Date: Thursday, September 30, 2010, 7:30 p.m.

Chapter: Oregon Chapter in cooperation with the Middle East Studies Center of Portland State University

Presenter: Dr. Lawrence M. Berman, Norma Jean Calderwood Senior Curator of Ancient Egyptian, Nubian, and Near Eastern Art, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston  

Location: Smith Memorial Student Union, Rm. 298, Portland State University

Lecture is free and open to the public. Free parking in PSU parking structures after 7:00 p.m.

Description: In April 1915 the Harvard University-Boston Museum of Fine Arts Expedition discovered the tomb of Governor Djehutynakht and his wife, also called Djehutynakht, at Deir el-Bersha in Middle Egypt, about 175 miles south of Cairo. The contents of this early Twelfth Dynasty tomb were awarded to the Museum in their entirety by the Egyptian Government and were recently the focus of a special exhibition, “Secrets of Tomb 10A: Egypt 2000 BC,” at the MFA.

The lecture focuses on the coffins of Tomb 10A: two for Governor Djehutynakht, and two—unpublished and never before on view—for his wife, Lady Djehutynakht. Like the models, the coffins from tomb 10A comprise a wonderfully complete and self-contained set. Made of imported cedar, decorated inside and out, and amply furnished with texts, these coffins were the best that wealth and position could buy. While the outer coffin of Governor Djehutynakht stands out as a masterpiece of Middle Egyptian painting, its beautiful paintings were never intended to be admired purely as works of art. To appreciate the coffins properly, we have to consider the famous coffin along with the others, and the texts along with the pictures. Together, they tell us not so much about the day-to-day world of the Djehutynakhts and their peers, but about their cosmos and how they perceived their place in it. They reveal their hopes and fears, from not having one’s magic taken away by demons to sublime visions of an eternity spent in the company of Osiris, king of the dead, or sailing across the sky with the sun god.

About the Speaker: Dr. Lawrence M. Berman is currently the Norma Jean Calderwood Senior Curator of Ancient Egyptian, Nubian, and Near Eastern Art, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. He received his PhD from Yale University. He recently curated the exhibit “Secrets of Tomb 10 A” at the MFA . His list of curation credentials include exhibits at both the MFA and the Cleveland Museum of Art. He also served as the co-director of the Valley of the Kings Project in conjunction with Pacific Lutheran University. In addition to his field work, he has authored a variety of scholarly publications ranging from the arts of Egypt to the science of mummification.

Contact: For additional information, call (503) 725-4074.