These small 𓈖𓆓𓋴𓅩 limestone 𓇋𓈖𓈙𓌉 blocks are called “Talatat” and were used solely during the reign 𓋾𓈎𓏏 of the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 Akhenaten 𓇋𓏏𓈖𓇳𓅞𓐍𓈖! These were used in the construction of the Aten 𓇋𓏏𓈖𓇳 temple 𓉟𓏏𓉐 at Karnak (this construction started when he was still Amenhotep IV 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓊵𓊹𓋾𓌀) and the palace 𓂝𓎛𓏏𓉥𓉐 at Akhetaten 𓈌𓏏𓉐𓇋𓏏𓈖𓊖. Akhetaten 𓈌𓏏𓉐𓇋𓏏𓈖𓊖 was the capital of Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖 during the reign 𓋾𓈎𓏏 of Akhenaten 𓇋𓏏𓈖𓇳𓅞𓐍𓈖.
These limestone 𓇋𓈖𓈙𓌉 blocks were unique because they were so small 𓈖𓆓𓋴𓅩 a single worker could carry them and put it into place. This was meant to expedite construction and make building a lot faster. The Talatat are also unique because they were only used during the reign 𓋾𓈎𓏏 of Akhenaten 𓇋𓏏𓈖𓇳𓅞𓐍𓈖, and were never used again.
Even though originally from Amarna 𓈌𓏏𓉐𓇋𓏏𓈖𓊖, these Talatat were actually found at Hermopolis because after Akhenaten’s 𓇋𓏏𓈖𓇳𓅞𓐍𓈖 reign 𓋾𓈎𓏏, his monuments 𓏠𓏍 were destroyed and building materials were used by other pharaohs 𓉐𓉻𓏦!
These Talatat at the MET were once brightly painted in striking colors, as was most of the Egyptian monuments 𓏠𓏍. A lot of the colors you see on these blocks are restored and not necessarily the original colors.
Tens of thousands of Talatat have been found across Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖.
This is my personal video and original text. DO NOT repost.
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Did you know that there are two different types of hieroglyphic scripts? There are Hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪, and then there are Cursive Hieroglyphs!
Hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪, the script everyone is most familiar with, was the first 𓏃 script used by the ancient Egyptians 𓆎𓏏𓀀𓁐𓏪 to write their language! There are well over 700 𓏲𓏲𓏲𓏲𓏲𓏲𓏲 unique hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 and over 800 𓏲𓏲𓏲𓏲𓏲𓏲𓏲𓏲 symbols if you count the variants! Hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 were mainly used on temples 𓉟𓏏𓉐𓏥, stelae 𓎗𓅱𓆓𓉸𓏪, tombs 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐𓏥, obelisks 𓉶𓉶𓉶, other funerary equipment 𓈎𓂋𓋴𓏏𓏏𓊭 such as sarcophagi 𓎟𓋹𓈖𓐍𓊭𓏪 and other objects of all kinds!
Then there are Cursive Hieroglyphs which are also known as Hieroglyphic Book Hand! This was usually used on handwritten papyri 𓅓𓍑𓏏𓏛𓏦 and was a less detailed version of the traditional hieroglyphic symbols. Cursive Hieroglyphs are easy to read because these symbols match their traditional hieroglyphic counterparts! The most difficult part can sometimes be deciphering the handwriting – a problem that we still see today even with modern written scripts!
In the images 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓏦, I have the same phrases of the same phrases written in Hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 and Cursive Hieroglyphs so you can visually see the comparison between the two 𓏻 forms of writing! A pattern I’ve noticed about Cursive Hieroglyphs is that the shorter variants of words and phrases is more commonly used as opposed to the traditional hieroglyphic script!
A comparison of the two scripts – both show the phrase “Words Spoken By Osiris”
The image 𓏏𓅱𓏏 above shows two 𓏻 variants of the phrase “Words Spoken By Osiris”
𓆓𓌃𓇋𓈖𓁹𓊨𓀭 (Hieroglyphs)
𓆓𓌃𓇋 𓁹𓊨𓊹 (Cursive Hieroglyphs)
A comparison of the two scripts – both write the word “To Be” or “To Exist”
The image 𓏏𓅱𓏏 above shows two 𓏻 variants of the word “To Be” or “To Exist.”
