Program badawczy SETI a teoria inteligentnego projektu

W publikacjach opisujących teorię inteligentnego projektu można napotkać argument, że program badawczy SETI jest, w jakimś sensie, powiązany z wykrywaniem projektu i w związku z tym stanowi niejako „wersję” teorii inteligentnego projektu. W niniejszym artykule, na drodze analizy podstawowego dla SETI artykułu, w którym opisano założenia tego programu badawczego, staram się wykazać, że takie zestawienie SETI i teorii inteligentnego projektu nie jest uzasadnione, gdyż jest związane z uproszczonym — i błędnym — rozumieniem tego, czym zajmują się naukowcy w ramach programu SETI. W tym celu porównuję SETI z teorią inteligentnego projektu w rozumieniu szerokim i wąskim, w obu przypadkach wskazując na trudności związane z próbami wykazania, iż SETI jest „wersją” tak określonej teorii inteligentnego projektu. Główną przeszkodą jest to, że w ramach SETI raczej zakłada się istnienie danego artefaktu (sygnału nadanego przez cywilizację pozaziemską) niż stara się to istnienie udowodnić (wykryć projekt, jak powiedzieliby zwolennicy teorii inteligentnego projektu). W przypadku teorii inteligentnego projektu w rozumieniu węższym próba „dopasowania” jednej teorii do drugiej doprowadza do kuriozalnych rezultatów, co obrazuję przykładem.

Soot removal from ancient Egyptian complex painted surfaces using a double network gel: empirical tests on the ceiling of the sanctuary of Osiris in the temple of Seti I—Abydos

In this study, we evaluated the ease of removal of soot layers from ancient wall paintings by employing double network gels as a controllable and safe cleaning method. The ceiling of the temple of Seti I (Abydos, Egypt) is covered with thick layers of soot; this is especially the case in the sanctuary of Osiris. These layers may have been accumulated during the occupation of the temple by Christians, fleeing the Romans in the first centuries A.D. Soot particulates are one of the most common deposits to be removed during conservation-restoration activities of ancient Egyptian wall paintings. They usually mask the painted reliefs and reduce the permeability of the painted surface. A Polyvinyl alcohol-borax/agarose (PVA-B/AG) double network gel was selected for this task since its properties were expected to be compatible with the cleaning treatment requirements. The gel is characterized by its flexibility, permitting to take the shape of the reliefs, while also having self-healing properties, featuring shape stability and an appropriate capacity to retain liquid. The gel was loaded with several cleaning reagents that proved to be effective for soot removal. Soot removal tests were conducted with these gel composites. The cleaned surfaces were evaluated with the naked eye, a digital microscope, and color measurements in order to select the best gel composite. The gel composite, loaded with a solution of 5% ammonia, 0.3% ammonium carbonate, and 0.3% EDTA yielded the most satisfactory results and allowed to safely remove a crust of thick soot layers from the surface. Thus, during the final phase of the study, it was used successfully to clean a larger area of the ceiling.

Soot removal from ancient Egyptian complex painted surfaces using a double network gel: Empirical tests on the ceiling of the sanctuary of Osiris in the temple of Seti I – Abydos

In this study, we evaluated the ease of removal of soot layers from ancient wall paintings by employing double network gels as a controllable and safe cleaning method. The ceiling of the temple of Seti I (Abydos, Egypt) is covered with thick layers of soot; this is especially the case in the sanctuary of Osiris. These layers may have been accumulated during the occupation of the temple by Christians, fleeing the Romans in the first centuries A.D.. Soot particulates are one of the most common deposits to be removed during conservation-restoration activities of ancient Egyptian wall paintings. They usually mask the painted reliefs and reduce the permeability of the painted surface. A Polyvinyl alcohol-borax/agarose (PVA-B/AG) double network gel was selected for this task since its properties were expected to be compatible with the cleaning treatment requirements. The gel is characterized by its flexibility, permitting to take the shape of the reliefs, while also having self-healing properties, featuring shape stability and an appropriate capacity to retain liquid. The gel was loaded with several cleaning reagents that proved to be effective for soot removal. Soot removal tests were conducted with these gel composites. The cleaned surfaces were evaluated with the naked eye, a digital microscope, and color measurements in order to select the best gel composite. The gel composite, loaded with a solution of 5% ammonia, 0.3% ammonium carbonate, and 0.3% EDTA yielded the most satisfactory results and allowed to safely remove a crust of thick soot layers from the surface. Thus, during the final phase of the study, it was used successfully to clean a larger area of the ceiling.

