Nozomu Kawai
Kanazawa University, Institute for Frontier Science Initiative, Faculty Member
- Egyptology, Egyptian Archaeology, Egyptian Art and Archaeology, Archaeology, Ancient Near East, Amarna Studies, and 36 moreAncient Civilization (Archaeology), Ancient History, Sacred Landscape (Archaeology), Funerary Archaeology, Archaeology of Ritual, Landscape Archaeology, Ancient Egyptian Religion, New Kingdom (Egyptology), Ramesside Period, Memphis necropolis, Theban Tombs, Tutankhamun, Kingship (Egyptology), The Amarna Period, Saqqara, Ancient Egyptian History, Egyptian History, Middle Kingdom (Egyptology), Ancient Egypt, Middle Kingdom, Old Kingdom (Egyptology), Ancient Egyptian Iconography, Late Bronze Age archaeology, Third Intermediate Period, History of Egyptology, Ancient Near East (Archaeology), Nubian-Egyptian Relations, Cultural Heritage, Cultural Heritage Management, Ancient Nubia, Egyptian Coffins, Second Intermediate Period (Egyptology), Ancient Egyptian Settlement Archaeology, Graeco-Roman Egypt, Post - Amarna period, and Amarna Periodedit
- Professor of Egyptology at Kanazawa University, Japan and the Director of North Saqqara Project. Specializing in hist... moreProfessor of Egyptology at Kanazawa University, Japan and the Director of North Saqqara Project. Specializing in history, art and archaeology of the New Kingdom in Egypt, with a particular emphasis on the period from the late Eighteenth Dynasty to the Nineteenth Dynasty. I have been directing Japanese archaeological excavation at Northwest Saqqara / South Abusir since 2001. My Ph.D. thesis was on the reign of Tutankhamun (Studies in the Reign of Tutankhamun, Department of Near Eastern Studies, Johns Hopkins University, 2005). I am currently working for the revision of my original dissertation for publication.edit
"This study deals with four major topics concerning Tutankhamun's reign by examining all the available evidence, which has especially increased over the last two decades. The research strategy is designed as an interdisciplinary approach... more
"This study deals with four major topics concerning Tutankhamun's reign by examining all the available evidence, which has especially increased over the last two decades. The research strategy is designed as an interdisciplinary approach drawing on epigraphy, philology, art history, and archaeology.
The first chapter examines the Tutankhamun's parentage and family, as well as the historical situation at the end of the Amarna period. The evidence from Amarna suggests that Tutankhamun was most likely a son of Akhenaten and Nefertiti. As for the coregent and successor of Akhenaten, there were two rulers: Smenkhkare and Neferneferuaten.
Chapter two deals with Tutankhamun's accession and death. Tutankhamun was eventually interred in a modest tomb in the Valley of the Kings, prepared for a contemporary high courtier.
Chapter three is a catalogue of the known monuments of Tutankhamun. This study aims to gather the evidence currently available for a better understanding of Tutankhamun's building and restoration program, which also serves as an important source for the history of Tutankhamun's reign. The data demonstrates that Tutankhamun conducted vital building and restoration activities throughout Egypt within the nine years of his reign, as indicated in his Restoration Stela. The king also consciously stressed his relationship with Amenhotep III as the successor of the orthodoxy.
Chapter four is devoted to the administration under Tutankhamun, which is the major contribution of this study. Approximately 150 office holders were examined in order to evaluate Tutankhamun's government. During Tutankhamun's reign, a pattern emerges wherein high officials take on royal prerogatives. Ay, Horemheb, and Maya functioned as the power behind the throne. It is shown, however, that Ay and Horemheb had a serious antagonistic relationship sometime after Ay ascended to the throne. The prosopographical study reveals that the priests of the temples of the traditional deities were reappointed from the children of influential families, as mentioned in the Restoration Stela."
The first chapter examines the Tutankhamun's parentage and family, as well as the historical situation at the end of the Amarna period. The evidence from Amarna suggests that Tutankhamun was most likely a son of Akhenaten and Nefertiti. As for the coregent and successor of Akhenaten, there were two rulers: Smenkhkare and Neferneferuaten.
Chapter two deals with Tutankhamun's accession and death. Tutankhamun was eventually interred in a modest tomb in the Valley of the Kings, prepared for a contemporary high courtier.
