Citation: Lazaridis, N.;
Abdel-Kareem, O.; Tsokas, G. Essays
in Archaeology and Archaeometry
and the Hellenic Contribution to
Egyptology. Heritage 2022, 5, 402–408.
https://doi.org/10.3390/
heritage5010023
Received: 18 January 2022
Accepted: 15 February 2022
Published: 22 February 2022
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heritage
Editorial
Essays in Archaeology and Archaeometry and the Hellenic
Contribution to Egyptology
Nikolaos Lazaridis
1,
*, Omar Abdel-Kareem
2
and Grigorios Tsokas
3
1
Department of History, College of Arts & Letters, California State University, Sacramento, CA 95819, USA
2
Conservation, Conservation Department, Faculty of Archaeology, Cairo University, Cairo 12613, Egypt;
omaa67@yahoo.com
3
Laboratory of Exploration Geophysics, Department of Geology, School of Geology, Aristotle University of
Thessaloniki, GR-541 24 Thessaloniki, Greece; gtsokas@geo.auth.gr
* Correspondence: lazaridi@csus.edu
Abstract: The contemporary trend of research projects and works are presented on selective issues
of archaeometry, archaeology and Egyptology. The current status in research in the area of SE
Mediterranean on cultural heritage and archaeological/historical reflections alone and/or coupled
with archaeological sciences of eleven papers are placed within an updated frame. The results concern
a variety of selected topics critically presented. The topics touch on the cultural astronomy, the ancient
textiles and masonries and the physico-chemical and biological investigations, the socio-political
issues of Egyptian Ramesside era, revisiting the inscription of an Egyptian statuette, and the valuable
information extracted from rock graffiti in north Kharga, Egypt.
Keywords: archaeoastronomy; masonry; conservation; embroidery; Coptic; Ramesside; dyes; graffiti; mummy
The interdisciplinary field of Heritage culture, archaeology, history of art, coupled with
natural sciences, is undoubtedly a breakthrough in the advancement of cultural heritage
studies and sustainability [1,2].
The regional development of heritage studies has begun to attract a great deal of
research interest, and SE Mediterranean studies with a focus on Egypt are rich in novel
results. Research from these disciplines converge, granting us a higher level of knowledge
of heritage from prehistory to historical times. Aspects of tangible and intangible cultural
heritage concerning interconnected ancient societies and their activities, development and
ingenuity in the SE Mediterranean regions, the cradle of civilizations, are presented in the
present volume.
This Special Issue contains eleven articles touching on a variety of selected topics
from these subjects; in particular, two on the archaeoastronomy for the earliest mechanical
device to the temples at Bekaa, Lebanon; five on the study of dyes in Coptic Textiles and
the physico-chemical and biological investigations of ancient textiles and stone masonries
and mummies of historic and archaeological significance for conservation purpose; then, a
detailed description and interpretation of rare Coptic embroidery traced in the history of art
heritage objects; the socio-political issues of the way Egyptians perceived the boundaries
of their land and the impact of Egyptian colonialism during the Ramesside period; a
reassessment of the inscription of the Egyptian statuette in the Heraklion Archaeological
Museum for a more plausible translation; and last, the valuable information extracted from
rock graffiti in north Kharga, Egypt.
The Special Issue is made to honor Professor Ioannis Liritzis’ for his retirement from the
University of the Aegean, Greece—he is now a distinguished professor at Henan University,
China—for his long and prolific academic career which has advanced research in archaeol-
ogy, cultural heritage and the archaeological sciences, involving multiple initiatives in the
archaeology of Egypt (ushering the first chair in Egyptology in University of the Aegean),
Heritage 2022, 5, 402–408. https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage5010023 https://www.mdpi.com/journal/heritage