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107-621: Barbara Louise Mertz (September 29, 1927 – August 8, 2013) was an American author who wrote under her own name as well as under the pseudonyms Elizabeth Peters and Barbara Michaels . In 1952, she received a PhD in Egyptology from the University of Chicago . She was best known for her mystery and suspense novels, including the Amelia Peabody book series . In the 1960s, Mertz authored two books on ancient Egypt : Temples, Tombs, and Hieroglyphs ,
214-849: A popular history of ancient Egypt; and Red Land, Black Land , which explores daily life in ancient Egypt. Both have remained in print ever since, and revised editions were released in 2007 and 2008, respectively. Barbara Mertz was born on September 29, 1927, in Canton , Illinois. She graduated from the University of Chicago with a bachelor's degree in 1947, a master's degree in 1950, and a PhD in Egyptology in 1952, having studied with John A. Wilson . She authored two books on ancient Egypt , Temples, Tombs, and Hieroglyphs (1964; rev. ed. 2007) and Red Land, Black Land (1966; rev. ed. 2008) (both of which have been continuously in print since first publication), but primarily wrote mystery and suspense novels. She became
321-521: A charming art thief known as Sir John Smythe. Another Peters novel, The Camelot Caper (1969) (also published as Her Cousin John ), while not technically a Vicky Bliss story, features Smythe. The novels can be enjoyed in any order, but the stories are highly sequential in nature and are probably better appreciated if read in order of publication. This series and the Amelia Peabody series are slightly related:
428-412: A childlike manner. During classical times, people regarded heroes with the highest esteem and utmost importance, explaining their prominence within epic literature. The appearance of these mortal figures marks a revolution of audiences and writers turning away from immortal gods to mortal mankind, whose heroic moments of glory survive in the memory of their descendants, extending their legacy. Hector
535-490: A common practice among Egyptologists was to "divorce Egypt from its proper northeast African context, instead framing it as fundamentally part of a Near Eastern or "Mediterranean" economic, social and political sphere, hardly African at all or at best a crossroad between the Near East, the eastern Mediterranean and Africa, which carries with it the implication that it is ultimately not really part of Africa". He explicitly criticised
642-699: A continually flawed personal honor code. The definition of a hero has changed throughout time. Merriam Webster dictionary defines a hero as "a person who is admired for great or brave acts or fine qualities". Examples of heroes range from mythological figures, such as Gilgamesh , Achilles and Iphigenia , to historical and modern figures, such as Joan of Arc , Giuseppe Garibaldi , Sophie Scholl , Alvin York , Audie Murphy , and Chuck Yeager , and fictional " superheroes ", including Superman , Supergirl , Spider-Man , Batman , and Captain America . The word hero comes from
749-569: A fallen obelisk near the main entrance. Previously unknown to researchers, Naert was a wife of Teti , the first king of the sixth dynasty. In February 2021, archaeologists from the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announced the discovery of a Ptolemaic period temple, a Roman fort, an early Coptic church and an inscription written in hieratic script at an archaeological site called Shiha Fort in Aswan . According to Mostafa Waziri ,
856-560: A fictional tomb discovered by Amelia Peabody and her husband plays an important role in Night Train to Memphis , and in The Laughter of Dead Kings it is revealed that John Smythe is related to the Emersons. In this series, Jacqueline Kirby is a middle-aged librarian with a very large purse and a knack for solving mysteries. Initially an unwilling detective, and not the apparent protagonist, in
963-448: A good son, husband and father, and without darker motives. However, his familial values conflict greatly with his heroic aspirations in the Iliad, as he cannot be both the protector of Troy and a father to his child. Hector is ultimately betrayed by the deities when Athena appears disguised as his ally Deiphobus and convinces him to challenge Achilles, leading to his death at the hands of
1070-466: A hero's sphere include: Propp distinguished between seekers and victim-heroes . A villain could initiate the issue by kidnapping the hero or driving him out; these were victim-heroes. On the other hand, an antagonist could rob the hero, or kidnap someone close to him, or, without the villain's intervention, the hero could realize that he lacked something and set out to find it; these heroes are seekers. Victims may appear in tales with seeker heroes, but
1177-401: A larger chamber with painted reliefs depicting the tomb owner seated at an offerings table", reported Megahed. Some paintings maintained their brightness over a long time in the tomb. Mainly made of white limestone bricks, the tomb had a tunnel entrance generally typical for pyramids. Archaeologists say that there might be a connection between Khuwy and pharaoh because the mausoleum was found near
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#17328905970711284-516: A massive role in the stories of classical heroes. The classical hero's heroic significance stems from battlefield conquests, an inherently dangerous action. The deities in Greek mythology , when interacting with the heroes, often foreshadow the hero's eventual death on the battlefield. Countless heroes and deities go to great lengths to alter their pre-destined fates, but with no success, as none, neither human or immortal can change their prescribed outcomes by
1391-416: A number of award wins and nominations from the mystery community. Her first recognition came when Trojan Gold was nominated for the 1988 Anthony Award in the "Best Novel" category; the following year, Naked Once More won the 1989 Agatha Award in the same category. Following this Mertz earned a series of Agatha Award "Best Novel" nominations, including The Last Camel Died at Noon in 1991; The Snake,
1498-462: A published writer in 1964. She was married to Richard Mertz for 19 years (1950–1969); the marriage ended in divorce. They had two children, Peter and Elizabeth Mertz . Under the name Barbara Michaels, she wrote primarily gothic and supernatural thrillers . Her publisher chose that pseudonym since Mertz had already published one non-fiction book on ancient Egypt, and the publisher did not want Mertz's novels to be confused with her academic work. Under
1605-811: A role above and beyond risk type in determining the ascription of heroic status. Psychologists have also identified the traits of heroes. Elaine Kinsella and her colleagues have identified 12 central traits of heroism, which consist of brave, moral integrity, conviction, courageous, self-sacrifice , protecting, honest, selfless, determined, saves others, inspiring, and helpful. Scott Allison and George Goethals uncovered evidence for "the great eight traits" of heroes consisting of wise, strong, resilient, reliable, charismatic, caring, selfless, and inspiring. These researchers have also identified four primary functions of heroism. Heroes give us wisdom; they enhance us; they provide moral modeling; and they offer protection. An evolutionary psychology explanation for heroic risk-taking
1712-646: A sarcophagus below. According to the Al-Ahram , in January 2019, archaeologists headed by Mostafa Waziri revealed a collection of 20 tombs dated back to the Second Intermediate Period in Kom Al-Khelgan. The burials contained the remains of animals, amulets, and scarabs carved from faience, round and oval pots with handholds, flint knives, broken and burned pottery. All burials included skulls and skeletons in
1819-411: A superior warrior. Achilles was a Greek hero who was considered the most formidable military fighter in the entire Trojan War and the central character of the Iliad . He was the child of Thetis and Peleus , making him a demi-god . He wielded superhuman strength on the battlefield and was blessed with a close relationship to the deities . Achilles famously refused to fight after his dishonoring at
1926-605: A tradesman named Tjit. On 13 April 2019, an expedition led by a member of the Czech Institute of Egyptology, Mohamed Megahed, discovered a 4,000-year-old tomb near Egypt's Saqqara Necropolis in Saqqara . Archaeologists confirmed that the tomb belonged to an influential person named Khuwy, who lived in Egypt during the 5th Dynasty . "The L-shaped Khuwy tomb starts with a small corridor heading downwards into an antechamber and from there
2033-926: Is a multibillion-dollar industry that includes comic books, movies, toys, and video games. Superheroes usually possess extraordinary talents and powers that no living human could ever possess. The superhero stories often pit a super villain against the hero, with the hero fighting the crime caused by the super villain. Examples of long-running superheroes include Superman , Wonder Woman , Batman , and Spider-Man . Research indicates that male writers are more likely to make heroines superhuman, whereas female writers tend to make heroines ordinary humans, as well as making their male heroes more powerful than their heroines, possibly due to sex differences in valued traits. Social psychology has begun paying attention to heroes and heroism. Zeno Franco and Philip Zimbardo point out differences between heroism and altruism, and they offer evidence that observer perceptions of unjustified risk play
2140-495: Is no perfect solution. Instead, he hopes that gradual realization of humanity's innate motivations, namely death, may help to bring about a better world. Terror Management Theory (TMT) has generated evidence supporting this perspective. Examining the success of resistance fighters on Crete during the Nazi occupation in WWII , author and endurance researcher C. McDougall drew connections to
2247-592: Is often overlooked because of the focus of Greek and Roman studies. These Arabic scholars were key in preserving and sharing knowledge about Egypt, connecting ancient civilizations to the Islamic world. Abdul Latif al-Baghdadi , a teacher at Cairo 's Al-Azhar University in the 13th century, wrote detailed descriptions of ancient Egyptian monuments . Similarly, the 15th-century Egyptian historian al-Maqrizi wrote detailed accounts of Egyptian antiquities. European exploration and travel writings of ancient Egypt commenced in
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#17328905970712354-411: Is that it is a costly signal demonstrating the ability of the hero. It may be seen as one form of altruism for which there are several other evolutionary explanations as well. Roma Chatterji has suggested that the hero or more generally protagonist is first and foremost a symbolic representation of the person who is experiencing the story while reading, listening, or watching; thus the relevance of
2461-403: Is the scientific study of ancient Egypt . The topics studied include ancient Egyptian history , language , literature , religion , architecture and art from the 5th millennium BC until the end of its native religious practices in the 4th century AD. The earliest explorers of ancient Egypt were the ancient Egyptians themselves. Inspired by a dream he had, Thutmose IV led an excavation of
2568-519: The 12th Dynasty were found besides the skeletal remains of cats. In mid-December 2018, the Egyptian government announced the discovery at Saqqara of a previously unknown 4,400-year-old tomb, containing paintings and more than fifty sculptures. It belongs to Wahtye , a high-ranking priest who served under King Neferirkare Kakai during the Fifth Dynasty. The tomb also contains four shafts that lead to
2675-527: The Ancient Greek heroes and a culture of integrated physical self-mastery, training, and mental conditioning that fostered confidence to take action, and made it possible for individuals to accomplish feats of great prowess, even under the harshest of conditions. The skills established an "ability to unleash tremendous resources of strength, endurance, and agility that many people don't realize they already have." McDougall cites examples of heroic acts, including
2782-557: The Book of the Dead . Archaeologists led by Zahi Hawass also found the funerary temple of Naert and warehouses made of bricks in Saqqara. In January 2021, Egyptian-Dominican researchers led by Kathleen Martinez have announced the discovery of 2,000-year-old ancient tombs with golden tongues dating to the Greek and Roman periods at Taposiris Magna . The team also unearthed gold leaf amulets in
