ISAC Podcast

The Epigraphic Survey and Chicago House by Emily Teeter

The Epigraphic Survey and Chicago House Celebrating Emily Teeters new book, Chicago on the Nile: 100 Years of the Epigraphic Survey Emily Teeter, ISAC (Retired) In 1924, an Egyptologist, an artist, and a photographer—the staff of the University of Chicago’s new Epigraphic Survey—began the task of recording the scenes and inscriptions carved on the walls of the enormous, 3,000-year-old temple of Pharaoh Ramesses III at Medinet Habu near Luxor. It was the culmination of a long-standing dream of James Henry Breasted, the first American Egyptologist and founder of ISAC (then the Oriental Institute), to both copy and publish all the historical texts in the Nile Valley. The Epigraphic Survey was established to undertake this unimaginably ambitious program of field research. A century later, the Epigraphic Survey continues to fulfill Breasted’s mission. Housed at Chicago House in Luxor, the expedition has documented some of the most important—and endangered—records to survive from ancient Egypt, using a well-established and tested method to create highly accurate facsimiles of the carvings and texts and to publish them as a permanent archive. To download or purchase the book, please visit: https://isac.uchicago.edu/research/publications/ISACMP/isacmp2

OI Podcast Episode 16, Afrofuturism: Ancient Egypt in Speculative Fiction

OI Podcast Episode 16 Afrofuturism: Ancient Egypt in Speculative Fiction Ytasha Womack Time as a web, weaved in storytelling to offer a remix of narratives exploring who we are and how we got here. Author Ytasha Womack, "Afrofuturism: The World of Black Sci-Fi and Fantasy Culture," joins us for a discussion that examines the Black Speculative Arts Movement in general and the roles that ancient Egyptian culture and religion play in her upcoming graphic novel, "Blak Kube." To explore this topic, look for "Afrofuturism" by Ytasha Womack, Lawrence Hill Books, 2013. Available everywhere books are sold. The graphic novel "Blak Kube" is coming soon! This podcast continues our Contemporary Artist/Ancient Voices series, a set of conversations with artists who draw inspiration from the ancient Middle East. These conversations focus on individual artists interpretations of the ancient world, and are not intended to provide historical accuracy. A video version of this discussion with images can be viewed on the Oriental Institute YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/bPBnrU8mUnI To support OI research, become a member of the Oriental Institute. To explore the benefits of joining, please visit: https://oi.uchicago.edu/join-and-give/become-member Please excuse the audio and video quality, this was recorded at home during the pandemic. 2021, Oriental Institute Image credits and original art: Tim Fielder, Infinitum John Jennings Album covers: The ArchAndroid, Janelle Monáe, Wonderland Arts Society, Atlantic, Bad Boy, 2013 Raise!, Earth Wind and Fire, ARC, Columbia, 1981 Next Lifetime, Erykah Badu, Kedar Records, 1997 Music: Andrew List Intro Music: bensound.com

OI Podcast Episode 15, Egyptian Influences/Contemporary Music

OI Podcast Episode 15 Egyptian Influences/Contemporary Music Andrew List Ancient Egypt offers a feast of inspiration. From the mammoth carved temples to the intimate, painted tombs, visitors to these sites often daydream a fantasy of what life must have been like. Earlier this year, composer Andrew List, Berklee College of Music, reached out to the OI for permission to use translations from the Book of the Dead by OI scholar Thomas Allen George in a composition that is influenced by his own recent travels and a lifelong fascination with this ancient religion. Join us as we listen to selections from List's works, The Temple of Dendera and From the Heart of Ra, while exploring how the ancient Egyptian world continues to influence his compositions. This podcast continues our Contemporary Artist/Ancient Voices series, a set of conversations with artists who draw inspiration from the ancient Middle East. These conversations focus on individual artists interpretations of the ancient world, and are not intended to provide historical accuracy. To listen to The Temple of Dendera and From the Heart of Ra visit: https://soundcloud.com/andrewlist/sets/from-the-temple-of-dandera-twelve-etudes-for-piano-inspired-by-the-egyptian-zodiac https://soundcloud.com/andrewlist/from-the-heart-of-ra-for-viola-and-piano-1 A video version of this discussion with images can be viewed on the Oriental Institute YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/aP_TkAuD_JI To support OI research, become a member of the Oriental Institute. To explore the benefits of joining, please visit: https://oi.uchicago.edu/join-and-give/become-member 2021, Oriental Institute Music: Andrew List Intro Music: bensound.com

OI Podcast Episode 14, The Lyre Ensemble, Part 2

OI Podcast Episode 14 The Lyre Ensemble, Part 2 Playing the Gold Lyre of Ur Contemporary music played on an ancient Lyre. The Lyre Ensemble continues a discussion on the recreation of the Gold Lyre of Ur, focusing on both the possibilities and trappings of creating music on an ancient replica. Andy Lowings, Jennifer Sturdy, Mark Harmer, and Stef Conner sit down with the OI for a look at their project, The Flood, a piece of music that incorporates ancient texts into a speculation on what ancient music might have sounded like. To watch part 1, visit: https://youtu.be/CimbNIhc70E To listen to part 1, visit: https://soundcloud.com/orientalinstitute/oi-podcast-episode-13-the-lyre-ensemble-part-1 Part 2 of the Lyre Ensemble podcast, continues our Contemporary Artist/Ancient Voices series, a set of conversations with artists who draw inspiration from the ancient Middle East. A video version of this discussion with images can be viewed on the Oriental Institute YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/PaWPtHdRV58 To learn more about the Lyre Ensemble, please visit: http://lyre-ensemble.com/admin/ To explore the text used in the Lyre Ensemble's recordings, click on these two dramatic interpretations of the death of Enkidu produced by the Lyre Ensemble, the first video is in Akkadian, the second is in English: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qlMQtxg-JA&t=58s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUdllauhlvM&t=5s To support OI research, become a member of the Oriental Institute. To explore the benefits of joining, please visit: https://oi.uchicago.edu/join-and-give/become-member 2021, Oriental Institute Music: They Lyre ensemble Intro Music: bensound.com

OI Podcast Episode 13: The Lyre Ensemble, Part 1

OI Podcast Episode 13 The Lyre Ensemble, Part 1 Recreating the Gold Lyre of Ur What might ancient Mesopotamian music sound like? Inspired by both this question and the 2003 looting at the Baghdad Museum, harpist Andy Lowings set out to recreate a playable replica of the iconic Gold Lyre of Ur. Andy, along with his friend Jennifer Sturdy, enlisted the help of academics, students, artisans, and musicians to faithfully reconstruct the ancient instrument. Their journey resulted in a series of recordings, concerts, and radio broadcasts, all featuring the haunting sounds of the ancient lyre. With part 1 of the Lyre Ensemble podcast, we start our Contemporary Artist/Ancient Voices series, a set of conversations with artists who draw inspiration from the ancient Middle East. A video version of this discussion with images can be viewed on the Oriental Institute YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/CimbNIhc70E To learn more about the Lyre Ensemble, please visit: http://lyre-ensemble.com/admin/ To support OI research, become a member of the Oriental Institute. To explore the benefits of joining, please visit: https://oi.uchicago.edu/join-and-give/become-member