At 28, Henri Frankfort began leading the Egypt Exploration Society's Abydos excavations, working on the Osireion over four seasons from 1925 to 1929. His 1933 report, The Cenotaph of Sety I at Abydos, remains the definitive archaeological record, documenting the monument's 17 chambers, architecture and inscriptions. Cartouches of Seti I appear on several elements, including in the central hall, and the passages connecting the temple and Osireion form a planned axis. Frankfort interpreted the Osireion as a cenotaph associated with the mysteries and the primordial mound, arguing that Nile flooding and recession symbolized Osiris's death and rebirth.
Henri Frankfort's 1925-1929 excavation supports interpreting the Osireion as Seti I's cenotaph
EgyptGeneral
Site mentioned
Key facts
- Henri Frankfort, a Dutch-British Egyptologist, directed Egypt Exploration Society excavations at Abydos from 1925 to 1929; his Osireion work covered four seasons.
- Frankfort was 28 when he took charge of the excavations.
- His 1933 report, The Cenotaph of Sety I at Abydos, is the definitive published archaeological record of the Osireion.
- His excavation records document the monument's 17 chambers, architecture and inscriptions.
- Cartouches of Seti I appear on multiple architectural elements, including in the central hall.
- The passages connecting the temple to the Osireion formed a deliberate planned axis.
- Frankfort interpreted the Osireion as a cenotaph associated with the performance of the mysteries and as the primordial mound.
- Frankfort argued that Nile inundation and recession of the central chamber symbolized Osiris's death and rebirth.
Sources
Possibly Henri Frankfort (1897–1954), field director of the ...doaks.org
Possibly Henri Frankfort (1897–1954), field director of the excavations in Abydos from 1925 to 1929. Egypt Exploration Society excavations at Abydos, Egypt, ...
Henri Frankfort - Artefacts of Excavation - University of Oxfordegyptartefacts.griffith.ox.ac.uk
Dutch Egyptologist, archaeologist, and orientalist; he was born in Amsterdam 24 Feb. 1897, son of Benjamin Philippe F., a merchant in Near Eastern trade, ...
Henri Frankfort | Mesopotamian Studies, Archaeology, Cuneiformbritannica.com
American archaeologist who completed a well-documented reconstruction of ancient Mesopotamian culture, established the relation between Egypt and Mesopotamia.
Frankfort, Henri - Dictionary of Art Historiansarthistorians.info
Frankfort's excavations at Mesopotamia for the University of Chicago, 1929-1937 were some of the most important excavations of the era, adding significantly ...
Harry Frankfort – Excavations and Findings at the Osireionosireion.info
This volume by Harry Frankfort offers an in-depth textual analysis of the Cenotaph of Seti I at Abydos, often associated with the Osireion.
The Osireion – links & further reading - Dr Chris Nauntonchrisnaunton.com
The excavations were continued under Edouard Naville and later Henri Frankfort, and the latter's final excavation report, The Cenotaph of Sety I at Abydos ...
Henri Frankfort, Aby Warburg and 'Mythopoeic Thought'arthistoriography.files.wordpress.com
by P Taylor · Cited by 15 — Having published a stream of excavation reports, he now began to publish general books which synthesized his views on ancient culture. After his ...
Henri Frankfort - The Osireion — Abydososireion.info
Henri Frankfort's excavation report (1933) is the definitive archaeological record of the Osireion. Henri Frankfort (1897–1954) was a Dutch-British ...
Was this story useful?
Keep exploring
Every site on this page sits on the globe, and the people who research them are on the Discord.
3D Globe · Sites by country · Story Archive · Research Library · Weekly Journal · Search
AI-generated text · images from the original sources · always verify with the sources.