Members Meetings and lectures are usually held at 7:30 pm on the 4th Tuesday of each month, except for December. In July we hold our annual Day School at the Baxter Theatre.
Non-members are very welcome at all meetings, a nominal entry fee is charged.
Please Note - The September 28th lectures by Drs Joann Fletcher & Stephen Buckley, are not free to members; members R50 and Non-members R70. Booking has now opened and can be made by contacting Jean at 021 557 5082 or email scarab@telkomsa.net
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Tuesday 28th September at 7.30pm [Members R50; non-members R70]
Special Presentations for TESSA by Visting Academics from York University
Dr Joann Fletcher – The Search for Nefertiti
Dr Stephen Buckley – Testing the DNA of Tutankhamun
Drs Fletcher and Buckley, from the University of York are internationally recognised in their fields of Egyptology and Archaeological chemistry. In 2004 Dr Fletcher published a book entitled ‘The Search for Nefertiti’; she will give us an update on this research. Related to this is the on going controversy regarding the DNA testing of Tutankhamun; the latest developements in the latter field will be outlined by Dr Buckley. Both Dr Fletcher and Dr Buckley are respected academics and well known presenters of scientific programmes on TV.
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Tuesday 26th October at 7.30pm
Dr Rob Brown - Children in Ancient Egypt
Apart from being a practising paediatrician, Dr Brown has an M.Phil. in Ancient Studies from Stellenbosch University and is a member of the prestigious Egypt Exploration Society in London. He is also a long standing member of TESSA and has addressed the Society on a number of occasions in the past.
Members Platform – Patricia Weckesser – The Significance of the Cult of Osiris & the Epic of Gilgamesh
Patricia trained and worked for amny years as a specialist nurse; thereafter she studied at UCT for her BA degree. She majored in Western European Cultural History,Greek and Roman History and literature as well as History of Art. She is also a published author.
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Tuesday 23rd November at 7.30pm
Annual General Meeting - After a short AGM an auction of Egypt related items will be held, the ‘auctioneer’ will be Society patron Keith Grenville.
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There is no meeting in December
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Tuesday 25th January 2011 at 7.30pm
Professor Peter Loyson – Secrets of the Pyramids: Latest Research on How They Were Built
Members Platform – To be announced
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Tuesday 22nd February at 7.30pm
Keith Grenville – Jackal Among the Tombs
Members Platform – To be announced
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Tuesday 22nd March at 7.30pm
Professor Anthony Humphreys – Cleopatra & the ‘race’ debate: some reflections.
Members Platform – Professor Humphreys – Agatha Christie & Ancient Egypt
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Cape Town venue for Meetings and Lectures
The Jenny Mallet Hall
St George’s Grammar School
Richmond Road, Mowbray, Cape Town
For a printable pdf of the map, click here
Free secure parking available – non-members are welcome
Valid Membership Cards to be shown at all meetings
TESSA meets for monthly meetings on the fourth Tuesday of every month at St George’s Grammar School, Richmond Road, Mowbray. We have ten meetings a year to which members have free access. Monthly meetings generally take the form of a main lecture of about one hour followed by a tea/coffee break and then a 30 minute “Members’ Platform” where ordinary members are invited to “have their say” on any topic that interests them. Occasionally we have “double lectures” where the topic being addressed is longer than normal and is interrupted by the tea/coffee break with the “Members’ Platform” falling away for that month. Among our speakers have been some international figures, including Dr Zahi Hawass. We attempt to get a high-profile speaker every second or third year but, being at the wrong end of the world results in enormous travel costs.
There is no meeting in December because of the holidays and our July meeting takes the form of our Annual Day School which is held at the Baxter Theatre Complex in Rosebank. This event is the high point of our year and consists of three lectures on a specific theme and a sumptuous Egyptian-style buffet lunch. This is the only thing for which members have to pay – obviously to cover the costs of catering and of the hire of the venue.
At our normal monthly meetings, members have free access to our ever-expanding Lending and Reference library. We have close to 700 books all told, as well as a Video/DVD section and magazines for members’ casual perusal.
Members also receive free copies of our quarterly magazine “Shemu” which contains general interest articles as well as brief details of recent discoveries. Irregular reports on new discoveries are also e-mailed to those members for whom we have an electronic address.
TESSA arranges annual day outings to places of Egyptological interest. Recent outings have included “Egypt in the Boland” and “Egypt in the Swartland.”
ANTHONY HUMPHREYS
