Koen Donker Van Heel is a University Lecturer at the Leiden University Institute for Area Studies.

More information about Koen Donker Van Heel

Fields of interest

My fields of interest include Demotic and Abnormal Hieratic, two rather difficult stages of the language of ancient Egypt, between c. 800 BC and 300 AD. Since most legal contracts from ancient Egypt were written in Demotic and Abnormal Hieratic, this also explains my penchant for ancient Egyptian law, society and economy. At present I am employed by Leiden University to teach and to help restore the tradition of Demotic papyrology in Leiden established by P.W. Pestman and S.P. Vleeming. Apart from this I work as a copywriter and communications consultant, mainly for government agencies and ministries, trade & industry and research organisations.

Supervision

Supervision includes BA and MA theses (or papers) and PhD research in the following domains: (Abnormal) Hieratic, Demotic and Ancient Egyptian Law. Although the main focus is on economic, social and legal issues in ancient Egypt during the Late Period, students are always welcome to enter a proposal of their own.

CV

Education 
- PhD Legal History, Leiden University (1996) 
- MA Egyptology, Leiden University (1978-1989) 

Employment 
- Lecturer in Demotic and Abnormal Hieratic, Leiden University (2012-) 
- Author American University in Cairo Press (2011) 
- Partner at Van Oort & Van Oort Public Affairs (2011-) 
- Editor at The Hague Centre for Strategic Studies (2009-2011) 
- Copywriter at Economische Voorlichtings Dienst (2002-2006) 
- Editor, copywriter and translator at Rijkswaterstaat, Ministerie van Defensie, Ministerie van Economische Zaken, Ministerie van Verkeer en Waterstaat, Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam, Technische Universiteit Delft, Brill Academic Publishers, Ecorys, Rijksmuseum Amsterdam and SMEs in IT, real estate, dredging & offshore,  &cet. 
- Post-doc Egyptology, Leiden University (2001-2004) 
- Editor, copywriter and translator at TNO (2003-) 
- Post-doc Egyptology, Leiden University (1997-2000) 
- Lecturer in Demotic, Leiden University (1996-1997)

Key publications

2015

[review] J.D. Ray, Demotic Ostraca and Other Inscriptions from the Sacred Animal Necropolis, North Saqqâra, London: Egypt Exploration Society, 2013, in Bulletin of the American Society of Papyrologists 52 (2015), pp. 339-341

[review] J.C. Moreno García, (ed.), Ancient Egyptian Administration, Handbook of Oriental Studies: Section I, Ancient Near East 104,  Leiden-Boston: Brill Academic Publishers, 2013, in Bibliotheca Orientalis 72 (2015), cols. 84-89

[review] J.G. Keenan – J.G. Manning – U. Yiftach-Firanko (eds), Law and Legal Practice in Egypt from Alexander to the Arab Conquest. A Selection of Papyrological Sources in Translation, with Introductions and Commentary, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2014, in Bibliotheca Orientalis 72 (2015), cols. 658-661

[article] ‘Abnormal Hieratic is not Dead; It Just Smells Funny’, in U. Verhoeven (ed.), Ägyptologische “Binsen”-Weisheiten I-II. Neue Forschungen und Methoden der Hieratistik. Akten zweier Tagungen in Mainz im April 2011 und März 2013. Akademie der Wissenschaften und der Literatur Mainz, Abhandlungen der Geistes- und sozialwissenschaftlichen Klasse Einzelveröffentlichung Nr. 14, 2015, pp. 371-381

[article] ‘De soldaat, de kopersmid en de bootmeneer’, in Jubileumbundel Pleyte (2015), pp. 47-53

[article] ‘P. Louvre E 3228: some late cursive hieratic gems from the Louvre’, in Journal of Egyptian Archaeology 101 (2015), pp. 149-154

[book] Mrs. Tsenhor. A Female Entrepreneur in Ancient Egypt, American University in Cairo Press (reprint as paperback)

2014

[book] Mrs. Tsenhor. A Female Entrepreneur in Ancient Egypt, American University in Cairo Press

[online book part] An Abnormal Hieratic Reading Book. Vol. III: Papyri from Oxford, Turin, Vienna & Tablets from Egypt & Leiden. Uitgaven vanwege de Stichting Het Leids Papyrologisch Instituut 24

[article] ‘P. Louvre E 7858: Another abnormal hieratic puzzle’, in B.J.J. Haring, O.E. Kaper and R. van Walsem (eds.), The Workman’s Progress: Studies in the village of Deir el-Medina and documents from Western Thebes in honour of Rob Demarée, Egyptologische Uitgaven 28, Leiden/Leuven: NINO/Peeters, 2014, pp. 43-55

