Category: Egyptian Artifacts

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Egyptian Artifacts

Miniature Mask for a Canopic Bundle

This beautiful 𓄀𓆑𓂋 piece, called a β€œMiniature Mask for a Canopic Bundle” has a lot of contradictory information about it – the MET website and books both have different information about it! The MET website dates this piece to the reign of Amenhotep II π“‡‹π“ π“ˆ–π“Š΅π“π“Šͺ (18th Dynasty) and this piece is in Gallery 119, which is not where it should be based on the books!Β 

Miniature Mask for a Canopic Bundle
The “Miniature Mask for a Canopic Bundle” on display at the MET

The books I have talk about how this piece was found in the Embalming Cache of Tutankhamun π“‡‹π“ π“ˆ–π“π“…±π“π“‹Ήπ“‹Ύπ“‰Ίπ“‡“. An embalming cache is a collection of the supplies and materials that were used during the mummification π“‹΄π“‚§π“π“…±π“Ž process. The embalming cache was usually kept separate from the actual tomb π“‡‹π“«π“Šƒπ“‰ itself, though sometimes these supplies were found in the tomb π“‡‹π“«π“Šƒπ“‰ of the person. 

But what exactly is a β€œMiniature Mask for a Canopic Bundle” and what is its purpose? Sometimes, small mummy masks were placed on mummified internal organs 𓇋𓂧𓂋𓄹𓏦 and then placed in larger jars. However, all of Tutankhamun’s π“‡‹π“ π“ˆ–π“π“…±π“π“‹Ήπ“‹Ύπ“‰Ίπ“‡“ organs 𓇋𓂧𓂋𓄹𓏦 were placed in mini canopic coffins in his tomb π“‡‹π“«π“Šƒπ“‰, so the purpose of this lone miniature mask is quite confusing – what was it doing in his Embalming Cache?

This mini mask (it’s just over 5 inches in height) is made of cartonnage (a material composed of linen and plaster – like an ancient Egyptian paper mache) and the paint 𓇨𓂋𓅱𓏭𓏸𓏦 colors on it are still strikingly bright! I love the details of the red π“‚§π“ˆ™π“‚‹π“…Ÿ, blue 𓇋𓁹𓏏𓄿𓏸π“₯, and blue-green 𓇅𓆓𓏛 broad collar π“…±π“‹΄π“π“ŽΊπ“‹ and the nemes π“ˆ–π“…“π“‹΄ head cloth! The lotus flowers 𓆸𓆸𓆸 and the vulture, who represents the goddess π“ŠΉπ“ Nekhbet π“‡‘π“ƒ€π“π“…π“ŽŸ(protector of Upper Egypt and its rulers) are also beautiful 𓄀𓆑𓂋 touches!

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Egyptian Artifacts

Early Dynastic Turtle Art

Today π“‡π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“‡³ we are going to look at some Early Dynastic art which is dated to c. 3100 – 2650 B.C.E. Both of these pieces represent turtles π“ˆ™π“π“…±π“†‰π“¦! I want to give a shoutout to my friend Matt (@archaeoresearch on Instagram) for inspiring me to look at these pieces more closely!Β 

While not as popular as some iconography, throughout Egyptian history, in the early dynastic periods turtles π“ˆ™π“π“…±π“†‰π“¦ took the form of vessels, palettes π“π“Šƒπ“π“†±π“¦, and even game boards π“‡‹π“²π“π“Š‘π“„›π“¦! I love how the ancient Egyptians adopted the natural shape of the animal and incorporated it into their objects!Β 

Turtles
The “Turtle Figurine” (left) and the “Turtle as a Votive Mehen Game” (left)

The piece on the right is β€œTurtle as a Votive Mehen Game.” Mehen π“Ž”π“ˆ–π“†— was a popular game π“‡‹π“²π“π“Š‘π“„›π“¦ during the Old Kingdom and persisted from c. 3,000 B.C.E. to about c. 2,300 B.C.E. The game board usually consists of a coiled snake π“‡‹π“‚π“‚‹π“π“†˜, however in this case, the turtle’s shell contains the concentric circles that is used as the game board!Β 

Turtles
The “Turtle as a Votive Mehen Game”

The piece on the left is referred to as a β€œTurtle Figurine” and not much is written about this piece at all! It’s smaller than the Mehen Turtle, and does not have the circles on it!Β Β 

Turtles
The “Turtle Figurine”

While we don’t have much information about the views on turtles π“ˆ™π“π“…±π“†‰π“¦ during the early dynastic period, in later religious views, turtles π“ˆ™π“π“…±π“†‰π“¦ were seen as an ambiguous force because they were creatures of both land 𓇾 and water π“ˆ—. 

