Details of the face-to-face meeting at Itchen College on 10th January are given at the foot of this page.  

 

Saturday 17 January 2026 1400 UK Time: 

Aleksandra Hallmann: 'Sartorial Habits in the Late Period Egypt.' 

 

 

 Outline: Aleksandra Hallman provides an insight into the sartorial habits of Late Period Egypt (750 to 332 BC) by this investigation of the clothes represented on reliefs, paintings and statues, which is supported by the examination of preserved textiles, and supplemented by references in ancient texts. She traces the Ancient Egyptian trends in clothing across time to reveal the influence of archaism and innovation, and questions whether clothes reflect regionality, ethnicity, and social roles or status. Her study provides some new criteria for dating and interpretation of representations through careful examination of changes in Egyptian fashion.

Biography: Aleksandra Hallman received a Ph.D in archaeology from the University of Warsaw, Poland and is currently Assistant Professor of Egyptian Archaeology at the Institute of Mediterranean and Oriental Cultures, the Polish Academy of Sciences (Warsaw). Her research focuses on Ancient Egyptian iconography, ancient textiles, dress studies, and constructing identities through material culture. Her current research project centres on the iconography and materiality of Late Period temples with special emphasis on the iconography of God's Wives and kings and their building activity in the Theban area (Luxor, Egypt). Her fieldwork focuses on the Theban area where she works with the Epigraphic Survey of the Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures of the University of Chicago, and the Centre Franco-Égyptien d'Étudedes Temples de Karnak (CFEETK).        

 

The waiting room will open about 13.45 for a 14.00 start UK time.                                    
     
Zoom Meeting Joining Instructions    
      

To join the meeting on 17 January 2026 all you have to do is follow these steps:    


1: Click/tap on the registration link you have been sent. You will be asked to enter your name and email address to register for the meeting. Visitors please contact the Secretary at saesinfo55@gmail.com to obtain links. 

2: If you have not already paid the meeting fee in advance, contact the Secretary at saesinfo55@gmail.com to arrange payment. Payments can be made by BACS transfer, through PayPal, or by cheque. Details on the website 'Join Us' page.  

 3: Look out for the meeting link which will be sent during the week before the talk. You may need to check your junk or spam folders in case they go astray. If you have not received the link by the day before the meeting please try registering again or contact the Secretary. For reasons of security and copyright the meeting link should not be shared with anyone else.    
  
Remember, the registration link you will be given are specific to the meeting on 17 January 2026. THE LINK ONLY WORKS FOR THIS EVENT. A new registration link will be issued for each future meeting.

  Registration for the meeting will open in December 2025.    

 

Saturday 10 January 2026 1400 UK Time Face-to-Face Meeting at Itchen College:  

(Doors at Itchen College usually open around 1330.)   

 NOT ON ZOOM. 

Fiona, Countess of Carnarvon: 'The Earl and the Pharaoh.' 

 

 

 

 Outline: Fiona, 8th Countess of Carnarvon, is the wife of Geordie, 8th Earl of Carnarvon. They live at Highclere Castle, known to millions around the world as “Downton Abbey” Lady Carnarvon is the best-selling author of 6 books, an historian, an international speaker and fundraiser in the UK and abroad. Lady Carnarvon, her husband and son live 'quietly' with seven dogs, a number of horses and ponies, a brood of chickens, several bee hives and some rare breed pigs, amongst the normal farm animals in the farm and landscape of Highclere Castle today. Her everyday life at Highclere varies from welcoming visitors to her home, creating events to support charities, the restoration and management of these historic buildings, gardening, filming and the marketing strategy of the Highclere brand along with global endeavours such as Highclere Castle Gin. Her latest book, The Earl and the Pharaoh – From the Real Downton Abbey to the discovery of Tutankhamun, is published to celebrate the centenary of the achievement of the 5th Earl of Carnarvon. Working from archives, letters and diaries, the book brings to life the story of this remarkable man and his friendship and collaboration with Howard Carter. During the arc of the biography, Lady Carnarvon relates the development of motor cars (Carnarvon was one of the earliest motorists), the story of Geoffrey de Havilland who flew his first plane from Highclere in 1910, as well as Carnarvon’s passion for horse racing and breeding. Lord Carnarvon had sailed and travelled through much of the world but like so many of us, was drawn back to Egypt and he dedicated his work and life to the excavation and understanding of Ancient Egypt. He worked for some 16 years in the inhospitable dry sands and through much of it searching for Tutankhamun. A love of travel and reading is part of Lady Carnarvon’s DNA. Following a degree at St Andrew’s University, she trained as a Chartered Accountant with what is now PWC. Highclere offers both an anchor to the past as well as seeking to innovate and play a part in a modern world, with social media such as Instagram, Lady Carnarvon’s weekly blog, podcast and her latest exciting venture “Friends of Highclere”. 

Meeting fee: To be determined  (includes refreshments)
 
Places are limited so pre-booking is essential. Booking will be confirmed by receipt of payment.

Please contact the Secretary saesinfo55@gmail.com to reserve your place. 


Note: As an extra meeting, this lecture is not part of the advance payment scheme. The fee for this meeting is £5.     

Registration for the meeting is open. 

If you would like to be sent details of this or any other SAES event, please contact the Secretary saesinfo55@gmail.com to have your contact details added to our mailing list.   

DETAILS OF THE VENUE ARE GIVEN IN THE ABOUT US MEETINGS VENUE SECTION OF THIS WEBSITE - ITCHEN COLLEGE  DEACON ROAD, SOUTHAMPTON SO19 7NS (SATNAV 2019 7NS.)  

Payments may be made by PayPal, Bank Transfer or cheque. Payment details are available on the website 'Join Us' tab.   Please note that on Saturday the main entrance to Itchen College is closed so access to the carpark is from Whites Road.  Access details and map are also available on the 'About Us' tab and then 'Meetings Venue.'     

Access to Itchen College: We are pleased to tell you that the Nursery Carpark has now reopened. This means that both vehicle and pedestrian access to the site is from Whites Road as above.