The Secrets of Amarna
The center of the Atenist revolution was in an area of Egypt now known as Amarna. British archaeologist and Egyptologist Barry Kemp has been the director of the Amarna Project since 1977. Since that time, as the digging’s gotten deeper, so has archaeologists’ understanding of the city found there, its pharaoh-founder Akhenaten and the Aten, the god that turned Egypt on its head.
Kemp says one of the interesting things they’ve discovered, during their excavations of the cemetery at Amarna, is that the people died very young. He says the average age of the people they’ve found is around 35. The puzzle now, for those studying Amarna, is to figure out why these people died when they did. There is evidence of a pandemic during Ankhenaten’s reign, but Kemp points out that pandemics tend to decimate older populations.
Tonight, you can hear Kemp speak for yourself on UAB’s campus in Bell Auditorium. That begins at 5:30 p.m.
Shoes off at the airport? TSA appears to be giving the pesky rule the boot
For nearly twenty years, most air travelers in the U.S. have been required to remove their shoes when going through security. That requirement seems to be ending.
Texas flood recovery efforts face tough conditions as local officials face hard questions
Emergency responders kept hope alive as they combed through fallen trees and other debris that littered the hard-hit central Texas communities on the fifth day after devastating floods killed more than 100.
Q&A: How a conservative Mississippi mom became an advocate for legalizing drugs
Christina Dent talks about founding End It For Good, her journey to rethinking drugs and addiction and how Mississippi can change its approach, too
With Indus Waters Treaty in the balance, Pakistan braces for more water woes
In an unprecedented move, India held the water treaty in abeyance after blaming Pakistan for a deadly attack in April. Pakistan denies involvement in the attack and accuses India of "weaponizing water."
IRS says churches can now endorse political candidates
Since 1954, an IRS rule had barred houses of worship from explicitly endorsing political candidates.
A Planet Money guide to 5 fascinating new econ papers
The Planet Money newsletter rounds up some new economics studies.