Resources

The below provides an overview of the fundamental studies associated with the various aspects of the Beni Hassan @ Macquarie project and centres on basic reference works, excavation and documentation of the site, interpretive studies and, related projects on the archaeology, history and culture of Middle Kingdom Egypt.

Exhibition: Animals in Ancient Cultures

Macquarie University Museum of Ancient Cultures 25 May - 24 August 2018

Reference works

Baines, J., and Malek, J., Cultural Atlas Of Ancient Egypt (Revised Edition ed. Oxford, 2000).
Bard, K.A., An Introduction To The Archaeology Of Ancient Egypt (Oxford: Blackwell, 2008).
Kamrin, J., "Beni Hassan." The Encyclopedia of Ancient History (2012). Access here.
Porter, B. and R.L.B. Moss. "Beni Hasan and Speos Artemidos." In: Topographical Bibliography of Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphic Texts, Reliefs, and Paintings: IV. Lower and Middle Egypt (Oxford, 1968),141-165. Access here.
Spanel, D.B., "Beni Hasan." In: Redford, D.B., (ed.), The Oxford Encyclopedia of Ancient Egypt (Oxford, 2001), 175-177.
Spanel, D.B., "Beni Hasan." In: Grove Art Online. Access here.

Excavation and Documentation

Excavations at Beni Hasan in Upper Egypt, 1902-3-4: catalogue of exhibition, inaugurated by H. R. H. Princess Henry of Battenberg, held by permission of the council in the rooms of the Society of Antiquaries, July 7th to 23rd 1904 (Liverpool, 1904).
Cooke, J. "Beni Hasan." The Expository Times, 5 [3] (1893), 117-119.
Review: "The Tombs at Beni Hasan." Nature 49 (1893), 169-170.
Borchardt, L., and Erman, A., Beiträge zu Griffith Beni Hasan III (Berlin, 1897).
Garstang, J., "67. Excavations at Beni-Hasan in Upper Egypt (Second Season)." Man 4 (1904), 97-99.
Garstang, J., "54. Excavations at Beni-Hasan, 1902-3." Man 3 (1903), 97-98.
Garstang, J., "74. Excavations at Beni-Hasan, 1902-3 (ii)." Man 3 (1903), 129-130.
Fraser, G.W., and Newberry, P., (eds), The season's work at Ahnas and Beni Hasan: 1890-1891 (London, 1891).
Garstang, J., The burial customs of ancient Egypt as illustrated by tombs of the Middle Kingdom: being a report of excavations made in the necropolis of Beni Hassan during 1902-3 (London, 1907).
Kanawati, N. and Evans, L., Beni Hassan. Vol. I: The Tomb of Khnumhotep II (ACE Reports 36; Oxford: Aris and Phillips, 2014).
Kanawati, N. and Evans, L., Beni Hassan. Vol. III: The Tomb of Amenemhat (ACE Reports 40; Oxford: Aris and Phillips, 2016).
Lashien, M., Beni Hassan. Vol. II: Two Old Kingdom Tombs (ACE Reports 39; Oxford: Aris and Phillips, 2016).
Lepsius, R. "Beni hassan". In: Denkmäler aus Aegypten und Aethiopien. Text. Zweiter Band: Mittelaegypten mit dem Faijum (Leipzig, 1904), 69-108. Access the volume here.
Newberry, P.E., and Griffith F. Ll., Beni Hasan. Parts I-IV (London, 1893-1900). Access selected volumes from the University of Heidelberg: for Part I click here and for Part II click here.
Newberry, P.E., The tombs of Beni Hasan. In The season's work at Ahnas and Beni Hasan (London, 1891).

Interpretive Studies

Allen, J.P., "The Historical Inscription of Khnumhotep at Dahshur: Preliminary Report," Bulletin of the American School of Oriental Research 352 (2008), 29-39.
Aufrere, S.H., "The Deserts and the Fifteenth and Sixteenth Upper Egyptian Nomes during the Middle Kingdom,." In: Friedman, R., (ed.) Egypt and Nubia: Gifts of the Desert (London, 2002), 207-214.
Bailleul-LeSuer, R. and Wyatt, J., "19th century epigraphers as key to the identification of Baqet III's birds at Beni Hassan." In: Betrò, M., and Miniaci, G., (eds), Talking along the Nile: Ippolito Rosellini, travellers and scholars of the 19th century in Egypt: Proceedings of the International Conference held on the occasion of the presentation of Progetto Rosellini. Pisa, June 14-16, 2012 (Pisa, 2013), 19-34.
Beckernath, J. von., "Zur Begründung der 12. Dynastie durch Ammenemes I." Zeitschrift für ägyptische Sprache und Altertumskunde 92 (1965), 4-10.
Berman, L. (1985). Amenemhat I, PhD Dissertation, Yale University.
Bucking, S., "The Beni Hassan in Late Antiquity Project: Report on the 2014 Season." Journal of Eastern Mediterranean Archaeology and Heritage Studies 5 [2] (2017), 148-177.
Bucking, S.,"Now You See It, Now You Don't: The Dynamics of Archaeological and Epigraphic Landscapes from Coptic Egypt." In M.M. Kersel and M.T. Rutz (eds) Archaeologies of Text: Archaeology, Technology, and Ethics (Oxford, 2014), 60-80.
Cohen, S.,"Interpretative Uses and Abuses of the Beni Hasan Tomb Painting." Journal of Near Eastern Studies 74 [1] (2015), 19-38.
David, A., "Hoopoes and Acacias: Decoding an Ancient Egyptian Funerary Scene," Journal of Near Eastern Studies 73 [2] (2014), 235-252.
Davies, Nina M., "Birds and Bats at Beni Ḥasan." The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology 35 (1949), 13-20.
Eschenbrenner-Diemer, G., Les modèles égyptiens en bois. Matériau, fabrication, diffusion, de la fin de l'Ancien à la fin du Moyen Empire (env. 2350-1630 av. J.-C.). PhD dissertation, University of Lyon, 2013.
Evans, L. and Mourad, A.-L., "DStretch® and digital epigraphy: Case studies from Beni Hassan." Journal of Archaeological Science:Reports 18 (2018), 78-84.
Evans, L., "Pig overboard? An enigmatic tomb scene from Beni Hassan." In: Di Biase-Dyson, C. and Donovan, L., (eds.) The Cultural Manifestations of Religious Experience: Studies in Honour of Boyo G. Ockinga (ÄAT 85, Münster, 2017), 153-166.
Evans, L., "Beasts and beliefs at Beni Hassan: A preliminary report." Journal of the American Research Center in Egypt 52 (2016), 219-229.
Foucart, G. "Sur le culte des statues funéraires dans l'Ancienne Égypte. II. Les statues de bois dans les hypogées de Beni-Hasan." Revue De L'histoire Des Religions 44 (1901), 337-369.
Franke, D., "The Career of Khnumhotep III of Beni Hasan and the socalled 'Decline of the Nomarchs,'." In: Quirke, S., (ed.), Middle Kingdom Studies (New Malden, 1991), 51-67.
Goedicke, H., "Abi-Sha(i)'s Representation in Beni Hasan." Journal of Egyptian Archaeology 21 (1984), 203-210.
Görg, M., "Zur Rezeptionsgeschichte der Asiaten-Szene von Beni-Hassan," Biblische Notizen 88 (1997), 9-15.
Grajetzki, W. Court Officials of the Egyptian Middle Kingdom (London, 2009).
Hassan, K. "The Visitors' Graffiti in Two Tombs of Beni Hassan (Ameny and Khnumhotep II)." Journal of the American Research Center in Egypt 52 (2016), 33-54.
Hölzl, C., "The Rock-Tombs of Beni Hasan: Architecture and Sequence." In: Sesto Congresso Internazionale Di Egittologia Torino - Italia September 1st-8th 1991 (Turin, 1992), 279-284.
Kanawati, N., "Ritual Marriage Alliances and Consolidation of Power in Middle Egypt during the Middle Kingdom." Études et Travaux 30 (2017), 267-288.
Kanawati, N., "Papyrus Thickets in the Old and Middle Kingdoms, with reference to the Scenes in the Tombs of Baqet III an Khety at Beni Hassan." In: Di Biase-Dyson, C. and Donovan, L., (eds.) The Cultural Manifestations of Religious Experience: Studies in Honour of Boyo G. Ockinga (ÄAT 85, Münster, 2017), 119-132.
Kanawati, N. and Woods, A., Beni Hasan: Art and Daily life in an Egyptian Province (Cairo, 2010).
Kamrin, J., The Cosmos of Khnumhotep II at Beni Hasan (London, 1999).
Kamrin, J., "The Procession of "Asiatics" at Beni Hasan." In: Aruz, J., Graff, S.B., and Rakic, Y., (eds), Cultures in Contact: From Mesopotamia to the Mediterranean in the Second Millennium B.C. (New York, 2013), 156-169.
Kamrin, J., "The Aamu of Shu in the Tomb of Khnumhotep II at Beni Hassan." Journal of Ancient Egyptian Interconnections 1 [3] (2009), 22-36.
Kessler, D. "Die Asiatenkarawane von Beni Hassan." Studien Zur Altägyptischen Kultur 14 (1987), 147-65.
