North East Ancient Egypt Society
2024 Student Conference Schedule
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12:30 – 12:55 Set up and check-in
12:55 – 13:00 Opening remarks
13:00 – 13:30 The Iconography and Identity of Paddle Dolls: gaudy or godly?
Megan Clark, University of Liverpool (online)
13:30 – 14:00 Labile tombs: An interdisciplinary conceptual framework to examine
tomb reuse in the Old through early Middle Kingdoms
Reuben Hutchinson-Wong, University of Birmingham
14:00 – 14:30 The Movable Family Museum
Heba Allah Moamen Abd El Rahman and Aliaa Raafat Youssef Hamed,
Helwan University (online)
14:30 – 14:45 Tea/coffee break
14:45 – 15:30 ‘Virtual Poster’ Session
A critical assessment of 19th century Egyptomania and how it shaped
the Northumberland collection
Georgia Vitty, Durham University
‘Reimagining splendor’: results from new photogrammetry and
reconstruction research on the faience statue of Amenhotep III
Evie Sproat, Durham University
Senenmut — A Mysterious Rise and Fall in Hatshepsut’s Egypt
Eve Jackson*, Durham University
15:30 – 16:00 Hybrid animals and ontological change in early Egyptian art
Sebastián Francisco Maydana, Universidad de Buenos Aires (online)
16:00 – 16:30 “The Nightboat Has Recognized Me”: Development of Egyptian
Mythological Boats as seen in Nautical Hieroglyphs
Traci Lynn Andrews, Texas A&M University (online)
16:30 – 17:00 Closing remarks and set-down
*This speaker has requested we inform you that she has a stammer and appreciates your understanding
and patience.
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The Iconography and Identity of Paddle Dolls: gaudy or godly?
Megan Clark (she/her)
University of Liverpool
The study of truncated figurines has traditionally been an area marred by personal agenda or
preference, with previous studies narrowly focusing on features which speculate and assign
figurines to unrealistic typological categories. However, a new wave of exciting research by
modern scholars is gradually claiming back the identity of these figurines, looking past the
façade, and truly exploring the context and belief system that surrounded such pieces. This
gradual examination and reinterpretation of the data is beginning to shape the way in which
we research truncated figurines, by attempting to truly evaluate their role within society and
their use by individuals and groups alike.
This paper will be discussing the imagery associated with paddle dolls, and how such motifs
can be explored when looking at possible identities that are displayed in such figurines.
Features found on paddle dolls allude to their possible function within society, but it is also vital
to combine these observations with other data sets focused on materiality, context, and their
surrounding assemblages. The paper will also directly consider and challenge the theory put
forward by Ellen Morris that all paddle dolls may in fact represent the Khener troupe who
pertained to the Hathoric belief system and cult. In particular, considering how Morris’ dataset
shows a distinct geographical link not seen in the wider collections of paddle dolls.
Megan is a PhD researcher at the University of Liverpool who is studying collections of paddle dolls
across the globe. It is the first study of its kind which is looking at previously unknown or unrecognised
paddle dolls in museums across the UK and abroad. When Megan is not researching, she is working at
the Maritime Museum in Liverpool, as a manager in the commercial and front of house branch of the
museum. Her research interests lie within female figurines and more widely Middle Kingdom material
culture, as well as museum engagement and outreach.
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Labile tombs: An interdisciplinary conceptual framework to examine tomb reuse in the Old
through early Middle Kingdoms
Reuben Hutchinson-Wong (he/him/ia)
University of Birmingham
In the last 20 years, ancient Egyptian practices of reusing tombs as spaces for additional burial
have garnered more attention. Traditionally, studies focus on the original tomb owner and
original context of tombs, with little to no consideration of how these spaces had life histories.
Adding new burials transformed and transfigured tomb spaces and
reflected community involvement in the maintenance of the burial
space and the (re)invigoration of the mortuary cult. This paper proposes a new interdisciplinary
methodological approach to investigate tomb reuse during the Old Kingdom, First
Intermediate Period, and early Middle Kingdom (c. 2649 – 1981 BCE).
I draw from modern theoretical frameworks and disciplines, including epigraphic and graffiti
studies, New Materialist archaeologies, and geography, within an Indigenous framework that
centres ancient Egyptian concepts like ‘place’, ‘generation’, and ‘becoming’ to explore socioeconomic indicators such as kinship, gender, social status, and wealth. This methodological
approach intends to bring to light details about the community identities linked to these
overlooked burial practices. Tied to practices of reusing tombs as places of burial, I explore the
process of making place in the sense of how people connected to the tombs as a means of
forming identity. Therefore, the interplay between the living, the dead, space, and the other
objects found within tombs may be understood as a place of identity formation.
Reuben is a postgraduate researcher at the University of Birmingham, investigating ancient (re)use of
tombs and mastabas for additional burial during the Old through early Middle Kingdoms. He previously
completed a MA in Ancient History, a BA with honours in Ancient History, and a BA in Ancient History
and Geography from Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland. His main research interests are on
how ancient peoples engaged with and altered mortuary landscapes, as well as the reception of ancient
Egypt in colonial New Zealand.
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The Movable Family Museum
Heba Allah Moamen Abd El Rahman (she/her)
Aliaa Raafat Youssef Hamed (she/her)
Helwan University
Recently, Egypt has witnessed a great movement and development within its museums and
heritage sector. This development targeted opening new regional museums in every Egyptian
governorate, aimed to promote Egyptian cultural heritage, raise the awareness of heritage in
local communities, and enhance the touristic flow to Egypt alike at the local and international
levels. This presentation aims to present a prototype and concept for developing “The Movable
Family Museum”, which would be a suitable and practical solution for engaging the local
communities with their cultural heritage, especially in isolated cities. Movable Museums play
an important role in remote areas by providing access, according to the definition of access in
the implementation of International Cultural Tourism Charter (ICOMOS). Many organizations
use Movable Museums to promote their missions and convey mandate, and museum scenarios.
The Movable Family Museum is a truck designed to be a portable museum to promote the idea
of converting fixed museums into a movable museum that roams among the cities in remote
areas to achieve community engagement, raise awareness of the sense of belonging to identity
about their cultural heritage, and serve people who can’t visit museums because they have
issues in access. The Movable Family Museum is a mobile temporary
exhibition that reflects our heritage and highlights the relationships in
the past and present. The museum displays scenes of daily life in ancient Egypt that reflect
kinship such as the relationship between the parents, the children, and the grandparents. The
presentation will reflect on the potential of the movable family museum to serve as an agent of
social change and to play the role of a community and the role of a place for dialogue.
Heba Allah Moamen Abd El Rahman is an archaeologist working at the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM),
serving as one of the organization’s Website Development and Content Coordinators. She holds a
master’s degree in museum studies focusing on promoting moveable museums as a method to improve
access to heritage in the Red Sea Governate. Additionally, she has obtained a Diploma in Art History
from the Faculty of Archaeology at Cairo University, as well as a Diploma in Tourist Guidance from the
Faculty of Tourism & Hotel Management at Helwan University.
Aliaa Raafat Youssef Hamed is a PhD researcher in Heritage and Museum Studies at the Faculty of
Tourism and Hotels at Helwan University, and also works as an archaeologist at the GEM in the role of
Website Development and Content Coordinator. She holds a master’s degree in Egyptology and Social
Anthropology, her research focusing on daily life scenes in Old and Middle Kingdom tombs.
Additionally, she obtained a bachelor’s degree in Egyptology and an Art History diploma from the
Faculty of Archaeology at Cairo University.
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A critical assessment of 19th Century Egyptomania and how it shaped the
Northumberland collection
Georgia Vitty (she/her)
Durham University
The fascination with Ancient Egypt has had a marked influence on our culture from cinema to
interior design, literature, and architecture. Born at the same time as Egyptology, but often
overlooked, the phenomena of Egyptomania can be credited with the extent to which Ancient
Egypt is so often reflected in western culture.
