Dr Kenneth Griffin (Curator)

Photo of a man (Ken Griffin) wearing glasses and smiling to the camera. He wears blue gloves and rests his hands on a wooden box containing a black mask of the jackal god Anubis.

Email address: k.griffin@swansea.ac.uk

Phone number: (01792) 513887

X/Twitter: @DrKenGriffin

Blog: https://egyptcentrecollectionblog.blogspot.com/

Dr Ken Griffin currently serves as the Curator of the Egypt Centre at Swansea University. Prior to this role, he held the position of Collections Access Manager at the same museum. His connection to the Egypt Centre began in 2000 when he signed up as a volunteer. Over the past two decades, he has dedicated himself to researching and promoting the collection, resulting in the publication of several artefacts.

Before joining the Egypt Centre, Ken taught Egyptology at Swansea University and also served as the coordinating tutor for the Egyptology programme within the Department of Adult Continuing Education (DACE). His passion for the subject has led him to visit Egypt over 60 times, and since 2010, he has actively participated in archaeological fieldwork in both Egypt and Sudan.

Research Interests

  • Object-based learning
  • The Egyptological collection of Sir Henry Wellcome
  • Museum collectors and collecting
  • The rekhyt-people
  • The Ritual of the Hours of the Night
  • The Book of the Dead

Brief C.V.

Education

  • 2020–2022: Leicester University; MA Museum Studies
  • 2015–2017: PG Certificate in Higher Education
  • 2006–2014: Swansea University; PhD passed with no corrections: ‘An analysis and interpretation of the role of the rekhyt-people within the Egyptian temple’. Supervisors: Dr. Kasia Szpakowska and Prof. Martina Minas-Nerpel
  • 2004–2005: Swansea University; MA Ancient Egyptian Culture (Graduating with Distinction)
  • 2000–2003: Swansea University; BA Joint Hons. Ancient History and Egyptology (Graduating with a 2.1)

Employment

  • The Egypt Centre, Curator. 2022–Present
  • The Egypt Centre, Collections Access Manager. 2019–2022
  • Swansea University, Lecturer in Egyptology. 2015–2018
  • Swansea University, Part-time Degree Tutor. 2007–2014
  • Swansea University, Co-ordinating tutor of Egyptology with the Department of Adult Continuing Education (DACE). 2003–2014
  • The Egypt Centre, Out of School (NOF) Workshop Assistant. 2004–2014

Publications

Monographs

  • Griffin, Kenneth 2018. ‘All the rḫyt-people adore’: the role of the rekhyt-people in Egyptian religion. GHP Egyptology. London: Golden House Publications.