Soot removal from ancient Egyptian complex painted surfaces using a double network gel: Empirical tests on the ceiling of the sanctuary of Osiris in the temple of Seti I – Abydos

In this study, we evaluated the ease of removal of soot layers from ancient wall paintings by employing double network gels as a controllable cleaning method. The ceiling of the temple of Seti I (Abydos, Egypt) is covered with thick layers of soot; this is especially the case in the sanctuary of Osiris. These layers may have been accumulated during the occupation of the temple by Christians, fleeing the Romans in the first centuries A.D.. Soot particulates are one of the most common deposits to be removed during conservation-restoration activities of (Egyptian) wall paintings. They usually mask the painted reliefs and reduce the permeability of the painted surface. A Polyvinyl alcohol-borax/agarose (PVA-B/AG) double network gel was selected for this task since its properties were expected to be compatible with the cleaning treatment requirements. The gel is characterized by its flexibility, permitting to take the shape of the reliefs, while also having self-healing properties, featuring shape stability and an appropriate capacity to retain liquid. The gel was loaded with several cleaning reagents that proved to be effective for soot removal. Two sets of soot removal tests were conducted with these gel composites. The cleaned surfaces were examined in situ with the naked eye and with a digital microscope in order to select the best gel composite. The gel composite, loaded with a solution of 5% ammonia, 0.3% ammonium carbonate, and 0.3% EDTA yielded the most satisfactory results and allowed to safely remove a crust of thick soot particles from the surface. Thus, during a third phase of the study, it was used successfully to clean a larger area of the ceiling.

Tewfik Boulos and the Administration of Egyptian Heritage at the Beginning of the Twentieth Century

Much of the research conducted into the history of Egyptology as it transitioned during the first half of the twentieth century from a collector’s backyard into an area of western-sanctioned archaeological research focuses on the experiences and perceptions of western scholars, with little attention given to the involvement or presence of Egyptians. The recent discovery of thousands of archival documents in a storeroom inside the Temple of Seti I in Abydos represents a significant and valuable dataset that can contribute to a more holistic history of the discipline that involves actors who have traditionally been side-lined. In particular, this paper focuses on a ledger (1914–15) belonging to the antiquities inspector Tewfik Boulos, shedding light on his role and responsibilities in the day-to-day administration of sites in the inspectorates of Sohag and Assiut, contextualizing his experiences and ultimately working towards a history of the field that is inclusive and multi-layered.

The Historical Record

Monumental reliefs and inscriptions constitute an important body of evidence scholars use to reconstruct Egyptian history. Beyond their artistic and textual content, monumental inscriptions are useful for historical inquiry because they often display evidence of alteration, erasure, and palimpsest. Although investigating how and why monumental inscriptions were altered is vital to reconstructing Egyptian history, historians must be careful to avoid modern value judgments. Terms like “usurpation” and “damnatio memoriae” are anachronistic or culturally inappropriate for interpreting the motives of the Egyptians in altering or erasing monumental reliefs. Historiographical case studies on late Eighteenth Dynasty and Ramesside royal inscriptions consider the issue of epigraphic data on reinscribed royal names and the issue of hypothetical coregencies between Amenhotep III and Amenhotep IV/Akhenaten and of Seti I and Ramesses II to explore the possibilities and limitations of using epigraphic sources to reconstruct Egyptian history.

Practical Issues Concerning Epigraphic Work in Tombs and Temples

The recording of texts and scenes is the basis of their study in all monuments. This article focuses on how practical issues of working in tombs and temples determine the choice of epigraphic system and how new technologies help to solve problems in epigraphy, such as copying decoration on columns and atop high walls. This study also presents the problems and, accordingly, the recording methods chosen during epigraphic work in the tombs of Amennakht, Nebenmaat, and Khameteri (TT 218, TT 219, and TT 220) in Deir el-Medina and the complex of Sokar and Nefertem in the temple of Seti I in Abydos. According to this working experience in both monuments, the epigrapher could have the best results when taking into consideration the specific work circumstances of each site; the impact of new technology, whether choosing classic or new tools to record texts and figures; and, if applicable, how epigraphic techniques can be combined.

Retorno a lo múltiple. Metodología y análisis del programa iconográfico de la segunda sala hipóstila del templo de Seti I en Abidos

The set of scenes present in the second hypostyle hall of the temple of Sety I in Abydos allows us to carry out a study of its reliefs in order to approach the meaning of the attitudes, attributes, vestments, crowns and rituals, both of the king and the gods. To this end, the hall has been divided into sections, and its 323 scenes have been subjected to a meticulous analysis, and also for a deconstruction of its constituent parts. All this has permitted us to establish an interrelationship between all of them, and the results allow for a deeper interpretation of the repertoire to levels not described previously