𓃹𓈖 (Cursive Hieroglyphs)
𓃹𓈖𓈖 (Hieroglyphs)
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Here is Week 6 𓏿 of my Hieroglyphic Word of the Day stories all compiled into a video! Learning any language – including hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪/Middle Egyptian doesn’t have to be difficult!
This week I had a gods 𓊹𓊹𓊹 and goddesses 𓊹𓊹𓊹𓏏 theme!
Duamutef 𓇼𓅐𓏏𓆑, 𓇼𓂟𓏏𓆑
Hapi 𓎛𓐑𓊪𓇌, 𓐑𓊪𓇌
Qebehsenuef 𓏁𓌢𓌢𓌢𓆑, 𓏁𓈖𓈖𓈖𓌢𓏏𓏥𓆑, 𓏁𓌢𓌢𓌢𓆑𓀭
Imseti 𓇋𓅓𓊃𓍿, 𓇋𓐝𓋴𓍘𓇋
Montu 𓏠𓈖𓍿𓅱, 𓏠𓈖𓍿𓅱𓀭
Sobek 𓋴𓃀𓎡𓆋, 𓋴𓃀𓎡𓀭
Nephthys 𓉠, 𓎟𓏏𓉗𓏏𓆇
These are all words that you will come across in inscriptions! Next time you’re at a museum, see if you can spot these ancient Egyptian words!
Here is a link to the video on TikTok – with music!
How cute is this blue 𓇋𓁹𓏏𓄿𓏸𓏥 faience 𓋣𓈖𓏏𓏸𓏼 statue 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾 of a monkey 𓎼𓄿𓆑𓃸?
A blue faience monkey statue from Amarna on display at the Brooklyn Museum
This statue 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾 is from Amarna 𓈌𓏏𓉐𓇋𓏏𓈖𓊖 and is dated to Akhenaten’s 𓇋𓏏𓈖𓇳𓅜𓐍𓈖 reign 𓋾𓈎𓏏 in the 18th Dynasty. This piece strikes me as interesting for an Amarna-era piece because it doesn’t look like the “typical” Amarna-era art style! It’s more realistic looking instead of having exaggerated features!
One really cool feature about this monkey 𓎼𓄿𓆑𓃸 statue 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾 is that his ears are pierced! It’s possible that in antiquity the statue 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾 had earrings – how cool is that? The Brooklyn Museum has speculated that the presence of an earring would be an indication that this statue 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾 represented a household pet. If a person had a monkey 𓎼𓄿𓆑𓄛 as a household pet in ancient Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖, that meant that the person was extremely wealthy because monkeys had to be imported into Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖 from far away and were extremely expensive!
The monkey 𓎡𓇌𓃸 also seems to be holding something round in his hands – my guess is that it’s some type of fruit!
There are a lot of different ways to write the word for “monkey” in hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪, however, a lot of these variants are similar except for the determinative used at the end! Here’s a list of some of the variants here (there are actually too many to list):
𓎼𓄿𓆑𓃻
𓎼𓄿𓆑𓃸
𓎼𓄿𓆑𓄛
𓎼𓄿𓆑𓄜
𓎡𓇌𓃸
𓆓𓎛𓆓𓎛𓃻
Thank you to my sister 𓌢𓈖𓏏𓁐 for taking this wonderful picture 𓏏𓅱𓏏!
This is my personal photograph and original text. DO NOT repost.
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Let’s read some Hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪! In ancient Egypt many pharaohs had five names, so let’s learn the Royal Titularly of Hatshepsut!
This stela 𓎗𓅱𓆓𓉸 is one of my absolute favorite pieces because depicts Hatshepsut 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓎹𓏏𓄂𓏏𓀼𓏪 and Thutmosis III 𓇳𓏠𓆣 during their joint reign. Hatshepsut 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓎹𓏏𓄂𓏏𓀼𓏪 is wearing the blue crown 𓆣𓂋𓈙𓋙 and making an offering of nemset jars 𓏌𓏌𓏌 to Amun-Ra 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓇳𓏺. The stela 𓎗𓅱𓆓𓉸 was meant to commemorate restoration works in Thebes 𓌀𓏏𓊖!