Antiquity collectors have long been an integral part of the history of Archaeology, with many
of the objects acquired by these individuals forming the bedrock of modern museum
collections. Understanding why these collections were founded and what motivated the
collectors who established them provides a pivotal insight into how archaeology and museum
collections have developed into the modern disciplines that exist today. The study of Ancient
Egypt is not fully complete without an appreciation of the impact that early collectors of
Egyptian antiquities had on the way Egyptology has been viewed since the 18th Century.
This paper explores the extent to which the acquisition of objects in the Northumberland
collection, housed in the Oriental Museum in Durham, was stimulated by Egyptomania, as well
as other social, scientific, or academic factors that prevailed at the time of its formation and
development.
Georgia Vitty is an undergraduate student in her final year at Durham
University studying Archaeology and Ancient Civilisations. Georgia
participated in archaeological fieldwork at Bishop Auckland as well as postexcavation work at Sais in Egypt. She has special interests in Mediterranean archaeology and
Egyptology, and in the coming year plans to undertake a master’s degree in Museum and Artefact
Studies.
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Reimagining Splendor: Results from new photogrammetry and reconstruction research on
the faience statue of Amenhotep III
Evie Sproat (she/her)
Durham University
Despite being one of the best examples of vitality, virtuosity, and vibrancy in sculpture from the
reign of Ancient Egyptian pharaoh Amenhotep III, the faience statue bearing his features at
Durham University’s Oriental Museum is largely incomplete, missing both arms, feet, and its
base. By conceptualising the likely original form of the statue, this research better understands
the function of the statue as a portable object and its role in the ritual landscape of ancient
Egypt. Until this research, creating a mould and full reconstruction exploring its most likely
original form was prohibited by the fragility of its blue glaze.
However, this research proposes and trials alternative reconstruction methods using a
combination of traditional morphological analysis, an examination of the shape and style of
artefacts, alongside photogrammetry, a technique by which photographs of an object are used
to construct a digital 3D model of said object, rectifying this multi-decade issue. This project
not only answers long-standing issues with the conservation and display of the statue and
addresses broad and relevant debates regarding the impact of contemporary technologies in
altering the meaning and symbolism of artefacts, but also explores probable uses of the statue
in antiquity. The proposed 3D model and accompanying morphological analysis reveals new
conceptual ideas of potential production and use that contributes to our understanding of
statue portability, encompassing the movement and carrying of the statue, display, and
interactivity in Ancient Egypt.
Evie Sproat is a final year undergraduate student at Durham University researching the faience statue of
Amenhotep III from Durham University’s Oriental Museum using digital reconstruction methods. Evie
channels her wide-ranging interests in her Liberal Arts degree, studying Visual Arts and Archaeology.
For the past year she has been working as a placement student at the Oriental Museum, cataloguing
and developing a new collection of Vietnamese art for an upcoming exhibition.
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Senenmut — A Mysterious Rise and Fall in Hatshepsut’s Egypt
Eve Jackson* (she/her)
Durham University
The 18th Dynasty official, Senenmut, has intrigued Egyptologists for
decades; from the vast amounts of his surviving statuary, his elusive rise
to power, his intriguing two tombs, to his close relationships with the pharaoh Hatshepsut and
the princess Neferure. Through the examination of excavation reports, inscriptions, and
Senenmut’s impressive statues, my dissertation presents a balanced but unique perspective
into this man who was a courtier, tutor, architect, and artist during a tumultuous time under this
dynasty’s female pharaoh. Further analysis has revealed Senenmut’s likely true origins, and his
probable dramatic demise at the hands of unexpected individuals.
By acknowledging former interest into Senenmut’s possible romantic relationship with
Hatshepsut, key details will be presented along a timeline that presents the pair in a new but
intriguing light – as possible lovers to enemies, after the death of Senenmut’s charge, the
princess Neferure. My dissertation explores the most probable rise and fall of this elusive figure,
and some surprising insights into his political career and personal connections to the Thutmosid
dynasty. We will even delve into what may have befallen his remains, after his works and tombs
suffered violent destruction, and what would lead to such a fall from grace – after such a rise to
the peak of Egyptian wealth and influence.
*This speaker has requested we inform you that she has a stammer and appreciates your
understanding and patience.
Eve Jackson is an undergraduate student at Durham University, studying Archaeology and Ancient
Civilisations. Her specialisation in Ancient Egypt stems from her dissertation on Senenmut, a New
Kingdom official, as well as her amateur studies of hieroglyphs and ancient royal women. She has worked
on local excavations in County Durham and interned at Antiquity Journal.
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Hybrid animals and ontological change in early Egyptian art
Sebastián Francisco Maydana (he/him)
Universidad de Buenos Aires
Images of hybrid animals appeared in Egyptian art at a time of tremendous socio-cultural
change. By the end of the fourth millennium BCE, a territorial state had emerged in Upper
Egypt, cities prospered where there had been only hamlets a few centuries before, far-reaching
trade routes had been opened, and a clear artistic canon had been developed. It is logical to
suppose that art forms, as products of human action, accompanied some of these changes. In
this presentation, I will concentrate on Predynastic hybrid animal imagery, understood as visual
attempts to affect the landscape as well as the people who encountered the images. Different
explanations have been developed to account for the advent of hybrid imagery: Monsters are
seen as reconstructions of “real” prehistoric animals from fossil remains, semi-accurate
depictions of real-life conjoined twins, or just failed portraits due to artists’ inexperience.
On the contrary, evidence points toward Egyptians having an astounding knowledge of the
biology and behaviour of animals. Using tools from anthropological thought and art history, we
will examine the Predynastic corpus and conclude that hybrids in art did
not express a distancing from the animal world, but a will to intervene
in said world, while creating a new image for a rising elite. Our research shows that the fourth
millennium BCE was the setting for a change of ontologies, of ways of relationship between
non-humans and humans, and of logics of social organisation. All of which is expressed through
hybrid iconography.
Sebastián Maydana is a PhD candidate at the Universidad de Buenos Aires. He has earned a B. Ed and
BA in History, and a MA in Historical-Archaeological Studies from the same University. His main research
interests are the art and the socio-cultural changes of the Predynastic period. Sebastián has participated
in fieldwork studying rock art in the Eastern Desert of Egypt, has published his research in several
specialised journals, and hopes to earn his PhD later this year.
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“The Nightboat Has Recognized Me”: Development of Egyptian Mythological Boats as
seen in Nautical Hieroglyphs
Traci Lynn Andrews (she/her)
Texas A&M University
A pivotal part of their everyday life, Egyptian boats appeared as hieroglyphs early in the
development of their writing system and were featured heavily in their ritual spheres. As their
real boats developed and changed the same design modifications can be recognized in
individual signs over time. By incorporating hieroglyphs as another form of iconographic
evidence for Egyptian boat building, textual evidence demonstrates that as real-world maritime
changes occurred, signs for boats and nautical equipment were modified or added to be more
contemporary with daily life.
In addition to them being informative of daily watercraft, nautical hieroglyphs also reveal the
design of Egypt’s mythological boats. Starting in the Fifth Dynasty, the Pyramid Texts represent
not only our first collection of Egyptian mortuary works but also, through the hieroglyphs, an
early view at the morphology of their ritual vessels like the Day Barque, Night Barque, and
Ferryboat. In the ensuing dynasties, many of these ship forms found continuity outside of texts
in nautical reliefs and boat models. While some mythic boats experienced design changes,
others remained remarkably consistent throughout the Pharaonic Period. This paper discusses
the development of the Egyptian religion in regard to their ritual watercraft depicted first as
hieroglyphs and identifies both their change and continuity overtime as expressed in their texts,
iconography, and boat models.
Traci Lynn Andrews is a PhD candidate in the Nautical Archaeology Program at Texas A&M University.
Her dissertation research focuses on the iconography of Egyptian boats and the parallels between their
art and their nautical hieroglyphs. She received her master's degree in Egyptian Archaeology from the
University of Chicago in 2020 and this past summer completed a pilot research project surveying
inscriptions throughout Egypt.