29. 10. 09. - 16:00

• more Panorama news
• RSS Feed Panorama

29. 10. 09. - 16:00

Austrian archaeologists make Babylonian find in Egypt

By Lisa Chapman

Austrian archaeologists have found a Babylonian seal in Egypt that confirms contact between the Babylonians and the Hyksos during the second millennium B.C.

Irene Forstner-Müller, the head of the Austrian Archaeological Institute’s (ÖAI) branch office in Cairo, said today (Thurs) the find had occurred at the site of the ancient town of Avaris near what is today the city of Tell el-Dab’a in the eastern Nile delta.

The Hyksos conquered Egypt and reigned there from 1640 to 1530 B.C.

She said a recently-discovered cuneiform tablet had led archaeologists to suspect there had been contact between the Babylonians and the Hyksos.

Forstner-Müller added that Manfred Bietak had begun archaeological research on the period of Hyksos dominance at the remains of a Hyksos palace at Avaris in 1966.

She said ÖAI would open a museum at the Avaris site that the Egyptian government and sponsors would fund to make the seal and other objects accessible to tourists.

Forstner-Müller added Avaris would remain ÖAI’s main project site in Egypt but that ÖAI and the Austrian Academy of Sciences (ÖAW) were working together at a site at Philae/Aswan and ÖAI and Berlin’s Humboldt University were working together at another in Luxor/Asasif.

Ephesos, Turkey, remained the site of ÖAI’s so-called "flagship" project since it had been important historically from the Copper Age to the time of the Ottoman Empire, she said.

Austrian Times

Christie + Co to open Vienna office
Christie + Co has presented plans to open its first branch in Austria later this year.

Woman hides in forest for two days after petrol assault
A Styrian woman hid from her jobless husband for two days after he had showered her with car fuel, it has been announced.

Austrian found after getting lost in Croatia cycling trip
An elderly Austrian who went missing during a cycling outing in Croatia was found this morning (Thurs) after an all-night search in Croatia.

Iraq veteran faces new life to save brother in Traiskirchen
A Moroccan-born man who fought in the American army during the US invasion of Iraq is now fighting another battle to save the life of his brother.

Plane crash claims two
Two people were killed in a plane crash in Upper Austria this afternoon (Thurs).

Lukas and Sarah top baby name charts
Lukas was the most popular name for boys born in Austria for a 14th year in a row last year, according to a study.

Austrian's website lauded by Time Magazine
A stock market information platform created by an Austrian is in the top three in a prestigious US magazine’s annual ranking of the best homepages in the world.

Ban warns of difficult Middle East peace talks
United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has warned that reopened peace talks between Israel and the Palestinian National Authority will "not be easy".

Strache hits out at 'centralist' EU
Freedom Party (FPÖ) leader Heinz-Christian Strache has attacked the European Union (EU) for being a "centralist" association.

Denying Greece support 'dangerous', Pröll warns
People’s Party (ÖVP) Vice Chancellor Josef Pröll has warned of "dangerous developments" as European Union (EU) member states have backed out of the previously agreed upon support package for Greece.