Archaeological excavation uncovers ancient world of Egypt

University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Contact:
Karin Mackenzie, (808) 956-4051
Colleges of Arts & Sciences, Arts and Sciences Community and Alumni Relations
Posted: Jul 11, 2014

Littman and team
Littman and team

Watch the ancient world of Egypt brought to modern day life with a video blog from the archaeological excavation led by UH Mānoa Languages, Linguistics, & Literature’s Robert Littman and Jay Silverstein:

http://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/media/video/video-inside-the-2014-excavations-at-tell-timai-ancient-thmuis/

Littman and Silverstein directed archaeological activities in Timai El Amdid, Egypt earlier this summer. At the excavation site called Tell Timai, the team uncovered the Egyptian city of Thmouis, a rare example of a well-preserved Graeco-Roman city in the Nile Delta. The dig offers an exceptional opportunity to study all aspects of life during the Ptolemaic and Roman periods, dating from 300 BC to 600 AD.

The excavation’s international team included several UH Mānoa students and others from around the world, including scholars from Egypt, England, Italy, Germany, and Australia, professional staff, and local helpers. High-tech surveys and meticulous, careful old-fashioned digging uncovered the settlement’s buildings and artifacts such as pottery, coins, glass, and broken columns. Even an ancient warrior body was found! The team’s long-term goal is to reconstruct an entire neighborhood through their findings.

Preservation, conservation, and respect are utmost priorities for Littman and his team. Littman has conducted research in Egypt (and Israel) over the past 15 years and has earned the admiration and praise of his colleagues. He has served as a trustee of the Archaeological Institute of America, an organization of 220,000 archaeologists and lay members, and the president of the local Hawaiʻi society.

Educated at Oxford and Columbia universities, Littman has been at UH Mānoa for over 43 years.

The College of Languages, Linguistics, & Literature of the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa provides an extensive and complementary curriculum in English and foreign languages, literatures, and linguistics. Highly specialized centers and laboratories add remarkable breadth and depth to course offerings, and give students cultural and real-world learning experiences. The faculty effectively integrates teaching with practical application, contributing to the college’s world-class stature in many areas. As one of the four colleges that comprise the Colleges of Arts & Sciences, LLL is also part of the largest academic unit on campus.

If you would like to support the College of Languages, Linguistics, & Literature, please visit www.uhfoundation.org/GivetoLLL.