Art professor discusses secrets of ancient Egypt

     By Sonya Padgett
     View staff writer
      Imagine being on an archaeological expedition in the middle of the Valley of the Kings, surrounded by the desert-red cliffs of Luxor.
      The mission: uncover the secrets of ancient Egypt.
      Off in the distance, majestic pyramids serve as a reminder of the god-like pharaohs of that mysterious past.
      Most Americans can only dream of such excitement, or read one of the many novels or watch one of the movies dedicated to Egyptian adventure.
      Lorelei Corcoran doesn't have to imagine these things -- she has gone through such experiences at least 15 times.
      Corcoran, the art professor and director of the Institute of Egyptian Art and Archaeology at the University of Memphis, was in Las Vegas recently to talk about the mystery and magic of King Tut's treasures as part of UNLV's University Forum lecture series.
      She has visited Egypt once a year for the past 15 years. The first time was as a tourist, and the subsequent trips were as part of several expeditions.
      Her most recent expedition was to Karnak, one of the largest pyramids in Luxor. The Institute sponsored a project to copy all scenes and related texts off of the walls by taking a photo of the scene and tracing it, to leave only what the ancient Egyptians painted. Corcoran interprets the hieroglyphics.
      "It's a very tedious process, but I enjoy it because of the obvious relationship between text and art," Corcoran said.
      Egyptian art was a form of communication, Corcoran said, so it's difficult to separate it from the writing system.
      Patricia McRae, UNLV's visual resources curator, was responsible for inviting Corcoran to UNLV. They knew each other when McRae was at the University of Memphis three years ago. When she first moved to Las Vegas, McRae toured the Strip, saw casinos like the Luxor, Caesars Palace and the Excalibur and surmised that the city has a fascination with ancient civilizations.
      McRae couldn't wait for Corcoran to see the Luxor.
      "I knew if anyone could appreciate it, it would be Dr. Corcoran," McRae said. "What we really need in this town is an Egyptologist to tell us why we're fascinated with these things."
      Corcoran is an internationally respected expert on ancient Egypt. Her first book, "Portrait Mummies from Roman Egypt," was the topic of a National Geographic television show, for which she was consulted. Currently, she's working on a second book about religion and art in ancient Egypt.
      McRae said people are especially captivated by ancient Egypt because it was a long-lasting civilization with particular beliefs and goals.
      "There is this fascination and no other period comes close," McRae said. "To the non-Egyptologist, it's that breathtaking consistency. We're desperate for that kind of structure and security."
      People have been particularly interested in King Tut since his mummy was found, Corcoran said.
      "People feel as though they know everything about it, (but) there's so much more we need to know about it. It's a key to understanding rituals of burial in ancient Egypt," Corcoran said.
      As an Egyptologist, Corcoran is aware of ancient Egypt's captivating influence on Americans; after all, she experienced it herself as a college student. But she has no explanation for it.
      "Everyone at some point in their life is fascinated by ancient Egypt," Corcoran said. "There's something magnetic and attractive about it, but I don't know what it is."
      The fascination perhaps has to do with the preservation of artifacts and structures, Corcoran said. Unlike other ancient ruins that are literally in ruins, Egyptian artifacts are well-preserved and leave a lasting, impressive reminder. Then there's the possibility of finding lost treasures that attracts many adventure-lovers.
      However, academic scholars have their own reasons for exploring the culture.
      "In terms of scholarly dedication, just the challenge of discovering how this civilization was able to survive (is intriguing)," Corcoran said. "For me it's like a puzzle; it's always an intellectual challenge to understand."
      The idea that people know how ancient Egyptians really lived is a myth, Corcoran said. Everything that science has uncovered is purely an educated guess.
      "We have a tendency to project onto ancient cultures what we expect," Corcoran said. "It's a trap, (because) there will always be a gap between us and ancient Egypt."
      The truly fascinating things about the pyramids and grand structures of ancient Egypt are that they were constructed by humans without the aid of modern building techniques and equipment.
      "It's a reminder that we're able to achieve truly amazing things," Corcoran said.
      Corcoran's interest in Egypt's past was first piqued when she was in kindergarten. After bible readings, Corcoran would ask herself, "What did they eat? What did they wear?"
      When the 45-year-old was attending Tufts University as an undergraduate working on a degree in classical studies and anthropology, she took a class on ancient Egypt. That's when Corcoran realized she wanted to study the country's past.
      Her first visit to Egypt was as a tourist while at the University of Chicago, working toward her Ph.D. in near eastern languages and civilization. She was immediately taken with the grandeur of the spectacular monuments and architecture.
      "I fell in love with the country," Corcoran said. "It's difficult to convey the feeling of being there without being there. Something wild always happens in Egypt."
      Once while working on the bank of West Thebes, Corcoran was approached by an Egyptian with something in his hand. He said he thought it was cigarette paper and showed it to Corcoran, who immediately hollered, "That's gold!"
      The Egyptian had stumbled across some gold flaking from an artifact.
      At first, she was thrilled with the discovery but she soon realized reporting it was going to be a hassle because of local policies. In the past several years, modern Egypt has been the site of violence against tourists and foreigners.
      Still, she's fascinated with the Egyptian way of life and loves to visit the country any chance she gets.
      In fact, Corcoran is leading a tour group to Egypt in March.
      What keeps her going back for more?
      "We're always asking, `Why are we here?' The ancient Egyptians knew why they were here." Corcoran said. "We have nothing to compare it to."