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Reading Hieroglyphs

Words Spoken By Duamutef

Letโ€™s read some hieroglyphs ๐“Šน๐“Œƒ๐“ช! Today we are going to look at the following inscription: “๐“†“๐“Œƒ๐“‡‹๐“ˆ–๐“‡ผ๐“‚Ÿ๐“๐“†‘ – Words Spoken By Duamutef” which is painted on a sarcophagus ๐“ŽŸ๐“‹น๐“ˆ–๐“๐“Šญ that is dated to the Middle Kingdom. One of my favorite things about this sarcophagus ๐“ŽŸ๐“‹น๐“ˆ–๐“๐“Šญ is the bright colors! It’s always incredible how beautiful and bright the colors are even after thousands of years!

Words Spoken By Duamutef
“Words Spoken By Duamutef” painted on a sarcophagus from the Middle Kingdom

โ€œ ๐“†“๐“Œƒ๐“‡‹๐“ˆ–โ€ is a really popular introduction to an inscription ๐“Ž˜๐“…ฑ๐“Ž– and it translates to โ€œWords spoken byโ€ฆ ๐“†“๐“Œƒ๐“‡‹๐“ˆ–.โ€ โ€œ๐“†“๐“Œƒ๐“‡‹๐“ˆ–โ€ is usually followed by the name ๐“‚‹๐“ˆ– of a god ๐“Šน or goddess ๐“Šน๐“. 

The โ€œcobra ๐“†“โ€ is a phonogram, which means that it is a symbol that represents sounds, and is usually part of a larger word! The cobra ๐“†“ is a uniliteral sign, so it represents just one consonant. It represents the sound โ€œแธโ€ which would almost sound like a โ€œjโ€ when pronounced. 

The โ€œstaff or walking stick ๐“Œƒโ€ functions as both a phonogram (in this phrase) and as an ideogram (for the word โ€œ staff ๐“Œƒ๐“บโ€). ๐“Œƒ is a triliteral phonogram symbol and represents the three consonant sound โ€œmdw.โ€

The โ€œreed ๐“‡‹โ€ is a uniliteral phonogram for โ€œฤฑอ—,โ€ however it can also function as an ideogram for the word โ€œreed ๐“‡‹๐“บ.โ€ 

The โ€œripple of water ๐“ˆ–โ€ is also a uniliteral phonogram. The โ€œ๐“ˆ–โ€ is associated with the sound of โ€œn!โ€ 

Letโ€™s take a look at Duamutefโ€™s ๐“‡ผ๐“‚Ÿ๐“๐“†‘ name ๐“‚‹๐“ˆ– in hieroglyphs ๐“Šน๐“Œƒ๐“ช! All of the symbols in Duamutefโ€™s ๐“‡ผ๐“‚Ÿ๐“๐“†‘ name ๐“‚‹๐“ˆ– are also phonograms! 

The โ€œstar ๐“‡ผโ€  functions as a triliteral phonogram for the sound โ€œdw3โ€ (almost like โ€œduaโ€). In other words, ๐“‡ผ can also function as a determinative or ideogram. 

The โ€œforearm with bread ๐“‚Ÿโ€œ symbol could either function as a uniliteral or biliteral phonogram depending on the word! ๐“‚Ÿ represented the sounds โ€œmโ€ or โ€œmj.โ€ The โ€œforearm with bread ๐“‚Ÿโ€ could also be a determinative in the word for โ€œgive ๐“‚‹๐“‚Ÿ.โ€

The โ€œflat loaf of bread ๐“โ€ is a uniliteral phonogram used to represent the sound โ€œt.โ€ It also functions as the ideogram for the word โ€œbread ๐“๐“บโ€ and can be used to make words feminine! 

The โ€œhorned viper ๐“†‘โ€ functions as a uniliteral phonogram and represents the sound โ€œf.โ€ In other words, it can function as a determinative. 

So Duamutefโ€™s ๐“‡ผ๐“‚Ÿ๐“๐“†‘ name ๐“‚‹๐“ˆ– in hieroglyphs ๐“Šน๐“Œƒ๐“ช is something like โ€œduamwttfโ€ – which is very similar to โ€œDuamutef!โ€

This is my personal photograph and original text. DO NOT repost. 

@ancientegyptblogย 

Categories
Reading Hieroglyphs

False Door of Metjetji

Letโ€™s read some hieroglyphs ๐“Šน๐“Œƒ๐“ช!

