The EES hosted its first ever Study-Day in York on Saturday 10 September 2011, at the historic King’s Manor www.york.ac.uk/admin/presspr/kmanor/ in the city centre which houses the Archaeology Department of the University of York. Around 70 people attended, mostly EES members but we were very pleased to welcome 25 non-members who soon snapped up membership details and copies of our latest Newsletter, in addition to issues of Egyptian Archaeology that we were selling for just £2 each.
The Study Day’s topic was ‘Heresy and Reformation at Amarna and Thebes: new research on Akhenaten and Nefertiti’ and four speakers, Aidan Dodson, Chris Naunton, Karen Exell and Stephen Cross, gave interesting and much-appreciated talks which (as is inevitable at an event on the Amarna Period!) generated a lot of discussion. The Study Day ended with a wine reception in the King’s Manor Refectory.
The Society is very grateful to the speakers, the staff at King’s Manor who made sure everything went smoothly and especially to EES Trustee, Susan Daniels, who first suggested the venue and without whose support the Study Day would not have happened.
UPDATE 13 Sept 2011: We have now received some very favourable reviews from those in attendance a selection from which is as follows:
"Just wanted to tell you what a great day I had – thoroughly enjoyed it all and now debating if I can afford to join!"
"I wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed and appreciated the lecture day in York. The content of every lecture was absorbing, and with quite a lot of new (at least to me!) information. I was especially intrigued by the Stephen Cross lecture, but all were excellent. I really hope the Society will continue with the lectures outside London - any plans for Newcastle/Durham?"
"Just a quick email to let you know how much I enjoyed the study day in York at the weekend and to say that I hope this is a trend that continues. I am from near Durham (and a member of the NEAES and also very much enjoyed your talk there a few months ago) and it is great to be able to attend EES events (and others) that are not London based, as it is quite difficult for me to get there."
"a huge well done and thanks to the wonderful event at York over the weekend. I thoroughly enjoyed it"
"I thoroughly enjoyed the Day School at York last Saturday. I do hope you will come back to York to present another exciting day. I am hopefully going along to the day in Manchester next month."
The speakers, Karen Exell, Aidan Dodson, Chris Naunton and Stephen Cross in front of the entrance to the Huntingdon Room in which the Study-Day was held.
Chris Naunton showing footage filmed during the EES excavations at Amarna in the 1930s. See: www.youtube.com/user/EgyptExplorSociety
Karen Exell looking at the way two iconic 'Amarna' images are portrayed and understood in western imagination.
Stephen Cross discussed the effect on Amarna-period tombs of flash floods in the Valley of the Kings.
Aidan Dodson, whose talk covered two centuries of Amarna research, during the discussion session at the end of the day.