CAIRO: Archaeologists in Egypt have discovered an ancient pottery manufacturing workshop dating to more than 4,000 years ago in the southern province of Aswan, the Antiquities Ministry said Thursday.
The workshop, the oldest pottery workshop in the Old Kingdom, belongs to the 4th Dynasty, spanning 2,613 to 2,494 B.C., the ministry said in a statement. The Old Kingdom is also known as the age when pyramid-building flourished.
Inside the workshop, archaeologists found an ancient pottery manufacturing wheel made of a limestone turntable and a hollow base.
Mostafa Al-Waziri, secretary general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, says the discovery is “rare” and reveals more about the development of pottery manufacturing and the daily lives of ancient Egyptians during that time in history.
Also on Thursday, archaeologists opened a large, sealed, black granite sarcophagus dating to some 2,000 years ago in the coastal city of Alexandria. The discovery, announced earlier this month, triggered speculation in local and international media about its contents.
However, Al-Waziri told reporters that only skeletal remains and sewage water were found in the sarcophagus, quashing speculation that it belonged to some ancient ruler. He said the sarcophagus, weighting some 30 tons, may have belonged to a wealthy family that lived during the Ptolemaic era.
Later, the Antiquities Ministry said in a statement that initial inspection suggests the the skeletal remains likely belonged to three warriors. It said the remains will undergo restoration to reveal more about them.
Egypt has gone to great length to revive its vital tourism industry, still reeling from the political turmoil that followed a 2011 popular uprising. In recent years, the Antiquities Ministry has touted discoveries in the hopes of bolstering tourism, a major pillar of foreign currency.
Archaeologists find ancient pottery workshop in Egypt
Archaeologists find ancient pottery workshop in Egypt
- The workshop, the oldest pottery workshop in the Old Kingdom, belongs to the 4th Dynasty
- Inside the workshop, archaeologists found an ancient pottery manufacturing wheel made of a limestone turntable and a hollow base
Sony’s Alpha Femme initiative debuts in UAE ahead of Saudi launch
JEDDAH: Sony has brought its Alpha Femme initiative to the UAE for the first time, with several workshops taking place this week ahead of the next edition in Saudi Arabia.
Emirati photographer and Sony’s digital imaging ambassador Amani AlShaali conducted a workshop on fine art photography at Garage Studio in Dubai on Sunday.
The workshops in the UAE are designed to support women across photography, videography, cinematography, and content creation.
Suchismita Bhattarcharjee, category manager, interchangeable lens cameras, Sony Middle East and Africa, spoke to Arab News about the initiative and its goals for the region’s female content creators.
“Bringing a program like Alpha Femme to the UAE was part of our effort at nurturing local creator communities, with a specific focus on supporting women who are shaping visual storytelling in meaningful and impactful ways,” said Bhattarcharjee.
“Access to learning platforms and communities, such as Alpha Femme, play a key role in helping creators build both technical capability and creative direction.”
Sony’s goal for participants, she said, was to “walk away with stronger professional connections, enhanced creative confidence, and practical knowledge that they can apply directly to their work.
“What is equally important is the sense of community and peer exchange that this will offer, creating a network where women can support one another, share experiences, and continue growing together within the region’s evolving creator landscape,” she added.
Alpha Femme in the UAE will organize monthly workshops to empower women across the creative industry.
The workshop topics will revolve around “practical creative skills, real-world workflows, and the evolving needs of the creative economy, ensuring the program remains relevant and responsive to the community it supports.”
These sessions are designed to bring beginner and experienced creators together for hands-on learning, industry knowledge sharing, and direct engagement with Sony ambassadors and speakers.
The launch of the initiative in UAE follows editions in Kuwait, South Africa, Egypt, and Kazakhstan.
“Sony is continuing to expand the initiative across the region, with the next edition set to take place in Saudi Arabia, reinforcing Alpha Femme’s role as a growing regional platform for women in visual storytelling,” said Bhattarcharjee.