Chapter three is a catalogue of the known monuments of Tutankhamun. This study aims to gather the evidence currently available for a better understanding of Tutankhamun's building and restoration program, which also serves as an important source for the history of Tutankhamun's reign. The data demonstrates that Tutankhamun conducted vital building and restoration activities throughout Egypt within the nine years of his reign, as indicated in his Restoration Stela. The king also consciously stressed his relationship with Amenhotep III as the successor of the orthodoxy.
Chapter four is devoted to the administration under Tutankhamun, which is the major contribution of this study. Approximately 150 office holders were examined in order to evaluate Tutankhamun's government. During Tutankhamun's reign, a pattern emerges wherein high officials take on royal prerogatives. Ay, Horemheb, and Maya functioned as the power behind the throne. It is shown, however, that Ay and Horemheb had a serious antagonistic relationship sometime after Ay ascended to the throne. The prosopographical study reveals that the priests of the temples of the traditional deities were reappointed from the children of influential families, as mentioned in the Restoration Stela."
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A History of World Egyptology is a ground-breaking reference work that traces the study of ancient Egypt. Spanning 150 years and global in purview, it enlarges our understanding of how and why people have looked, and continue to look,... more
A History of World Egyptology is a ground-breaking reference work that traces the study of ancient Egypt. Spanning 150 years and global in purview, it enlarges our understanding of how and why people have looked, and continue to look, into humankind's distant past through the lens of the enduring allure of ancient Egypt. Written by an international team of scholars, the volume investigates how territories around the world have engaged with and have been inspired by Egyptology, and how that engagement has evolved over time. Each chapter presents a specific territory from an institutional and national perspective, while examining a range of transnational links as well. The volume thus touches on multiple strands of scholarship, embracing not only Egyptology, but also social history, the history of science and reception studies. It will appeal to amateurs and professionals alike.
https://www.cambridge.org/us/academic/subjects/archaeology/egyptology/history-world-egyptology?format=HB
https://www.cambridge.org/us/academic/subjects/archaeology/egyptology/history-world-egyptology?format=HB
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The catalogue of the exhibition, "The Golden Pharaohs and Pyramids - The Treasure from the Egyptian Museum, Cairo."
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The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities have been collaborating on the Grand Egyptian Museum Joint Conservation Project (GEM-JC), and since 2016 this team carried out the... more
The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities have been collaborating on the Grand Egyptian Museum Joint Conservation Project (GEM-JC), and since 2016 this team carried out the scientific research of the ‘second state chariot’ (JE61990). In the course of the detailed condition survey of the chariot, localized surface damage from where material had been anciently torn away from the corners and near the rear of the exterior sides of the chariot’s body was observed. Carter’s assistant Arthur Mace had noted this and assumed some metal elements had been wrenched off from these locations. Recently, the late Edwin C. Brock concluded that these remnants were fitting places of the four support poles of the canopy frame hitherto dubbed by Carter as Tutankhamun’s ‘travelling canopy’ (JE60705). Detailed measurements of both the chariot and canopy have now proved Brock’s hypothesis that the two items indeed made a canopied chariot. This paper also presents new discoveries and offers a tentative virtual reconstruction as support for the inclusion of virtual museum displays in galleries.
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In 2015, the Japanese-Egyptian Mission to North Saqqara was granted permission to conduct an archaeological survey in the area. Its main goal is the exploration of the New Kingdom cemeteries, which until recently have never been fully... more
In 2015, the Japanese-Egyptian Mission to North Saqqara was granted permission to conduct an archaeological survey in the area. Its main goal is the exploration of the New Kingdom cemeteries, which until recently have never been fully investigated. Field director Nozomu Kawai reports on the seasons since autumn 2017, and in particular on the discovery of a Roman catacomb last year.
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Egyptology in Japan is relatively unknown to the rest of the world, although recently more Japanese scholars have been involved with a range of Egyptological projects, including archaeological excavations, conservation, philological... more
Egyptology in Japan is relatively unknown to the rest of the world, although recently more Japanese scholars have been involved with a range of Egyptological projects, including archaeological excavations, conservation, philological studies and cooperation in the construction of the Grand Egyptian Museum. This paper aims present an overview of Japanese Egyptology from its beginning to the present, and look to its future. The article is divided into
three parts: history of scholarship; history of archaeological fieldworks in Egypt; and Egyptian collections in Japan.
three parts: history of scholarship; history of archaeological fieldworks in Egypt; and Egyptian collections in Japan.
