The History of Egypt

In the Cretaceous Period (c.100 million years ago) Egypt and North Africa were radically different environments. With vast tidal flats and mangroves, and a shallow sea, the continent fostered numerous animal and plant species. Creatures like Paralititan (sauropods); the sprinting Deltadromeus; the infamous Spinosaurus; and the newcomer Tameryraptor. These have been preserved in the fossil record from Egypt and other countries in North Africa. Today, we meet some of the inhabitants of this ancient landscape… Logo image: Spinosaurus aegyptiacus, by Paleogeeksquared, via Wikimedia. Animals mentioned in this episode: Paralititan: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paralititan Deltadromeus: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deltadromeus Mawsonia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mawsonia_(fish) Leptostomia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leptostomia Spinosaurus: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spinosaurus Tameryraptor: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tameryraptor Select references: Dal Sasso, C., Maganuco, S., & Iurino, D. (2014). Update on the internal structure of the snout of Spinosaurus aegyptiacus. Second North African Vertebrate Palaeontology Congress, Ouarzazate. Darwish, M. H., & Attia, Y. (2007). Plant impressions from the mangrove-dinosaur Unit of the Upper Cretaceous Bahariya Formation of Egypt. Taeckholmia, 27, 105--125. Hone, D., & Holtz Jr, T. R. (2021). Evaluating the ecology of Spinosaurus: Shoreline generalist or aquatic pursuit specialist? Palaeontologia Electronica, 24(1), 1–28. https://doi.org/10.26879/1110 Hone, D., & Witton, M. P. (2025). Spinosaur Tales: The Biology and Ecology of the Spinosaurs. Ibrahim, N., Sereno, P. C., Dal Sasso, C., Maganuco, S., Fabbri, M., Martill, D. M., Zouhri, S., Myhrvold, N., & Iurino, D. A. (2014). Semiaquatic adaptations in a giant predatory dinosaur. Science, 345(6204), 1613--1616. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1258750 Roach, J. (2001, May 31). “Tidal Giant” Roamed Coastal Swamps of Ancient Africa. National Geographic News. https://web.archive.org/web/20010605022420/http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2001/05/0531_tidaldinosaur.html Sereno, P. C., Myhrvold, N., Henderson, D. M., Fish, F. E., Vidal, D., Baumgart, S. L., Keillor, T. M., Formoso, K. K., & Conroy, L. L. (2022). Spinosaurus is not an aquatic dinosaur. eLife, 11, e80092. https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.80092 Smith, J. B., Lamanna, M. C., Lacovara, K. J., Dodson, P., Smith, J. R., Poole, J. C., Giegengack, R., & Attia, Y. (2001). A Giant Sauropod Dinosaur from an Upper Cretaceous Mangrove Deposit in Egypt. Science, 292(5522), 1704--1706. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1060561 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The New Kingdom "Book of Gates" explores Ra's journey through the Duat (Underworld). Passing the western horizon at sunset, Ra sails through the land of the dead. His journey is beset by dangerous creatures, and Ra himself experiences a kind of death at the darkest time of night. Fortunately, Heis not alone. Guided and assisted by friends, the lord of light journeys deep into the night. Hour by hour, he traverses the realm of Osiris, moving towards his own rebirth... This is a compilation of previously released material (episodes 175 & 176). First known appearance: KV57 the royal tomb of Horemheb (c.1305 BCE).  Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.  Source: KV57, the tomb of Horemheb; KV17, tomb of Sety I, and others. Music intro, interludes, and outro: Luke Chaos. Adapted from original compositions by Gorillaz, from the album "Demon Days."  Modern Book of Gates Translations: J. C. Darnell and C. Manassa Darnell, The Ancient Egyptian Netherworld Books (2018). E. Hornung, The Egyptian Book of Gates, trans. T. Abt (2014). DON'T use Budge. His version is over 100 years out-of-date on language and scholarly understanding of Egyptian religion. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The winter 2025/26 excavation season is underway, and lots of news is coming forth already. Let's explore the major finds! Chapters: The GEM is open 00:30. Scans at Menkaura's pyramid: 04:12. Discovery at Tanis: 07:31. Alexandria ship: 08:49. Amarna Plague? 10:39. Thera Tempest? 12:41. Karnak Re-Dated: 14:43. New Temple Discovery: 16:05. Sources: Menkaura pyramid scans: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S096386952500012X Tanis discovery: https://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/9/40/557221/Antiquities/Ancient-Egypt/-royal-ushabti-figurines-unearthed-in-Nile-Delta-T.aspx Alexandria ship: https://www.franckgoddio.org/shipwreck-k1/⁠ Amarna plague: https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/736705⁠ Thera Eruption and Tempest Stela: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0330702⁠ Karnak re-dated: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/antiquity/article/conceptual-origins-and-geomorphic-evolution-of-the-temple-of-amunra-at-karnak-luxor-egypt/12B8A406D84C46F89CDDD7A3DCDF297D⁠ Niuserra Valley Temple: https://english.ahram.org.eg/News/558520.aspx⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A quick message to say thanks for listening in 2025, and what's coming up on the podcast... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I recently did an interview with the Science Factory YouTube channel. This is a short preview of the conversation. Find the full video at the Science Factory on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_K731D4bfMw and on their podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices