Author: ancientegyptblog7

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Egyptian Artifacts

Ba Bird on a Sarcophagus

Today 𓏇𓇋𓈖𓇳 we are going to be looking at this vibrant/beautifully 𓄤 painted 𓇨𓂋𓅱𓏭𓏸𓏦 sarcophagus 𓎟𓋹𓈖𓐍𓊭 from the MET! 

This image 𓏏𓅱𓏏 depicts the deceased’s 𓅓𓏏𓏱 ba 𓅡𓏺 returning to its mummy 𓇋𓁹𓅱𓀾! The Ba 𓅡𓏺 was part of an individual’s soul that was depicted as a human headed bird. The Ba 𓅡𓏺 and the ka 𓂓𓏺  were both aspects of a person’s soul! I also love the detail of the four 𓏽 canopic jars underneath the mummy 𓇋𓁹𓅱𓀾! 

The Ba 𓅡𓏤 is the impression that an individual makes on others – everything except the physical body 𓎛𓂝𓄼. The Ba 𓅡𓏤 can also be thought of as an individual’s personality. The Ba 𓅡𓏤 wasn’t necessarily associated with living, and seemed to manifest after the person died. Ba 𓅡𓏤 has no equivalent word 𓌃𓂧𓅱𓀁 in any current language 𓂋𓏺, as this was an ancient Egyptian funerary concept/belief. 

When a person died, the Ba 𓅡𓏤 was the only part of the person that would be able to travel out of the tomb 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐, but it did have to return eventually to be reunited with the mummy 𓇋𓁹𓅱𓀾. 

There’s a spell 𓎛𓂓𓏛 from the Book of the Dead that states “May it (Ba) see my corpse, may it rest on my mummy, Which will never be destroyed or perish.” This spell 𓎛𓂓𓏛 illustrates why it was so important that the mummy 𓇋𓁹𓅱𓀾 remain intact; the Ba 𓅡𓏤 needed to return to it! This is why funerary masks became so popular; if the mummy 𓇋𓁹𓅱𓀾 was destroyed, the mask could take the place of the mummy’s head and allow the Ba 𓅡𓏤 to return. 

Can you recognize any words in the hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 on the sarcophagus 𓎟𓋹𓈖𓐍𓊭?! There’s a bunch we have learned:

𓆓𓌃𓇋𓈖 – Words Spoken By

𓁹𓊨𓊹 – Osiris

𓎟 – Lord

𓎛𓐑𓊪𓇌 – Hapi

𓇋𓌴𓏺 – Revered

Categories
Book Recommendations

Book Review: “Ancient Egypt” by Campbell Price

I haven’t done a book review in a long time and I really loved this book called “Ancient Egypt” by Campbell Price. This book is part of the Pocket Museum book series by Thames & Hudson! 

When I was at the MET in September, I of course had to stop at the gift shop and look at the books! This was a new book, and I of course gravitated towards it because my absolute favorite statue (White Limestone Statue of Hatshepsut) was on the cover! 

Inside the book are short descriptions and pictures of over 200 of the most significant ancient Egyptian artifacts from museums across the world. This was so fun to go through because while I have been to the MET, British Museum, Louvre, Vatican, Petrie and Brooklyn Museums, it was truly wonderful to see objects from museums I have not been to! 

I like how the book is set up with each page having a clear picture of the object and a short description of it. I feel like this setup makes the book accessible to people of most age groups (probably 10+ if your kid is a strong reader) and different reading levels. 

I also like how the objects are divided up chronologically because it allows the reader to see the transformation of Egyptian art through time. Each time period is also given a brief yet informative introduction, and there is a handy glossary at the back for those who are just starting their journey into studying Egyptian art!

This is a book that I would 100% recommend! I really loved it, and it is one I will continue to look back to for reference and for fun!

This post contains an affiliate link. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. 

Categories
Egyptian Artifacts

Wooden Boat of Ukhotep

This is probably my favorite wooden 𓆱𓏏𓏺 boat 𓂧𓊪𓏏𓊞 model that I have seen in any museum! This particular model is at the MET!