Turtles π“ˆ™π“π“…±π“†‰π“¦ were also seen as the enemy of Ra 𓇳𓏺𓁛, and in chapter 162 of the Book of the Dead, it is stated that β€œMay Ra live, and may the turtle die.”

If you are interested about turtles π“ˆ™π“π“…±π“†‰π“¦ in ancient Egypt, there is a great publication from the MET that you can read here!

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Egyptian Artifacts

Red Granite in Ancient Egypt

It’s time for a geology lesson! Today we are going to look at the significance of the red granite π“…“π“Œ³π“π“ŽΆ used by the ancient Egyptians! 

After limestone π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“ˆ™π“Œ‰ and sandstone π“‚‹π“…±π“‚§π“π“Œ—π“ˆ™, β€œAswan Granite” was the third most used rock π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“‚‹π“ˆ™ by the ancient Egyptians! β€œAswan Granite” is actually a collective term used to describe all of the intrusive igneous rocks in the Aswan π“‹΄π“ƒΉπ“ˆ–π“Œπ“²π“Š– area, even though they aren’t all granitic!Β 

Red Granite

Intrusive igneous rocks π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“‚‹π“ˆ™π“¦ are rocks that form when magma solidifies deep under ground over long periods of time. This long period of cooling allows for crystallization to occur, which is why red granite π“…“π“Œ³π“π“ŽΆ contains large (coarse), beautiful 𓄀𓆑𓂋 quartz π“ π“ˆ–π“Œπ“ˆ™ crystals! Quartz π“ π“ˆ–π“Œπ“ˆ™ is a very hard and durable mineral, which makes red granite π“…“π“Œ³π“π“ŽΆ a strong rock π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“‚‹π“ˆ™. 

This strength has caused controversy and skepticism because β€œhow could the ancient Egyptians have quarried and moved so much granite?” Well the answer is in the science! Tectonic forces move the granite π“…“π“Œ³π“π“ŽΆ towards the surface and the release of that overlying pressure (called unloading) causes the granite to weather into blocks through fracturing and the creation of natural joints. All the ancient Egyptians had to do was find the right sized block for their projects and then ship it up the Nike! 

The most common of the β€œAswan Granite” rocks π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“‚‹π“ˆ™π“¦ is known as red granite π“…“π“Œ³π“π“ŽΆ. Red granite π“…“π“Œ³π“π“ŽΆ was used for many different types of things such as vases, statues 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾π“ͺ, sarcophagi π“ŽŸπ“‹Ήπ“ˆ–π“π“Š­π“ͺ, stelae π“Ž—π“…±π“†“π“‰Έπ“¦, obelisks 𓉢𓉢𓉢, and for parts of buildings, temples π“‰Ÿπ“π“‰π“ͺ, and even the pyramids 𓍋𓅓𓂋𓉴!Β 

Red Granite

One of the best examples of these red granite π“…“π“Œ³π“π“ŽΆ statues 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾π“ͺ are the ones that used to line Hatshepsut’s π“‡‹π“ π“ˆ–π“ŽΉπ“π“„‚π“π“€Όπ“ͺ temple at Deir el-Bahri 𓂦𓂋𓂦π“₯𓉐 (as seen in my picture)! You can see the beautiful colored coarse crystals in the granite! 

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Geb’s Laughter and Earthquakes

Yesterday 𓋴𓆑𓇳 was quite the interesting day in NY as we experienced an earthquake π“Œπ“…©π“‚‹π“‡Ύ in the morning and an aftershock in the evening! We don’t have earthquakes π“Œπ“…©π“‚‹π“‡Ύπ“¦ in NY very often so it was quite the experience for many of us! 

The ancient Egyptians believed that Geb’s 𓅬𓃀𓀭 laughter is what caused earthquakes π“Œπ“…©π“‚‹π“‡Ύπ“¦ to happen! Geb 𓅬𓃀𓀭 is the god π“ŠΉ of the Earth’s 𓇾𓇾 surface, which the ancient Egyptians called the Upper Earth. Anything that occurred on the Earth’s 𓇾𓇾 surface was considered to be Geb’s 𓅬𓃀𓀭 domain! 

