For obvious reasons, the primary source for what is going on in Egyptology is the Supreme Council of Antiquities, and the voice of the SCA is Dr. Zahi Hawass.  Some exciting things have been promised (or at least dangled before us!) for the 2009/10 excavation season, but not everything on the radar is being dug out of the ground.  There are mummy forensic studies, DNA tests, and the repatriation of artifacts, all of which play a role in Egyptology.

Dr. Hawass has promised, hinted, and suggested that October 2009 is going to be a particularly active month.  Just for fun, let’s make a checklist…

Nefertiti’s Bust

Dr. Hawass has stated that the evidence that Ludwig Borchardt used “unethical tactics” to acquire the bust of Nefertiti for Germany will be publicly revealed this October when he writes to the Altes Museum in Berlin to request the iconic artifact be returned to Egypt.

Source:  Exclusive Interview: Dr Zahi Hawass in Indianapolis

Tutankhamun’s Paternity Tests

The results of DNA tests conducted on a mummified fetus recovered from Tut’s tomb by Howard Carter in 1922 will be announced.

Source:  The Sacramento Bee:  Spotlight on Exhibits [story no longer available]

KV64

Dr. Hawass expressed at a lecture in Indianapolis on August 7^th, 2009, that a new tomb will hopefully be revealed by the all-Egyptian team in October. 

Source:  Lecture Review: Zahi Hawass’ Mysteries of King Tut Revealed

The Cause of Tutankhamun’s Death

The cause of Tutankhamun’s death would be revealed “in one month”.  This statement was made on August 7^th.  As it hasn’t occurred yet, hoping for this rather tantalizing tidbit to be delivered in October is not too unreasonable!

Source:  Lecture Review: Zahi Hawass’ Mysteries of King Tut Revealed

Zahi Reality TV

This is another one that might be a stretch, but it is in print, sort of.  Work is to begin “roughly October 2009” on a History Channel television show where Dr. Hawass will travel with a small team of students to a variety of sites in Egypt.

Source:  New TV show with Dr Zahi Hawass – Archaeologists Wanted

So there you have it—five things to look forward to in October!  I think that obviously KV64 and the DNA results are the most important for Egyptology, but the cause of Tut’s death and the repatriation of Nefertiti’s bust are far from insignificant. 

As for the TV show..  I don’t know.  Maybe if they spice it up a bit.  Each week our intrepid young Egyptologists should have to justify their worthiness, and the least convincing gets voted off the show.  At the end of the season the winner gets to keep Nefertiti’s bust.

Copyright by Keith Payne, 2009.  All rights reserved.

Tags: Altes Museum, Bust of Nefertiti, Forensic Mummy Studies, Genetic Mapping, KV64, Repatriation, Tombs, Tutankhamun, Zahi Hawass