Tweet
Harvard Egyptology Professor Merges Ancient Discoveries with New Technologies
ARTS, BOSTON, HISTORY | AUGUST 1, 2013 1:13 PM
________________________________
Prof. Peter Der Manuelian, photo by Rose Lincoln; courtesy Harvard University
By Gabriella Gage
Mirror-Spectator Staff
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - Harvard's Philip J. King Professor of Egyptology
Peter Der Manuelian first discovered his passion for all things Egypt
during a fourth grade history class at the Belmont Day School.
`I remember that as the first class that actively grabbed my
attention,' said Manuelian.
>From there, he was hooked. Luckily, young Manuelian was able to foster
this interest locally at the famous Egyptian collection at Museum of
Fine Arts, Boston (MFA).
Manuelian is Harvard University's first Egyptologist in more than half
a century.
His predecessor was George A. Reisner (1867-1942), whom Manuelian
described as `one of the greatest archaeologists and Egyptologists of
his generation.'
`I feel honored and privileged to try to help reawaken Harvard's
glorious archaeological legacy of work in Egypt. There is indeed great
passion for the subject here, and I've been supported on every level,'
said Manuelian.
Manuelian grew up in Belmont amidst the Boston area's thriving
Armenian community. His grandmother fled Istanbul during World War I
and found her way to Boston, where she married a fellow Armenian and
started a family.
Manuelian attended Harvard University as an undergraduate before
earning his doctorate in Egyptology from the University of Chicago. He
also studied in Germany at the Universität Tübingen.
While immersed in his studies, Manuelian began what would prove a
longstanding relationship with the MFA, as he embarked on his first
volunteer summer at the MFA in 1976. In 1977, he accompanied the MFA
team to Egypt to begin his field research in archaeological projects
in Giza.
He continued his work with the MFA and became a full-time member of
the curatorial staff in 1987 and his formal relationship with the
museum continued through 2011.
Prior to joining the Harvard faculty in 2010, Manuelian taught at
Tufts University for 10 years.
His research interests include ancient Egyptian history, archaeology,
epigraphy, the development of mortuary architecture and the
iconographic nature of Egyptian language and culture. He has also
researched New Kingdom temples at Luxor (Epigraphic Survey, Oriental
Institute, University of Chicago) and the Predynastic site of Naqada.
`I don't know of another civilization that so beautifully blends art
and writing, writing and art together into a seamless expression of
the entire culture. And to last four millennia or more, well that
means you're doing something right,' he said.
While Manuelian's job is to document and make sense of the distant
past, he is attentive to the future of the field and utilizes current
technologies to uncover and document this rich past and share this
information with others. `As director of Harvard's Semitic Museum, I
have set in motion plans for a new Egyptian gallery and we are
currently seeking the funds to build an exciting, state-of-the-art
display that will wow both our students and the general public as
well,' said Manuelian.
One of the significant contributions Manuelian has made to the field
has been his ongoing work as the founding director of the Giza
Archives. After 40 years excavating 23 different sites in Egypt and
Nubia (ancient Sudan), the joint Harvard University and MFA Expedition
had amassed a huge archaeological archive of tens of thousands of
glass plate excavation negatives, notes, plans, drawings, manuscripts
and diaries, as well as actual artifacts themselves.
`In the case of the Giza Pyramids, just west of modern Cairo' said
Manuelian, `this priceless archive allows scholars to study the site
in ways no longer possible even at Giza itself.' He added, `Imagine
how much more preservation a 1904 photo of a painted tomb wall scene
or hieroglyphic inscription will show you than one taken in 2013.'
A collection so large called for an efficient method of organizing and
record-keeping. According to Manuelian, the expedition archive
struggled with the weight of its own scale and the difficulty of
`finding what you need.'
This was a case where ancient history required the help of present-day
technology. `When I worked at the MFA, we had the good fortune to
secure more than $3 million in support from the Andrew W. Mellon
Foundation to digitize and cross-reference online all the Giza
materials.'
Thanks to the Mellon funding and the work of more than 500 students,
docents, volunteers and supervising Egyptologists, anyone can view the
materials today at http://www.gizapyramids.org.
The Giza Project is an ongoing international collaboration. Manuelian
explained, `Our aim is to become the central repository for this most
famous archaeological site in the world. We hope to recreate that
historic collaboration between Harvard and the Museum of Fine Arts,
Boston, two great institutions that share a unique archaeological
legacy.'