The most interesting parts about this stela is that it is one of two pieces (that I know of) that contains Hatshepsut’s entire titulary in one place! The only other place I know that has all of Hatshepsut’s 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓎹𓏏𓄂𓏏𓀼𓏪 names 𓂋𓈖𓏦 is the Obelisk at Karnak.
Let’s take a closer look at all of Hatshepsut’s 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓎹𓏏𓄂𓏏𓀼𓏪 names 𓂋𓈖𓏦! The names 𓂋𓈖𓏦 can be found on the top two rows of hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 on the bottom of the stela 𓎗𓅱𓆓𓉸!
Horus Name: 𓄊𓋴𓏏𓂓𓂓𓂓 – “Wosretkau” translates to “The Mighty of the Kas” or “The Mighty of the Souls.”
The Horus Name of Hatshepsut
Nebty Name: 𓅒𓇅𓏏𓆳𓆳𓆳 – “Wadjet renput” translates to “Flourishing of Years.”
The Nebty Name of Hatshepsut
Golden Horus Name: 𓅉𓊹𓏏𓈍𓏦 – “Netjeret khau” translates to “Divine of Appearances.”
The Golden Horus Name of Hatshepsut
Throne Name: 𓇳𓁦𓂓 – “Maatkare” translates to “Truth is the Soul of Re.”
The Throne Name of Hatshepsut
Birth Name: 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓎹𓄂𓀼 – “Khnemet Amun Hatshepsut” translates to “United with Amun, Foremost of the Noble Women.” This version of the Birth Name that appears on this stela is a variant of 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓎹𓏏𓄂𓏏𓀼𓏪. A “variant” is just a different way to spell out a person’s name 𓂋𓈖!
The Birth Name of Hatshepsut
If you watch the video on TikTok below, there is music accompanying the images! I hope you enjoyed learning about The Royal Titularly of Hatshepsut!
This is my personal video, photograph and original text. DO NOT repost.
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Happy World Animal Day! Let’s learn about the significance of Animals in Ancient Egypt!
Me with a blue faience hippo at the Brooklyn Museum! The blue faience hippos are one of my absolute favorite types of artifacts!
Believe it or not, there is no Middle Egyptian word for “animal” – there was the word “𓌚𓅓𓄛” but it translates more accurately to “beast” than to all animals in general. What I love about language 𓂋𓏺 is that even a small detail such as this can show us so much about the culture of the people who spoke it!
An ibis on display at the MET
In ancient Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖, Animals were usually referred to by their name 𓂋𓈖 instead of as a singular category. What I love about Middle Egyptian is that the name 𓂋𓈖 the animal was given was sometimes very similar to the sound the animal made! For example, the Middle Egyptian word for cat is 𓅓𓇋𓅱𓃠 (miu) which can be pronounced similarly to “meow.” The word for dog is 𓃛𓅱𓃛𓅱𓃥 (iwiw) which can almost sound like “woof woof.”
A cat mummy on display at the MET
Why is this significant? It shows that the Egyptians 𓆎𓏏𓀀𓁐𓏪 didn’t regard animals as different from humans or less than humans (unlike the Greeks and Romans, and eventually Western cultures). Animals were living things that contained a ba 𓅡𓏺 (part of the soul that is active in this world and the spiritual world). They could become gods 𓊹𓊹𓊹 through death 𓅓𓏏𓏱 and mummification 𓋴𓂧𓐍𓅱𓐎 just like humans.
Hathor in her cow form from the Book of the Dead of Imhotep at the MET
Animals like cats 𓅓𓇋𓅱𓃠𓏪, ibises 𓉔𓃀𓅤𓏪, cows 𓄤𓆑𓂋𓏏𓃒𓏦, snakes 𓇋𓂝𓂋𓏏𓆘𓏪, hippos 𓌉𓏏𓃯𓏦, and many others were held in high regard due to the gods 𓊹𓊹𓊹 and goddesses 𓊹𓊹𓊹𓏏 who could take the form of those animals!
