Material Memory in Transition

Project Type Research Project

Status Active

Field Domain Archaeology & Fieldwork

Time Period Antiquity

Regions Egypt

Overview

Material Memory in Transition investigates artistic techniques and material practices in Late Period Theban monuments, focusing on pigment use, carving methods, stylistic choices, and workshop traditions during the Twenty-Fifth–Twenty-Sixth Dynasties. Developed as part of Aleksandra Hallmann’s NAWA Bekker Fellowship, the project examines reliefs from the ISAC Museum and in situ material from Medinet Habu and Karnak, through collaboration with the Epigraphic Survey and the Centre Franco‑Égyptien d’Étude des Temples de Karnak. Analytical work is carried out by the Center for Scientific Studies in the Arts, Northwestern University & Art Institute of Chicago, using advanced imaging, spectroscopy, and technical analysis to explore technological choices, visual strategies, and the chaîne opératoire of Late Period artisans.

Project History

Material Memory in Transition developed from earlier interdisciplinary analysis at Medinet Habu and Karnak, conducted under Hallmann’s NCN Harmonia grant. These studies revealed unresolved questions about pigment behavior, carving sequences, and workshop practices in the chapels of the Gods’ Wives of Amun. The findings demonstrated the need for a project capable of integrating museum-held and in situ material within a unified analytical framework and generating a comparative dataset to address technological choices and visual strategies in Late Period Thebes.