Author: ancientegyptblog7

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Book Recommendations

Book Review – “King Tut: The Journey Through The Underworld”

I got this book, “King Tut: The Journey Through The Underworld,” at the MET gift shop on my birthday this year (thanks Mom and Dad 😀) and to say I absolutely loved it is an understatement!

I almost didn’t get the book because “King Tut” was in the title and his mask was on the cover! And that’s not because I don’t love King Tut – I absolutely love Tutankhamun’s story, the story of his tomb, etc! I already have so many books specifically about Tutankhamun that I didn’t need another one!! I’m thankful my Mom pointed this one out to me and told me to just skim through it because she wanted to buy it for me! It is now one of my favorite books that I own!

First off, this book is absolutely gorgeous. The photographs are spectacular! While “King Tut” is in the title, the book isn’t just focused on him or his tomb (although the picture focused on him are incredible in their own right) – there are photographs from many different Egyptian tombs, temples, and artifacts from across Egypt’s history.

Secondly, I love how the book is organized into chapters that go in the exact order a person would go through on their journey to the afterlife. The text has the beautiful pictures to demonstrate the journey to the reader and makes this central aspect of the ancient Egyptian religion/culture come alive. This book is also wonderful for people like me who have read about this subject for years, but also for people who are just starting to learn.

While this book is definitely geared more towards adults, the photographs can be enjoyed by Egyptologists of all ages! I know I would have loved this book as a kid because of the photographs and how the journey to the afterlife was divided into chapters (I read at a high level as a kid, but the reading level of this book is more like 9th grade and up).

Overall, I think this is a fantastic book and something I would definitely recommend if you are interested in ancient Egyptian funerary beliefs! Also, if you enjoyed Moon Knight and want to learn more about the actual Egyptian afterlife, this would be a great supplemental read!

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Egyptian Artifacts Reading Hieroglyphs

“Stela of the Overseer of the Fortress Intef”

This beautiful 𓄤 limestone 𓇋𓈖𓈙𓌉 stela 𓎗𓅱𓆓𓉸 is titled by the MET as “Stela of the Overseer of the Fortress Intef.”

This stela 𓎗𓅱𓆓𓉸 is dated to Dynasty 11 of the Middle Kingdom (c. 2000-1988 B.C.E.) and we know this because the cartouches of Mentuhotep II 𓏠𓈖𓍿𓅱𓊵𓏏𓊪 (credited with reunifying Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖) appear as a dedication from Intef 𓏎𓈖𓏏𓆑, the owner of the stela 𓎗𓅱𓆓𓉸. Intef 𓏎𓈖𓏏𓆑 was an official 𓋴𓂋𓀀 and “overseer of the fortress” – a title that could’ve only been given to him after the reunification of Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖.

Let’s read some hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪! While I would love to translate the whole thing for all of you, there is too much text to fit in an Instagram description, and it’s hard to see some of the hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 on my picture 𓏏𓅱𓏏! so I will do as much as I can! Below are the hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 from the first half of top panel of the stela 𓎗𓅱𓆓𓉸! I want to translate the other readable parts for you all too so I will do that soon!

𓅃𓄥𓇿𓇿 – Horus, Uniter of the Two Lands

𓅒𓄥𓇿𓇿- Two Ladies, Uniter of the Two Lands

𓅉 – Horus of Gold

𓆥 – King of Upper and Lower Egypt

(𓇳𓎟𓊤) Nebhapetra (throne name)

𓅭𓇳 – Son of Ra

(𓏠𓈖𓍿𓅱𓊵𓏏𓊪) Mentuhotep II (given name)

𓋹 – Life

𓇳𓏇 -Like Ra

𓆖 – Forever

Here it is all together: 𓅃𓄥𓇿𓇿𓅒𓄥𓇿𓇿𓅉𓆥(𓇳𓎟𓊤)𓅭𓇳(𓏠𓈖𓍿𓅱𓊵𓏏𓊪)𓋹𓇳𓏇𓆖

“Horus, “Uniter of the Two Lands,” Two Ladies “Uniter of the Two Lands,” Falcon of Gold, King of Upper and Lower Egypt Nebhepetre, Son of Ra, Mentuhotep, alive like Ra forever.”

Nicole (me) with the Stela of the Overseer of the Fortress Intef.
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Egyptian Artifacts

Horus as a Sphinx

This is a really interesting piece from the British Museum!

It is a sandstone 𓂋𓅱𓂧𓏏𓌗𓈙 statue 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾 of a falcon 𓃀𓇋𓎡𓅄 headed sphinx 𓎛𓅱𓃭𓏤! Usually sphinxes 𓎛𓅱𓃭𓏦 are depicted as being the body of a lion 𓌳𓁹𓄿𓄛 with the head 𓁶𓏺 of a man 𓊃𓀀𓏤, but obviously this one is quite different!