A fish bowl on display at the Brooklyn Museum
This is my personal photograph and original text. DO NOT repost.
My sister 𓌢𓈖𓏏 has always said that this piece reminds her of the children’s book “The Rainbow Fish,” and thanks to her that’s how I always refer to this piece!
Do you think this little fish rattle at the Brooklyn Museum looks like The Rainbow Fish?
This beautifully 𓄤 colored fish 𓂋𓅓𓆛 represents a tilapia 𓇋𓆛𓈖𓏏𓆛! The Egyptians 𓆎𓏏𓀀𓁐𓏪 viewed the tilapia 𓇋𓆛𓈖𓏏𓆛 as a symbol of regeneration and rebirth 𓄟𓍿𓅱. Both of these concepts were super important in the Egyptian religion, so they held tilapia 𓇋𓆛𓈖𓏏𓆛 in very high regard!
What is so cool about this piece is that it is actually a rattle! There are little clay 𓊪𓈖𓋴𓈇 pellets inside of it, which represents the eggs. This was most likely a ritual object; either played during childbirth or placed in a tomb 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐 to help the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱 with their rebirth 𓄟𓍿𓅱!
The blue 𓇅𓆓𓏛 coloring on the fish 𓂋𓅓𓆛 is purely decorative as tilapia 𓇋𓆛𓈖𓏏𓆛 are not this color in real life! However, these particular colors used (blue 𓇅𓆓𓏛, red 𓂧𓈙𓂋𓅟 and black 𓆎𓅓) are very typical of the color palette used at Amenhotep III’s 𓇳𓁧𓎠 palace at Malqata and at Amarna 𓈌𓏏𓉐𓇋𓏏𓈖𓊖 during Akhenaten’s 𓇋𓏏𓈖𓇳𓅜𓐍𓈖 reign. This piece is estimated to be from the late 18th Dynasty and is thought to be from Saqqara 𓏠𓈖𓄤𓆑𓂋𓉴𓊖.
From a hieroglyphic standpoint, the tilapia symbol 𓆛 is the main determinative for “fish 𓂋𓅓𓆛!” This demonstrates just how important the Egyptians viewed the tilapia – a lot of their fish related words contained the tilapia 𓆛! Tilapia also has its own word which is “𓇋𓆛𓈖𓏏𓆛.”
The Rainbow Fish with the word for “tilapia” in hieroglyphs!
Thanks 𓋴𓏏𓍯𓄿𓀢 to my sister 𓌢𓈖𓏏 for taking this picture 𓏏𓅱𓏏!
This is my personal photograph and original text. DO NOT repost.
This stunningly painted piece is the Inner Cartonnage of a person named Gautseshenu. This piece would have been placed inside a larger coffin and is made of cartonnage (ancient paper mache). It is dated to the 25th Dynasty (Third Intermediate Period). It was found in Thebes 𓌀𓏏𓊖 and it’s amazing how well preserved it is and how bright the colors are.
The Weighing of the Heart scene from the Book of the Dead 𓉐𓂋𓏏𓂻𓅓𓉔𓂋𓏲𓇳𓏺𓍼𓏺 is my absolute favorite type of religious art from ancient Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖. As a kid, I loved it because Anubis 𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱𓁢 was the central god 𓊹 in the scene, and Anubis 𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱𓁢 is my favorite Egyptian god 𓊹 . As an adult, I love what the scene represents and the symbolism behind it.
For those unfamiliar with the context of the scene, Anubis 𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱𓁢 weighs the heart 𓇋𓃀𓄣 of the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱 against Maat’s 𓌴𓐙𓂣𓏏𓁦 feather. If Anubis determines there’s balance between the two, then the deceased would be presented to Osiris 𓁹𓊨 𓀭 by Horus 𓅃𓀭. The simplified version of the scene represented on this cartonnage is missing Thoth 𓅤𓀭 and Ammit 𓂝𓅓𓅓𓏏.
