Archaeology Magazine - September/October 1987 - 16

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Dear Archaeology:
I am delighted to see that in Jill Kamil's
article in Archaeology (May/June 1987)
the Coptic Museum in Old Cairo is being
brought to the attention of a wider world.
But I must state that an assertion on page
45 is in error.For the past 53 years there has
been a world-renownedcenter and library
for Coptic studies in Cairo: the Society
for Coptic Archaeology for which I have
worked full-time for the past nine years,
first on the spot as Director of Studies
and at present as U.S. Representative.
Founded in 1934 by Mirrit Boutros
Ghali, who is still its president, the Society's headquarters is located at 222
Ramses Street, Abbassiya, next to the
church of Saints Peter and Paul "alBoutrossiya," and near the Coptic Orthodox Cathedral and Patriarchate. The Society is not, however,church-related in any
way: it is a private foundation, and remains the only specialized center in the
world for research in all areas of Coptic
studies. The library of some 15,000 volumes is unique in its comprehensiveness,
and includes many unique early editions
and rare offprints: it is kept up to date in
all branches of Late Antiquity, including
the related fields of Syriac, Ethiopian, Armenian, and Christian Arabic.
Since its founding the Society has published actively: in the first place its Bulletin, which is now the International Journal
of Coptic Studies ; in addition, it publishes
monograph series in the areas of art and
archaeology, manuscript catalogues, and
texts and documents. It has produced
such important texts as the History of
the Patriarchs of Severus of Ashmunein
and the documentary papyri in the Yale
Rare Book and Manuscript Library. For
over 50 years, the Society has sponsored
lectures and scholarly meetings, including the First International Congress of
Coptic Studies in 1976and the First Cairo
Symposium on Coptic Studies in 1982. It
has collaborated in the research of such
well-knownscholars as Walter Till, Pierre
du Bourguet, Ilona Borsai, and Johannes
den Heijer. It remains, along with the Oriental Institutes in Louvain, Washington
and Rome, the port of first call for predoctoral researchers preparing dissertations in the Coptic field. The Society works
in cooperation with the International Association for Coptic Studies, whose head16

I was thoroughly pleased by the new
wrapper. Cheers to the people who came up
with this unique protective wrapper.

ARCHAEOLOGY

quarters is on its premises. It would be a
grave disservice to this old-established institution of great accomplishment to say
that some institution planned for the future will be the only one of its kind. The
Society for Coptic Archaeology, which I
have the honor to serve, is and remains
the prime venue for Coptic studies in the
scholarly world.

Addie Lee King
Visalia, CA

Dear Archaeology,
I have been a devoted subscriber for
several years now, and being a former
archaeology student, I was somewhat
appalled to open to the first feature, "Lake
of the Painted Cave" (July/August 1987,
pages 18-19)and see- a painting?
Your magazine has maintained high
L.S.B. MacCoull, PhD
"journal" quality standards as long as
Washington, DC
I have been
with it. Is it now
For further information on the Society for necessary toacquainted
to public taste by
pander
Coptic Archaeology, write to Dr. MacCoull stooping to imitating the "Leap-to-Conat the Society for Coptic Archaeology, clusions-School-of-Illustrators"
pro2800 Wisconsin Avenue, NW, Washing- fessors warned about)? Yes, (myhave
they
ton, DC 20007.
their well-entrenched(pardon the bad pun)
place in a magazine old and famous, indeed
immensely popular, for representing subDear Archaeology,
ject matter in illustrative form for a readI believe I may be one of your young- ership that must have everything explained
est readers. I am 15, and looking into a quickly, justified, signed, sealed, and
career in archaeology. I find your maga- delivered.
zine both interesting, and informative.
Maps, yes; reconstructions, yes because
I especially enjoyed the July/ August such drawings are not "entertainment,"
issue. I found the article "The Abandoned but accurate and precise, drawn by exShipwreck Bill" very intriguing. I have perts from a body of scientific evidence
felt the same way for a long time.
identified by experts in their fields.
Please, in future issues, leave entertainAlice Noll
ment for the light readers and the cute
Fort Wayne, Indiana paintings for the art staff of the National
Geographic.
Dear Archaeology:
Marcia Entwistle
I'm 12years old and live in Foxborough,
Richmond, CA
Massachusetts. I am very absorbed in archaeology and paleontology. Although I Dear Archaeology:
am a fairly bright student, achieving
I am a connoisseur of ancient Egypawards for my social studies efforts and
tian
culture, art, history, etc. I was very
having a high reading vocabulary, I find
myself reading your magazine with a dic- pleased to see the incredibly fascinattionary by my side. Once I get the full ing article in your January/February
1987 issue of Archaeology regarding
meaning of an article it is very intriguing
and interesting. Perhaps you could help ancient Egyptian priests and the role of
the masks in their rituals. A lot has been
the younger readers of your excellent
written on ancient Egypt, but not
magazine.
enough articles have been written on the
intricate details of their complex reliMiriam Altman
gion, rituals, art, and other areas of
Foxborough, Massachusetts
interest.
Egyptian religious rituals are probaWe're delighted to welcome such young
bly
my main interest area, and your arreaders ! Archaeology
aims to reach
high school and college level audiences, ticle on the masks of the Egyptian
and more than 44.5 percent of our read- priests really gave me a much needed
mental picture into their fascinating reers have done postgraduate study. -Ed.
ligious practices; one only matched by
my endless imagination. The color pictures, especially the one of the Anubus
Dear Archaeology:
mask, were incredible and I was very
of
arToday my copy Archaeology,
to see so much of the article dedrived, something I eagerly look forward to. happy
icated to the gods of the dead, the jackel
But what a pleasant surprise I had,
Anubus (my favorite)!
the cover wasn't tòrn or a zip code label god
Thanks so much for publishing a
across the cover.
much needed article about ancient
My last few copies have been mutilated
in one way or another. This damage was Egypt.
caused by the careless handling of the
Tim Zane
Post Office.
Aurora, IL

Archaeology Magazine - September/October 1987

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