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A Japanese expedition from the Institute of Egyptology at Waseda University began working in the al-Khokha area in the Theban Necropolis in 2007 under the direction of Prof. Jiro Kondo. Since then, the team has rediscovered the tomb of... more
A Japanese expedition from the Institute of Egyptology at Waseda
University began working in the al-Khokha area in the Theban Necropolis
in 2007 under the direction of Prof. Jiro Kondo. Since then, the team
has rediscovered the tomb of Userhat (TT 47), Overseer of the King’s
Private Apartment under Amenhotep III, which had been excavated by
the umda (headman) of al-Qurna village early in the 20th century. When
clearing its forecourt, the team discovered the previously unknown tomb
of Khonsuemheb, dating to the Ramesside Period. Jiro Kondo and
Nozomu Kawai discuss the highlights of recent work done at the site.
University began working in the al-Khokha area in the Theban Necropolis
in 2007 under the direction of Prof. Jiro Kondo. Since then, the team
has rediscovered the tomb of Userhat (TT 47), Overseer of the King’s
Private Apartment under Amenhotep III, which had been excavated by
the umda (headman) of al-Qurna village early in the 20th century. When
clearing its forecourt, the team discovered the previously unknown tomb
of Khonsuemheb, dating to the Ramesside Period. Jiro Kondo and
Nozomu Kawai discuss the highlights of recent work done at the site.
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The Okayama Orient Museum possesses three shabti figures from the Royal cache at Deir el- Bahri (DB 320). Two shabti figures belong to the “First Chief of the Harem of Amun,” “Great Chief of the Harem of Amun,” Isetemkhebit, the first... more
The Okayama Orient Museum possesses three shabti figures from the Royal cache at Deir el- Bahri (DB 320). Two shabti figures belong to the “First Chief of the Harem of Amun,” “Great Chief of the Harem of Amun,” Isetemkhebit, the first wife of the High Priest of Amun, Panedjem II. Another shabti figure belongs to yet another “First Chief of the Harim of Amun” Neskhons, the second wife of the High Priest of Amun, Panedjem II. They were both
the wives of Panedjem II, who controlled Thebes and the Upper Egypt during the Twentyfirst Dynasty in Egypt. These shabti figures are made of the bright blue faience typical of the early first millennium BCE. Black ink is used to delineate facial features, attributes (including headdresses, hoes, and seed bags), and inscriptions in cursive hieroglyphs. The text on these shabti figures is an abbreviation of chapter 6 of the Egyptian Book of the Dead, the so-called shabti spell, which describes the process of “activation” for the figures and what they will do: As is common by this period, the text is somewhat corrupted. These figures were mold-made, but not from the same mold, and it is likely that several molds would have been used for a production run. These figures came from the tomb so-called the Royal Cache at Deir el Bahri where a number of royal mummies of the New Kingdom together with the family of the High Priest of Amun Panedjem were found. Around 1870, the tomb was found by local antiquities
hunters, who began selling smaller objects from the burial. It is probable that the shabti figures now at the Okayama Orient Museum went to the antique market around this time.
the wives of Panedjem II, who controlled Thebes and the Upper Egypt during the Twentyfirst Dynasty in Egypt. These shabti figures are made of the bright blue faience typical of the early first millennium BCE. Black ink is used to delineate facial features, attributes (including headdresses, hoes, and seed bags), and inscriptions in cursive hieroglyphs. The text on these shabti figures is an abbreviation of chapter 6 of the Egyptian Book of the Dead, the so-called shabti spell, which describes the process of “activation” for the figures and what they will do: As is common by this period, the text is somewhat corrupted. These figures were mold-made, but not from the same mold, and it is likely that several molds would have been used for a production run. These figures came from the tomb so-called the Royal Cache at Deir el Bahri where a number of royal mummies of the New Kingdom together with the family of the High Priest of Amun Panedjem were found. Around 1870, the tomb was found by local antiquities
hunters, who began selling smaller objects from the burial. It is probable that the shabti figures now at the Okayama Orient Museum went to the antique market around this time.
