Pisa University Press

The stark contrast of the desert, mountains, seas, and cataracts surrounding the fertile river valley creates a dramatic separation between Egypt and the rest of the world. Despite this physical – often pretended – barrier, Egypt has historically been deeply connected to the cultures of the Eastern Mediterranean, Western Asia, and Northeast Africa. These interactions have led to a complex intermingling of culture, materials, religions, ideas, and iconography, resulting in the emergence of new forms of cultural identity. The papers of this volume, presented to prof. Marilina Betrò, aim to explore various aspects of these interactions, spanning from the 3rd millennium BC to Roman and Medieval times, encompassing regions from Mesopotamia to the Levant, from Anatolia to the Aegean, and from the Roman Empire to Syria. – IntroductionGianluca Miniaci, Christian Greco, Paolo Del Vesco, Mattia Mancini, Cristina Alù– Contact, mobility, migration: social and economic interaction across Egyptian borders (Early and Middle Bronze Age)Juan Carlos Moreno García– Between exchanges, interactions, and entanglements. The Egyptians and the others at Mersa/Wadi GawasisAndrea Manzo– Jericho and Egypt during the Early Bronze Age: some evidence of trade and cultural interactionLorenzo Nigro– Patterns of religiosity in the Levant and Egypt during the second millennium BCE: the case of the anthropoid clay coffinsNicola Laneri, Chiara Pappalardo– Secondary Urbanisation in Northern Lebanon and the Role of ByblosFrances Pinnock– Dalla corona osiriaca alla kidaris. Iconografie egiziane in un laboratorio di coroplasti nella Fenicia di età persianaIda Oggiano– Anat und die Zerkauer des FleischesJoachim Friedrich Quack– Notes on Mesopotamian metrology II. The representation of weighing balances in the 3rd millennium BCLuca Peyronel– The Lady of the Mirror. On some artifacts from the Middle Assyrian tomb 1424 at Tell Barri (NE Syria)Anacleto D’Agostino– Reconsidering a Southern Route. Relations between Southern Mesopotamia, Susiana and Egypt at the End of the Fourth Millennium BCSara Pizzimenti– The Hittite-Egyptian Relations Before the Amarna Age: Notes on KBo 31.40 and Related TextsMatteo Vigo– Teli-Teššob, a Hittite Messenger at the Court of Ramesses IIStefano de Martino– Trade, piracy and the protection of sea-lanes in the Mycenaean world and EgyptJorrit M. Kelder– Five Egyptian Scarabs from the Mycenaean Cemetery of Langada on Kos: Context, Function, and Cultural SignificanceSalvatore Vitale, Katarzyna Dudlik, Louis Dautais– The sense of Egypt: The materials and landscapes of otherness in the houses of PompeiiAnna Anguissola– Un nome d’Horo di CaracallaNicola Barbagli– Libri dall’Egitto: la biblioteca privata del patriarca siro-ortodosso Ignazio bar Shayallah (1483-1493)Pier Giorgio Borbone

Egypt has long captivated the imagination through its literature, tales, and accounts from ancient and modern explorers. In antiquity, it served as the realm of pharaohs, steeped in myths that intertwined gods and humanity. Herodotus marveled at its wonders, while Napoleon's expedition unearthed its mysteries. The stories passed down to us also offer insights into various facets of everyday life in ancient Egypt–human emotions, connection with nature, and the desire to discover unknown lands. This volume, presented to prof. Marilina Betrò, delves into Egypt’s history, weaving ancient and modern narratives. It explores Egypt not only as a land of wonders but also as a place that resonates with its ancient societies and their perspectives. – IntroductionGianluca Miniaci, Christian Greco, Paolo Del Vesco, Mattia Mancini, Cristina Alù– Shaping life as a journey and displaying it in biographies and talesJohn Baines– A new reading of an Old Kingdom administrative title (Hry-Szp) related to quarry expeditionsAndrés Diego Espinel– Specialisti di viaggi nel deserto: gli jʿȝ.ww e i nw.w, intermediari e guide per le spedizioni minerarie faraonicheCristina Alù– ‘The mouth of the two ways’: Ezbet Rushdi, a crossroads between Sinai and the Levant in the Middle KingdomFrancesco Missiroli– In the Heart of the Sea: The Island As Chronotope in the Tale of the Shipwrecked SailorAngelo Colonna– ‘Fiori lapislazzuli’: una nota filologica e archeobotanica ad una lirica amorosa del vaso di Deir el-MedinaFlora Andreozzi– Representations on animals in Ancient Egypt: parallel traditions through the millennia. The example of the donkey in the Teaching of ‘OnchsheshonqyMathilde Prévost– Priests Carrying ‘Osiris-Canopus/Hydreios’: from Alexandria to the Imperial Isea outside Egypt. Preliminary considerationsRosanna Pirelli– Il Romanzo di Cambise: alcune osservazioni sulla fortuna di un genere e una nuova proposta di datazionePaola Buzi– First Archaeological Hints: Early Birds in Iraqi KurdistanDlshad Aziz Marf, Jesper Eidem – “Lo so, ma preferisco non dirlo”. Silenzi e strategie etnografiche in Hdt. IIAndrea Taddei– The Adventurous Life of Giuseppe FerliniGianluca Miniaci– Assassinio nel Museo egizio: The Scarab Murder Case (S.S. Van Dine, 1930)Domitilla Campanile– Le notizie di Simēon Lehac’i sugli Armeni, ottomani e noAlessandro Orengo