Today ๐“‡๐“‡‹๐“ˆ–๐“‡ณ, we are going to be looking at a section of a False Door from the tomb ๐“‡‹๐“ซ๐“Šƒ๐“‰ of an official ๐“‹ด๐“‚‹๐“€€ named Metjetji ๐“…“๐“ฟ๐“ฟ๐“‡‹. Metjetji ๐“…“๐“ฟ๐“ฟ๐“‡‹ lived during the Fifth or Sixth Dynasties (Old Kingdom) during the reign ๐“ˆŽ๐“๐“‹พ of the pharaoh ๐“‰๐“‰ป Unas ๐“ƒน๐“ˆ–๐“‡‹๐“‹ด or slightly later.ย 

False Door of Metjetji
The False Door of Metjetji which contains a list of offerings for his use in the afterlife.

On the False Door, we see Metjetji ๐“…“๐“ฟ๐“ฟ๐“‡‹ on the left sitting in front of an offering table ๐“‚๐“ƒ€๐“…ก๐“„ฟ๐“‹ƒ. The offering table ๐“‚๐“ƒ€๐“…ก๐“„ฟ๐“‹ƒ seems to have a lot of jars on it! The hieroglyphs ๐“Šน๐“Œƒ๐“ช that we see are a part of the offering formula! 

Fun fact: usually the image ๐“๐“…ฑ๐“ of the person is facing the same way as the hieroglyphs ๐“Šน๐“Œƒ๐“ช!  Since the hieroglyphs ๐“Šน๐“Œƒ๐“ช (and also Metjetji ๐“…“๐“ฟ๐“ฟ๐“‡‹) are pointing to the right, we will start reading the hieroglyphs ๐“Šน๐“Œƒ๐“ช from the right! Hieroglyphs ๐“Šน๐“Œƒ๐“ช are always read from top to bottom, so we will read that way as well!  

This is a list of all of the things that Metjetji ๐“…“๐“ฟ๐“ฟ๐“‡‹ needs in order to sustain him in the afterlife! 

๐“‡“๐“๐“€ป – Kingโ€™s Nobleman/Kingโ€™s Gentleman

๐“…“๐“ฟ๐“ฟ๐“‡‹ – Metjetji

๐“†ผ๐“- A thousand bread

๐“†ผ๐“ƒพ – A thousand ox 

๐“†ผ๐“…ฟ – A thousand fowl 

๐“†ผ๐“ฒ – A thousand alabaster (I think this is a mistake – it should be โ€œ๐“ฑโ€ and not โ€œ๐“ฒโ€)

๐“†ผ๐“‹ฒ – A thousand linen 

๐“†ผ๐“– – A thousand round loafs of bread

๐“†ผ๐“Š – A thousand beer

This is my personal photograph and original text. DO NOT repost. 

@ancientegyptblogย 

Categories
Video

Mummy Case of Nespanetjerenpere – Video

Only here on ancientegyptblog will you hear someone say โ€œLook at how gorgeous this is ๐“„ค๐“†‘๐“‚‹๐“…ฑ๐“ญ๐“‡‘๐“‡‘โ€ about a coffin ๐“…ฑ๐“‡‹๐“€พ or other type of funerary object! Be sure to watch the video to see all of the details on the front of this wonderful coffin ๐“…ฑ๐“‡‹๐“€พ!

There are so many beautiful ๐“„ค images ๐“…ฑ๐“๐“…ฑ๐“ช of the gods ๐“Šน๐“Šน๐“Šน on this mummiform coffin ๐“…ฑ๐“‡‹๐“€พ! This coffin is made of cartonnage, which is a material that is made when linen ๐“ฑ or papyrus ๐“ฏ๐“‡… mixed with plaster! 

This is from the Third Intermediate Period, and dates from the 22nd – 25th Dynasties. 

This mummy case ๐“…ฑ๐“‡‹๐“€พ belonged to a priest ๐“Šน๐“› named Nespanetjerenpere. While to many the images ๐“…ฑ๐“๐“…ฑ๐“ช may seem like random pictures of the gods ๐“Šน๐“Šน๐“Šน, it is actually a collection of carefully selected religious symbols meant to help guide Nespanetjerenpere on his journey to the afterlife ๐“‡ผ๐“„ฟ๐“๐“‰ and and ensure rebirth ๐“„Ÿ๐“ฟ๐“…ฑ.ย 

