October 20, 2015

Ippolito Rosellini: The Monuments of Egypt And Nubia



                                                                 




This is a beautiful book and it was illustrated by Ippolito Rosellini.

                                                                      


He had been on an expedition to Egypt with his friend, Jean-François Champollion, the man who eventually deciphered the hieroglyphics on the Rosetta Stone. He did this by learning the Coptic language, and realising that the pictures in the cartouches represented letters.

                                                                           



                                                                       

                                                                       
Text for the book was later added by Franco Serino. It is still available and I am glad I have it.

Their expedition was financed by Charles X of France and Grand Duke Leopold of Tuscany in in 1828.

Because both Champollion and Rosellini knew how to read hieroglyphics they had a huge advantage over previous expeditions, such as the ones of Giovanni Belzoni who had collected items for the British Museum prior to this.

Belzoni is credited with discovering many tombs, and the temple at Abu Simbel which was moved - an amazing feat of international engineering - so that the temple would not be submerged by the Nile. 

This enabled the building of the Aswan Dam. It was completed in 1970.
                                                                     


By the time Howard Carter discovered the tomb of King Tutankhamun in 1922 his knowledge of hieroglyphics was a huge advantage.

                                                                    



                                                                                                  

Archeology in Egypt is ongoing. With today's technology, like satellites and carbon dating, more and more is still being discovered.

Picture credits with many thanks to Em Hotep Digest, UNESCO and others from previous posts on this blog. Both sites I have mentioned have more excellent information.

For Claudette ♥



Some other posts on archeology:
The Antikythera Mechanism - The World's Oldest Known Computer
Archaeologists Digging Up Cecile B DeMille's Movie Treasures

Ancient Tomb in Amphipolis Revealed
Easter Island: Scientists Are Closer To Understanding What Wiped Out Its Society

Relief of Queen Nefertiti
Gold Treasures Discovered in Ming Dynasty Tomb
Unique Mosaic Images Uncovered in Fifth-Century Synagogue 
 Philip of Macedonia, Greece’s Ancient King, Found 
Queen Nefertiti: Was She Hidden In King Tutankhamun’s Tomb?
The Cave of Altamira and Paleolithic Cave Art of Northern Spain

The Antikythera Mechanism: Second Expedition Seeks More Mechanism Remains 
 Discovery Of Ancient Cave Paintings In Petra
Scientists Find ‘Superhenge’ That Could Be Five Times The Area Of Stonehenge
Rome Reborn – An Amazing Digital Model of Ancient Rome
A Day in Pompeii
The Holigost: 600 Year Old Pride of Henry V’s Fleet May Have Been Found 
Gem-Filled Warrior's Tomb Discovered in Ancient Greek City
Amenhotep’s Fragmented Book Of The Dead Found  
Acra: Ancient Citadel Unearthed In Jerusalem 
Glastonbury Legends, King Arthur’s ‘Grave’, Made Up For Cash By Monks 
Is Queen Nefertiti Buried In King Tutankhaman’s Tomb? - Latest News
King Hezekiah's Seal Impression Found
Spanish Galleon San Jose Discovered Laden With Treasure Off Colombia 
Has The Lost Island Of Kane Been Found?
'Britain's Pompeii' Found at Bronze Age Settlement 
Babylonians Tracked Jupiter with Fancy Math, Tablet Reveals 
New Clues to Ancient Roman Art Discovered in Egyptian Mummy Portraits
Ancestral Puebloans Were Hit By Boom and Bust
 Bible Breakthrough Found In Israel
What’s REALLY Inside A Pyramid:1st 3D Images Created Using Cosmic Particles
Queen Hatshepsut's Building Blocks Discovered
Nefertiti Still Missing: King Tut's Tomb Shows No Hidden Chambers
The World's 20 Most Impressive Ancient Builds
Dagger in King Tut's Tomb Was Made With Iron From A Meteorite 
Rare Ancient Greek Gold Crown Discovered Under A Bed. 
Team Testing New Scanner on Egypt's Great Pyramid
Ancient Mayan Observatory Was Used To Track Venus And Mars
Has The Gateway to Ancient Greek God's Compound Been Uncovered?
Archaeologists Reveal Probable Sites Of Two Missions That Predate The Alamo

Palace Found At Tintagel, Fabled Birthplace Of King Arthur 
Marble Statues of Aphrodite Unearthed At Petra
Did the Greeks Help Sculpt China's Terra Cotta Warriors?
Who Was Cleopatra? 
Egyptian Mummy And Temple 4200 Years Old With Well-Preserved Art Revealed
The Untold Truth About The Holy Grail