KEMET-Jahrgang 20, Heft 2,  April 2011, p. 87

Gabriele Höber-Kamel

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Association for the Study of Travel in Egypt and the Near East

 

Notes and Queries

 

Number 40: Summer 2009

 

Review, p. 9.

 

The latest volume in Roger De Keersmaecker’s fascinating and valuable series is dedicated to ASTENE. As with earlier volumes it updates the entries for individuals as more information has become available–and this clearly shows the contributions of individual ASTENE members (such as the additions from Andrew Oliver).

 

The first part of this volume is devoted to the  Pillared Hall of the ‘Festival’ temple complex of Thutmose III. It contains a significant collection of  graffiti of British soldiers, some in the 20^th and 21^st Hussars, carved in 1884. Also included are scans of  military records relating to two of these soldiers: John Gowans and William Gillard. Amongst other familiar names are Henry Lowry Corry and Sarah Lushington.  

 

The second part published the graffiti of the great columns of the central aisle of the Hypostyle Hall and two of the ‘smaller’ columns. Again, there are many familiar names: Irby and Mangles, Armar Lowry Corry, Holroyd, Destourmel, Frediani, Letorzec.

 

There are illustrations of many of the graffiti, and  there are also some evocative more general  views. Some of the illustrations are printed on heavier, glossy paper. Apart from minor quibbles about the colouring of some of the graffiti illustrations (rather red or pink–perhaps reflecting the age of the slides), the whole is well-produced and, as with earlier volumes, spiral bound, which makes it a useful working tool. It is, in fact, an essential working tool for anyone in our area of interest.

 

                                                                                                          Robert Morkot