Articles

  • Dodson, Aidan & Kenneth Griffin 2024. The sarcophagus and stone coffin of Amenhotep-son-of-Hapu. In Strudwick, Nigel & David A. Aston (eds), From objects to histories. Studies in honour of John H. Taylor, 130–145. Wallasey: Abercromby Press.
  • Griffin, Kenneth 2024. Return of the coffin of Ankhpakhered to the Egypt Centre. Y Mag October/Autumr 2024, 2–3.
  • Griffin, Kenneth 2024. Report on the ritual of the hours from the temple of Thutmose III. In Seco Álvarez, Myriam and Javier Martínez Babón (eds), A place of worship and burial: the site of the temple of millions of years of Thutmose III in Thebes, 125–142. Sevilla: Editorial Universidad de Sevilla.
  • Griffin, Kenneth 2024. Rediscovering Egypt: part 2. The Harrogate collection in Swansea. Ancient Egypt, 24 (5), 34–39.
  • Griffin, Kenneth 2024. “Causing their names to live”: a temporary exhibition at the Egypt Centre. Y Mag January/Winter 2024, 4–5.
  • Graves, Carl & Kenneth Griffin 2024. Howard Carter watercolour on display at the Egypt Centre. Y Mag April/Spring 2024, 4–5.
  • Griffin, Kenneth 2024. Rediscovering Egypt: part 1. The Harrogate collection in Swansea. Ancient Egypt, 24 (4), 38–43.
  • Griffin, Kenneth 2024. Milestones in Egyptology. The decipherment of hieroglyphs. Ancient Egypt, 24 (3), 10–11.
  • Griffin, Kenneth, Ersin Hussein, and Sam Powell 2024. From gloom to zoom: online learning at the Egypt Centre, Swansea, UK during the Covid-19 pandemic and beyond. In Thum, Jen, Carl Walsh, Lissette M. Jiménez, and Lisa Saladino Haney (eds), Teaching ancient Egypt in museums: pedagogies in practice, 119–131. Abingdon; New York: Routledge.
  • Griffin, Kenneth, Ersin Hussein, and Sam Powell 2022. A digital presence in the time of COVID-19: reflections on past, present and future strategies using digital technologies at Swansea University’s Egypt Centre. CIPEG Journal 6, 10–26.
  • Griffin, Kenneth 2022. Online engagement at the Egypt Centre. Egyptian Archaeology 60, 27.
  • Griffin, Kenneth 2021. Stela of the Mistress of the House Irtieru. In Elena Pischikova, Katherine Blakeney, & Abdelrzk Mohamed Ali (Eds.), South Asasif necropolis: journey through time exhibition catalogue, 84–87. Cairo: Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.
  • Griffin, Kenneth 2021. Holding the lapwing: continuity and change in depictions of the king and child deities. In Coppens, Filip (ed.), Continuity, discontinuity and change: case studies from the New Kingdom to the Ptolemaic and Roman era, 211–254. Prague: Charles University, Faculty of Arts.
  • Griffin, Kenneth 2021. A stela of the mistress of the house Irtieru. In Pischikova, Elena (ed.), Tombs of the South Asasif necropolis: art and archaeology 2015–18, 231–245. Cairo; New York: The American University in Cairo Press.
  • Griffin, Kenneth 2021. Treasures of the Egypt Centre: ancient Egypt in Wales. Ancient History 32, 12–13.
  • Griffin, Kenneth 2019. Egypt in Swansea. Ancient Egypt, 20 (2), 42–48.
  • Griffin, Kenneth 2018. A doorjamb of a Late Period Chief Steward of the Divine Adoratrice in the Egypt Centre, Swansea. In Blöbaum, Anke Ilona, Marianne Eaton-Krauss, and Annik Wüthrich (eds), Pérégrinations avec Erhart Graefe: Festschrift zu seinem 75. Geburtstag, 203–208. Münster: Zaphon.
  • Griffin, Kenneth 2018. A preliminary report on the Hours of the Night in the tomb of Karakhamun (TT 223). In Pischikova, Elena, Julia Budka, and Kenneth Griffin (eds), Thebes in the first millennium BC: art and archaeology of the Kushite period and beyond, 59–70. London: Golden House Publications