The deity Tatanen 𓁯 is often associated with things that come from the interior of the Earth 𓇾𓇾 (Lower Earth) such as minerals, rocks π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“‚‹π“ˆ™π“¦, and plants 𓆾𓆰𓆰𓆰! While today we know that earthquakes π“Œπ“…©π“‚‹π“‡Ύπ“¦ come from the interior of the Earth, the ancient Egyptians didn’t know that but it’s still so cool they made this distinction!

The god Geb 𓅬𓃀𓀭 can be depicted in art in a couple of different ways!Β 

Geb's
Wereshnefer’s sarcophagus at the MET showing Geb and Nut

On Wereshnefer’s sarcophagus is one depiction: Nut π“Œπ“π“‡―π“€­, the goddess π“ŠΉπ“ of the sky/cosmos π“Šͺ𓏏𓇯, is seen as a woman arched over the rounded Earth 𓇾𓇾 and is supported by Shu 𓇋𓅱𓀭, the god π“ŠΉ of the atmosphere.Β  At Nut’s π“Œπ“π“‡―π“€­ feet is Geb 𓅬𓃀𓀭 who is represented by feet with two arms holding the rounded Earth 𓇾𓇾!Β 

Geb's
Wereshnefer’s sarcophagus at the MET showing Geb and Nut labeled with their names in heiroglyphs

On the painted depiction, Geb 𓅬𓃀𓀭 is seen lying underneath the rest of the figures such as Nut π“Œπ“π“‡―π“€­ and Shu 𓆄𓅱𓀭, the god π“ŠΉ of the atmosphere.Β 

Geb's
A painted sarcophagus at the Brooklyn Museum depicting Nut, Shu, Geb and Khnum
Geb's
A painted sarcophagus at the Brooklyn Museum depicting Nut, Shu, Geb and Khnum with their names labeled in hieroglyphs

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Head of Hathor at the Louvre

This limestone π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“ˆ™π“Œ‰ sculpture of the head of the goddess π“ŠΉπ“ Hathor 𓉑 is one of my favorite pieces that I saw in the Louvre because the intricate details are just striking. This piece is dated to the Ptolemaic Period, and used to be part of a column.Β 

Head of Hathor
Head of Hathor at the Louvre

Hathor 𓉑 is one of the most prominent goddesses π“ŠΉπ“ŠΉπ“ŠΉπ“ of the Egyptian pantheon. Along with Isis π“Š¨π“π“₯, she is regarded as the β€œGod’s mother π“…π“π“ŠΉβ€ of the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻, but is also the goddess π“ŠΉπ“ of love π“ˆ˜π“, joy 𓄫𓄣𓏏, music π“‡‹π“Ž›π“‡Œ, and dance π“‚‹π“…±π“‚»- basically the fun things in life! 

Hathor 𓉑 is usually associated with cows 𓄀𓆑𓂋𓏏𓃒π“ͺ and can take the form of a cow 𓄀𓆑𓂋𓏏𓃒 in many forms of Egyptian art. One detail that I love about this piece is that Hathor 𓉑 is shown with her cow ears! It is very common to see Hathor 𓉑 with her cow 𓄀𓆑𓂋𓏏𓃒 ears in art! 

Another detail that I love is how her wig 𓄿𓂋𓏏𓁸 is decorated with rosettes π“‡¬π“ˆ–π“ƒ€! The carvings are in raised relief, which only makes them stand out more. The work of the ancient Egyptian artists is truly incredible and never fails to amaze me!

Head of Hathor
Me with the Head of Hathor at the Louvre

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Head of Pharaoh Tutankhamun

At the MET, many walk past this fragment of a statue 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾 not knowing who it represents! I have always loved this particular piece because it is the head of Pharaoh Tutankhamun π“‡‹π“ π“ˆ–π“π“…±π“π“‹Ήπ“‹Ύπ“‰Ίπ“‡“ who is arguably the most famous pharaoh in the world today! As a kid, seeing King Tut in the MET was just SO COOL because all of the artifacts from his tomb are located in Egypt. I still think it’s cool – even though I’m an adult, I still can’t shake the child-like fascination I have with Tutankhamun π“‡‹π“ π“ˆ–π“π“…±π“π“‹Ήπ“‹Ύπ“‰Ίπ“‡“.

