The ancient site of Abydos lies between the towering cliffs of the Egyptian high desert and the lush green floodplain of the Nile. This sacred area, which dates back to more than 4,000 years ago, has long tantalized archaeologists with incredible finds.

This evening, David O’Connor unveils mysterious Abydos, where the graves of kings from much earlier than the 1st and 2nd Dynasties have been located and a fleet of the world’s earliest surviving boats was discovered buried far out in the desert.

Later, around 2000 B.C., a cult surrounding the god Osiris, the only Egyptian deity who experienced violent death, began to form. Osiris returned to life as ruler of the dead and was called “Eternal Lord Who Presides Over Abydos.” His cult created a distinctive landscape at Abydos, combining natural topography and built forms in complex ways.

O’Connor concludes by discussing new insights into the origins of kingship in Egypt and the formation of early state organization. Evidence includes the earliest indications of writing in Egypt, rivaling that of Early Dynastic or Late Predynastic Mesopotamia.

O’Connor is a professor of ancient Egyptian art at the Institute of Fine Arts, New York University. Abydos: Egypt’s First Pharaohs and the Cult of Osiris (Thames and Hudson) is available for signing after the program.

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