An afternoon with Dr Jay Silverstein

Dr Silverstein will present two lectures over the course of the afternoon.

1. The Lost Temple of the Psammuthes: Secrets of the 29th Dynasty

The 29th Dynasty appears to have emerged from the Kilisirian warrior caste of the Mendesian nome.  These Pharaohs led a revival of Egyptian culture after more than one hundred years of Persian domination and this is most evidenced in New Temple constructions.  Tell TImai, ancient Thmouis was an extension of Mendes at this time, and major temples of the 29th Dynasty are evidenced at the Egyptian capital of Mendes. In 2022, however, the discovery of a new temple that includes the name of the least of the 29th Dynasty Pharaohs is filling in the gaps in Egyptian history of this poorly understood period and elucidating our understanding of the Late Period-Hellenistic transition.

2. Stones and Bones: Tell Timai and the Lost History of the Rosetta Stone

The Rosetta Stone is most famous for its role in the decipherment of Hieroglyphs while the text of the inscription is often ignored. Unbeknownst to most, the events referenced in three scripts are one of the primary sources we have for the Great Rebellion that occurred during the reign of Ptolemy V.  It is no exaggeration to say that the outcome of that rebellion shaped Western Civilization.  At Tell Timai in the Nile Delta, the first evidence of the destruction that followed in the wake of unrest has been found. Burned houses, unburied bodies, and weapons tell a tale of the fierce struggle between Egyptians and their Greek overlords.

About the speaker: Jay Silverstein is the director of the Tel Timai project in Egypt, a Senior Lecturer at Nottingham Trent University, and a National Geographic Explorer. Jay has led archaeological missions all over the globe, but his passion is the Tell Timai Project which has has been leading since 2007. Tell Timai was the Graeco-Roman city of Thmouis and was part of the ruling capital of Egypt during the 29th Dynasty and regional Episcopal See in the Late Roman Period. At Tell Timai, he has led the discovery of a destruction episode described on the Rosetta Stone, archaeological evidence of the renowned Mendesian perfume industry, the discovery of a lost temple to the pharaoh Psammuthes, and the discovery of a nilometer. Currently, research at the site is focusing on a period of transition associated with the rise of Christianity.