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Keywords: city; city; development; development; Egyptian history; Egyptian history; geography; geography; historical geography; historical geography
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Keywords: Egyptian history; geography; historical geography
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Keywords: arts and architecture; arts and architecture; Egyptian history; Egyptian history; political history; political history
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Cobalt-blue colorant was first used in the 18th Dynasty in the New Kingdom of Egypt. The source of this cobalt was cobaltiferous alum from the Western Oases of Egypt. The use of this alum, especially in glass, was suddenly limited at the... more
Cobalt-blue colorant was first used in the 18th Dynasty in the New Kingdom of Egypt. The source of this cobalt was cobaltiferous alum from the Western Oases of Egypt. The use of this alum, especially in glass, was suddenly limited at the end of the 18th Dynasty. There is little evidence of the production of cobaltblue glass in the Ramesside Period (the 19th-20th Dynasties) in the New Kingdom of Egypt. In this study, we brought a portable X-ray fluorescence spectrometer to two archaeological sites located in the Memphite region and used it for onsite analyses of Ramesside cobalt blue-colored glasses and faiences. This method revealed that the compositional characteristics of the cobalt-blue colorant in these Ramesside glasses and faiences is different from the colorant derived from cobaltiferous alum used in the 18th Dynasty, based on the comparison of transition metal composition and alumina content with those of the cobalt blue-colored artifacts from the 18th Dynasty. This result suggests that a new cobalt source other than cobaltiferous alum from the Western Oases was utilized in Egypt during the Ramesside Period.
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"Waseda University Egyptian Expedition has excavated the previously unknown New Kingdom tomb chapel and burial chamber containing the sarcophagus of a certain ‘noble woman, Isisnofret’ on the summit of the rocky outcrop at Northwest... more
"Waseda University Egyptian Expedition has excavated the previously unknown New Kingdom tomb chapel and burial chamber containing the sarcophagus of a certain ‘noble woman, Isisnofret’ on the summit of the rocky outcrop at Northwest Saqqara. Architectural features of the tomb chapel
suggest that it dates to the Nineteenth Dynasty. The location of the tomb chapel, at right angles to the central axis line of the monument of Prince Khaemwaset (probably his ka-chapel) and the archaizing style of Isisnofret’s sarcophagus which reflects the same archaizing style of Khaemwaset’s own monuments, suggest that this Isisnofret is a daughter of Khaemwaset."
suggest that it dates to the Nineteenth Dynasty. The location of the tomb chapel, at right angles to the central axis line of the monument of Prince Khaemwaset (probably his ka-chapel) and the archaizing style of Isisnofret’s sarcophagus which reflects the same archaizing style of Khaemwaset’s own monuments, suggest that this Isisnofret is a daughter of Khaemwaset."
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Publication of the preliminary report of the excavation at the tomb chapel of Isisnofret at Northwest Saqqara submitted to then the Supreme Council of Antiquities, Egypt.
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Depuis 1991, des fouilles ont été menées au sommet d'un l'affleurement proéminent en calcaire situé à environ 1,5 km au nord-ouest du Sérapéum. Une recherche systématique a révélé plusieurs monuments d'importance significative, ainsi que... more
Depuis 1991, des fouilles ont été menées au sommet d'un l'affleurement proéminent en calcaire situé à environ 1,5 km au nord-ouest du Sérapéum. Une recherche systématique a révélé plusieurs monuments d'importance significative, ainsi que des découvertes que l'on peut dater entre la prériode thinite et la Basse Époque. Ce compte rendu offre une vue d'ensemble des fouilles de l'université de Waseda (Japon) à Saqqâra Nord.
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This article examines the interaction between Ay and Horemheb and their attitudes towards one another. Under Tutankhamun, Ay was the fatherly advisor of the king at the court, while Horemheb was the actual governor of all the... more
This article examines the interaction between Ay and Horemheb and their attitudes towards one another. Under Tutankhamun, Ay was the fatherly advisor of the king at the court, while Horemheb was the actual governor of all the administration in the country. However, Ay seems to have obtained the title “Vizier,” indicating that he was also capable of governing the country. Ay was indeed on the verge of becoming the successor of Tutankhamun. There was strong antagonism between Ay and Horemheb sometime after Tutankhamun's death. The evidence implies that Horemheb sought to discredit Ay as proper successor to the king. As a result, Ay appears to have excluded Horemheb from greater courtly influence by appointing Nakhtmin not only as his “Generalissimo” but also as “King's Son.” This squabbling even continued after Ay's death as Horemheb endeavored to erase all memory of Ay, his men, and even Queen Ankhesenamun in revenge.