Nespanetjerenpere
Mummy case of Nespanetjerenpere at the Brooklyn Museum

The ram headed pendant on his chest is meant to represent the sun ๐“‡ณ god ๐“Šน Raโ€™s ๐“‡ณ๐“บ๐“› journey across the sky ๐“Šช๐“๐“‡ฏ during the day ๐“‰”๐“‚‹๐“บ๐“‡ณ – and through the netherworld ๐“‡ผ๐“„ฟ๐“๐“‰ at night ๐“Žผ๐“‚‹๐“Ž›๐“„›. The images ๐“…ฑ๐“๐“…ฑ๐“ช of the gods ๐“Šน๐“Šน๐“Šน can almost be thought of as the picture-book version of the Book of the Dead ๐“‰๐“‚‹๐“๐“‚ป๐“…“๐“‰”๐“‚‹๐“ฒ๐“‡ณ๐“บ๐“ผ๐“บ. 

While the images ๐“…ฑ๐“๐“…ฑ๐“ช of the gods ๐“Šน๐“Šน๐“Šน are so delicately drawn, the hieroglyphs ๐“Šน๐“Œƒ๐“ช going down the middle of the coffin ๐“…ฑ๐“‡‹๐“€พ seem to be unfinished and roughly done.ย 

Nespanetjerenpere
Mummy case of Nespanetjerenpere showing the hieroglyphs and images of the gods.

The hieroglyphs ๐“Šน๐“Œƒ๐“ช show the very standard offering formula:

๐“‡“๐“๐“Šต๐“™ – An Offering the King Gives 

๐“Šฉ๐“น – Osiris

๐“… – Foremost 

๐“‹€๐“๐“๐“ˆŠ – West

The inscription reads: โ€œAn Offering the King Gives Osiris, Foremost of the West.โ€

This is my personal video and original text. DO NOT repost without permission.

@ancientegyptblogย 

Categories
Egyptian Artifacts Reading Hieroglyphs

The Osiris Cartouche

Letโ€™s read some hieroglyphs ๐“Šน๐“Œƒ๐“ช!

This wooden ๐“†ฑ๐“๐“บ mummiform coffin ๐“…ฑ๐“‡‹๐“€พ belonged to a man named Amenemopet who lived during the early part of the 22nd Dynasty (c. 975โ€“909 B.C.E.).ย This coffin ๐“…ฑ๐“‡‹๐“€พ has what I like to call “The Osiris Cartouche” painted inside!

The Osiris Cartouche
The Osiris Cartouche is located on the bottom panel of this coffin at the MET.

If you look closely at the beautiful ๐“„ค๐“†‘๐“‚‹ artwork inside this mummiform coffin ๐“…ฑ๐“‡‹๐“€พ thereโ€™s a lot of different things going on! The uppermost row of artwork in the picture ๐“๐“…ฑ๐“ shows Anubis ๐“‡‹๐“ˆ–๐“Šช๐“…ฑ๐“ƒฃ purifying ๐“‹ด๐“ƒ‚๐“ˆ— the deceased ๐“…“๐“๐“ฑ, whose is surrounded by offering tables ๐“‚๐“ƒ€๐“…ก๐“„ฟ๐“‹ƒ covered in food ๐“‡ฌ๐“€๐“…ฑ๐“”๐“ฅ! 

Above Anubis ๐“‡‹๐“ˆ–๐“Šช๐“…ฑ๐“ƒฃ there are some hieroglyphs ๐“Šน๐“Œƒ๐“ช: 

๐“ŽŸ โ€“ Lord

๐“‡ฝ – Duat (the ancient Egyptian word for โ€œNetherworldโ€)

Is it Anubis ๐“‡‹๐“ˆ–๐“Šช๐“…ฑ๐“ƒฃ being referred to as the โ€œLord of the Duat,โ€ or is it Osiris ๐“น๐“Šจ๐“€ญ? Usually this epithet was used with Osiris ๐“น๐“Šจ๐“€ญ! 

One of the cool things you can see on the bottom panel is Osirisโ€™ ๐“น๐“Šจ๐“€ญ name ๐“‚‹๐“ˆ– in a cartouche ๐“ ๐“ˆ–๐“ˆ™๐“ท! Usually the name ๐“‚‹๐“ˆ– of a pharaoh ๐“‰๐“‰ป appears in a cartouche ๐“ ๐“ˆ–๐“ˆ™๐“ท! While this doesnโ€™t happen often, there are instances where the name ๐“‚‹๐“ˆ– of a god ๐“Šน will appear in the cartouche ๐“ ๐“ˆ–๐“ˆ™๐“ท and since this coffin does not belong to a pharaoh, a cartouche ๐“ ๐“ˆ–๐“ˆ™๐“ท is not expected! But Osiris ๐“น๐“Šจ๐“€ญ was believed to be the first pharaoh ๐“‰๐“‰ป of Egypt ๐“†Ž๐“…“๐“๐“Š–, so I guess a cartouche ๐“ ๐“ˆ–๐“ˆ™๐“ท is fitting! 

