden. Allerdings reflektiert diese Ordnung lediglich die Idealvorstellungen des altägyptischen Staates, während die tatsächliche Nutzung dieser Strukturen häufig von diesem Planideal abwich.

Die Datengrundlage der Studie bildet ein größtenteils unveröffentlichter archäologischer Survey, der von 1997–2000 vom Deutschen Archäologischen Institut Kairo durchgeführt wurde und mehr als 100 Fundplätze umfasst. Das Datenmaterial umfasst dabei neben Karten, Fotos und Beschreibungen der Fundorte auch einige Kleinfunde sowie ein umfangreiches Keramikensemble, das im Rahmen der Arbeit typologisch und chronologisch ausgewertet wurde. Für die Erstellung eines umfassenden Kartenwerks zu Dahschur wurden die Daten des Surveys sowie Informationen zu frühen und laufenden Grabungen in einem Geoinformationssystem verknüpft und mit den Ergebnissen der geomagnetischen Prospektion, Vermessungsdaten und Satellitenbildern komplettiert. Durch die Zusammenfassung von etwa 200 Jahren Ausgrabungstätigkeit in Dahschur kann nachvollzogen werden, wie sich die Kulturlandschaft über Jahrtausende hin wandelte.

Während sich der Fokus der ägyptologischen Forschung in Dahschur lange Zeit auf die Königspyramiden und die elitäre Funerärarchitektur des Alten und Mittleren Reiches beschränkte, nimmt meine Studie die menschlichen Aktivitäten von der frühdynastischen bis zur griechisch-römischen Zeit in den Blick und erweitert den Fokus auf die Siedlungen, Steinbrüche und Produktionsstätten vor Ort. Insgesamt bietet sich so ein Einblick in die chronologische, funktionale und soziale Varianz des Fundorts.

Auf Grundlage raumtheoretischer und landschaftsarchäologischer Ansätze untersucht die vorliegende Studie die menschliche Gestaltung, Veränderung und Wahrnehmung von Raum. So kann nachvollzogen werden, wie Dahschur im kollektiven und kulturellen Gedächtnis verankert wurde, während gleichzeitig Praktiken intentionalen Vergessens anhand der Zerstörung von Monumenten und der Wiederverwendung von Baumaterial nachvollzogen werden können.

Towards creating a social topography of Dahshur. On the chronological, functional, and social transformations of an ancient landscape, 2022

In my PhD thesis, I have created a social topography of Dahshur, following the research question ... more In my PhD thesis, I have created a social topography of Dahshur, following the research question whether its cultural landscape can be understood as a visual metaphor of prevalent social hierarchies. In order to locate different social groups within the landscape, I studied the organisation of the workforces on the construction sites of the pyramids, textual sources, as well as personal names and titles attested in nearby tombs and on objects offered in the temples. Thus, it was possible to create a social profile for each cemetery and settlement, and to revive the ancient landscape with the people who once worked or lived there. Special attention was given to identifying underrepresented social groups such as women, children, old people, foreigners, and marginalised groups in society, who barely left any material traces in the archaeological or textual record. In conclusion, my research demonstrated that indeed the spatial arrangement of monumental tombs and of houses within settlements was used to communicate social hierarchies. However, the architecture mainly reflects an ideal vision of the Pharaonic state, whereas the actual use often differed significantly.

The study is based on the largely unpublished set of data collected during an archaeological survey carried out 25 years ago in the area of Dahshur by the German Archaeological Institute in Cairo, where more than 100 ancient sites were mapped. I have analysed and illustrated pottery and small finds assemblages collected during the survey, in order to determine the dating and function of the new sites. By combining the survey results with total station data and geophysical maps from recent excavations as well as legacy data from the last 200 years of excavations in a GIS platform, I have produced a substantial map series of Dahshur, demonstrating how extensively and continuously the area was used over thousands of years.

While Egyptological research has mainly focused on the royal pyramids and elite funerary architecture of the Old and Middle Kingdom, I have studied human activities on site from the Early Dynastic period up to Graeco-Roman times, while looking more closely at settlement remains, production sites, and quarries, beyond the traditional focus on the tombs of the ruling elite. Overall, the study presents a much wider chronological, functional, and social range than scientific literature has so far made available.

With a theoretical background in landscape archaeology and the sociology of space, my thesis explored the human configuration and alteration of space. Thus, it can be traced how Dahshur was turned into a place of collective and cultural memory, while the destruction of certain buildings bears testimony to the re-use of precious building material and intentional practices of forgetting.

Meine Masterarbeit, die ich 2016 am Ägyptologischen Seminar der Freien Universtiät Berlin eingere... more Meine Masterarbeit, die ich 2016 am Ägyptologischen Seminar der Freien Universtiät Berlin eingereicht habe, trägt den Titel "Eine raumsoziologische Analyse der Ramsesstadt" und beschäftigt sich aus architekturtheoretischer Sicht mit der planmäßig angelegten Stadt Pi-Ramesse, die von Pharao Ramses II. (1279-1213 v. Chr.) als neue Hauptstadt, weit entfernt von den traditionellen Zentren Ägyptens, mitten im Nildelta errichtet wurde.