  • Griffin, Kenneth 2018. The Ritual of the Hours of the Night on the coffins of Heresenes and Nespaqashuty from Deir el-Bahari. Polish Archaeology in the Mediterranean 27 (2: Special Studies, Deir el-Bahari Studies 2), 183–224.
  • Griffin, Kenneth 2018. Two relief fragments from the Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari in the Egypt Centre, Swansea. Polish Archaeology in the Mediterranean 27 (2: Special Studies, Deir el-Bahari Studies 2), 227–235.
  • Griffin, Kenneth 2017. The ushabtis of the Divine Adoratrice Qedmerut. In Lurson, Benoît (ed.), De la mère du roi à l’épouse du dieu: première synthèse des résultats des fouilles du temple de Touy et de la tombe de Karomama / Von der Königsmutter zur Gottesgemahlin: erste Synthese der Ausgrabungsergebnisse des Tempels von Tuja und des Grabes von Karomama, 145–155. Bruxelles: Safran.
  • Griffin, Kenneth 2017. Toward a better understanding of the Ritual of the Hours of the Night (Stundenritual). In Pischikova, Elena (ed.), Tombs of the South Asasif necropolis: new discoveries and research 2012–14, 97–134. Cairo; New York: The American University in Cairo Press.
  • Griffin, Kenneth 2015. Links between the rekhyt and doorways in ancient Egypt. In Kousoulis, P. and N. Lazaridis (eds), Proceedings of the Tenth International Congress of Egyptologists: University of the Aegean, Rhodes. 22–29 May 2008 1, 1115–1129. Leuven: Peeters.
  • Booth, Adam D., Kasia Szpakowska, Elena Pischikova, and Kenneth Griffin 2015. Structure of an ancient Egyptian tomb inferred from ground-penetrating radar imaging of deflected overburden horizons. Archaeological Prospection 22 (1), 33–44.
  • Griffin, Kenneth 2014. The Book of the Dead from the western wall of the second pillared hall in the tomb of Karakhamun (TT 223). In Pischikova, Elena, Julia Budka, and Kenneth Griffin (eds), Thebes in the first millennium BC, 251–268. Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing.
  • Griffin, Kenneth 2014. The Book of the Dead from the second pillared hall of the tomb of Karakhamun: a preliminary survey. In Pischikova, Elena (ed.), Tombs of the South Asasif necropolis: Thebes, Karakhamun (TT 223), and Karabasken (TT 391) in the Twenty-fifth Dynasty, 173–199. Cairo; New York: The American University in Cairo Press.
  • Griffin, Kenneth 2012. Lapwing tiles. In R. Bailleul-LeSuer (Ed.), Between heaven and earth. Birds in ancient Egypt, 140–142. Chicago: The Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago.
  • Griffin, Kenneth 2012. The Book of the Dead in the tomb of Karakhamun. Egyptian Archaeology 40, 10–11.
  • Griffin, Kenneth 2007 An ꜣḫ ı͗ḳr n rꜥ stela from the collection of the Egypt Centre, Swansea. In Thomas Schneider & Kasia Szpakowska (Eds.), Egyptian stories: A British Egyptological tribute to Alan B. Lloyd, 137–148. Münster: Ugarit-Verlag.
  • Griffin, Kenneth 2007. A reinterpretation of the use and function of the Rekhyt rebus in New Kingdom temples. In Cannata, Maria and Christina Adams (eds), Current research in Egyptology 2006: proceedings of the seventh annual symposium which took place at the University of Oxford, April 2006, 66-84. Oxford: Oxbow.
  • Griffin, Kenneth 2006. Images of the rekhyt from ancient Egypt. Ancient Egypt: the history, people and culture of the Nile valley 38 (7/2), 45–50.