This particular statue 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾 is dated to c. 1250 B.C.E.; the reign of Rameses II 𓁩𓁛𓈘𓄟𓋴𓇓. This sphinx 𓎛𓅱𓃭𓏤 and many other similar ones used to stand guard at Rameses II’s 𓁩𓁛𓈘𓄟𓋴𓇓 temple 𓉟𓏏𓉐 at Abu Simbel.

Sphinxes 𓎛𓅱𓃭𓏦 are incredibly powerful creatures because not only do they represent the physical strength 𓄇𓏏𓂝𓏭 of a lion 𓌳𓁹𓄿𓄛, but also the power of a pharaoh 𓉐𓉻. While the pharaoh’s 𓉐𓉻 head 𓁶𓏺 isn’t represented on this sphinx 𓎛𓅱𓃭𓏤, a falcon is. Falcons 𓃀𓇋𓎡𓅄𓏦 are associated with the god 𓊹 Horus 𓅃𓀭, who is the personification of the pharaoh’s 𓉐𓉻 power. Since one of Horus’ 𓅃𓀭 roles is as the god 𓊹 of pharaonic power, it makes sense that sphinxes 𓎛𓅱𓃭𓏦 can also represent pharaohs 𓉐𓉻𓏦 while using a falcon 𓃀𓇋𓎡𓅄 head 𓁶𓏺.

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Egyptian Artifacts

Ushabti Broad Collar

This is one of the more interesting pieces that I have ever seen in a museum! I don’t believe I have seen anything like it outside of the Petrie Museum in London! It combines two of my favorite things – ushabtis 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾 and Egyptian jewelry!

This broad collar 𓅱𓋴𓐍𓎺𓋝 is dated to the 21st Dynasty (Third Intermediate Period c. 1069 – 747 B.C.E.). There are 62 𓎆𓎆𓎆𓎆𓎆𓎆𓏻 faience 𓋣𓈖𓏏𓏸𓏼 ushabtis 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾 that make up their broad collar 𓅱𓋴𓐍𓎺𓋝 and they come in green 𓇅𓄿𓆓𓏛 and blue 𓇋𓁹𓏏𓄿𓏸𓏥 colors! The ushabtis 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾 are about 4cm in height so they are pretty tiny! I love tiny things so tiny ushabtis 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾 to me are just so cute!! There are also beads of many different colors that adorn the broad collar 𓅱𓋴𓐍𓎺𓋝.

Normally, ushabtis 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾 were buried with the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱 and were meant to be their servants in the afterlife 𓇼𓄿𓏏𓉐. I do not know if the ushabtis 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾 in this broad collar are supposed to be worker ushabtis 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾 or are for adorning a mummy 𓇋𓁹𓅱𓀾 for burial!

Normally ushabtis 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾 are buried in shabti boxes and inscribed with a spell that tells you what their function was. When Osiris 𓁹𓊨 𓀭 called upon the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱 for labor, the deceased would say the spell on the ushabti 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾 and it would come to life and perform the labor in place of the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱!

As a kid I really loved ushabtis 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾 because they reminded me of little dolls and my Nonno used to tell me stories about them! He loved them too and he made leaning about them so much fun!

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Egyptian Artifacts Reading Hieroglyphs

Cartouche of Seti I

Here’s another piece from the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology! This is a really simple piece but I really like it! It probably caught my eye because it has the cartouche of Seti I 𓇳𓁦𓏠 on it, and Seti I 𓇳𓁦𓏠 was one of my Nonno’s favorite pharaohs 𓉐𓉻𓏦! The afternoon that Nonno and I spent exploring the Petrie Museum was one of the best days of my life!

This piece is a fragment from a larger statue 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾. On the top part of the piece you can even see the bottom part of a broad collar 𓅱𓋴𓐍𓎺𓋝. It is made of black 𓆎𓅓 basalt, which is an igneous rock 𓇋𓈖𓂋𓈙. Basalt forms when lava solidifies on the Earth’s surface or under the ocean. The entire ocean floor is made of basalt which means that it is is the most abundant rock 𓇋𓈖𓂋𓈙 on Earth (and Mars too)!

The hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 on this piece are very simple and easy to read!

𓇓𓏏 King of Upper…

𓋔𓏏…and Lower Egypt

(𓇳𓁦𓏠) – Maatmenra (Seti I – Maatmenra was his throne name)

Usually the title of “King of Upper and Lower Egypt” is written as “𓆥” so it is interesting to see it written as “𓇓𓏏𓋔𓏏.” In the hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 for this piece, the crown of Lower Egypt 𓋔 was used instead of the bee 𓆤.