If you’re looking at the inner cartonnage/coffin 𓅱𓇋𓀾 from the front, you can see Khepri 𓆣𓂋𓇋𓁛(the winged beetle) and the Four Sons of Horus beneath him. I feel like this coffin 𓅱𓇋𓀾 is the Sparks Notes version of the Book of the Dead 𓉐𓂋𓏏𓂻𓅓𓉔𓂋𓏲𓇳𓏺𓍼𓏺 – it kinda gives you some of the most important parts of it in a very small amount of space!
You can also watch this video (with music) on TikTok!
This is my personal photograph and original text. DO NOT repost.
Let’s read some Hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪! It’s time for Week 5 of my Hieroglyphic Vocabulary!
In the video above is Week 5 𓏾 of my Hieroglyphic Word of the Day stories all compiled into a video! Learning any language – including hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪/Middle Egyptian doesn’t have to be difficult!
Let’s read some hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪! Today 𓏇𓇋𓈖𓇳 we are going to be looking at a word that I use frequently in my descriptions, “𓏏𓅱𓏏,” which translates to “image,” “likeness,” “statue,” or “figure.”
The word “Image” in hieroglyphs from a papyrus on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art
I also utilize this particular word to translate the words “picture” and “photo” because that would be the closest Middle Egyptian to English translation! For the word “statue,” the “𓀾” determinative is put at the end of the word so it would be spelled like “𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾.”
The importance of the visual representation of the deities 𓊹𓊹𓊹 was embedded in ancient Egyptian religion and culture. For example, when the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 was alive, he/she was thought to be the living image 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓋹 of the God 𓊹 Horus 𓅃𓀭.
The Egyptians built temples 𓉟𓏏𓉐𓏪 and shrines 𓐍𓊃𓅓𓂜𓉐𓏦 to their gods 𓊹𓊹𓊹 and goddesses 𓊹𓊹𓊹𓏏 because they believed that the gods 𓊹𓊹𓊹 could be approached and prayed to through the statues 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾𓏪 that resided in these places of worship. The statues 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓏪 or “images of the gods” were thought to be the actual deity and were thus treated with great reverence 𓐍𓄪𓅱 and respect.
Another example is that when a person’s name 𓂋𓈖 was written down in hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪, it meant that the person would live 𓋹 forever 𓎛𓇳𓎛. The visual representation of a person’s name 𓂋𓈖 had the power to give the person eternal 𓆖 life 𓋹. This is why pharaohs wanted their name on as many monuments as possible – their name 𓂋𓈖 in hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 had immense power!
Let’s break down the symbols in the word “𓏏𓅱𓏏!”
The “Quail Chick 𓅱” is a super common symbol that you will see in a lot of inscriptions! It is a uniliteral phonogram sign, which means it has the sound of a single consonant. The “𓅱” is representative of the sound “w” or “u.” This symbol is also an ideogram for the word “chick 𓅱𓏺.”
The “flat loaf of bread 𓏏” is a uniliteral phonogram used to represent the sound “t.” It also functions as the ideogram for the word “bread 𓏏𓏺.”
So why did I choose to highlight this particular word? “𓏏𓅱𓏏” was one of the first words that I learned when I was first starting to read hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪! The reason is because it is part of Tutankhamun‘s 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓏏𓅱𓏏𓋹𓋾𓉺𓇓 cartouche, which translates to “Living Image of Amun!”
Here is a breakdown of Tutankhamun‘s 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓏏𓅱𓏏𓋹𓋾𓉺𓇓 name 𓂋𓈖:
𓇋𓏠𓈖 – Amun
𓏏𓅱𓏏 – Tut (image)
𓋹 – Ankh (life/living)
𓋾 – Ruler
𓉺 – of/on
𓇓 – Upper Egypt
As a side note, I am a visual learner, and I think that’s why I’m really great at things like reading hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 and geology – both are topics which require the brain to use images and visuals over other types of processing. Even when I speak English and Italian I see the words in my head as if they are subtitles so I think my visual brain is why I am good at languages! Plus I always say that rocks are the hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 of the Earth, so I am grouping geology in with languages too! Despite the auditory nature of languages, for me, they are actually more visual.
This is my personal photograph and original text. DO NOT repost.