Edited Volumes

  • Pischikova, Elena, Julia Budka, and Kenneth Griffin (eds) 2018. Thebes in the first millennium BC: art and archaeology of the Kushite period and beyond. GHP Egyptology 27. London: Golden House Publications.
  • Pischikova, Elena, Julia Budka, and Kenneth Griffin (eds) 2014. Thebes in the first millennium BC. Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing.
  • Griffin, Kenneth with the collaboration of Meg Gundlach 2008. Current research in Egyptology 2007. Oxford: Oxbow Books.

Excavations

Conferences Organised

Professional Associations

Select Presentations

Talks and lectures are regularly given to local and national groups on Egyptological topics. Past presentations include:

  • ‘Object-Based Learning in the Age of COVID: A Case Study of the Egypt Centre, Swansea’. Lecture delivered at the Classical Association Conference, Swansea University, Swansea, 08th April 2022.
  • ‘The Egyptian Collection of Sir Henry Wellcome’. Lecture delivered at the Fifty Years of the Wellcome Collection at Swansea and Beyond. The Egypt Centre, Swansea, 13th September 2021.
  • ‘The Egypt Centre during the COVID-19 Pandemic’. Lecture delivered at the CIPEG 2020 Virtual Conference, 13th November 2020.
  • ‘The Egypt Centre: Past Present, and Future’. Lecture delivered at the British Egyptology Conference. Durham University, Durham, 08th October 2020.
  • ‘The Princess who never became King: A relief of Princess Neferure in the Egypt Centre’. Lecture delivered at the Collections from Home: EES Virtual Study Day. The Egypt Exploration Society, 13th June 2020.
  • ‘The Lintel of the Overseer of Craftsmen, Tjenti’. Lecture delivered at the Wonderful Things Virtual Conference. The Egypt Centre, Swansea, 05th May 2020.
  • ‘Introduction to the Egypt Centre: History and Highlights’. Lecture delivered at the Wonderful Things Virtual Conference. The Egypt Centre, Swansea, 30th April 2020.
  • ‘From Wellcome to Swansea: The History and Highlights of the Egypt Centre’. Lecture delivered at the Oxford Egyptology Seminar. Oxford University, Oxford, 03rd March 2020.
  • ‘The Ritual of the Hours of the Night (Stundenritual) in the Graeco‐Roman Period’. Paper delivered at the Seventh Ptolemaic Summer School. Charles University, Prague, 27th August 2019.
  • ‘“No Man may Ascend to it, Except the One who is the Great Priest”: Temple Accessibility in Ancient Egypt’. Paper delivered at the North East Ancient Egypt Society Study day, Temples, Cults and Rituals. Newcastle, 24th November 2018.
  • ‘From Queen to Pharaoh: The Reign of Hatshepsut’. Paper delivered at the Separate Spheres and Closed Doors. Recasting Gender and Space GENCAS conference. Swansea University, Swansea, 20th April 2018.
  • ‘The Ritual of the Hours of the Night (Stundenritual): New Readings and Problematic Passages’. Paper delivered at the IX Ancient Egyptian Language and Text. University of East Anglia, Norwich, 09th June 2017.
  • ‘The Transmission of the Ritual of the Hours of the Night (Stundenritual): From Temple to Tomb and Back Again’. Paper delivered at the XI. Tempeltagung: The Discourse between Tomb and Temple. Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic, 27th May 2017.
  • ‘The Transmission of the Ritual of the Hours of the Night’. Paper delivered at Tradition et transmission des rituels égyptiens anciens: Continuité et rupture. Université Paul Valéry, Montpellier, France, 18th May 2017.
  • ‘The ritual of the Hours of the Night in the tomb of Karakhamun’. Paper delivered at Thebes in the First Millennium B.C. Mummification Museum, Luxor, Egypt, 25th September 2016.
  • ‘The ushabtis of the Divine Adoratrice Qedmerut’. Lecture delivered at the De la mère du roi à l’épouse du dieu colloquium, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium, 14th May 2016.
  • ‘Popular worship in ancient Egypt: The rekhyt rebus’. Lecture delivered for the Scientific Research Committee, Ministry of State for Antiquities, Luxor, Egypt, 22nd April 2015.
  • ‘The Book of the Dead from the second pillared hall of the tomb of Karakhamun’. Paper delivered at Thebes in the First Millennium B.C. Mummification Museum, Luxor, Egypt, 1st October 2012.
  • ‘Identifying and recording the Book of the Dead in the second pillared hall of the tomb of Karakhamun’. Paper delivered at Current Research in Egyptology XIII, Birmingham, 30th March 2012.
  • ‘An analysis of the rekhyt rebus on the columns of the temple of Seti I at Abydos’. Paper delivered at British Egyptological Conference III, British Museum, London, 11th–12th September 2010.
  • ‘An analysis of the rekhyt rebus on the columns of the temple of Seti I at Abydos’. Paper delivered at Current Research in Egyptology XI, Leiden, 8th January 2010.
  • ‘Popular worship at Luxor Temple: An examination of the rekhyt rebus and so-called “people’s gate”’. Paper delivered at the 60th Annual American Research Center in Egypt Conference, Dallas; Texas, 24th April 2009.
  • ‘An analysis of a curious gateway scene from the temple of Ramesses II at Abydos’. Paper delivered at Current Research in Egyptology X, Liverpool, 8th January 2009.
  • ‘Triumphs in ancient Egypt through the eyes of the rekhyt’. Paper delivered at Rituals of Triumph in the Mediterranean World from Antiquity to the Middle Ages, Swansea University, 22nd November 2008.
  • ‘An analysis of the representations of the rekhyt within the temples of ancient Egypt’. Paper delivered at Egyptian World Seminar: New Research in Egyptology, Cambridge University, 12th November 2008.
  • ‘Links between the doorways and the rekhyt in ancient Egypt’. Paper delivered at the Tenth International Congress of Egyptologists, Rhodes, 22nd–29th May 2008.
  • ‘Holding the rekhyt: An analysis of the scenes depicting the pharaoh ‘offering’ the rekhyt to the gods’. Paper delivered at British Egyptological Conference II, Liverpool, 15th–16th March 2008.
  • ‘A curious female figurine in the Egypt Centre collection’. Paper delivered at Current Research in Egyptology IX, Manchester, 9th–11th January 2008.
  • ‘An analysis of the entities present on the columns within the temple of Ramesses II at Abydos’. Paper delivered at Current Research in Egyptology VIII, Swansea, 19th–21st April 2007.
  • ‘A reinterpretation of the use and function of the rekhyt rebus in New Kingdom temples’. Paper delivered at Current Research in Egyptology VII, Oxford, 6th–8th April 2006.

Collaborations and Consultancy Work