Today’s generation of Egyptologists has embraced modern technology enthusiastically. There is absolutely no doubt that the huge range of investigation techniques now available has proved to be a blessing to Egyptology. It’s worth bearing in mind that the subject has always had access to the best scientific techniques available, although some early methods look frankly crude by today’s exacting standards.

Mummies can rest in peace now since it is no longer necessary to unwrap them to discover the story of their lives – and deaths. Conventional X-rays, CAT scans and computed tomography help to build an accurate portrait of the individual. This process is now taken for granted, and many people are familiar with it, but just a few years ago it was pioneering. Modern information technology helps Egyptology in a number of other ways too, some of them quite surprising.

For the latest information on what’s happening in this field, visit www.ccer.ggl.ruu.nl, the website of the Centre for Computer-aided Egyptological Research, whose real-life home is in Utrecht, but now, thanks to the web, it’s also possible to have a virtual community of Egyptology techies too. There’s a lot to view here, but as some of the research is still going on, you might find that occasionally items you want to view will be unavailable.

The pages include objects to view in 3-D and video clips; there is a tour of Abu Simbel with cross-references to Ramesses and Nefertari. This is, apparently, the most popular spot on the site.

The most fun item, however, provides the opportunity to blow one of the trumpets of Tutankhamun. Well, to hear the sound of one of the boy king’s trumpets, anyway. Trumpets, of silver and bronze, were amongst the rich treasure found in his tomb, stuffed with wooden cores to ensure the instruments kept their shape. In the 1930’s a recording was made in Cairo of the silver trumpet, only to have the trumpet break into pieces. (It was subsequently restored, but does show the risks of experimental archaeology using real items!) The high, thin clear note of the trumpet does raise hairs on the back of the neck.

The site makes use of freeware and shareware to run some of the items on offer. The trumpet software can be downloaded for personal use. Some of the loading times are quite lengthy, though.

Also available, (for purchase) are hieroglyphic and Coptic program for the more advanced student. These are available for both Mac and Word systems. Sample programs are available for these but when I tried to run one of them from a temporary storage file, the desktop was flooded with icons from the program. As fast as I could clear them off they kept coming on screen. It was all very reminiscent of the Sorcerer’s Apprentice and for a while I thought I’d picked up a virus. Eventually they were removed but I won’t try to run the program again until I’ve worked out what I did wrong. Inundation indeed! The other items available from the Centre include CD-roms of major European collections, the first of which received a very favourable review in the last issue of Ancient Egypt.

Ancient Egyptian texts are sure to feature strongly on this site in the future, but at the moment the promised information on the ancient Egyptian Coffin Texts is not available.

The best part of this site, in my opinion, was the computer-aided restoration work of Hans van den Berg who is the major contributor to the site. This is the marriage of modern technology and ancient Egypt at its best. Scenes from tombs such as that of General, and later King, Horemheb can be restored via computer visuals so that they look "as fresh as when the artist completed them". The great thing is that the originals do not have to be touched at all – a far cry from the early years of this century, when recordings were made of paintings and reliefs by a variety of techniques including wet paper squeezes!

There is a lot more to view on the site and I look forward to future updates.