2006 Volume 42

Editorial We apologise for the delay in publishing this volume of Buried History. The good news is however that the next volume is already in preparation and will be produced before year end with amongst other papers, the 2006 Petrie Oration by Kathryn Eriksson. This edition begins with the text of a lecture delivered at the Institute by Rosalind Janssen. Rosalind is an Egyptologist who has formally studied Gerontology, the study of ageing. As a result of this background, Rosalind has some interesting re-interpretations of material. Ageing seems to become of interest to everyone eventually and on the night of the presentation questions continued for a considerable length of time. One of the reasons for re-establishing the Institute was to provide a place for retired people to remain active in the study of the ancient world. The unpacking of the Institute’s museum collection has given rise to many discoveries and one is described by Lisa Mawdsley. Lisa is a doctoral student at Monash University and a member of the International Potmark Workshop established by Edwin van den Brink. The identification of pot-marks draws us to the recognition of individual potters who laboured so long ago on mundane objects that we now treasure.

In previous editions we have appreciated the papers on Kellis and its virtual reality reconstruction by the Centre for Archaeology & Ancient History, School of Historical Stud-ies, and the Faculty of Information Technology, Monash University. This paper has an accompanying website that can be accessed to explore the reconstruction described in the text. No excavation today can be reported without an attempt to visualise the place as it once was. This process is a discipline that all excavators now must embrace.

Scott Charlesworth breaks the Egyptology theme by dis-cussing Christian manuscript practices. While his subject may continue to promote some controversy, we are pleased to have been able to support Scott’s work and to publish this interesting and detailed paper.

Rupert Mann’s essay on the cartonnage of the Institute’s mummy was originally prepared as an undergraduate thesis. It has a number of interesting and useful observa-tions and is accompanied by recently taken professional photographs. Rupert will not develop the subject further and in the context of undergraduate study was limited by the comparative material he had available. We thank those who have commented on his work and we include it as a student essay to assist those who may take up the subject in future.

Lamia al-Gailani Werr has honoured us with a review of Magnus Bernhardsson’s recent book about the significance of archaeology in Iraq. Lamia worked in the Baghdad Museum as a young archaeologist and returned there after the looting as a consultant. She now advises UNESCO on matters relating to heritage in Iraq.

We acknowledge the work of our reviewers and thank them for their constructive comments.

Christopher J Daveys

Table of Contents

Papers

Rosalind Janssen, The Old Women of Deir el-Medina

Lisa Mawdsley, A First Dynasty Egyptian wine jar with a potmark in the collection of the Australian Institute of Archaeology

G. E Bowen, T. Chandler, C. A. Hope and D. Martin, Reconstructing Ancient Kellis Part II

S. D. Charlesworth, Public vs. Private: Second- and Third-Century Gospel Manuscripts

Student Essay

Rupert-Angus Mann, A Preliminary Analysis of the Cartonnage on the Child Mummy in the collection of the Australian Institute of Archaeology

Book Reviews

Magnus T. Bernhardsson, Reclaiming a Plundered Past: Archaeology and Nation Building in Modern Iraq, Austin:The University of Texas Press, 2006; Lamia al-Gailani Werr

Milbury Polk and Angela M.H. Schuster (eds), The Looting of the Iraq Museum, Baghdad: The lost legacy of An-cient Mesopotamia, New York: Abrams, 2005; Christopher Davey

Raz Kletter, Just Past? The making of Israeli Archaeology, London: Equinox, 2006; Christopher Davey

Abstracts

Rosalind Janssen - The Old Women of Deir el-Medina

Abstract: Older women – those aged over thirty – constituted a distinct age group at the ‘middle class’ workmen’s village of Deir el-Medina. Drawing on the rich textual material from the site, and placing it alongside gerontological theory, will enable us to consider and evaluate such aspects as demography, transferable women’s pensions, disinheriting one’s ungrateful children, the Wise Woman, and the worship of female ancestors. Being a woman and old at New Kingdom Deir el-Medina implied considerable rights, freedom, and even an authoritative status. This picture is in remarkable contrast to the ‘double jeopardy’ which sociologists tell us older women – the over fifties – are facing in today’s society through sexism and ageism.

Lisa Mawdsley - A First Dynasty Egyptian wine jar with a potmark in the collection of the Australian Institute of Archaeology

Abstract : A unique incised potmark may hold the key to the identification of provenance for a First Dynasty storage jar in the collection of the Australian Institute of Archaeology.

G. E Bowen, T. Chandler, C. A. Hope and D. Martin - Reconstructing Ancient Kellis Part II

This is an investigation of an online interactive application that allows visitors to navigate their way through models of domestic architecture and see it as a citizen of Kellis would have seen it in historical times. The goal is to communicate a richer representation of domestic life at Kellis where excavated artefacts are given context through their inclu-sion within the reconstructed three-dimensional (3D) architecture. The digital recreation is reinforced by adding ‘soundscapes’ that subtly evoke the agrarian village environment of the period. The creation of an ‘immersive’ environment using computer game technology expands the possibilities for archaeological interpretation within a reconstructed space. While these digital technologies may benefit researchers in communicating archaeological sites in a cohesive visual form, their educational potential for high schools and the general public (museum exhibitions) is more immediately applicable. This publication is accompanied by an online website (see above link) where readers can explore and experience first-hand the virtual images and models that are discussed in the following pages.

S. D. Charlesworth - Public vs. Private: Second- and Third-Century Gospel Manuscripts

Remarkable uniformity in the size of early gospel codices provides evidence for conventional approaches to manuscript production in the second and third centuries. Christians favoured a size approximating the Turner Group 9.1 format in the second cen-tury, and the Group 8.2 format in the third century. When combined with other conventional approaches to MS production – semi-literary to literary hands and the use of readers’ aids to facilitate public reading – there is much support for the idea that most codices dated up to the early third century were produced in controlled settings (i.e., in small copy centres or scriptoria comprised of at least two trained scribes) for public or liturgical use. In contrast, many third-century gospel manuscripts (e.g., ?45) bear the hallmarks of uncontrolled pro-duction for private use.