Egypt Society of Bristol Newsletters
Bristol was the home - and burial place, in Henbury Churchyard - of one of the most important figures in the history of British Egyptology - Amelia Blandford Edwards, founder of both the Egypt Exploration Fund (now Society), and of the UK's first Chair of Egyptology, at University College London. Bristol Museum was, indeed, an early subscriber to the Fund's excavations, and holds a very fine collection of Egyptian antiquities. It is also possible that Sarah Belzoni, wife of the celebrated explorer Giovanni, was also a Bristolian.
In the late 1890s, University College Bristol, soon to become Bristol University, was one of the very first institutions to teach Egyptian hieroglyphs, two early students (Gerald Wainwright and Ernest MacKay) later becoming important figures in Egyptian field archaeology. The language was taught by Ernest Sibree (1859-1927). Click here for a summary of his career.
Sadly, in the 1920s, teaching of the subject died out, although the link was maintained through the fine collections of the City Museum and Art Gallery. Its post-war Curator, Leslie Grinsell had a deep interest in ancient Egypt, and was the author of an excellent book about the pyramids - written while he was serving with the RAF in Egypt during the Second World War!
Over the past few years, Egyptian archaeology has returned to the university, both in its public and undergraduate teaching, and now the Egypt Society of Bristol has been formed to provide a focus for all of those in Bristol, Bath and the surrounding area who are interested in the land of the Nile. It offers lectures, social events and study visits to places of Egyptological interest, at home and abroad.
Issue 29: September 2014
Issue 28: December 2012
Issue 27: August 2011
Issue 26: September 2010
Issue 25: January 2010
Issue 24: May 2009
Issue 23: May 2008
Issue 22: November 2007
Issue 21: May 2007
Issue 20: September 2006
Issue 19: June 2006
Issue 18: March 2006
Issue 17: November 2005
Issue 16: May 2005
Issue 15: January 2005
Issue 14: May 2004
Issue 13: December 2003
Issue 12: August 2003
Issue 11: May 2003
Issue 10: January 2003
Issue 9: September 2002
Issue 8: June 2002
Issue 7: January 2002
Issue 6: not available
Issue 5: April 2001
Issue 4: September 2000
Issue 3: not available
Issue 2: December 1999
Issue 1: August 1999
See AWOL's full List of Open Access Journals in Ancient Studies