Using new technology to unlock ancient Egyptian secrets. Dr Mark Eccleston, La Trobe University

Wednesday 19 May 6pm to 7pm
Join Dr Mark Eccleston to hear about recent research on ancient Egyptian industries using new technologies.

In this National Archaeology Week lecture, Dr Eccleston will talk about his recent research using synchrotron science and experimental archaeology. Mark will give an overview of recent work being undertaken on the use of metals in a variety of industries in New Kingdom Egypt (ca 1500 - 1100 BC). The fieldwork and experimental replication of copper and faience production was undertaken at Tell el-Amarna, the capital city of the pharaoh Akhenaten. Analysis of faience beads and raw materials potentially used to produce faience has been undertaken at the Australian and Hamburg Synchrotrons in collaboration with the Department of Physics at La Trobe University and Museum Victoria. The results of this work have greatly increased archaeologist’s understanding of the faience industry, its links to state-controlled copper mining enterprises and for the first time, allowed them to suggest with more certainty how these objects were actually manufactured.

Dr Mark Eccleston has been a Research Fellow in the Archaeology Program at La Trobe University since 2007. Prior to that he was the Teaching Fellow in Archaeological Materials at the University of Sheffield in the UK from 2003-2006. He has a background in Archaeology, Egyptology and Materials Science and has undertaken archaeological fieldwork in Australia, UK, Egypt, Greece and Cyprus. He has worked on archaeological field projects in Egypt since 1996 and since 2004 has been conducting fieldwork at Tell el-Amarna to investigate the use of copper alloys in various industries during the Egyptian New Kingdom.

State: VIC

Where: Age Theatre, Melbourne Museum

When: Wednesday 19 May 6pm to 7pm

Cost: Free but bookings essential. Places are limited.

Contact: Telephone 13 11 02.