King of Upper and Lower Egypt 𓆥 can literally be translated to “He of the Sedge and the Bee,” which is the title that usually preceded the prenomen, which was also known as the throne name or the royal name. The sedge 𓇓 was the symbol for Upper Egypt while the bee 𓆤 was the symbol of Lower Egypt. This title was symbolic that the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 was ruling over a united Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖. The first pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 to have this title was the Pharaoh Den 𓂧𓈖 during the First Dynasty!

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Egyptian Artifacts

Small Limestone Stela of Akhenaten

Here’s another piece from the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology! This is a small limestone 𓇋𓈖𓈙𓌉 stela 𓎗𓅱𓆓𓉸 of the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 Akhenaten 𓇋𓏏𓈖𓇳𓅜𓐍𓈖 (by small, I mean it is only about 8.5cm in height)!

While the image 𓏏𓅱𓏏 is very crudely drawn, it is quite obvious that we are looking at Akhenaten 𓇋𓏏𓈖𓇳𓅜𓐍𓈖 here because art during the period of his rule was incredibly unique! On the stela 𓎗𓅱𓆓𓉸, Akhenaten 𓇋𓏏𓈖𓇳𓅜𓐍𓈖 can be seen standing in front of two 𓏻 vases of incense with his arms raised in a worshipping position. The Sun 𓇳𓏺, or the Aten 𓇋𓏏𓈖𓇳, can be seen above Akhenaten’s 𓇋𓏏𓈖𓇳𓅜𓐍𓈖 head 𓁶𓏺.

The Petrie Museum has a lot of unique pieces from Akhenaten’s 𓇋𓏏𓈖𓇳𓅜𓐍𓈖 reign because Petrie helped to excavate Amarna, which the place in modern-day Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖 where Akhenaten 𓇋𓏏𓈖𓇳𓅜𓐍𓈖 moved the capital to (the capital of Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖 was originally in Thebes 𓌀𓏏𓊖). The new capital was called Akhetaton “Horizon of the Aten” and it was established ~1332 B.C.E., around the time when the Aten 𓇋𓏏𓈖𓇳 was declared to be the only god 𓊹.

One of the reasons I enjoyed my trip to the Petrie Museum so much was being able to see all of these unique pieces that really can’t be seen in other museums! Akhenaten 𓇋𓏏𓈖𓇳𓅜𓐍𓈖 is my second favorite pharaoh 𓉐𓉻, so I really enjoyed seeing all of the Amarna-era pieces!

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Egyptian Artifacts

Statue of Rameses II

This statue 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾 of Rameses II 𓁩𓁛𓈘𓄟𓋴𓇓 is one of the largest Egyptian artifacts in the British Museum. The piece is definitely grand, and is even more beautiful 𓄤 in person. Rameses II 𓁩𓁛𓈘𓄟𓋴𓇓 was Egypt’s 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖 most prolific builder, so it makes sense that objects made in his likeness are also grand!

Nicole (me) with the Statue of Rameses II at the British Museum

Rameses II 𓁩𓁛𓈘𓄟𓋴𓇓 came to the throne after the death 𓅓𓏏𓏱 of his father Seti I 𓇳𓁦𓏠, and ruled Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖 as pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 for about 67 years. He was the third pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 of the 19th Dynasty, and is often referred to as “Rameses The Great” because he built 𓐍𓂤𓅱𓋴𓀧 more monuments than any other pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 and ruled longer than any other pharaoh 𓉐𓉻.

The monuments attributed to Rameses II 𓁩𓁛𓈘𓄟𓋴𓇓 are some of the best preserved in all of Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖 – it seems that he got his wish to be remembered even so long after his death 𓅓𓏏𓏱. Rameses II 𓁩𓁛𓈘𓄟𓋴𓇓 built 𓐍𓂤𓅱𓋴𓀧 as much as he could so he could ensure that his name 𓂋𓈖 lived on. He also usurped a lot of other previous pharaohs’ 𓉐𓉻𓏦 monuments too!

Geology time!!!! This statue 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾 was cut from pink/gray granite 𓇋𓈖𓈙𓈖𓌳𓍿. Granite 𓇋𓈖𓈙𓈖𓌳𓍿 is an extremely strong rock 𓇋𓈖𓂋𓈙 and resistant to weathering due to its high quartz content (hence why it is used to make countertops in modern times), so that is why the details on this are so well preserved.

This piece was excavated by Belzoni and was originally from Rameses II’s 𓁩𓁛𓈘𓄟𓋴𓇓 mortuary temple 𓉟𓏏𓉐 at Thebes 𓌀𓏏𓊖 (aka the Ramesseum).