El-Khadragy, M., "Some Significant Features in the Decoration of the Chapel of Iti-Ibi-Iqer at Asyut." Studien Zur Altägyptischen Kultur 36 (2007), 105-135.
Lloyd, A.B., "The Great Inscription of Khnumhotpe II at Beni Hasan." In: Lloyd, A.B. (ed), Studies in Pharaonic Religion and Society in Honour of J. Gwyn Griffiths (London, 1992), 21-36.
Miatello, L. "The nb.t in the Moscow mathematical papyrus, and a tomb model from Beni Hasan." The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology, 96 (2010), 228-232.
Milne, J. "The Beni Hasan Coin-Hoard" The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology 19[3/4] (1933), 119-121.
Moreno García, J.C., "Trade and Power in Ancient Egypt: Middle Egypt in the Late Third/Early Second Millennium BC." Journal of Archaeological Research 25 [2] (2017), 87-132.
Mourad, A.-L., Rise of the Hyksos: Egypt and the Levant from the Middle Kingdom to the Early Second Intermediate Period (Archaeopress Egyptology 11, Oxford, 2015).
Nelson-Hurst, M.G., "The (social) House of Khnumhotep." In: Miniaci, G., Grajetzki, W., (eds), The World of Middle Kingdom Egypt (2000-1550 BC): Contributions on archaeology, art, religion, and written sources (Middle Kingdom Studies 1, London, 2015), 257-272.
Oppenheim, A., Arnold, Do., Arnold, Di., Yamamoto, K., (eds) Ancient Egypt transformed: The Middle Kingdom (New York, 2015).
Orel, S.E., "Two Unpublished Stelae from Beni Hasan." Journal of Egyptian Archaeology 81 (1995), 216-220.
Orel, S.E., Chronology and Social Stratification in a Middle Kingdom Cemetery. PhD Dissertation, University of Toronto, 1993.
Rabehl, S., "Eine Gruppe von Asiaten im Grab Chnumhoteps II. (BH 3). Tradierung eines Bildmotivs in den Felsgräbern des Mittleren Reiches von Beni Hassan." Imago Aegypti 1 (2005), 86-97.
Rabehl, S.M. Das Grab Des Gaufürsten Amenemhet (Jmnjj)in Beni Hassan Oder Der Versuch Einer Symbiose. PhD Dissertation, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 2006. Access here.
Redford, D. "The Father of Khnumḥotpe II of Beni Ḥasan." The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology, 53 (1967), 158-159.
Saretta, P., Egyptian Perceptions of West Semites in Art and Literature During the Middle Kingdom: An Archaeological, Art Historical, and Textual Survey. PhD Dissertation, New York University, 1997, especially 110-133.
Schenkel, W., Frühmittelägyptische Studien (Bonn, 1962), especially 78-84.
Seidelmayer, S., "People at Beni Hassan: contributions to a model of ancient Egyptian rural society." In: Hawass, Z.A. and J. Richards (eds), The Archaeology and Art of Ancient Egypt. Essays in Honor of David B. O'Connor (Cahier 36, Cairo, 2007), II, 351-368.
Spanel, D.B., Beni Hassan in the Herakleopolitan Period. PhD Dissertation, University of Toronto, 1985. Access here.
Spanel, D.B., "Ancient Egyptian Boat Models of the Herakleopolitan Period and the Eleventh Dynasty." Studien zur altägyptischen Kultur 12 (1985), 243-53.
Shea, W.H., "Artistic balance among the Beni Hasan asiatics." The Biblical Archaeologist 44 [4] (Autumn, 1981), 219-228.
Shedid, A.G., Die Felsgräber von Beni Hassan in Mittelägypten (Mainz, 1994).
Staubli, T., Das Image der Nomaden im Alten Israel und in der Ikonographie seiner sesshaften Nachbarn (Fribourg, 1991), especially 30-35.
Tooley, A.M.J., "Coffin of a dog from Beni Hassan." The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology, 74 (1988), 207-211.
Ward, "The Case of Mrs. Tchat and Her Sons at Beni Hasan," Göttinger Miszellen 71 (1984), 51-59.
Wilkinson, C.K., and Hill, M., Egyptian Wall Paintings: The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Collection of Facsimiles (The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 1983). Access here.
Willems, H., "The Nomarchs of the Hare Nome and Early Middle Kingdom History." Jaarbericht Ex Oriente Lux 28 (1983-4), 80-102.
Willems, H., Chests of life: A study of the typology and conceptual development of Middle Kingdom standard class coffin (Leiden, 1988).
Wilson-Yang, K., and Burns, G., "Electron microprobe studies of chemical reactions in ancient painted murals: The Beni Hasan Tombs, Egypt." Canadian Journal of Chemistry 66 [9] (1988), 2348-2361.
Wilson-Yang, K., and Burns, G., "The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy of ancient murals in the tombs at Beni Hasan, Egypt." Canadian Journal of Chemistry 65 [5] (1987), 1058-1064.
Wilson-Yang, K., and Burns, G., "Chemical and Physical Aspects of the Beni Hasan Tombs." Journal of the American Research Center in Egypt 19 (1982), 115-117.
Woods, A., "Drawing the Bow: A Re-examination of the Desert Hunt Scene in the Tomb of Khnumhotep II at Beni Hassan." Bulletin of the Australian Centre for Egyptology 26 (2016-2017), in press.