The hieroglyphs ๐“Šน๐“Œƒ๐“ช are: ๐“น๐“Šจ๐“€ญ๐“ŽŸ๐“Ž›๐“‡ณ๐“Ž›. Letโ€™s break down the symbols! 

๐“น๐“Šจ๐“€ญ โ€“ Osiris

๐“ŽŸ โ€“ Lord

๐“Ž›๐“‡ณ๐“Ž› โ€“ Eternity

All ๐“ŽŸ together ๐“ˆ–๐“Š—, this translates to โ€œOsiris, Lord of Eternity.โ€

The cartouche is flanked by the Golden Horus symbol ๐“…‰ on either side which is a Falcon ๐“…ƒ standing on top of the symbol for gold ๐“‹ž. The common symbols of protection, the Eye of Horus and Eye of Ra also appear above the Golden Horus ๐“…‰, along with the shen ring in between the Falconโ€™s wings. The Shen ๐“ถ symbol is a circle of rope that is tied at the end. The tied rope symbolizes completeness and eternity ๐“Ž›๐“‡ณ๐“Ž›. 

This is my personal photograph and original text. DO NOT repost. 

@ancientegyptblogย 

Categories
Reading Hieroglyphs

Perfect, Beautiful, Neferet

Letโ€™s read some hieroglyphs ๐“Šน๐“Œƒ๐“ช!

Today ๐“‡๐“‡‹๐“ˆ–๐“‡ณ we are going to look at a very popular word that appears a lot in ancient Egyptian writing ๐“Ÿ๐“›๐“ฅ! The word โ€œ๐“„ค๐“†‘๐“‚‹/๐“„ค๐“†‘๐“‚‹๐“โ€ translates to โ€œbeautiful,โ€ โ€œperfect,โ€ or โ€œgoodโ€ and can be used not only in titles such as โ€œ๐“Šน๐“„ค Perfect Godโ€ or names ๐“‚‹๐“ˆ–๐“ฆ such as โ€œNefertiti ๐“„ค๐“„ค๐“„ค๐“„ค๐“„ค๐“‡‹๐“๐“ˆ–๐“‡ณ๐“„ค๐“‡๐“˜๐“ป๐“—,โ€ but also in various words or phrases too! 

In Middle Egyptian there are a couple of ways to write โ€œbeautiful,โ€ โ€œperfect,โ€ or โ€œgood:โ€ 

๐“„ค – the hieroglyphic symbol โ€œnfrโ€ (nefer) can be used on its own to represent the word. 

๐“„ค๐“†‘๐“‚‹ – this would also be pronounced as โ€œnfrโ€ (nefer) as the sounds by the uniliteral phonograms would not be repeated. 

๐“„ค๐“†‘๐“‚‹๐“ – this would be pronounced as โ€œnfrt,โ€ (neferet) as this is the female form of the word! This is the one that is in my picture! 

When determinatives are used, the meaning of this word can change so be careful! โ€œ๐“„ค๐“†‘๐“‚‹๐“๐“โ€ with the woman determinative means โ€œbeautiful womanโ€ while โ€œ๐“„ค๐“†‘๐“‚‹๐“๐“ƒ’โ€ with the cow determinative means cow! Determinatives can totally change the meaning of the word!ย 

Neferet
Neferet in hieroglyphs from a Middle Kingdom sarcophagus at the MET.

Letโ€™s break down the hieroglyphs ๐“Šน๐“Œƒ๐“ช! Since the horned viper ๐“†‘ is pointing to the left, we will start reading from the left! 

The โ€œheart and windpipe ๐“„คโ€ symbol is a triliteral phonogram that represents the sound โ€œnfrโ€ which in modern times we pronounce like โ€œnefer.โ€

The โ€œhorned viper ๐“†‘โ€ functions as a uniliteral phonogram and represents the sound โ€œf.โ€ In other words, it can function as a determinative. As a stand-alone symbol, it can also mean he/his. 