This wooden 𓆱𓏏𓏺 model boat 𓂧𓊪𓏏𓊞 is from the tomb 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐 of a man named 𓂋𓈖 Ukhhotep 𓋂𓊵𓏏𓊪. Ukhotep 𓋂𓊵𓏏𓊪 was the chief treasurer 𓋨𓅱, which is why he probably received such gorgeous 𓄤 funerary equipment 𓈎𓂋𓋴𓏏𓏏𓊭. 

This is one of two 𓏻 funerary boats that were found in his tomb 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐 – most Middle Kingdom tombs 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐𓏦 that had wooden 𓆱𓏏𓏺 models always contained two 𓏻 boats 𓂧𓊪𓏏𓊞𓏦. In the tomb 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐,  one  boat 𓂧𓊪𓏏𓊞 was oriented to the north 𓎔𓏏 and the other towards the south 𓇔𓅱𓏏. 

During the actual funeral, the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱 would take one last journey across the Nile River 𓇋𓏏𓂋𓅱𓈗𓈘𓈇𓏺.  Models of boats 𓂧𓊪𓏏𓊞𓏦 (usually funerary boats), were usually found in tombs 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐𓏦 as a way to symbolically bring the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱 into the afterlife 𓇼𓄿𓏏𓉐.

I really love this model because of the mummy 𓇋𓁹𓅱𓀾 that you can see underneath the canopy! As a kid I always loved that! The canopy also has a leopard 𓍋𓃀𓇌𓃮 skin on the top, and the details on the leopard 𓍋𓃀𓇌𓃮 are just gorgeous!  

The mummy 𓇋𓁹𓅱𓀾 is accompanied by two 𓏻 women 𓊃𓏏𓂑𓏏𓁐𓏪 mourners – they are probably meant to represent Isis 𓊨𓏏𓁥 and Nephthys 𓉠𓏏𓆇. There is also a priest 𓊹𓍛 (dressed in the leopard 𓍋𓃀𓇌𓃮 skin) who holds a scroll 𓅓𓍑𓏏𓏛 with a funerary offering 𓊵𓏏𓊪𓏏𓏔𓏦 on it. There is a second priest 𓊹𓍛, also dressed in leopard 𓍋𓃀𓇌𓃮 skin with his arm 𓂝𓏺 extended outward in a mourning gesture.

Wooden 𓆱𓏏𓏺 models were very popular amongst Middle Kingdom tombs 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐𓏦. This particular boat 𓂧𓊪𓏏𓊞 is dated to the 12th Dynasty (c. 1981–1802 B.C.E.)

Categories
Reading Hieroglyphs

“For the Soul of the Scribe of the Treasury”

Let’s read some hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪!

Previously, we looked at the phrase “𓈖𓂓𓈖 For the Soul of…” and today 𓏇𓇋𓈖𓇳 we are going to look at the next part of the inscription 𓎘𓅱𓎖!

Some review from the other post: The “ka 𓂓” or the soul is the part of the person that interacted with others (family 𓅕𓉔𓅱𓏏𓀀𓁐𓏦, friends 𓈘𓈇𓀀𓁐𓏦, even the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻) and also can be thought of as the offices you held in life. Usually the list of jobs/titles/offices would follow “𓈖𓂓𓈖 For the Soul Of…” on the inscription 𓎘𓅱𓎖! This is what we will be examining today! 

Let’s take a look at the roles this individual had! Make sure to look for the words 𓌃𓂧𓏏𓀁 “𓈖𓂓𓈖 For the Soul of…” if you want to see someone’s jobs! 

The inscription 𓎘𓅱𓎖 reads: 

𓈖𓂓𓈖 – For the Soul of

𓏞 – Scribe

𓉒 – Treasury

So all put together, the inscription 𓎘𓅱𓎖 reads: “For the Soul of the Scribe of the Treasury.” 

So according to the hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪, this individual was a Scribe 𓏞 in the treasury 𓉒! This was definitely a prestigious job, which is why the person was able to afford such a nice statue 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾 with hieroglyphic 𓊹𓌃 inscriptions 𓏟𓏛𓏥 on it! 