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Egyptian Artifacts

Statue of Rameses IV

This is a stunning 𓄤 statue 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾 of the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 Rameses IV 𓇳𓋾𓁦 who ruled during Egypt’s 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖 20th Dynasty. He is depicted in a kneeling position with offering pots 𓏍 (for wine or water) in each of his hands. I always find this depiction of a pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 fascinating because pharaohs 𓉐𓉻𓏦 are considered gods 𓊹𓊹𓊹 so they shouldn’t kneel for anyone – except another god 𓊹!

The god 𓊹 that Rameses IV 𓇳𓋾𓁦 is making an offering 𓊵𓏏𓊪𓏏𓏔 to is most likely Amun-Ra 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓏺𓇳, since Amun-Ra 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓏺𓇳 is mentioned in hieroglyphic texts 𓏟𓏛𓏥 on the back panel of the statue 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾.

The cartouches for Rameses IV’s nomen (birth name) 𓇳𓄟𓊃𓊃 and prenomen (throne name) 𓇳𓋾𓁦 are on each shoulder. There are many different variants of the nomen and prenomen, so these are not they only way his name 𓂋𓈖 appears on monuments! I just used the ones that were also used on the statue 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾 itself! The different ways to write the names 𓂋𓈖𓏦 of pharaohs 𓉐𓉻𓏦 are called “variants.”

While the original provenance isn’t known, it is most likely that they statue 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾 is originally from Amun-Ra’s 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓏺𓇳 temple 𓉟𓏏𓉐 at Karnak. Rameses IV 𓇳𓋾𓁦 was one of the pharaohs 𓉐𓉻𓏦 who contributed to the decoration of Hypostyle Hall!

Categories
Egyptian Artifacts

Limestone Fragment of Akhenaten

There are so many cool pieces in the Petrie Museum – while the pieces may not be as big or grand as the ones in the MET, Louvre, or British Museums, they are significant because they give a glimpse into the more subtle greatnesses in Egyptian society. Actually though, the “sister piece” to this one is actually in the MET!

This piece of limestone 𓇋𓈖𓈙𓌉 (dated c. 1353–1336 B.C.E.) is what is known as a “trial piece” – basically it was practice for the artist/sculptor before they made the real thing! This was found in the sculptor’s workshop at Amarna (in the southern 𓇔𓅱𓏏 part of the city). While Tell el-Amarna is the modem name for the area, Akhenaten 𓇋𓏏𓈖𓇳𓅜𓐍𓈖 named his new capital “Akhetaton” or “Horizon of the Aten” – the capital of Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖 was originally Thebes 𓌀𓏏𓊖 before the big move.

Petrie spent a lot of time excavating that part of the city during his time there from 1891-1892. Most of what we initially learned about the city and it’s architecture came from Petrie’s excavations. Fun Fact: Howard Carter assisted Petrie on these digs!

The piece unmistakably depicts Akhenaten 𓇋𓏏𓈖𓇳𓅜𓐍𓈖. It is very easy to tell when Akhenaten 𓇋𓏏𓈖𓇳𓅜𓐍𓈖 is being shown because of his very distinct facial features (pointed chin, long neck/face). It would also make sense that most of the artwork that was found at the sculptors workshop in his capital would contain art that depicted him, Nefertiti 𓇋𓏏𓈖𓇳𓄤𓄤𓄤𓄤𓄤𓇍𓏏𓏭, the royal family, and the Aten 𓇋𓏏𓈖𓇳.

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Egyptian Artifacts Reading Hieroglyphs

Cartouche of Thutmosis I

This fragment of a limestone 𓇋𓈖𓈙𓌉 relief shows part of the cartouche for the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 Thutmosis I 𓇳𓉻𓆣𓂓! Let’s take a look at his name 𓂋𓈖!

While Thutmosis I’s birth name is usually written as (𓅝𓄟𓋴) this particular cartouche shows a variant of this name 𓂋𓈖. The full variant would most likely read (𓈍𓅝𓄟𓋴𓄤𓏥𓊃) which means “Thoth is born, who has appeared perfectly.”

Another variant of his birth name is (𓈍𓅝𓇳𓄟𓏇𓊃) which means “Thoth is born, who has appeared like Ra.” The more popular variant of this birth name, (𓅝𓄟𓋴) simply means “Thoth is born.”

Thutmosis I 𓇳𓉻𓆣𓂓 (this is his throne name -“Great is the manifestation of the Soul of Ra”) was the third 𓏼 pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 of the 18th Dynasty. Thutmosis I 𓇳𓉻𓆣𓂓 was responsible for many successful military campaigns and building projects, including additions to the Temple of Amun 𓇋𓏠𓈖 at Karnak. Though, in my opinion, Thutmosis I’s 𓇳𓉻𓆣𓂓 most notable achievement is being Hatshepsut’s 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓎹𓏏𓄂𓏏𓀼𓏪 father 𓇋𓏏𓀀!