The โ€œ mouth – ๐“‚‹โ€ is a uniliteral phonogram for the sound โ€œrโ€ and can be an ideogram for the word โ€œmouth ๐“‚‹๐“บ.โ€ 

The โ€œflat loaf of bread ๐“โ€ is a uniliteral phonogram used to represent the sound โ€œt.โ€ It also functions as the ideogram for the word โ€œbread ๐“๐“บโ€ and can be used to make words feminine! 

This is my personal photograph and original text. DO NOT repost. 

@ancientegyptblogย 

Categories
Egyptian Artifacts Reading Hieroglyphs

The Pyramid Texts of Pepy I

This small relief on display at the Petrie Museum is a section of โ€œThe Pyramid Textsโ€ which is the oldest known funerary/religious writings in the world. The original text dates back to the Old Kingdom.ย 

The Pyramid Texts of Pepy I
A small relief which contains the Pyramid Texts of Pepy I

The Pyramid Texts can be thought of as a precursor to both the Coffin Texts and the Book of the Dead ๐“‰๐“‚‹๐“๐“‚ป๐“…“๐“‰”๐“‚‹๐“ฒ๐“‡ณ๐“บ๐“ผ๐“บ! The main differences between these religious texts are that the Pyramid Texts were only accessible to the pharaoh ๐“‰๐“‰ป because they were only carved inside of the pyramids ๐“‹๐“…“๐“‚‹๐“‰ด๐“ฆ. Also, the Pyramid Texts were also not illustrated!

This particular section of the Pyramid Texts contains a spell ๐“Ž›๐“‚“๐“› that Pepy I ๐“Šช๐“‡‹๐“Šช๐“‡‹ would say that would provide him with food and drink for eternity ๐“†–! Here is a piece of the leftmost column that I could translate (a lot is cut off): 

๐“‡‹๐“…ฑ – My/I

๐“‡ฌ๐“ˆŽ๐“ˆŽ – Eat

๐“๐“- Bread

๐“Š- Beer

The cartouche ๐“ ๐“ˆ–๐“ˆ™๐“ท of the 6th Dynasty pharaoh ๐“‰๐“‰ป Pepy I ๐“Šช๐“‡‹๐“Šช๐“‡‹ was one of the first cartouches ๐“ ๐“ˆ–๐“ˆ™๐“ท๐“ฆ I learned to read/recognize because itโ€™s written with only uniliteral hieroglyphs ๐“Šน๐“Œƒ๐“ช! A lot of the Old Kingdom pharaohs ๐“‰๐“‰ป๐“ฅ have names ๐“‚‹๐“ˆ–๐“ฆ spelled with uniliteral signs, which makes them great for beginners to read/learn! One of the ways I started learning hieroglyphs ๐“Šน๐“Œƒ๐“ช was by practicing reading the cartouches ๐“ ๐“ˆ–๐“ˆ™๐“ท๐“ฆ of the pharaohs ๐“‰๐“‰ป๐“ฅ! 

Letโ€™s take a closer look at the symbols in Pepyโ€™s ๐“Šช๐“‡‹๐“Šช๐“‡‹ cartouche ๐“ ๐“ˆ–๐“ˆ™๐“ท: 

The โ€œstool ๐“Šชโ€ symbol is a uniliteral phonogram for the sound โ€œp,โ€ and does not have any other grammatical functions!

The โ€œreed ๐“‡‹โ€ symbol is a uniliteral phonogram and most commonly represents the sound of โ€œฤฑอ—,โ€ however it can also function as an ideogram for the word โ€œreed ๐“‡‹๐“บ.โ€ 

This is my personal photograph and original text. DO NOT repost. 

@ancientegyptblogย 

Categories
Blog

Ushabtis at the Magic Kingdom?

Leave it to me to find ushabtis ๐“…ฑ๐“ˆ™๐“ƒ€๐“๐“ญ๐“€พ๐“ช, a papyrus ๐“…“๐“‘๐“๐“› replica of a relief from Hatshepsutโ€™s ๐“‡ณ๐“ฆ๐“‚“ temple and a Sphinx ๐“Ž›๐“…ฑ๐“ƒญ๐“ค at the Magic Kingdom! While these are all replica pieces, itโ€™s still such a fun find – you all know just how much me (and Nonno) loved ushabtis ๐“…ฑ๐“ˆ™๐“ƒ€๐“๐“ญ๐“€พ๐“ช! These can all be found at the โ€œJungle Navigation Skipper Canteenโ€ restaurant!ย 

Ushabtis at the Magic Kingdom
Replica ushabtis at the Magic Kingdom in the Jungle Navigation Skipper Canteenโ€ restaurant with the papyrus which contains an image from Hatshepsut’s temple!

The ushabtis ๐“†ท๐“„ฟ๐“ฏ๐“ƒ€๐“๐“ฎ๐“€พ served as substitutes for the deceased ๐“…“๐“๐“ฑ and would perform labor or jobs for them in the afterlife ๐“‡ผ๐“„ฟ๐“๐“‰. There are two ๐“ป common ways to write ushabti in hieroglyphs ๐“Šน๐“Œƒ๐“ช: 

๐“†ท๐“„ฟ๐“ฏ๐“ƒ€๐“๐“ฎ๐“€พ – ลกwbtj – the earlier word that was used in Egypt and derived from the word for โ€œstick ๐“†ท๐“„ฟ๐“ฏ๐“„ฟ๐“ƒ€๐“ฒ๐“˜๐“‡‹๐“†ฑ.โ€ This is where the term โ€œshabtiโ€ most likely came from! 

๐“…ฑ๐“ˆ™๐“ƒ€๐“๐“ญ๐“€พ – wลกbtj – the โ€œnewerโ€ form of the word used from the 21st Dynasty onward. This is where the term โ€œushabtiโ€ most likely originated from! My Nonno always said โ€œUshabti ๐“…ฑ๐“ˆ™๐“ƒ€๐“๐“ญ๐“€พโ€ so that is what I tend to say as well!

The papyrus ๐“…“๐“‘๐“๐“› is a replica of a relief from Hatshepsutโ€™s ๐“‡ณ๐“ฆ๐“‚“ temple at Deir el-Bahri ๐“‚ฆ๐“‚‹๐“‚ฆ๐“ฅ๐“‰! This was originally meant to show Hatshepsutโ€™s ๐“‡ณ๐“ฆ๐“‚“ famed expedition to Punt ๐“Šช๐“ƒบ๐“ˆ–๐“๐“ˆ‰!ย 

Ushabtis at the Magic Kingdom
Me with a sphinx outside the entrance to the Jungle Navigation Skipper Canteenโ€ restaurant at the Magic Kingdom!

This sphinx ๐“Ž›๐“…ฑ๐“ƒญ is in a crouching position, which to the Egyptians ๐“†Ž๐“๐“€€๐“๐“ช meant that it was a guardian of a sacred place, such as a temple ๐“‰Ÿ๐“๐“‰ or an important building. In this case, the โ€œimportant buildingโ€ is the entrance to the โ€œJungle Navigation Skipper Canteenโ€ restaurant! 

I hope youโ€™re enjoying my โ€œAncient Egypt in Disneyโ€ series!

This is my personal photograph and original text. DO NOT repost. 

@ancientegyptblogย 

Categories
Egyptian Artifacts

Funerary Cones

I love Gallery 117 at the MET so much! The objects in here may not look like much to the average person (they probably just look like a bunch of rocks ๐“‡‹๐“ˆ–๐“‚‹๐“ˆ™๐“ฆ), but to me they are a beautiful ๐“„ค๐“†‘๐“‚‹ piece in the story of ancient Egypt ๐“†Ž๐“…“๐“๐“Š–!ย 

Funerary Cones
Me in Gallery 117 at the MET – the Funerary Cones are in a display behind me!

While not as artistically decorated as most of the artifacts in the Egyptian ๐“†Ž๐“๐“€€๐“ collections of museums, these โ€œfunerary conesโ€ were always something my Nonno pointed out to me! He thought they were so interesting and now every time I go to museums, I actively seek these out as a way to remember my Nonno! He loved this little gallery at the MET solely because of the funerary cones! 

Funerary cones (a modern name given to these objects) are made of clay ๐“Šช๐“ˆ–๐“‹ด๐“ˆ‡ and usually found at the openings of tombs ๐“‡‹๐“ซ๐“Šƒ๐“‰๐“ช at Thebes ๐“Œ€๐“๐“Š– (almost exclusively). They were used primarily during the 18th Dynasty (though there are examples that date to the 11th Dynasty or as late as the 19th-20th Dynasties).

While the exact usage of the funerary cones is not known, but they are inferred to be architectural decorations, tomb labels, symbolic offerings ๐“Šต๐“๐“Šช๐“๐“”๐“ฆ, or even as passports to the Duat ๐“‡ผ๐“„ฟ๐“๐“‰! Thousands ๐“†ผ๐“†ผ๐“†ผ of these cones have been excavated to date! Every museum I have been to has a collection of these funerary cones!