2889-555: The Great Sphinx of Giza and inscribed a description of the dream on the Dream Stele . Less than two centuries later, Prince Khaemweset , fourth son of Ramesses II , would gain fame for identifying and restoring historic buildings, tombs and temples, including pyramids; and has subsequently been described as the first Egyptologist. Some of the first historical accounts of Egypt were given by Herodotus , Strabo , Diodorus Siculus and
2996-457: The Greco-Roman period between 332 BC and 395 AD. While the findings assumed belonging to a mother and a child were well preserved, others had suffered major destruction. Beside the mummies, artefacts including painted funerary masks, vases of bitumen used in mummification, pottery and wooden figurines were revealed. Thanks to the hieroglyphics on the tomb, it was detected that the tomb belongs to
3103-519: The Greek ἥρως ( hērōs ), "hero" (literally "protector" or "defender"), particularly one such as Heracles with divine ancestry or later given divine honors. Before the decipherment of Linear B the original form of the word was assumed to be * ἥρωϝ- , hērōw- , but the Mycenaean compound ti-ri-se-ro-e demonstrates the absence of -w-. Hero as a name appears in pre-Homeric Greek mythology , wherein Hero
3210-881: The Middle Ages , travelers on pilgrimages to the Holy Land would occasionally detour to visit sites in Egypt. Destinations would include Cairo and its environs, where the Holy Family was thought to have fled, and the great Pyramids, which were thought to be Joseph's Granaries , built by the Hebrew patriarch to store grain during the years of plenty. A number of their accounts ( Itineraria ) have survived and offer insights into conditions in their respective time periods. Medieval Islamic scholars studied and preserved knowledge of Ancient Egypt by translating Ancient Egyptian texts into Arabic. This work helped people to understand ancient Egypt, which
3317-650: The Prague 's Charles University led by Miroslav Bárta discovered the robbed tomb of an ancient Egyptian military official named Wahibre-mery-Neith and a scarab in Giza 's Abusir necropolis 12 km southeast of the Pyramids of Giza . He commanded battalions of non-local soldiers and likely lived in the late 26th and early 27th dynasties, around 500 BC, according to the Egyptian Antiquities Ministry . The tomb's main well
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3424-539: The biographies of individuals, as in Oliver Cromwell's Letters and Speeches and History of Frederick the Great . His heroes were not only political and military figures, the founders or topplers of states, but also religious figures, poets, authors, and captains of industry . Explicit defenses of Carlyle's position were rare in the second part of the 20th century. Most in the philosophy of history school contend that
3531-568: The dilemma of mortality through heroism, by focusing attention mainly on the symbolic self. This symbolic self-focus takes the form of an individual's " immortality project" (or " causa sui project"), which is essentially a symbolic belief-system that ensures that one is believed superior to physical reality. By successfully living under the terms of the immortality project, people feel they can become heroic and, henceforth, part of something eternal; something that will never die as compared to their physical body. This he asserts, in turn, gives people
3638-596: The "Best Critical / Biographical Work" category. Mertz was also the recipient of a number of grandmaster and lifetime achievement awards, including being named Grandmaster at the Anthony Awards in 1986 and Grandmaster by the Mystery Writers of America in 1998; in 2003, she received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Malice Domestic Convention. In 2012 she was honored with the first Amelia Peabody Award at
3745-452: The "Mythic Hero Archetype" was first developed by Lord Raglan in his 1936 book, The Hero, A Study in Tradition, Myth and Drama . It is a set of 22 common traits that he said were shared by many heroes in various cultures, myths, and religions throughout history and worldwide. Raglan argued that the higher the score, the more likely the figure is mythical. The concept of a story archetype of
3852-540: The "ancient Egyptians belonged, that is, not to any specific Egyptian region or Near Eastern heritage but to that wide community of peoples who lived between the Red Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, shared a common "Saharan-Sudanese culture", and drew their reinforcements from the same great source, even though, as time went by, they also absorbed a number of wanderers from the Near East". In 2018, Stuart Tyson Smith argued that
3959-495: The 13th century, with only occasional detours into what could be considered a scientific approach, notably by Claude Sicard , Benoît de Maillet , Frederic Louis Norden and Richard Pococke . In the early 17th century, John Greaves measured the pyramids, having inspected the broken Obelisk of Domitian in Rome, then intended for Lord Arundel 's collection in London. He went on to publish
4066-648: The 72nd chapter of the Egyptian Book of Dead said Marslav Barta. In August 2022, archaeologists from the Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw announced the discovery of a 4,500-year-old temple dedicated to the Egyptian sun god Ra . The recently discovered sun temple was made from mud bricks and was about 60 meters long by 20 m wide. According to Massimiliano Nuzzolo, co-director of the excavation, storage rooms and other rooms may have been served for cultic purposes and
4173-496: The African background of Egyptian culture, partly in response to world history's aim to replace dominant western-centered narratives with others than focused more on the contributions of other regions, including Africa. At the same time, primarily African diaspora communities wanted the continent's ancient history to be approached outside a Eurocentric context, and insisted, for example, on the use of ancient Egyptian term kemet instead of
4280-853: The Christian notion of an upstanding, perfectly moral hero. For example, Achilles's character-issues of hateful rage lead to merciless slaughter and his overwhelming pride lead to him only joining the Trojan War because he did not want his soldiers to win all of the glory. Classical heroes, regardless of their morality, were placed in religion. In classical antiquity , cults that venerated deified heroes such as Heracles , Perseus , and Achilles played an important role in Ancient Greek religion. These ancient Greek hero cults worshipped heroes from oral epic tradition , with these heroes often bestowing blessings, especially healing ones, on individuals. The concept of
4387-714: The Crocodile, and the Dog in 1992; Night Train to Memphis in 1994; Seeing a Large Cat in 1997; The Ape Who Guards the Balance in 1998; and He Shall Thunder in the Sky in 2000 which also received an Anthony Award "Best Novel" nomination in 2001 . Mertz received a final Agatha Award nomination for "Best Novel" in 2002 for The Golden One and won the "Best Non-fiction Work" the following year for Amelia Peabody's Egypt: A Compendium , which also received an Edgar Award nomination in 2004 in
Barbara Mertz - Misplaced Pages Continue
4494-468: The Crucified and Risen Christ was fit to bring a new warmth, immediacy, and humanity, to the old motifs of the beloved Tammuz , Adonis , and Osiris cycles." Vladimir Propp , in his analysis of Russian fairy tales , concluded that a fairy tale had only eight dramatis personæ , of which one was the hero, and his analysis has been widely applied to non-Russian folklore. The actions that fall into such
4601-560: The Departure, Initiation, and Return. Within these stages, there are several archetypes that the hero of either gender may follow, including the call to adventure (which they may initially refuse), supernatural aid, proceeding down a road of trials, achieving a realization about themselves (or an apotheosis), and attaining the freedom to live through their quest or journey. Campbell offered examples of stories with similar themes, such as Krishna , Buddha , Apollonius of Tyana , and Jesus . One of
4708-625: The Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities announced the discovery of the head of the bust of Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius at the Temple of Kom Ombo in Aswan during work to protect the site from groundwater. In April 2018, the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities announced the discovery of the shrine of god Osiris - Ptah Neb, dating back to the 25th dynasty in the Temple of Karnak in Luxor. According to archaeologist Essam Nagy,
4815-529: The Egyptian-German team of archaeologists unearthed an eight-meter 3,000-year-old statue that included a head and a torso thought to depict Pharaoh Ramses II . According to Khaled El-Enany, the Egyptian Antiquities Minister, the statue was more likely thought to be King Psammetich I . Excavators also revealed an 80 cm-long part of a limestone statue of Pharaoh Seti II while excavating
4922-693: The European Institute for Underwater Archaeology (IEASM), directed by Franck Goddio, in cooperation with the Egyptian Ministry for Antiquities discovered the ancient sunken city of Thonis-Heracleion in today's Abu Qir Bay. The statues of a colossal King and Queen are on display at the Grand Egyptian Museum . Other discovered artefacts are exhibited at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina and Alexandria National Museum (ANM) . The excavations are documented through several publications In March 2017,
5029-567: The European Institute for Underwater Archaeology announced the discovery of 2,000-year-old three sunken shipwrecks dated back to the Roman Era in Alexandria 's Abu Qir Bay . The sunken cargo included a royal head of crystal perhaps belong to the commander of the Roman armies of "Antonio", three gold coins from the era of Emperor Octavius Augustus, large wooden planks and pottery vessels. In April 2018,
5136-560: The European one". In 2022, Andrea Manzo argued that early Egyptologists had situated the origins of dynastic Egypt within a "broad Hamitic horizon that characterised several regions of Africa" and that these views had continued to dominate in the second half of the twentieth century. Manzo stated more recent studies had "pointed out the relevance of African elements to the rise of Egyptian culture, following earlier suggestions on Egyptian kingship and religion by Henri Frankfort " which countered
5243-583: The French and gained the Rosetta Stone in 1801, the Greek script of which was translated by 1803. In 1822, the corresponding Egyptian hieroglyphs were deciphered by Jean-François Champollion , marking the beginning of modern Egyptology. With increasing knowledge of Egyptian writing, the study of ancient Egypt was able to proceed with greater academic rigour. Champollion, Thomas Young and Ippolito Rosellini were some of
5350-502: The Malice Domestic Convention; the award was named after the leading character in her long-running series. This series contains 20 books; the most recent and last, The Painted Queen , was published in July 2017 after being completed by Joan Hess. The heroine and her husband Radcliffe Emerson are Egyptologists, while their only biological son Walter (always known as Ramses) is a specialist in ancient Near Eastern languages. In addition to Ramses,
5457-554: The Nile Valley populations had been "marred by a confusion of race, language, and culture and by an accompanying racism". British Africanist Basil Davidson wrote in 1995 that a number of unsatisfactory labels are often attached—such as "Bushmen", "Negro", or "Negroid"—to indigenous, African populations. He was also critical of the Hamitic hypothesis and other categorisations of "North African stocks" as "white". Davidson further added that
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#17328905970715564-533: The Predynastic Period and 37 rectangular-shaped tombs were from Second Intermediate Period . Rest of them dated back to the Naqada III period. The tombs also contained the remains of adults and a baby (buried in a jar), a group of ovens, stoves, remnants of mud-brick foundations, funerary equipment, cylindrical, pear-shaped vessels and a bowl with geometric designs. In September 2021, archaeologists announce
5671-566: The Saite-Persian period in a partly damaged wooden coffin in Saqqara. The last time a similar mask was found was in 1939. The eyes were covered with obsidian , calcite , and black hued gemstone possibly onyx . "The finding of this mask could be called a sensation. Very few masks of precious metal have been preserved to the present day, because the tombs of most Ancient Egyptian dignitaries were looted in ancient times." said Hussein. In July 2018, archaeologists led by Zeinab Hashish announced