Related Projects

There are a range of projects being currently undertaken in various institutions on issues related to Middle Kingdom history, archaeology and culture.

The Beni Hassan in Late Antiquity Project: (2009-present), based at the University of De Paul, aims to systematically document the architectural and epigraphic evidence for late antique monasticism (ca. 500 CE) at Beni Hassan. Evidence derives from the monks' adaptive reuse of Pharaonic tomb, temple, and quarry spaces in the project's concession area, bounded on the north by the Beni Hassan necropolis and on the south by the wadi known as the Batn al-Baqara to understand regional patterns of monastic settlement in Byzantine Egypt.
The Dayr al-Barsha Project: (2002-present) is an international and interdisciplinary research endeavour directed by the Egyptology department at Leuven University, Belgium.
Meketre Scene Repository: (2009-present), is an interdisciplinary research project, conducted at the Institute of Egyptology in cooperation with the research group Multimedia Information Systems at the University of Vienna. The project aims to systematically collect, research, and study the two- dimensional art (relief and paintings) of the Middle Kingdom (11th to 13th Dynasty) to map and elaborate the development of the scenes and their content in comparison to the Old Kingdom (3rd to 6th Dynasty).
The Middle Kingdom Theban Project: (2014-present), based at the University of Alcalá, focusses on the archaeological excavation, conservation and epigraphic work in the tombs of Henenu (TT 313) and Ipi (TT 315), both located in the area of Deir el-Bahari in Luxor.
Artefacts of Excavation: is a 3-year, AHRC-funded collaborative project, which aims to create an online resource for the relocation and re-contextualization of distributed artefacts from excavation. The project will explore the role of these distributions in the development of archaeology and museology. Click here to visit the material collated for Beni Hassan.
The Griffith Institute Archive: is a highly respected and internationally recognised resource for Egyptologists, as well as scholars across a wide range of disciplines including archaeology, architecture and the history of art and science. There are more than 160 substantial groups of material, from complete excavation records to watercolours, photographs and correspondence. Click here to visit the Griffith Institute Online Catalogue and search for: Beni Hasan and/or individual tomb entries (Tomb Nos 2, 13, 14, 15, 17, 30, 35).