Uploaded January 2017 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Presented by Nadine Moeller, Associate Professor of Egyptian Archaeology, Oriental Institute (and Gregory Marouard, Research Associate, Oriental Institute)
The Origins of Two Provincial Capitals in Upper Egypt: The Two Sister-Sites of Tell Edfu and Dendara
The ongoing fieldwork at Tell Edfu has recently focused on the excavation of a settlement quarter dating to the 3rd millennium BCE which pushes back the origins of the town of Edfu to the 4th Dynasty (ca. 2550 BCE). The newest addition to the Oriental Institute’s fieldwork program in Egypt, at the ancient provincial capital of Dendara, has also led to new insights into the oldest settlement remains and the original foundation of this city. This lecture will provide an overview of the most recent results from both sites offering a comparative perspective on the long-term development of early urban centers in southern Egypt. The fieldwork at Dendara takes place under the concession of the IFAO and is part of a larger collaboration between the IFAO, Macquarie University, and the Oriental Institute.
Our lectures are free and available to the public thanks to the generous support of our members. To become a member, please visit: bit.ly/2AWGgF7
Presented by Nadine Moeller, Associate Professor of Egyptian Archaeology, Oriental Institute (and Gregory Marouard, Research Associate, Oriental Institute)
The Origins of Two Provincial Capitals in Upper Egypt: The Two Sister-Sites of Tell Edfu and Dendara
The ongoing fieldwork at Tell Edfu has recently focused on the excavation of a settlement quarter dating to the 3rd millennium BCE which pushes back the origins of the town of Edfu to the 4th Dynasty (ca. 2550 BCE). The newest addition to the Oriental Institute’s fieldwork program in Egypt, at the ancient provincial capital of Dendara, has also led to new insights into the oldest settlement remains and the original foundation of this city. This lecture will provide an overview of the most recent results from both sites offering a comparative perspective on the long-term development of early urban centers in southern Egypt. The fieldwork at Dendara takes place under the concession of the IFAO and is part of a larger collaboration between the IFAO, Macquarie University, and the Oriental Institute.
Our lectures are free and available to the public thanks to the generous support of our members. To become a member, please visit: bit.ly/2AWGgF7






![James Osborne | Great King Hartapu and Beyond: Türkmen-Karahöyük and an Iron Age Ruler
Join us for a lecture by James Osborne, Associate Professor of Anatolian Archaeology & curator of the ISAC Museum special exhibition Hartapu: The Forgotten King of Anatolia [https://isac.uchicago.edu/king-hartapu].
Great King Hartapu has long been one of ancient Anatolias most enigmatic rulers: known since the early 20th century from isolated landscape monuments and nothing else, this king has been difficult to place in time and space. That changed dramatically in 2019 with the discovery of a new inscription by Hartapu at the site of Türkmen-Karahöyük, a text that describes Hartapus conquest of Phrygia, the greatest power of Iron Age Anatolia, and 13 other local kingdoms. In part thanks to that discovery, ISAC and Bilkent University launched the Türkmen-Karahöyük Archaeological Project (TKAP) in 2024.
This lecture, presented in connection with the ISAC Museum special exhibition Hartapu: The Forgotten King of Anatolia (September 17, 2026–March 14 2027), presents the exciting findings of the first three seasons of TKAP, concentrating especially on what weve learned about the Iron Age and preceding Late Bronze Age periods, and the light they shed on the cultural background of Hartapus kingdom.
Registration is for in-person and online attendance (a link to the live stream will be emailed the day of the event as well as posted on ISAC’s social media platforms). Register here: https://isac-lecture-hartapu.eventbrite.com
The lecture will be followed by an opportunity to view the special exhibition and a light reception. James Osborne | Great King Hartapu and Beyond: Türkmen-Karahöyük and an Iron Age Ruler](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/M2wljL07DQM/mqdefault.jpg)