Scribe 𓏞 can also be written as 𓏞𓀀, and the determinative symbol is missing on this inscription 𓎘𓅱𓎖. Treasury is usually always written with the composite symbol/ideogram of 𓉒. 

Categories
Reading Hieroglyphs

“For the Soul of…”

Let’s read some hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪!

Today 𓏇𓇋𓈖𓇳 we are going to be looking at a phrase that could be part of the standard Offering Formula (𓇓𓏏𓊵𓏙 “An Offering the King Gives”). While not as common as some other parts of the Offering Formula, the phrase “𓈖𓂓𓈖 For the Soul Of…” does appear enough that you will be able to recognize it! 

“𓈖𓂓𓈖 For the Soul Of…” indicates that the offering is not only being made for the deceased person, but the soul 𓂓 of the deceased person, which demonstrates the ancient Egyptian cultural practice of the distinct parts of a person’s identity. In order to exist, a person needed to have five 𓏾 essential elements: the body 𓎛𓂝𓄼, the shadow 𓆄𓏏𓅱𓋼, the Ba 𓅡𓏤, the Ka (soul/life force) 𓂓𓏤, and the name 𓂋𓈖. 

More specifically, the “ka 𓂓” or the soul is the part of the person that interacted with others (family 𓅕𓉔𓅱𓏏𓀀𓁐𓏦, friends 𓈘𓈇𓀀𓁐𓏦, even the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻) and can be thought of as the offices you held in life. Usually the list of jobs/titles/offices would follow “𓈖𓂓𓈖 For the Soul Of…” on the inscription 𓎘𓅱𓎖! These memories of a person and their interactions were important to maintaining their offering cult when they died. 

So let’s take a closer look at the hieroglyphic symbols 𓊹𓌃𓏪! 

The “ripple of water 𓈖” is a phonogram sign, and it functions as a uniliteral sign. The “𓈖” is associated with the sound of “n!” The 𓈖 has many grammatical functions on its own, and it can mean “to,” “of,” “for,” “we/us/our,” “in,” “because,” “through,” and some others! How do we know which word it is? Context clues! 

The “two arms 𓂓” functions as a biliteral phonogram and an ideogram, both with the sound of “ka/k3.” 

Click Here for the next post in this series!

Categories
Egyptian Artifacts

Ptolemaic Statue of Anubis

This statue 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾 of Anubis 𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱𓃣 is dated to the Ptolemaic Period (c. 332–30 B.C.E.) and is quite beautiful 𓄤 in person! I have never posted about this piece before because the lighting in the gallery is so bad that it makes it hard to get a good picture 𓏏𓅱𓏏! 

This statue 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾 is made of plaster and wood 𓆱𓏏𓏺, and has been painted 𓏞𓏜 in many beautiful 𓄤 colors! Anubis’ 𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱𓃣 arms are raised in a protective 𓅓𓂝𓎡𓀜 stance, as if he is welcoming the dead 𓅓𓏏𓏱 to the afterlife 𓇼𓄿𓏏𓉐. 

Anubis 𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱𓃣 held many important titles, all of which signify how important he was to not only embalming, but to all aspects of a person’s death 𓅓𓏏𓏱. The title “Upon His Hill/Mountain 𓁶𓏺𓈋𓆑” references the cliff that usually surrounded necropolises, which Anubis 𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱𓃣 (and jackals 𓊃𓄿𓃀𓃥𓏦) would guard. The title “He who is in the mummy wrappings 𓇋𓏶𓅱𓏏𓐎𓊖“ signifies Anubis’ role in the mummification process, which is what he is most known for. 

The title “In front at the God’s booth 𓏅𓊹𓉱” references Anubis’ 𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱𓃣 place not only in the place of embalming, but in the burial chamber 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓉐 of a tomb 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐 too!  Before Osiris 𓁹𓊨𓀭 became a much more major god 𓊹 of the dead 𓅓𓏏𓏱, Anubis 𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱𓃣 had that role and was known by the title “Foremost of the Westerners 𓏅𓈖𓏏𓏭𓋀𓄿𓏦 ” Since the sun 𓆄𓅱𓇳 set in the west 𓋀𓏏𓏏𓈊, the west 𓋀𓏏𓏏𓈊 was known as the land of the dead to the ancient Egyptians 𓆎𓏏𓀀𓁐𓏪. 

Categories
Blog

Stargate Graphing Project

Stargate SG-1 and Atlantis are my most favorite tv shows of all time! I started watching them when I was a teenager and instantly loved them. As someone who loves both ancient Egypt and science, Stargate 𓋴𓇼𓃀𓊀𓈖𓋴𓃀𓄿𓇼𓇳𓏦 was the perfect combination of both! This picture is of a project that I did for my pre-calc class in high school! We had to make a picture on a graphing calculator using equations, and of course I chose to graph a Stargate 𓋴𓇼𓃀𓊀𓈖𓋴𓃀𓄿𓇼𓇳𓏦! 

I idolized both Daniel Jackson (archaeologist) and Samantha Carter (astrophysicist) and wanted to be just like both of them! I guess my wish came true because over 15 years later, I am teaching hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 to all of you, and I teach astrophysics to high school students! Sam Carter is actually the reason I became a scientist – seeing her do science inspired me! I wanted (and still want) to be just like her! Its crazy how a tv show had such a tremendous and positive impact on my life – its honestly hard to put it into words how much Stargate 𓋴𓇼𓃀𓊀𓈖𓋴𓃀𓄿𓇼𓇳𓏦 means to me. 

So how do you write “Stargate” in hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪? Let’s take a look at the hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 from the movie: 𓋴𓇼𓃀𓊀𓈖𓋴𓃀𓄿𓇼𓇳𓏦 – “Gate to the Stars” (Stargate)

𓋴𓇼𓃀𓊀 – Gate/Doorway

𓈖 – To 

𓋴𓃀𓄿𓇼𓇳𓏦 – Stars

I love how the root word of both gate/doorway and star are the same word: 𓋴𓃀𓄿. They would both be pronounced like “sba” – its just the determinative symbols that are different! In the movie, 𓋴𓇼𓃀𓊀 is a little messed up and should be spelled like this: 𓋴𓃀𓇼𓊀, but I’ll forgive it because the hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 are actually quite good! 

Categories
Reading Hieroglyphs

Hieroglyphic Grammar – Making Words Feminine

Let’s read some hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪!

Today 𓏇𓇋𓈖𓇳 we are going to be looking at some grammar – how to make a word feminine! The inscription 𓏟𓏛𓏥 in the picture 𓏏𓅱𓏏 says the word “goddess 𓊹𓏏.” The word “god 𓊹” is an extremely popular word and is used throughout ancient Egyptian inscriptions 𓏟𓏛𓏥!

The “cloth wound on a pole 𓊹” symbol is both an ideogram and a determinative for the word “god.” The symbol is thought to sound like “ntr” which probably sounds like “neter.” 

Yesterday in my post I mentioned that 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” and can be used to make words feminine when placed at the end of the word! 

A Note: just because the “𓏏” appears in a doesn’t mean that the word is automatically feminine – it must be at the end of the word! All nouns in Middle Egyptian were either masculine or feminine, and the masculine nouns had no special ending! The ending of “𓏏” is just an ending, and is not part of the root of the word. 

Here’s some examples of some words that become feminine with the “𓏏”:

“𓌢𓈖 brother” and “𓌢𓈖𓏏 sister”

“𓊹 god” and “goddeHieroglyphic Grammar – Making Words Femininess 𓊹𓏏”

“𓋾𓈎𓀀 male ruler” and “𓋾𓈎𓏏𓁐” (here not only is 𓏏 added but the determinative changes too) 

“𓎟 Lord” and “Lady 𓎟𓏏” 

“𓌳𓁹𓄿𓄛 lion” and “𓌳𓁹𓄿𓏏𓄛 lioness”

Categories
Reading Hieroglyphs

“Welcome” and “Come” in Hieroglyphs

Let’s read some hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪!