5778-497: The ancient necropolis of Saqqara containing a collection of scarab and cat mummies dating back to the Fifth and Sixth Dynasties. Three of the tombs were used for cats, some dating back more than 6,000 years, while one of four other sarcophagi was unsealed. With the remains of cat mummies were unearthed gilded and 100 wooden statues of cats and one in bronze dedicated to the cat goddess Bastet . In addition, funerary items dating back to
5885-409: The attitudes of scholars in other disciplines such as genetics . Heroine A hero (feminine: heroine ) is a real person or a main fictional character who, in the face of danger, combats adversity through feats of ingenuity, courage , or strength . The original hero type of classical epics did such things for the sake of glory and honor . Post-classical and modern heroes, on
5992-412: The bending position and were not very well-preserved. In April 2019, archaeologists discovered 35 mummified remains of Egyptians in a tomb in Aswan . Italian archaeologist Patrizia Piacentini, professor of Egyptology at the University of Milan , and Khaled El-Enany, the Egyptian minister of antiquities reported that the tomb where the remains of ancient men, women and children were found, dates back to
6099-583: The clearly defined anti-hero), with the plot focused on the eventual marriage of these two characters to rich men, revealing character flaws as the story progresses. Even the most sympathetic characters, such as Captain Dobbin, are susceptible to weakness, as he is often narcissistic and melancholic. The larger-than-life hero is a more common feature of fantasy (particularly in comic books and epic fantasy ) than more realist works. However, these larger-than life figures remain prevalent in society. The superhero genre
6206-615: The crumbling temple was decorated with palm leaf carvings and an incomplete sandstone panel that described a Roman emperor. According to researcher Abdel Badie, generally, the church with about 2.1 meters width contained oven that were used to bake pottery, four rooms, a long hall, stairs, and stone tiles. In April 2021, Egyptian archeologists announced the discovery of 110 burial tombs at the Koum el-Khulgan archeological site in Dakahlia Governorate . 68 oval-shaped tombs of them dated back to
6313-637: The deities. Thus, Heracles's name means "the glory of Hera ", even though he was tormented all his life by Hera, the Queen of the Greek deities. Perhaps the most striking example is the Athenian king Erechtheus , whom Poseidon killed for choosing Athena rather than him as the city's patron deity. When the Athenians worshiped Erechtheus on the Acropolis , they invoked him as Poseidon Erechtheus . Fate , or destiny, plays
6420-513: The discovery of Tutankhamun 's tomb in late 1922. (Peters had planned additional books in the series to "fill in the blanks" in the chronology, as she did with River : set in 1910, though it was written after other books that are set later.) Additionally: Amelia Peabody's Egypt: A Compendium – (with Kristen Whitbread) Published October 2003 The Vicky Bliss novels follow the adventures of an American professor of art history, who keeps getting involved in international crime, and her love interest,
6527-427: The discovery of a 2,000-year-old 30-ton black granite sarcophagus in Alexandria . It contained three damaged skeletons in red-brown sewage water. According to archaeologist Mostafa Waziri , the skeletons looked like a family burial with a middle-aged woman and two men. Researchers also revealed a small gold artifact and three thin sheets of gold. In September 2018, a sandstone sphinx statue was discovered at
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#17328905970716634-862: The discovery of at least 59 sealed sarcophagi with mummies more than 2,600 years old in Saqqara . Archaeologists also revealed the 20 statues of Ptah-Soker and a carved 35-centimeter tall bronze statue of god Nefertem . On 19 October 2020, the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announced the discovery of more than 2,500 years of colorful, sealed sarcophagi in Saqqara . The archaeological team unearthed gilded, wooden statues and more than 80 coffins. In November 2020, archaeologists unearthed more than 100 delicately painted wooden coffins and 40 funeral statues. The sealed, wooden coffins, some containing mummies, date as far back as 2,500 years. Other artifacts discovered include funeral masks, canopic jars and amulets. According to Khaled el-Anany, tourism and antiquities minister,
6741-434: The discovery of ritualistic tools used in religious rituals at the ancient site of Tel al-Fara in the Kafr El-Sheikh Governorate . Remains included a limestone pillar depicting goddess Hathor , some incense burners with the head of the god Horus . Hossam Ghanim, said: " The mission also discovered a huge building of polished limestone from the inside, representing a well for holy water used in daily rituals ". In May 2022,
6848-476: The discovery of the nearly 4,300-year-old tomb of an ancient Egyptian high-ranked person who handled royal, sealed documents of pharaoh was announced at Saqqara , Egypt. According to University of Warsaw 's Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology , the elaborately decorated tomb belonged to a man named Mehtjetju who served as a priest and an inspector of the royal property. Kamil O. Kuraszkiewicz, expedition director stated that Mehtjetju most likely lived at about
6955-548: The epoch of globalization an individual may change the development of the country and of the whole world, so this gives reasons to some scholars to suggest returning to the problem of the role of the hero in history from the viewpoint of modern historical knowledge and using up-to-date methods of historical analysis. Within the frameworks of developing counterfactual history , attempts are made to examine some hypothetical scenarios of historical development. The hero attracts much attention because most of those scenarios are based on
7062-407: The exaggeration of the role of individual subjects in history. Indeed, Braudel distinguished various time scales, one accorded to the life of an individual, another accorded to the life of a few human generations, and the last one to civilizations , in which geography , economics , and demography play a role considerably more decisive than that of individual subjects. Among noticeable events in
7169-456: The family includes two other members whom Amelia regards as her children: Nefret Forth (3 years older than Ramses) and Sennia (ca. 25 years younger). The stories all relate to the "Golden Age" of Egyptology and nearly all are set in Egypt , with the excavations providing the backdrop for the mystery/adventure plots. The timeline begins in the 1880s with Amelia's decision to see the world as an unexpectedly wealthy feminist spinster, and ends with
7276-652: The feeling that their lives have meaning, a purpose, and are significant in the grand scheme of things. Another theme running throughout the book is that humanity's traditional "hero-systems", such as religion , are no longer convincing in the age of reason . Science attempts to serve as an immortality project, something that Becker believes it can never do, because it is unable to provide agreeable, absolute meanings to human life. The book states that we need new convincing "illusions" that enable people to feel heroic in ways that are agreeable. Becker, however, does not provide any definitive answer, mainly because he believes that there
7383-552: The first Egyptologists of wide acclaim. The German Karl Richard Lepsius was an early participant in the investigations of Egypt—mapping, excavating and recording several sites. English Egyptologist Flinders Petrie (1853–1942) introduced archaeological techniques of field preservation, recording, and excavation to the field. Many highly educated amateurs also travelled to Egypt, including women such as Harriet Martineau and Florence Nightingale . Both of these left accounts of their travels, which revealed learned familiarity with all of
7490-414: The first book ( The Seventh Sinner ), Kirby's quirkiness and middle-aged romantic success generated a following and led to sequels. The series continued with The Murders of Richard III and Die For Love , each of which featured Jacqueline Kirby plumbing a mystery arising out of a subculture ( Ricardians and romance novelists). In Die for Love , Kirby began writing a romance novel, and in Naked Once More ,
7597-493: The form of tongues placed for speaking with God Osiris afterlife. The mummies were depicted in different forms: one of them was wearing a crown , decorated with horns, and the cobra snake at the forehead and the other was depicted with gilded decorations representing the wide necklace. A team of archaeologists led by Zahi Hawass also found the funerary temple of Naert or Narat and warehouses made of bricks in Saqqara . Researchers also revealed that Narat's name engraved on
7704-495: The fourth and final book of the series, has proven to be quite successful in that career. In Naked Once More , Jacqueline is commissioned to write a sequel to a "famous" prehistoric romance novel, whose author died under mysterious circumstances. In each of the books, Kirby solves a mystery, attracts one or more suitors, but remains alluringly aloof and independent. Source: Egyptology Egyptology (from Egypt and Greek -λογία , -logia ; Arabic : علم المصريات )
7811-547: The great man depends on the long series of complex influences which has produced the race in which he appears, and the social state into which that race has slowly grown...[b]efore he can remake his society, his society must make him." Michel Foucault argued in his analysis of societal communication and debate that history was mainly the "science of the sovereign ", until its inversion by the "historical and political popular discourse". The Annales school , led by Lucien Febvre , Marc Bloch , and Fernand Braudel , would contest
7918-532: The hands of Agamemnon, and only returned to the war due to unadulterated rage after Hector killed his beloved companion Patroclus . Achilles was known for uncontrollable rage that defined many of his bloodthirsty actions, such as defiling Hector's corpse by dragging it around the city of Troy. Achilles plays a tragic role in the Iliad brought about by constant de-humanization throughout the epic, having his menis (wrath) overpower his philos (love). Heroes in myth often had close but conflicted relationships with
8025-418: The hero is more and more a problematic concept. In 1848, for example, William Makepeace Thackeray gave Vanity Fair the subtitle, A Novel without a Hero , and imagined a world in which no sympathetic character was to be found. Vanity Fair is a satirical representation of the absence of truly moral heroes in the modern world. The story focuses on the characters, Emmy Sedley and Becky Sharpe (the latter as
8132-516: The hero to the individual relies a great deal on how much similarity there is between them and the character. Chatterji suggested that one reason for the hero-as-self interpretation of stories and myths is the human inability to view the world from any perspective but a personal one. In the Pulitzer Prize -winning book, The Denial of Death , Ernest Becker argues that human civilization is ultimately an elaborate, symbolic defense mechanism against
8239-422: The illustrated Pyramidographia in 1646. The Jesuit scientist-priest Athanasius Kircher was perhaps the first to hint at the phonetic importance of Egyptian hieroglyphs, demonstrating Coptic as a vestige of early Egyptian , for which he is considered a founder of Egyptology. Egyptology's modern history begins with the invasion of Egypt by Napoleon Bonaparte in the late 18th century. The Rosetta Stone
8346-565: The items date back to the Ptolemaic dynasty . One of the coffins was opened and a mummy was scanned with an X-ray, determining it was most likely a man about the age of 40. In January 2021, the Tourism and Antiquities Ministry announced the discovery of more than 50 wooden sarcophagi in 52 burial shafts which date back to the New Kingdom period and a 13 ft-long papyrus that contains texts from
8453-403: The knowledge of our mortality, which in turn acts as the emotional and intellectual response to our basic survival mechanism . Becker explains that a basic duality in human life exists between the physical world of objects and a symbolic world of human meaning. Thus, since humanity has a dualistic nature consisting of a physical self and a symbolic self, he asserts that humans are able to transcend
8560-418: The largely lost work of Manetho , an Egyptian priest, during the reign of Ptolemy I and Ptolemy II in the 3rd century BC. The Ptolemies were very interested in the work of the ancient Egyptians, and many of the Egyptian monuments, including the pyramids, were restored by them. The Ptolemies also built many new temples in the Egyptian style. The Romans also carried out restoration work in Egypt. Throughout
8667-494: The latest European Egyptology. Howard Carter 's 1922 discovery of the tomb of 18th Dynasty King Tutankhamun brought a greater understanding of Egyptian relics and wide acclaim to the field. In the modern era, the Ministry of State for Antiquities controls excavation permits for Egyptologists to conduct their work. The field can now use geophysical methods and other applications of modern sensing techniques. In June 2000,
8774-415: The material remains from the area contained clay pots, the lower part of a sitting statue and part of a stone panel showing an offering table filled with a sheep and a goose which were the symbols of the god Amun. In July 2018, German-Egyptian researchers' team head by Ramadan Badry Hussein of the University of Tübingen reported the discovery of an extremely rare gilded burial mask that probably dates from
8881-408: The motive forces in history may best be described only with a wider lens than the one that Carlyle used for his portraits. For example, Karl Marx argued that history was determined by the massive social forces at play in " class struggles ", not by the individuals by whom these forces are played out. After Marx, Herbert Spencer wrote at the end of the 19th century: "You must admit that the genesis of
8988-508: The name of Ptolemy IV. In May 2020, Egyptian-Spanish archaeological mission head by Esther Ponce uncovered a unique cemetery dating back to the 26th Dynasty (so-called the El-Sawi era) at the site of ancient Oxyrhynchus . Archaeologists found tombstones, bronze coins, small crosses, and clay seals inside eight Roman-era tombs with domed and unmarked roofs. On 3 October 2020, Khalid el-Anany, Egypt's tourism and antiquities minister announced
9095-458: The other hand, perform great deeds or selfless acts for the common good instead of the classical goal of wealth, pride , and fame. The antonym of hero is villain . Other terms associated with the concept of hero may include good guy or white hat . In classical literature , the hero is the main or revered character in heroic epic poetry celebrated through ancient legends of a people, often striving for military conquest and living by
9202-545: The pseudonym Elizabeth Peters, Mertz published mysteries, including her Amelia Peabody historical mystery series, using a nom de plume drawn from the names of her two children. She was member of the Editorial Advisory Board of KMT , ("A Modern Journal of Ancient Egypt"), Egypt Exploration Society , and the James Henry Breasted Circle of the University of Chicago Oriental Institute . Mertz
9309-465: The pyramid of Egyptian Pharaoh Djedkare Isesi , who ruled during that time. In July 2019, ancient granite columns and a smaller Greek temple, treasure-laden ships, along with bronze coins from the reign of Ptolemy II , pottery dating back to the third and fourth centuries BC were found at the sunken city of Heracleion . The investigations were conducted by Egyptian and European divers led by underwater archaeologist Franck Goddio . They also uncovered
9416-483: The role of colonial racism in shaping the attitudes of early Egyptologists, and criticised the continued over-representation of North American and European perspectives in the field. Cheikh Anta Diop in his work, "The African Origin of Civilization" argued that the prevailing views in Egyptology were driven by biased scholarship and colonial attitudes. Similarly, Bruce Trigger wrote that early modern scholarship on
9523-635: The ruins of the city's main temple off of Egypt's north coast. In September 2019, archaeologists announced the discovery of a 2,200-year-old temple believed to belong to the Ptolemy IV Philosopher of the Ptolemaic Kingdom in Kom Shakau village of Tama township. Researchers also revealed limestone walls carved with inscriptions of Hapi, the Nile god, and inscriptions with fragments of text featuring
9630-475: The same time, at some point during the reigns of the first three rulers of the Sixth Dynasty : Teti , Userkare and Pepy I . In June 2022, archaeologists from The Cairo Ministry of Antiquities announced the discovery of an alabaster bust of Alexander the Great as well as molds and other materials for creating amulets for warriors and for statues of Alexander the Great. In July 2022, archaeologists from
9737-406: The site. In August 2017, archaeologists from the Ministry of Antiquities announced the discovery of five mud-brick tombs at Bir esh-Shaghala, dating back nearly 2,000 years. Researchers also revealed worn masks gilded with gold, several large jars and a piece of pottery with unsolved ancient Egyptian writing on it. In November 2017 (25 October 2000), the Egyptian mission in cooperation with
9844-432: The standard monomythical "hero's quest " that was reputed to be pervasive across all cultures is somewhat controversial. Expounded mainly by Joseph Campbell in his 1949 work The Hero with a Thousand Faces , it illustrates several uniting themes of hero stories that hold similar ideas of what a hero represents despite vastly different cultures and beliefs. The monomyth or Hero's Journey consists of three separate stages:
9951-553: The studies of the role of the hero and great man in history one should mention Sidney Hook 's book (1943) The Hero in History . In the second half of the twentieth century such male-focused theory has been contested, among others by feminists writers such as Judith Fetterley in The Resisting Reader (1977) and literary theorist Nancy K. Miller , The Heroine's Text: Readings in the French and English Novel, 1722–1782 . In
10058-442: The suppositions: what would have happened if this or that historical individual had or had not been alive. The word "hero" (or "heroine" in modern times), is sometimes used to describe the protagonist or the romantic interest of a story, a usage which may conflict with the superhuman expectations of heroism. A good example is Anna Karenina , the lead character in the novel of the same title by Leo Tolstoy . In modern literature
10165-462: The tale does not follow them both. The philosopher Hegel gave a central role to the "hero", personalized by Napoleon , as the incarnation of a particular culture's Volksgeist and thus of the general Zeitgeist . Thomas Carlyle 's 1841 work, On Heroes, Hero-Worship, & the Heroic in History , also accorded an essential function to heroes and great men in history. Carlyle centered history on
10272-608: The temple of Kom Ombo. The statue, measuring approximately 28 cm (11 in) in width and 38 cm (15 in) in height, likely dates to the Ptolemaic Dynasty . In September 2018, several dozen cache of mummies dating 2,000 years back were found in Saqqara by a team of Polish archaeologists led by Kamil Kuraszkiewicz from the Faculty of Oriental Studies of the University of Warsaw . In November 2018, an Egyptian archaeological mission located seven ancient Egyptian tombs at
10379-459: The themes he explores is the androgynous hero, who combines male and female traits, such as Bodhisattva: "The first wonder to be noted here is the androgynous character of the Bodhisattva: masculine Avalokiteshvara, feminine Kwan Yin." In his 1968 book, The Masks of God: Occidental Mythology , Campbell writes, "It is clear that, whether accurate or not as to biographical detail, the moving legend of
10486-734: The three powerful Fates . The most characteristic example of this is found in Oedipus Rex . After learning that his son, Oedipus , will end up killing him, the King of Thebes, Laius , takes huge steps to assure his son's death by removing him from the kingdom. When Oedipus encounters his father when his father was unknown to him in a dispute on the road many years later, Oedipus slays him without an afterthought. The lack of recognition enabled Oedipus to slay his father, ironically further binding his father to his fate. Stories of heroism may serve as moral examples . However, classical heroes often did not embody
10593-529: The traditional view that considered Egypt "more closely linked to the Near East than to the rest of Africa". In 2023, Christopher Ehret outlined that the previous two centuries of Western scholarship had presented Egypt as an "offshoot of earlier Middle Eastern developments". Although, he acknowledged that recent generations of scholars in Egypt and Nubia have been "uncovering extensive new bodies of evidence" which have dispelled older assumptions. However, Ehret continued to argue that these old ideas had influenced
10700-517: The view that ancient Egypt was clearly 'in Africa' it was not so clearly 'of Africa' as reflecting "long-standing Egyptological biases". He concluded that the interrelated cultural features shared between northeast African dynamic and Pharaonic Egypt are not "survivals" or coincidence, but shared traditions with common origins in the deep past". In 2021, Marc Van De Mieroop stated that "It was only recently that traditional scholarship started to acknowledge
10807-501: The walls of the building were all plastered in black and white. The L-shaped entrance portico had two limestone columns and was partly made of white limestone. Dozens of well-preserved beer jars and several well-made and red-lined vessels, seal impressions, including seals of the pharaohs who ruled during the fifth and sixth dynasties were also uncovered. One of the earliest seals might belonged to pharaoh Shepseskare , who ruled Egypt before Nyuserre . Various scholars have highlighted
10914-789: The word has a Pre-Greek origin. Hera was a Greek goddess with many attributes, including protection and her worship appears to have similar proto-Indo-European origins. A classical hero is considered to be a " warrior who lives and dies in the pursuit of honor" and asserts their greatness by "the brilliancy and efficiency with which they kill". Each classical hero's life focuses on fighting, which occurs in war or during an epic quest. Classical heroes are commonly semi-divine and extraordinarily gifted, such as Achilles , evolving into heroic characters through their perilous circumstances. While these heroes are incredibly resourceful and skilled, they are often foolhardy, court disaster, risk their followers' lives for trivial matters, and behave arrogantly in
11021-521: Was a Trojan prince and the greatest fighter for Troy in the Trojan War , which is known primarily through Homer 's Iliad . Hector acted as leader of the Trojans and their allies in the defense of Troy, "killing 31,000 Greek fighters," offers Hyginus. Hector was known not only for his courage, but also for his noble and courtly nature. Indeed, Homer places Hector as peace-loving, thoughtful, as well as bold,
11128-748: Was a priestess of the goddess Aphrodite , in a myth that has been referred to often in literature. According to The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language , the Proto-Indo-European root is *ser meaning "to protect". According to Eric Partridge in Origins , the Greek word hērōs "is akin to" the Latin seruāre , meaning to safeguard . Partridge concludes, "The basic sense of both Hera and hero would therefore be 'protector'." R. S. P. Beekes rejects an Indo-European derivation and asserts that
11235-467: Was about 6 meters deep and it was divided into separate parts by narrow bridges cut into the natural rock. Inside the main well there was a smaller and deeper shaft which contained two sarcophagi one inside the other where Wahibre-mery-Neith was buried. The external sarcophagus was made of white limestone while the internal coffin was made out of basalt rock measures 2.30 meters long and 1.98 meters wide. The inner sarcophagus contained an inscription from
11342-636: Was also a feminist, a topic that frequently arose in her fiction, and in her professional life. Mertz founded "Malice Domestic", a Washington-based organization for women mystery writers, "because she thought men were getting all the prizes." She also started a scholarship for women writers at Hood College . Mertz died at her home in Maryland on August 8, 2013. Her papers are held at the Lilly Library , at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana. Mertz received
11449-414: Was discovered in 1799. The study of many aspects of ancient Egypt became more scientifically oriented with the publication of Mémoires sur l'Égypte in 1800 and the more comprehensive Description de l'Egypte between 1809 and 1829. These recorded Egyptian flora, fauna, and history—making numerous ancient Egyptian source materials available to Europeans for the first time. The British captured Egypt from
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