Head of Tutankhamun
The Head of Pharaoh Tutankhamun on display at the MET

This limestone π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“ˆ™π“Œ‰ statue 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾 was made during Tutankhamun’s π“‡‹π“ π“ˆ–π“π“…±π“π“‹Ήπ“‹Ύπ“‰Ίπ“‡“ reign (18th Dynasty), and it shows that Tutankhamun π“‡‹π“ π“ˆ–π“π“…±π“π“‹Ήπ“‹Ύπ“‰Ίπ“‡“ brought back the old religion and traditional styles of Egyptian art and sculpture. 

Tutankhamun π“‡‹π“ π“ˆ–π“π“…±π“π“‹Ήπ“‹Ύπ“‰Ίπ“‡“ is wearing the khepresh crown π“†£π“‚‹π“ˆ™π“‹™, also known as the β€œblue crown” in this statue. The khepresh π“†£π“‚‹π“ˆ™π“‹™ crown was very popular amongst the New Kingdom pharaohs 𓉐𓉻π“₯ and it was associated with coronation, the right to rule, and victory. Fun Fact: no example of the Blue Crown (Khepresh) π“†£π“‚‹π“ˆ™π“‹™ has been found by archaeologists! 

While it can’t be seen in this picture, there is a hand 𓂧𓏏𓏺 that can be seen on the back of Tutankhamun’s π“‡‹π“ π“ˆ–π“π“…±π“π“‹Ήπ“‹Ύπ“‰Ίπ“‡“ head. This is the hand 𓂧𓏏𓏺 of the god π“ŠΉ Amun π“‡‹π“ π“ˆ–π“€­. Since Amun π“‡‹π“ π“ˆ–π“€­ (king of the gods π“ŠΉπ“ŠΉπ“ŠΉ) is touching Tutankhamun’s crown, it can be interpreted that Amun π“‡‹π“ π“ˆ–π“€­ approved of Tutankhamun’s π“‡‹π“ π“ˆ–π“π“…±π“π“‹Ήπ“‹Ύπ“‰Ίπ“‡“ reign. 

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Tutu

While this looks like a small π“ˆ–π“†“π“‹΄π“…© sphinx π“Ž›π“…±π“ƒ­π“€ statue 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾 this isn’t just any sphinx π“Ž›π“…±π“ƒ­π“€: his name π“‚‹π“ˆ– is Tutu 𓏏𓏲𓏏𓏲! The word β€œTutu” in Egyptian can be translated as β€œImage 𓏏𓏲𓏏” or β€œOne 𓏏𓏲.” The reason I am using the β€œπ“²β€ instead of the β€œπ“…±β€ to write the β€œw/u” sound is because β€œπ“…±β€ was used more for Middle/New Egyptian while β€œπ“²β€ was used in Late Egyptian!

Tutu
A front view of the limestone statue of Tutu. His inlaid eyes are missing, probably lost in antiquity.

Tutu 𓏏𓏲𓏏𓏲 was a late addition to the Egyptian pantheon as his first appearance is around 600 B.C.E., and he became a very popular deity in the late centuries B.C.E. to the Roman period. He is considered to be an obscure god π“ŠΉ and not much is known about him – most people think they are seeing a sphinx π“Ž›π“…±π“ƒ­π“€ when they see him!

Tutu
The limestone statue of Tutu – can you see his snake tail?

Tutu 𓏏𓏲𓏏𓏲 was the son π“…­ of the goddess π“ŠΉπ“ Neith π“ˆ–π“π“‹Œπ“€­ and he was usually represented as a sphinx π“Ž›π“…±π“ƒ­π“€ (human head, lion body) with a snake 𓇋𓂝𓂋𓏏𓆙 as a tail! You can see the snake 𓇋𓂝𓂋𓏏𓆙 tail on the statue 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾 in the picture 𓏏𓅱𓏏 if you look closely!

One of the reasons that Tutu 𓏏𓏲𓏏𓏲 became so popular is because he was worshipped 𓇼𓄿𓀒 by ordinary people and Tutu 𓏏𓏲𓏏𓏲 was accessible to everyone! Tutu 𓏏𓏲𓏏𓏲 was thought to be the god π“ŠΉ of human fate and fortune and the slayer of demons. Tutu 𓏏𓏲𓏏𓏲 was commonly known as β€œWho Comes to the One Calling Him” but was also referred to as β€œGreat of Strength” and β€œThe Lion.” 