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A brief report of the previously unknown Ramesside Tomb chapel of Isisnofret discovered near the monument of Khaemwaset on the summit of a rocky outcrop located to the north west of Saqqara. It is argued that the tomb belongs to... more
A brief report of the previously unknown Ramesside Tomb chapel of Isisnofret discovered near the monument of Khaemwaset on the summit of a rocky outcrop located to the north west of Saqqara. It is argued that the tomb belongs to Isisnforet, the daughter of Prince Khaemwaset.
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Die memphitische Nekropole weist noch immer viele Geheimnisse auf. Auf einem Felshügel etwa 1 km nordwestlich des Serapeums in Sakkara wurde im Jahr 2008 eine Grabkapelle aus dem Neuen Reich entdeckt. Während der nachfolgenden Grabungen... more
Die memphitische Nekropole weist noch immer viele Geheimnisse auf. Auf einem Felshügel etwa 1 km nordwestlich des Serapeums in Sakkara wurde im Jahr 2008 eine Grabkapelle aus dem Neuen Reich entdeckt. Während der nachfolgenden Grabungen konnte 2009 ein dazugehöriges Schachtgrab aus ramessidischer Zeit freigelegt werden, das einer »Adligen« namens Isisnofret gehörte. Damit wurde erstmals eine Grabanlage aus dem Neuen Reich auf dieser Anhöhe gefunden, die sich weit entfernt vom Hauptfriedhof von Sakkara befindet. Obwohl die Identität der Verstorbenen noch nicht eindeutig geklärt werden konnte, ist es wahrscheinlich, daß sie eine Tochter des Prinzen Chaemwase war.
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Blue-painted pottery was produced in the New Kingdom, Egypt, and decorated with blue, red, and black pigment. In this study, two newly developed portable instruments, a portable X-ray fluorescence spectrometer and a portable X-ray powder... more
Blue-painted pottery was produced in the New Kingdom, Egypt, and decorated with blue, red, and black pigment. In this study, two newly developed portable instruments, a portable X-ray fluorescence spectrometer and a portable X-ray powder diffractometer, were brought to the site on the outcrop at Northwest Saqqara, an archaeological site in Egypt, to verify their performance in on-site analysis of excavated artifacts at the site. Pigments used for the blue-painted pottery and plasters in the New Kingdom were analyzed by these instruments on the basis of both their chemical compositions and crystal-structural information. The blue pigments were identified as two different pigments, Egyptian blue and cobalt blue. The diffraction pattern of the blue pigment of the painted pottery exhibited that of spinel structure. The XRF spectrum of the blue pigment obtained by the same instrument from the same position indicates the presence of Mn, Co, Fe, Ni, and Zn. The possibility of compositional transitions of the cobalt blue pigment with time was revealed on by detailed analysis of the XRF data. The reason for the transitions is considered together with the archaeological background of the New Kingdom, Egypt.
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A report of an intact multiple burial dating from the end of the Second Intermediate Period to the beginning of the Eighteenth Dynasty found at a remote rocky outcrop in north west Saqqara.
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The catalogue of a Special exhibition of Japanese archaeolgical discoveries in Egypt in the Egyptian Museum, Cairo
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The essay provides look at the styles utilized in the decoration of specific walls and sections and the representation of specific figures and some epigraphic observations of the wall paintings in the tomb of Amenhotep III. This essay... more
The essay provides look at the styles utilized in the decoration of specific walls and sections and the representation of specific figures and some epigraphic observations of the wall paintings in the tomb of Amenhotep III. This essay also contains comments on the use of various pigments and compounds in the tomb’s decoration such as the use of yellow orpiment (arsenic sulphide) as a substitute for gold, and the possible symbolic use of red orpiment in sections of room I decorated after the death of the king
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The article discuss a stela of Tutankhamun showing the king is given a crown by Amun-Re and is being suckled by Isis (JdE 27076).
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Discussion of the political situation during the reign of King Tutankhamun and highlights the most important women and men in his court. It also details the vast building program of the King and what could be his motives behind it. URL:... more
Discussion of the political situation during the reign of King Tutankhamun and highlights the most important women and men in his court. It also details the vast building program of the King and what could be his motives behind it.
URL: https://www.arce.org/tutankhamuns-court
URL: https://www.arce.org/tutankhamuns-court