The project has also teamed with Dassault Systèmes of Paris and
Waltham and adopted immersive 3D computer technologies for modeling of
the Giza Pyramids, tombs and temples. These elaborate models and
teaching tools can be viewed at http://giza.3ds.com.
`This is `publishing' in the widest sense of the word. But it is
expensive, and this project, too, is in need of continuous support.'
While there is a wealth of information and interest in Egyptology,
popularity brings its fair share of misconceptions. The most common
ones, according to Manuelian, are: the notion that `Hebrew slaves - or
better yet, aliens! - built the pyramids,' the misconception that
Egyptian hieroglyphs are just pictures, not a grammatical language and
that `there is a curse of the pharaohs, thanks to King Tut. Oh, and
archaeologists tend not to carry around guns and whips, unlike Indiana
Jones.'
When he is not researching or teaching, Manuelian enjoys simple
pleasures such as guitar music, cats, architecture and graphic design,
and admits he has an `unholy addiction' to Apple products.
Manuelian approaches his work with enthusiasm and a sense of humor,
always keeping the issue of accessibility in mind.
He has contributed to several academic journals, including the Journal
of Egyptian Archaeology and the Journal of the American Research
Center in Egypt. As far as other publications, Manuelian noted, `My
books have long, boring names, such as Slab Stelae of the Giza
Necropolis; Studies in the Reign of Amenophis II; Mastabas of Nucleus
Cemetery G 2100 and Living in the Past: Studies Archaism of the
Egyptian Twenty-sixth Dynasty [...] My children's books, such as
Hieroglyphs from A to Z, might be a bit more fun.'
Manuelian is currently working on a biography of Reisner and various
projects related to his work at the Giza Pyramids. He is also
producing a short introduction to his field called The 30-Second
Ancient Egypt, he noted, `for those who don't have a lot of time!'
>From a fourth grader with a blossoming interest in history to
Harvard's first Harvard professor of Egyptology in more than 60 years,
Manuelian exudes the same passion for his field and hopes to preserve
history and share it with the public.
`I hope archaeological legacies all over the world, whether in
Armenia, in Egypt or elsewhere, will receive the care and preservation
they deserve, through both the good times and the challenging ones,'
said Manuelian.
- See more at: http://www.mirrorspectator.com/2013/08/01/harvard-egyptology-professor-merges-ancient-discoveries-with-new-technologies/#sthash.Fe8WXVai.dpuf
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
ARTS, BOSTON, HISTORY | AUGUST 1, 2013 1:13 PM
________________________________
Prof. Peter Der Manuelian, photo by Rose Lincoln; courtesy Harvard University
By Gabriella Gage
Mirror-Spectator Staff
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - Harvard's Philip J. King Professor of Egyptology
Peter Der Manuelian first discovered his passion for all things Egypt
during a fourth grade history class at the Belmont Day School.
`I remember that as the first class that actively grabbed my
attention,' said Manuelian.
>From there, he was hooked. Luckily, young Manuelian was able to foster
this interest locally at the famous Egyptian collection at Museum of
Fine Arts, Boston (MFA).
Manuelian is Harvard University's first Egyptologist in more than half
a century.
His predecessor was George A. Reisner (1867-1942), whom Manuelian
described as `one of the greatest archaeologists and Egyptologists of
his generation.'
`I feel honored and privileged to try to help reawaken Harvard's
glorious archaeological legacy of work in Egypt. There is indeed great
passion for the subject here, and I've been supported on every level,'
said Manuelian.
Manuelian grew up in Belmont amidst the Boston area's thriving
Armenian community. His grandmother fled Istanbul during World War I
and found her way to Boston, where she married a fellow Armenian and
started a family.
Manuelian attended Harvard University as an undergraduate before
earning his doctorate in Egyptology from the University of Chicago. He
also studied in Germany at the Universität Tübingen.
While immersed in his studies, Manuelian began what would prove a
longstanding relationship with the MFA, as he embarked on his first
volunteer summer at the MFA in 1976. In 1977, he accompanied the MFA
team to Egypt to begin his field research in archaeological projects
in Giza.
He continued his work with the MFA and became a full-time member of
the curatorial staff in 1987 and his formal relationship with the
museum continued through 2011.
Prior to joining the Harvard faculty in 2010, Manuelian taught at
Tufts University for 10 years.
His research interests include ancient Egyptian history, archaeology,
epigraphy, the development of mortuary architecture and the
iconographic nature of Egyptian language and culture. He has also
researched New Kingdom temples at Luxor (Epigraphic Survey, Oriental
Institute, University of Chicago) and the Predynastic site of Naqada.