On reliefs, Tutu 𓏏𓏲𓏏𓏲 was also portrayed as a sphinx π“Ž›π“…±π“ƒ­π“€ except his head was usually facing forward instead of the usual profile depiction that is in most Egyptian art. This was so Tutu 𓏏𓏲𓏏𓏲 could be see as approachable by all!

On this particular statue 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾, the inlaid glass eyes are missing! This statue 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾 is also made of limestone π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“ˆ™π“Œ‰ and is dated to the Ptolemaic Period. 

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Egyptian Artifacts

Jars of Yuya and Thuya

These limestone π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“ˆ™π“Œ‰ jars π“Ž›π“†°π“ˆ–π“Œπ“²π“Šπ“Ό are very unique and I really like them! The only jars π“Ž›π“†°π“ˆ–π“Œπ“²π“Šπ“Ό similar to this that have been found in Egypt π“†Žπ“…“π“π“Š– were in the tomb π“‡‹π“‡©π“Šƒπ“‰ of Yuya π“‡Œπ“…±π“‡‹π“„Ώπ“€Ό and Thuya 𓍿𓅱𓇋𓅱 in the Valley of the Kings (KV46). These jars π“Ž›π“†°π“ˆ–π“Œπ“²π“Šπ“Ό at the MET are tentatively dated to the 18th Dynasty reign of Amenhotep III π“‡‹π“ π“ˆ–π“Š΅π“‹Ύπ“‹† because of this!Β 

Jars of Yuya and Thuya
Limestone Jars of Yuya and Thuya at the MET

Fun Fact: Yuya π“‡Œπ“…±π“‡‹π“„Ώπ“€Ό and Thuya 𓍿𓅱𓇋𓅱 were Akhenaten’s π“‡‹π“π“ˆ–π“‡³π“…œπ“π“ˆ– grandparents and Tutankhamun’s π“‡‹π“ π“ˆ–π“π“…±π“π“‹Ήπ“‹Ύπ“‰Ίπ“‡“ great-parents!

These four 𓏽 jars π“Ž›π“†°π“ˆ–π“Œπ“²π“Šπ“Ό are made of limestone π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“ˆ™π“Œ‰ and have lids on them that show different animals! More specifically the lids show the deity Bes π“ƒ€π“‹΄π“„œ, a frog π“ˆŽπ“‚‹π“‚‹π“†, an ox 𓃾 head and a resting calf π“‚‹π“ˆ–π“‡Œπ“ƒ”. No one knows what these jars π“Ž›π“†°π“ˆ–π“Œπ“²π“Šπ“Ό were specifically for!Β 

Jars of Yuya and Thuya
Jars of Yuya and Thuya showcasing the interesting lids!

Bes π“ƒ€π“‹΄π“„œ also represented everything good, and was the enemy of anything evil. Bes π“ƒ€π“‹΄π“„œ is also thought to protect π“…“π“‚π“Ž‘π“€œ people against sickness. Cups were fashioned in Bes’ π“ƒ€π“‹΄π“„œ likeness and people thought if they drank from the cup, Bes π“ƒ€π“‹΄π“„œ would heal them! So maybe these jars π“Ž›π“†°π“ˆ–π“Œπ“²π“Šπ“Ό were protecting something?! 

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Egyptian Artifacts

The Will of Mery

This papyrus 𓅓𓍑𓏏𓏛 is one of the oldest legal documents found in Egypt π“†Žπ“…“π“π“Š–! The papyrus 𓅓𓍑𓏏𓏛, which is the Will of Mery, is dated to about 1818 B.C.E., which was during the Middle Kingdom. It is currently on display at the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology at UCL in London!Β 

Will of Mery

You may notice that this papyrus 𓅓𓍑𓏏𓏛 is not written in hieroglyphs π“ŠΉπ“Œƒπ“ͺ or even cursive hieroglyphs! Like most papyri 𓅓𓍑𓏏𓏛𓏦, it is written using a script called Hieratic. Hieratic is a script that was used on papyri 𓅓𓍑𓏏𓏛𓏦 and the symbols do not match their hieroglyphic counterparts! I cannot read Hieratic and I have found it quite difficult to learn! Plus the Hieratic symbols have evolved over time so they have changed a lot which only makes it more difficult! 