[article] ‘Zeg pap, dat nieuwe schrift is echt een stuk handiger!’, in Ta-Mery 7 (2014), pp. 98-109

2013

[review] F.H. Knuf, C. Leitz and D. von Recklinghausen (eds), Honi soit qui mal y pense. Studien zum pharaonischen, griechisch-römischen und spätantiken Ägypten zu Ehren von Heinz-Josef Thissen, Orientalia Lovaniensia Analecta 194, Leuven: Editions Peeters, 2010, in Bibliotheca Orientalis 70 (2013), cols. 59-61

[online book part] An Abnormal Hieratic Reading Book Containing Texts from the British Museum (London), the Brooklyn Museum (New York), the Egyptian Museum (Cairo), the Louvre (Paris), the Museo Egizio (Turin), the Nationalbibliothek (Vienna), Queen’s College (Oxford) and the Rijksmuseum van Oudheden (Leiden), with a Palaeography of Abnormal Hieratic Signs and Sign Groups. Vol. I: Papyri from London, Brooklyn, Cairo and Leiden. Uitgaven vanwege de Stichting Het Leids Papyrologisch Instituut 24

[online book part] An Abnormal Hieratic Reading Book Containing Texts from the British Museum (London), the Brooklyn Museum (New York), the Egyptian Museum (Cairo), the Louvre (Paris), the Museo Egizio (Turin), the Nationalbibliothek (Vienna), Queen’s College (Oxford) and the Rijksmuseum van Oudheden (Leiden), with a Palaeography of Abnormal Hieratic Signs and Sign Groups. Vol. II: Papyri from Paris. Uitgaven vanwege de Stichting Het Leids Papyrologisch Instituut 24

[brochure] Nein doch! Abnormhieratisch. Ja, lesen die Studenten das hier? Ein Büchlein für unsere Münchener Kollegen zum Anlass ihres Besuches am Papyrologisch Instituut (1. Oktober 2013)

[reader] A Very Easy Crash Course in Abnormal Hieratic. Being a Step by Step Introduction to the Least Accessible of All Ancient Egyptian Scripts. Uitgaven vanwege de Stichting Het Leids Papyrologisch Instituut 25

[book] Djekhy & Son. Doing business in ancient Egypt, American University in Cairo Press, reprint as paperback

2012 

[book]  Djekhy & Son. Doing business in ancient Egypt, American University in Cairo Press (2012) 

2009

[book] C.J. Martin, with the assistance of K. Donker van Heel and F.A.J. Hoogendijk et al., Demotic Papyri from the Memphite Necropolis (P. Dem. Memphis) in the Collections of the National Museum of Antiquities in Leiden, the British Museum and the Hermitage Museum, PALMA Eg. 5 (2009) 

2004  

[web database]  The Deir el-Medina Database (2004), with B.J.J. Haring, R.J. Demarée and J. Toivari 

[article] ‘A day in the life of the ancient Egyptian goatherd Ityaa: abnormal hieratic P. Michaelides 1 and 2 (P. BM EA 10907 and 10906)’, in  Journal of Egyptian Archaeology 90 (2004), pp. 153-166 & figs. 1-8 

[article] ‘King Who? P. Louvre E 7853: the first half of an abnormal hieratic puzzle’, in F. Hoffmann and H.J. Thissen (eds.),  Res severa gaudium.Festschrift für Karl-Theodor Zauzich zum 65. Geburtstag am 8. Juni 2004, 2004, pp. 129-137 & pl. 11 

[review] M. Depauw,  The Archive of Teos and Thabis from Early Ptolemaic Thebes (P. Brux. dem. inv. E. 8252-8256), Monographies Reine Élisabeth 8 (2000), in  Journal of Egyptian Archaeology 90 (2004), Reviews Supplement, pp. 59-61 

2003

[book]  Writing in a workmen’s village.Scribal practice in Ramesside Deir el-Medina, Egyptologische Uitgaven XVI (2003), with B.J.J. Haring 

[article] ‘De petitie van Petiëse’, in R.J. Demaree and K.R. Veenhof (eds.),  Zij Schreven Geschiedenis. Historische Documenten Uit Het Oude Nabije Oosten (2500-100 v. Chr.), Mededelingen en Verhandelingen Ex Oriente Lux 33 (2003), pp. 398-409 

2002

[article] ‘The Scribbling-Pad of Djemontefankh Son of Aafenmut, Priest of Amonrasonter and Overseer of the King’s Treasury (P. Berlin 3048 Verso)’, in K. Ryholt (ed.),  Acts of the Seventh International Conference of Demotic Studies. Copenhagen, 23-27 August 1999(2002), pp. 139-147 

2001

[article] ‘An ancient Egyptian CD-ROM: Ashmolean Museum HO 1256’, in  Journal of Egyptian Archaeology 87 (2001), 94-101, fig. 1-2 & pl. XII, with Guillaume Bouvier and Rob Demarée 

2000

[article] ‘A Scribe’s Cache from the Valley of Queens? The Palaeography of Documents from Deir el-Medina: Some Remarks’, in R.J. Demarée and A. Egberts (eds.),  Deir el-Medina in the Third Millennium AD. A Tribute to Jac. J. Janssen, Egyptologische Uitgaven XIV (2000), pp. 9-49 

[review] J.G. Manning,  The Hauswaldt Papyri. A Third Century B.C. Family Dossier from Edfu, Demotische Studien 12 (1997), in  Bibliotheca Orientalis 57 (2000), cols. 289-295

1999 

[article] ‘Papyrus Louvre E 7851 recto and verso: two more land leases from the reign of Taharka’, in  Revue d’Égyptologie 50 (1999), pp. 135-144 & pl. XIII-XIV 

1998 

[article] ‘Abnormal hieratic in Oxford: two new papyri’, in  Journal of Egyptian Archaeology84 (1998), pp. 234-236, with John Baines and Hans-Werner Fischer-Elfert 

[article] ‘Papyrus Louvre E 7856 verso and recto: leasing land in the reign of Taharka’, in Revue d’Égyptologie 49 (1998), pp. 91-102 & pl. XII-XIII 

[article] ‘Papyrus Leiden I 379: the inheritance of the Memphite choachyte Imouthes’, in Oudheidkundige Mededelingen van het Rijksmuseum van Oudheden 78 (1998), pp. 33-50 & pl. 1-7 

[article] ‘Use of Land in the Kushite and Saite Periods (Egypt, 747-656 and 664-525 BC)’, in B. Haring en R. de Maaijer (eds.),  Landless and Hungry? Access to Land in Early and Traditional Societies. Proceedings of a Seminar held in Leiden, 20 and 21 June, 1996(1998), pp. 90-102 

[article] ‘Kushite abnormal hieratic land leases’, in C.J. Eyre,  Proceedings of the Seventh International Congress of Egyptologists,  Cambridge, 3-9 September 1995 (1998), pp. 339-343 

1997 

[book]  The Illustrated Encyclopedia of World  History, M.E. Sharpe, Armonk NY (1997) 

[article] ‘Papyrus Louvre E 7852: a land lease from the reign of Taharka’, in  Revue d’Égyptologie 48 (1997), pp. 81-93 & pl. VIII 

[review] S.P. Vleeming,  Papyrus Reinhardt. An Egyptian Land List from the Tenth Century B.C., Hieratische Papyri aus den Staatlichen Museen zu Berlin - Preussischer Kulturbesitz, Lieferung II (1993), in  Bibliotheca Orientalis 54 (1997), cols. 72-76 

1995 

[dissertation]  Abnormal hieratic and early demotic texts collected by the Theban choachytes in the reign of Amasis. Papyri from the Louvre Eisenlohr lot, dissertation Leiden (1995) 

1994 

[article] ‘The lost battle of Peteamonip son of Petehorresne’, in E. Bresciani (ed.),  Acta Demotica.  Acts of the Fifth International Conference for Demotists (Pisa, 4th-8th September 1993),  Egitto e Vicino Oriente 17 (1994), pp. 115-124 

1993 

[article] ‘Publishing a Choachyte’s Archive’, in  Atti Sesto Congresso Internazionale di Egittologia, Vol. II (1993), pp. 203-206 

1992 

[article] ‘A small note on early demotic texts and archives’, in  Journal of Egyptian Archaeology 78 (1992), p. 287 

[article] ‘Use and Meaning of the Egyptian Term  w3h-mw’, in R.J. Demarée and A. Egberts (eds.),  Village Voices. Proceedings of the symposium ‘Texts from Deir el-Medîna and their interpretation’, Leiden, May 31 - June 1, 1991, CNWS Publications 13 (1992), pp. 19-30 

1990 

[book]  The legal manual of Hermopolis [P. Mattha].  Text and translation, Uitgaven vanwege de Stichting Het Leids Papyrologisch Instituut 11 (1990)

Publications