Pre-Pharaonic Burials
This was a hugely interesting talk given by Diana Hayden which took us through the archaeology of burials in Egypt from about 54,000 years before present (BP) up until the first Pharaonic burial – presumed to be that of the pharaoh “Scorpion”. Of course, the evidence of such ancient burials is very slim, sometimes relying […]
A Trip to Bagshaw Museum
On a beautiful sunny day on 8th August 2026, a group of seven of us turned up for an early viewing of the Egyptian Gallery at Bagshaw Museum. Most of the West Yorkshire Egyptian holdings are at Bagshaw Museum and so it was no surprise that the gallery was full of fabulous artefacts relating to […]
How to Organize an Egyptian Temple
Professor Penelope Wilson, 18th July 2026 We were delighted to host Penny Wilson for this lecture – her second visit to the Hapy Society. Setting the scene, she explained how the temple was the home of the god, a pure place where the king – or his designated deputies, the priests – could interact with […]
A History of Canopic Jars
An online talk By Diana Hayden on the development of the use of canopic jars 14th June 2026 The talk traced the development of canopic jars throughout the history of ancient Egypt. It began with the uninscribed, flat headed jars of the Old Kingdom and the earliest evidence of a mummy’s preserved human tissue in […]
The Ancient Egyptian Harem: Drudgery or Debauchery?
With this very captivating title, during his lecture on 9 May 2026, Dylan Bickerstaffe led us into varied aspects of the topic: from discussions about the definition of a harem, its roles and functions throughout ancient Egypt’s history straight into harem conspiracies. The large audience learned that harem women were very respected for their skills […]
The House of Hatiay – A high status Amarna Villa
On the 9th March Ian Trumble, curator at the Bolton Museum came to speak to the Society at the Cooper Gallery. Ian started by giving some basic background to the Amarna period which helped to put the archaeological findings in context. He explained the changes in artistic styles and the new temple layouts which were […]
Deir el-Medina
The ancient Egyptian pyramids, temples and tombs were not, as previously thought, built by slaves, but by skilled and valued workmen. There are several surviving villages where these workmen lived while they were working on large projects. In her lecture The Life of Tomb Builders at Deir el-Medina Hazel McGuinness, secretary of the Horus Egyptology […]
The Egyptian Labyrinth
Dr Chris Naunton, 22nd November 2025 ‘There are also double sets of chambers, three thousand altogether, fifteen hundred above and the same number underground.’ (Herodotus, Book II, 148) This lecture, which was held at St Thomas’s Community Centre – a location that was labyrinthine for a few of us in terms of finding it – […]
Attitudes to Disability in Ancient Egypt
A lecture by Kyle Jordan This interesting talk considered the meaning of disability and evidence that showed that, for some people, it was no barrier to a meaningful role in ancient Egyptian society. Some of the highlights follow. It began with a reflection on the meaning of disability today. The term was traced to the […]
Ancient Egyptian Metallurgy
A lecture by Dr Martin Odler, 6th September 2025. Martin Odler’s lecture proved immensely informative as he sought, using his own extensive research, to explode certain myths concerning the use of metals in Ancient Egypt. Martin is a world expert on the use of copper in Ancient Egypt and he started by explaining to us […]