ARCE: Assessing Abydos: Excavating Bricks and Archives for Answers about Early Kingship with Laurel
Schedule
Sat Jun 13 2026 at 01:30 pm to 03:30 pm
UTC-07:00Location
Bowers Museum | Santa Ana, CA
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ARCE: Assessing Abydos: Excavating Bricks and Archives for Answers about Early Kingship with Laurel BestockSATURDAY | JUNE 13 | 1:30-3:30PM
NORMA KERSHAW AUDITORIUM | LECTURE
This lecture, by Laurel Bestock, a professor of Egyptology, Archaeology, and Art History at Brown University, explores the site of Abydos, a key location for understanding the rise of Egyptian kingship and the early pharaonic state. While the earliest kings were buried in desert tombs surrounded by sacrificial burials, their most significant monuments were nearby funerary enclosures built closer to the Nile floodplain. Only one of these massive mudbrick structures still stands today, while earlier examples survive as buried foundations. Traditionally thought to have been deliberately destroyed after each king’s death, these enclosures are now being reconsidered through newly studied, unpublished excavation archives from the past 30 years. The talk traces the history of archaeological work at Abydos, examines how archival research is reshaping interpretations of early kingship, and highlights the evolving nature of archaeological discovery and interpretation.
Ticketed Event: Free for Bowers and ARCE Members | General $15
ARCE-OC: American Research Center in Egypt: Orange County Chapter
Questions? Email [email protected] or call 714.567.3677. Proceeds benefit Bowers Museum Education Programs. Tickets are non-refundable.
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