Luckily, the UCL website has a wonderful translation of this papyrus 𓅓𓍑𓏏𓏛 so I was able to read what was being said! This is a will in which a man named Mery (a very popular name π“‚‹π“ˆ– in ancient Egypt) asks for his son π“…­ Intef to be appointed to his job in the temple of Senwosret II. It also reveals some presumed family drama – Mery cancels the previous will that left things to Intef’s mother 𓅐𓏏𓁐 and then leaves it instead to his children π“π“‡Œπ“€”π“ͺ that were born by another woman.Β 

The UCL website poses some questions such as β€œDid Intef’s mother die or did Mery divorce her?” – there are some things we will never know! It’s amazing how documents such as these can give us such insight into ancient Egypt π“†Žπ“…“π“π“Š– but still leave us with so many questions!Β 

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Egyptian Artifacts Reading Hieroglyphs

Book of the Dead of Amenhotep (Part 2)

Here is the second small papyrus 𓅓𓍑𓏏𓏛 of the Book of the Dead 𓉐𓂋𓏏𓂻𓅓𓉔𓂋𓏲𓇳𓏺𓍼𓏺 which belonged to a man named Amenhotep π“‡‹π“ π“ˆ–π“Š΅π“π“Šͺ (not the pharaoh). You should also check out Part 1 which goes into more depth on a different papyrus of Amenhotep!

Book of the Dead of Amenhotep
The Book of the Dead of Amenhotep on display at the MET.

This small section of the Book of the Dead 𓉐𓂋𓏏𓂻𓅓𓉔𓂋𓏲𓇳𓏺𓍼𓏺 has Chapter 78 written in Cursive Hieroglyphs π“ŠΉπ“Œƒπ“ͺ. This chapter is about how the deceased can β€œtake the form of a divine Falcon.” The gods Osiris and Horus appear in this spell, and it even involves a mythological figure called β€œThe Double Lion.” 

Let’s read some hieroglyphs π“ŠΉπ“Œƒπ“ͺ!

Book of the Dead of Amenhotep
A closeup of the Book of the Dead of Amenhotep which shows a mummy figure of Amenhotep (left) and a Falcon (right).

Next to the Falcon π“ƒ€π“‡‹π“Ž‘π“…„ you can see the hieroglyphs π“ŠΉπ“Œƒπ“ͺ which I think are: π“†£π“‚‹π“…“π“ƒ€π“‡‹π“Ž‘π“ŠΉπ“‚‹π“» (sometimes the cursive hieroglyphs are difficult to read – I did my best).Β 

β€œπ“†£π“‚‹β€ means β€œto exist, to be, to change into” and β€œπ“ŠΉπ“‚‹β€ means β€œdivine.” While the other symbols are a little difficult to read, I can assume it’s one of the variants for the word β€œFalcon π“ƒ€π“‡‹π“Ž‘π“…„β€ since I can see what I think is the beginning of the word β€œπ“ƒ€π“‡‹π“Ž‘.” So all together this text most likely reads: β€œTo Change Into the Divine Falcon.” 

π“†£π“‚‹π“…“π“ƒ€π“‡‹π“Ž‘π“ŠΉπ“‚‹π“» or “To Change Into the Divine Falcon” is the name of Chapter 78 which is what the rest of this papyrus shows! It’s amazing how the ancient Egyptians wrote titles for their “chapters” (using “chapters” or “numbers” to describe the Book of the Dead is a modern designation and was not used during ancient times).

The name π“‚‹π“ˆ– β€œAmenhotep π“‡‹π“ π“ˆ–π“Š΅π“π“Šͺ” means β€œAmun is Satisfied” and is a name π“‚‹π“ˆ– known by people who love ancient Egypt π“†Žπ“…“π“π“Š– because there were many pharaohs 𓉐𓉻𓏦 who had the birth name of β€œAmenhotep π“‡‹π“ π“ˆ–π“Š΅π“π“Šͺ.” I didn’t notice it until I zoomed in on the papyrus 𓅓𓍑𓏏𓏛, but the name π“‚‹π“ˆ–β€œAmenhotep π“‡‹π“ π“ˆ–π“Š΅π“π“Šͺ” appears in the top left corner next to the mummy 𓇋𓁹𓅱𓀾 looking figure! I love how the ancient Egyptians captioned everything – if you can read hieroglyphs π“ŠΉπ“Œƒπ“ͺ it makes everything so much easier! 

Let’s break down the meaning of the name π“‚‹π“ˆ–:

π“‡‹π“ π“ˆ– – Amun 

π“Š΅π“π“Šͺ – htp (Satisfied, Peace) 

If you want a lot of information about the Book of the Dead, I suggest looking at UCL’s website – it’s what I use to reference the chapter numbers!

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

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