The Forum

Odyssey Available in Kansas

In the November/December 2004 issue, an inmate incarcerated in a Kansas correctional facility writes (The Forum, p. 8) that the Kansas Department of Corrections might bar Archaeology Odyssey from inmates because the magazine runs pictures of nude Greek statuary. This is not correct. The regulation in question prohibits material that is sexually explicit, including nudity “for the purpose of sexual arousal or gratification.” It is unlikely that anything in Archaeology Odyssey meets that criterion.

Egyptian Yin and Yang

David O’Connor notes that the so-called red crown of Egypt represents Lower Egypt (“Narmer’s Enigmatic Palette,” September/October 2004). I believe this red crown is “chair-shaped” because it represents a throne. The white crown of Upper Egypt, with its high conical shape, represents fertility. [Note that “Lower” Egypt is northern Egypt and “Upper” Egypt is southern Egypt; these terms refer to the flow of the Nile River from its headwaters (Upper) to the delta (Lower).] The two crowns together symbolize not only the union of northern and southern Egypt but also the powers of the king.