Just five weeks after the January 25 Revolution and the resignation of President Mubarak on February 11, Egyptians went to the polls to vote on a referendum for constitutional change. Polling stations around Cairo and the country were crowded with first time voters of all ages - from 18 to 80 - the majority were voting  for the very first time. Everyone knew exactly what they were there to do. It was instinctive without the need for foreign observers. It was orderly, calm and exciting at the same time as young and old, Muslim and Copt stood together sharing their enthusiasm and hopes for a better Egypt. Whatever the outcome it was a clear sign that an inclusive political process had taken root in Egypt. 

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"My interest in ancient Egypt developed when I was in my early 20s after watching the 1932 Universal Studios film The Mummy, starring Boris Karloff. This film had a scene in which the mummy of the Pharaoh was dragged on a sledge by torch-carrying attendants into the Valley of the Kings at night. The old grainy black-and-white film with its simply dressed attendants followed by wailing mourners seemed to me almost as if it was filmed more than 3500 years earlier. After being captivated by The Mummy, I was curious about what the hieroglyphs really said. So, I purchased Gardiner's Middle Egyptian Grammar, and my love affair with ancient languages began...."

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Close to 450 attendees--a new attendance record--enjoyed Chicago's Magnificent Mile while sharing the latest in scholarship and news on Egypt at ARCE's 62nd Annual Meeting April 1-3, 2011.

While most papers were Egyptological in subject matter, many also examined Coptic and Islamic themes.
 
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