“Deciphering the Obelisk: Obsession Helps Break the Hieroglyphic Code” will be the topic of Professor Bob Brier on Saturday, Sept. 17 at 2 p.m. at the Bruce Museum. The lecture is free to Archaeological Associates of Greenwich (AAG), museum members and students with an ID, and $20 for non-members.
Egyptologist Brier will highlight how the obelisks were constructed, moved by engineering dexterity, erected and often moved again. They can weigh upward of 400 tons and although they were erected in Egypt’s New Kingdom during the second millennium B.C., there are 28 still standing today. Only six are still in Egypt. No fewer than 11 are in Rome, and most famous are the ones in London and New York. Often called Cleopatra’s Needles, that is the name of Brier’s new book Cleopatra’s Needles: the Lost Obelisks of Egypt that will be available at the lecture.
Affectionately known as Mr. Mummy, Brier is a senior research fellow at Long Island University. He is recognized as one of the world’s foremost experts on mummies and Egyptology. He has conducted pioneering research in mummification practices and investigated some of the world’s most famous mummies, including King Tut, Vladimir Lenin, Ramses the Great and Eva Peron.
The Bruce Museum is located at 1 Museum Drive.
