Hapy extends a warm welcome from his beautiful new domain to AE readers and some new friends at the Forum of Amun. The Forum is an Internet based society which includes in its membership both professional Egyptologists and what moderator Philip Gould describes as “lay peoples who love all things Ancient Egypt.” There are four moderators, three in the UK and one in the States, and both membership and post approval is required to join in. It’s a very lively group with a lot of activity and posting; the site was buzzing with messages after the recent Bloomsbury Day School on the subject of Pyramids and Power.

While controversy is not avoided (and pyramids tend to provoke strong reactions in people), it is thankfully made clear who the Forum considers to be its target audience, and so if one’s fancy lies towards ‘aliens built the pyramids’ this isn’t the place to go. However, if there isn’t a local Egyptology group near you, or you prefer the ongoing group atmosphere that the Net can provide, take a look at the Forum’s URL at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Amun where you will find further information. In order to access the postings you will, of course, need membership.

Another group offering forum facilities to its members is The Ancient Egypt and Middle East Society (AEMES), featured in our ‘Societies Scene’ this issue. Visit the group web site on http://www.geocities.com/anicent/index.html, and please note, as is also noted in the British Egyptological Societies Directory (BES), that ‘anicent’ is correct.

We’ve first news of an overseas group, too.

Keith Grenville, National Chairman of the Egyptian Society of South Africa has drawn attention to the society’s own web site on http://users.iafrica.com/g/gr/grenvill/ where you can find some interesting information about mummies in South Africa as well as the events of the society. Durban Natural Science Museum, for instance, has a beautiful coffin of Ptolemaic date with its stunningly decorated mummy.

It has been investigated using non-destructive techniques and a reconstruction made by Dr Bill Aulsebrook, whose qualification for this is second to none: he holds a Ph.D. in Forensic Facial Reconstruction. The resulting display of coffin, mummy and reconstruction looks truly stunning on the web site.

Now for two sites that offer you rest and recuperation after looking at more academic material. The first is to be found at http://www.abkaria.com and is, I think, a fairly new addition to the pages on the Net. The introduction says that it is “all about connecting people living in, travelling to, or related by any way to Egypt.” There seems to be a lot on offer, including groups, forums and sales exchanges, and so the emphasis is social rather than Egyptological. If readers visit the site it would be good to have some impressions.

Finally, after surfing for hours, just drift away on the rippling home page of West Cornwall Egyptian Society (http://www.egyptology.btinternet.co.uk). It’s blissfully relaxing and Hapy looks forward to more of your relaxed company throughout Volume 2 of AE magazine.