Welcome to North Texas ARCE
Welcome to the North Texas Chapter of the American Research Center in Egypt
We are one of the oldest and most active of the American Research Center in Egypt (ARCE) chapters with regular programs, occasional seminars, and a variety of other activities. At our events you will hear and have a chance to talk with prominent Egyptologists from around the world as well as up and coming scholars. Lectures are free and open to the public.
Our monthly lectures are preceded by a social half hour with refreshments, and we enjoy a post-presentation "no host" dinner with our speaker at a nearby restaurant.
Our Next Event
September 5th, 2026 — 7:30 PM — Heidi L Pennington
Free and open to the public!
Functional, Not Cosmetic:
Revisiting the Role of Heat in Ancient Egyptian Amethyst Production
The earliest known amethyst mines in Egypt date to around 2000 BCE in the Wadi el-Hudi region. Excavation by the Wadi el-Hudi Project at Sites 4 and 9 have revealed archaeological evidence suggesting that ancient Egyptians heat-treated amethyst during on-site processing. This interpretation has been contested by geologists, who argue that heating amethyst destroys its purple coloration, making intentional heat-treatment unlikely. To test this hypothesis I undertook an experimental archaeology project, treating amethyst over live fire, to evaluate whether heat-treating amethyst was feasible and beneficial. The results demonstrate that prolonged exposure to fire does remove the purple color, but shorter exposures produce meaningful functional changes. Heat-treatment made the stones softer and more brittle, facilitating shaping, reducing hardness, and making the removal of adhering quartz significantly easier. These outcomes provide empirical support for the interpretation that ancient Egyptians were not heat-treating amethyst for color-enhancement, but rather as a practical production technique to improve workability during extraction and processing at Wadi el-Hudi.
About the Speaker
Heidi Pennington is an independent Egyptologist and archaeologist whose research focuses on questions of ancient Egyptian refinement practices of amethyst, with particular attention to the use of open flame technologies at mining sites. She received her B.A. in Anthropology and a Certificate of Egyptology (Cum Laude) at California State University, San Bernardino, and holds an A.A. in Anthropology from Antelope Valley College. In addition to presenting her research at conferences and by invitation, she has also organized the annual Kids Discover Egypt Workshop (2026) at the Robert and Frances Fullerton Museum of Arts (RAFFMA), and has worked in collections management at the museum for more than a year.
Venue
Fondren Science Building — 3215 Daniel Ave, Dallas, TX 75205
Important SMU Parking Information
Southern Methodist University kindly sponsors us and provides limited free parking.
Please be sure to park in Lot Q or Lot R next to Fondren Science Building.
It’s easiest to find lecture room 123 in Fondren if you enter from the Lot R side of the building. There will be limited NT-ARCE event signage to help you find your way once inside the Fondren Science Building.
The Club Thanks
Our members, guest speakers, and visitors, and...
Our Generous Sponsor
Southern Methodist University’s Clements Department of History
NT-ARCE 2026 Officers
President: David Kuhlmann
Vice President, Program Chair: Teri Kuhlmann
Treasurer: Samantha Tennant
Secretary: Jennifer Danford
Officers-At-Large: Karlene Schoonover & Susan Patterson
Refreshments generously provided by Jennifer & Butch Danford
See any of the above listed people at a meeting to discuss ideas, offer suggestions, ask questions, or volunteer to help the club with us.
Renew ARCE
Here is a link to national ARCE if you'd like to renew your membership now. Don't forget to designate North Texas ARCE as your affiliated local chapter. Many thanks to all those who have already renewed!
Join ARCE
Join our parent organization, the American Research Center in Egypt for online lectures, periodic reports of current excavations and projects in Egypt, and other member benefits. Don't forget to designate North Texas ARCE as your affiliated local chapter.