The end of the funerary cone is usually circular in shape and usually contains an inscription ๐“Ÿ๐“›๐“ฅ with the name of the tomb ๐“‡‹๐“ซ๐“Šƒ๐“‰ occupant as well as a god ๐“Šน.

An example inscription ๐“Ÿ๐“›๐“ฅ that is common on a funerary cone would be something like: โ€œVenerated before Osiris, Son of ____, Name of Deceased.โ€ 

๐“„ช๐“๐“‡Œ – Venerated 

๐“๐“‚‹ – Before

๐“น๐“Šจ๐“€ญ – Osiris

๐“…ญ – Son

This is my personal photograph and original text. DO NOT repost. 

@ancientegyptblogย 

Categories
Egyptian Artifacts

Stela of Rameses II

This is a large sandstone stela ๐“Ž—๐“…ฑ๐“†“๐“‰ธ of Rameses II ๐“‡‹๐“ ๐“ˆ–๐“ˆ˜๐“‡ณ๐“บ๐“„Ÿ๐“‹ด๐“‡“ on display at the Brooklyn Museum.ย ย 

Stela of Rameses II
Stela of Rameses II on display at the Brooklyn Museum!

The hieroglyphs ๐“Šน๐“Œƒ๐“ช talk about how Rameses II ๐“‡‹๐“ ๐“ˆ–๐“ˆ˜๐“‡ณ๐“บ๐“„Ÿ๐“‹ด๐“‡“ founded the town of Meriamun, and how he established the cult of Amun ๐“‡‹๐“ ๐“ˆ– there. The stela ๐“Ž—๐“…ฑ๐“†“๐“‰ธ was a way to commemorate Rameses II ๐“‡‹๐“ ๐“ˆ–๐“ˆ˜๐“‡ณ๐“บ๐“„Ÿ๐“‹ด๐“‡“ presenting statues ๐“๐“…ฑ๐“๐“€พ๐“ช to the temple ๐“‰Ÿ๐“๐“‰ of Amun-Ra ๐“‡‹๐“ ๐“ˆ–๐“บ๐“‡ณ. 

The image ๐“๐“…ฑ๐“ shows (from left to right) Mut ๐“๐“„ฟ๐“€ญ, Amun ๐“‡‹๐“ ๐“ˆ–, and Rameses II ๐“‡‹๐“ ๐“ˆ–๐“ˆ˜๐“‡ณ๐“บ๐“„Ÿ๐“‹ด๐“‡“. Rameses II can be seen wearing the blue crown, also known as the khepresh ๐“†ฃ๐“‚‹๐“ˆ™๐“‹™ crown which was very popular among New Kingdom pharaohs ๐“‰๐“‰ป! 

Rameses II ๐“‡‹๐“ ๐“ˆ–๐“ˆ˜๐“‡ณ๐“บ๐“„Ÿ๐“‹ด๐“‡“ is receiving symbols of kingship (the crook ๐“‹พ) from the god ๐“Šน Amun-Ra ๐“‡‹๐“ ๐“ˆ–๐“บ๐“‡ณ. This is meant to represent that Amun-Ra ๐“‡‹๐“ ๐“ˆ–๐“บ๐“‡ณ saw Rameses II ๐“‡‹๐“ ๐“ˆ–๐“ˆ˜๐“‡ณ๐“บ๐“„Ÿ๐“‹ด๐“‡“ as a legitimate and rightful ruler! The pharaohs ๐“‰๐“‰ป believed that they were direct descendants of Amun-Ra ๐“‡‹๐“ ๐“ˆ–๐“บ๐“‡ณ (in the 18th – 19th Dynasties Amun ๐“‡‹๐“ ๐“ˆ–/Amun-Ra ๐“‡‹๐“ ๐“ˆ–๐“บ๐“‡ณ kind of replaces Horus ๐“…ƒ๐“€ญ in popularity as king ๐“‡“ of the gods ๐“Šน๐“Šน๐“Šน) and that they were gods ๐“Šน๐“Šน๐“Šน on Earth.ย 

It was also really cool that five ๐“พ of Rameses IIโ€™s ๐“‡‹๐“ ๐“ˆ–๐“ˆ˜๐“‡ณ๐“บ๐“„Ÿ๐“‹ด๐“‡“ names ๐“‚‹๐“ˆ–๐“ฆ appear on this stela ๐“Ž—๐“…ฑ๐“†“๐“‰ธ!ย These names appear on the top two rows of the hieroglyphs ๐“Šน๐“Œƒ๐“ช!