Today 𓏇𓇋𓈖𓇳 we are going to be looking at a word 𓌃𓂧𓅱𓀁 that has two 𓏻 meanings! The word 𓌃𓂧𓅱𓀁 is “𓇍𓇋𓂻” which can mean “come” or “welcome” depending on the context! 

The “reed with legs 𓇍” symbol is a combination of the “reed 𓇋” and the “walking legs 𓂻” symbols. 𓇍 is a uniliteral phonogram symbol, and is usually associated with the sound “j.” 

The “reed 𓇋” is a very popular symbol that I’m sure you all recognize! 𓇋 is also a uniliteral phonogram symbol, and is also associated with the sound “j.” This symbol can also act as an ideogram for the word “reed 𓇋𓏺.” When the symbol is doubled “𓇌” it is associated with the sound “y.” Now, most will translate the “reed 𓇋” as having the sound of “i,” but that sound association only became popularized during Greek times! 

The “walking legs 𓂻” symbol is a determinative in words that have to do with motion. It can also function as a biliteral phonogram and was associated with the sound “jw.” 𓂻 could also function as an ideogram for the word “step 𓂻𓏺.” 

So all together, 𓇍𓇋𓂻 would have possibly been pronounced like “ı͗ı͗” or “jj”!! In this word, “𓇍𓇋” are the phonograms and “𓂻” is the determinative! The determinatives at the end of words 𓌃𓂧𓏏𓀁 were not pronounced and instead acted like punctuation! The determinative “summarized” the meaning of the word 𓌃𓂧𓅱𓀁 and let you know that the word 𓌃𓂧𓅱𓀁 was finished! 

So if you are new here, Welcome 𓇍𓇋𓂻 to @ancientegyptblog 𓃣😀!!! 

Categories
Reading Hieroglyphs

Alternate Hieroglyphic Spelling of “Duamutef”

Let’s read some hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪!

Today 𓏇𓇋𓈖𓇳 we are going to be looking at an alternate spelling for the name 𓂋𓈖 of the god 𓊹 Duamutef 𓇼𓂟𓏏𓆑! Usually, Duamutef is written as “𓇼𓅐𓏏𓆑,” however, “𓇼𓂟𓏏𓆑” is an alternate spelling for his name 𓂋𓈖! While it is only a one symbol difference, that could confuse people who are just learning which is why I wanted to talk about it! Most of the deities in the Egyptian pantheon had multiple ways that their names 𓂋𓈖𓏦 written in inscriptions 𓏟𓏛𓏥! Another less common way to write Duamutef’s name is “𓂧𓍯𓇼𓅐𓏏𓆑,” but I have rarely seen that spelling used! 

Let’s take a look at Duamutef’s 𓇼𓂟𓏏𓆑 name 𓂋𓈖 in hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪! All of the symbols in Duamutef’s 𓇼𓂟𓏏𓆑 name 𓂋𓈖 are phonogram symbols, which means that they represent sounds! 

The “star 𓇼”  functions as a triliteral phonogram for the sound “dw3” (almost like “dua”). Triliteral means that the symbol represents three consonants! In other words, it can also function as a determinative or ideogram. 

The “forearm with bread 𓂟“ symbol could either function as a uniliteral or biliteral phonogram depending ok the word! 𓂟 represented the sounds “m” or “mj.” The “forearm with bread 𓂟” could also be a determinative in the word for “give 𓂋𓂟.”

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” and can be used to make words feminine! 

The “horned viper 𓆑” functions as a uniliteral phonogram and represents the sound “f.” In other words, it can function as a determinative. 

So Duamutef’s 𓇼𓂟𓏏𓆑 name 𓂋𓈖 in hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 is something like “duamwttf” – which is very similar to “Duamutef!” Most of the major deities have Greek names 𓂋𓈖𓏦 that we use to identify them, instead of their actual Egyptian name 𓂋𓈖. For example, “Anubis” is a Greek name – “Inpu” is what the ancient Egyptians would have called Anubis 𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱𓃣!