Vrije Universiteit Brussel
PROJECTEgyptian Seals found in Syria and LebanonSince 2003, Vanessa Boschloos has been studying Egyptian scarab seals found in Syria and Lebanon, principally scarabs discovered during archaeological excavations but also including the ones circulating on the local markets and now located in private or public collections worldwide. Various publications on the subject (especially by Othmar Keel, Astrid Nunn and Daphne Ben-Tor) stress the importance of further study of this type of seal and its impact on Egyptian – Levantine relations. So far, specialists have mostly been concentrating on scarabs from the southern Levant (Israel and Jordan); with my study of scarabs from the northern Levant (Syria and Lebanon) I hope to complete the research started by, amongst others, the aforementioned authors. Under the supervision of Prof. Dr Eric Gubel (Vrije Universiteit Brussel – Royal Museums of Art and History Brussels) I have been able to study national and international collections (Brussels, Paris, Beirut, Damascus, etc.) thus collecting information on provenance (if possible the precise archaeological context), iconography, chronology and typology of the numerous scarab seals found in this region. The aim of this research is to use these parameters to study distribution patterns and the intensity and evolution of Egyptian influence in the northern Levant and to confront the archaeological data with the historical context. Local imitations for example, but also the identification of local seal workshops, can provide us with a clearer understanding of these contacts. Up |
2007-2010© • Vrije Universiteit Brussel • Pleinlaan 2 • 1050 Elsene • jcoenaer@vub.ac.be