Here are Rameses IIโ€™s ๐“‡‹๐“ ๐“ˆ–๐“ˆ˜๐“‡ณ๐“บ๐“„Ÿ๐“‹ด๐“‡“ five ๐“พ names ๐“‚‹๐“ˆ–๐“ฆ:ย 

๐“ƒ’๐“‚ก๐“‡ณ๐“บ๐“€ญ๐“Œธ๐“‡Œ – Horus ๐“…ƒ Name (The Strong Bull, Beloved of Ra) 

๐“…–๐“Žก๐“†Ž๐“๐“Š–๐“…ฑ๐“‚๐“†‘๐“ฒ๐“‚ก๐“ˆŠ๐“๐“ฆ – Nebty ๐“…’ Name (Protector of Egypt Who Curbs Foreign Landsโ€)

๐“Œ‚๐“๐“‚ก๐“„˜๐“‚ง๐“‚‹๐“‚ก๐“Œ”๐“๐“€๐“ป – Golden Horus ๐“…‰ Name (โ€œPowerful of Arm, He Who Has Subdued the Nine Bowsโ€)

๐“‡ณ๐“„Š๐“ง๐“‡ณ๐“‰๐“ˆ– – Throne Name (โ€œThe Justice of Ra is powerful, Chosen of Raโ€)

๐“ฉ๐“›๐“ˆ˜๐“„Ÿ๐“‹ด๐“‡“ – Birth Name (โ€œRa has fashioned him, beloved of Amunโ€)

This is my personal photograph and original text. DO NOT repost. 

@ancientegyptblogย 

Categories
Video

Objects from Malqata – Video

This video shows a gallery at the Metropolitan Museum of Art which displays objects from Malqata!

In order to celebrate his Heb Sed Festival ๐“Ž›๐“ƒ€๐“‹ด๐“‚ง๐“๐“Žฑ๐“‡ณ๐“ช, the pharaoh ๐“‰๐“‰ป Amenhotep III ๐“‡ณ๐“ง๐“Ž  built a new palace ๐“‚๐“Ž›๐“๐“‰ฅ๐“‰ which was referred to as โ€œThe House of Rejoicingโ€ at present day Malqata in Egypt ๐“†Ž๐“…“๐“๐“Š–. The Heb Sed Festival ๐“Ž›๐“ƒ€๐“‹ด๐“‚ง๐“๐“Žฑ๐“‡ณ๐“ช, also known as the โ€œ30 Year Jubilee,โ€ was meant to celebrate the 30th year of a pharaohโ€™s ๐“‰๐“‰ป reign ๐“‹พ๐“ˆŽ๐“.ย 

In this display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, there are many different amphoras ๐“ ๐“ˆ–๐“‡‹๐“‹๐“ช! Amphoras ๐“ ๐“ˆ–๐“‡‹๐“‹๐“ช are a special type of pottery ๐“ ๐“ˆ–๐“‡‹๐“‹ that have a pointed bottom and two ๐“ป handles that were used for the storage and transport of various things in the ancient world! 

Ancient Egyptian amphoras ๐“ ๐“ˆ–๐“‡‹๐“‹๐“ช, such as these one found at Malqata, were usually made of red ๐“‚ง๐“ˆ™๐“‚‹๐“…Ÿ clay ๐“Šช๐“ˆ–๐“‹ด๐“ˆ‡ and then covered with a cream colored coat. They were then painted ๐“ž๐“œ with blue ๐“‡‹๐“น๐“๐“„ฟ๐“ธ๐“ฅ, red ๐“‚ง๐“ˆ™๐“‚‹๐“…Ÿ, or black ๐“†Ž๐“…“ paint ๐“‡จ๐“‚‹๐“…ฑ๐“ญ๐“ธ๐“ฆ.

You can also see various wall paintings that once adorned the palace ๐“‚๐“Ž›๐“๐“‰ฅ๐“‰ walls at Malqata! I canโ€™t even imagine how beautiful ๐“„ค๐“†‘๐“‚‹ and colorful this palace ๐“‚๐“Ž›๐“๐“‰ฅ๐“‰ once was!ย I hope you enjoyed seeing these objects from Malqata!

This is my personal video and original text. DO NOT repost. 

@ancientegyptblogย