`I don't know of another civilization that so beautifully blends art
and writing, writing and art together into a seamless expression of
the entire culture. And to last four millennia or more, well that
means you're doing something right,' he said.
While Manuelian's job is to document and make sense of the distant
past, he is attentive to the future of the field and utilizes current
technologies to uncover and document this rich past and share this
information with others. `As director of Harvard's Semitic Museum, I
have set in motion plans for a new Egyptian gallery and we are
currently seeking the funds to build an exciting, state-of-the-art
display that will wow both our students and the general public as
well,' said Manuelian.
One of the significant contributions Manuelian has made to the field
has been his ongoing work as the founding director of the Giza
Archives. After 40 years excavating 23 different sites in Egypt and
Nubia (ancient Sudan), the joint Harvard University and MFA Expedition
had amassed a huge archaeological archive of tens of thousands of
glass plate excavation negatives, notes, plans, drawings, manuscripts
and diaries, as well as actual artifacts themselves.
`In the case of the Giza Pyramids, just west of modern Cairo' said
Manuelian, `this priceless archive allows scholars to study the site
in ways no longer possible even at Giza itself.' He added, `Imagine
how much more preservation a 1904 photo of a painted tomb wall scene
or hieroglyphic inscription will show you than one taken in 2013.'
A collection so large called for an efficient method of organizing and
record-keeping. According to Manuelian, the expedition archive
struggled with the weight of its own scale and the difficulty of
`finding what you need.'
This was a case where ancient history required the help of present-day
technology. `When I worked at the MFA, we had the good fortune to
secure more than $3 million in support from the Andrew W. Mellon
Foundation to digitize and cross-reference online all the Giza
materials.'
Thanks to the Mellon funding and the work of more than 500 students,
docents, volunteers and supervising Egyptologists, anyone can view the
materials today at http://www.gizapyramids.org.
The Giza Project is an ongoing international collaboration. Manuelian
explained, `Our aim is to become the central repository for this most
famous archaeological site in the world. We hope to recreate that
historic collaboration between Harvard and the Museum of Fine Arts,
Boston, two great institutions that share a unique archaeological
legacy.'
The project has also teamed with Dassault Systèmes of Paris and
Waltham and adopted immersive 3D computer technologies for modeling of
the Giza Pyramids, tombs and temples. These elaborate models and
teaching tools can be viewed at http://giza.3ds.com.
`This is `publishing' in the widest sense of the word. But it is
expensive, and this project, too, is in need of continuous support.'
While there is a wealth of information and interest in Egyptology,
popularity brings its fair share of misconceptions. The most common
ones, according to Manuelian, are: the notion that `Hebrew slaves - or
better yet, aliens! - built the pyramids,' the misconception that
Egyptian hieroglyphs are just pictures, not a grammatical language and
that `there is a curse of the pharaohs, thanks to King Tut. Oh, and
archaeologists tend not to carry around guns and whips, unlike Indiana
Jones.'
When he is not researching or teaching, Manuelian enjoys simple
pleasures such as guitar music, cats, architecture and graphic design,
and admits he has an `unholy addiction' to Apple products.
Manuelian approaches his work with enthusiasm and a sense of humor,
always keeping the issue of accessibility in mind.
He has contributed to several academic journals, including the Journal
of Egyptian Archaeology and the Journal of the American Research
Center in Egypt. As far as other publications, Manuelian noted, `My
books have long, boring names, such as Slab Stelae of the Giza
Necropolis; Studies in the Reign of Amenophis II; Mastabas of Nucleus
Cemetery G 2100 and Living in the Past: Studies Archaism of the
Egyptian Twenty-sixth Dynasty [...] My children's books, such as
Hieroglyphs from A to Z, might be a bit more fun.'
Manuelian is currently working on a biography of Reisner and various
projects related to his work at the Giza Pyramids. He is also
producing a short introduction to his field called The 30-Second
Ancient Egypt, he noted, `for those who don't have a lot of time!'
>From a fourth grader with a blossoming interest in history to
Harvard's first Harvard professor of Egyptology in more than 60 years,
Manuelian exudes the same passion for his field and hopes to preserve
history and share it with the public.
`I hope archaeological legacies all over the world, whether in
Armenia, in Egypt or elsewhere, will receive the care and preservation
they deserve, through both the good times and the challenging ones,'
said Manuelian.
- See more at: http://www.mirrorspectator.com/2013/08/01/harvard-egyptology-professor-merges-ancient-discoveries-with-new-technologies/#sthash.Fe8WXVai.dpuf
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress