Month: June 2022

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Egyptian Artifacts

Limestone Stela of Paser

This is a limestone 𓇋𓈖𓈙𓌉 stela 𓎗𓅱𓆓𓉸 that belonged to a man 𓊃𓀀𓏤 named Paser 𓅮𓀙 who lived during the 18th Dynasty.

This is not the same Paser 𓅮𓀙𓀽 who was the vizier 𓅷𓏏𓏺𓀀 to the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 Rameses II 𓁩𓁛𓈘𓄟𓋴𓇓 – that Paser 𓅮𓀙𓀽 lived during the 19th Dynasty! On a random note, the Vizier Paser 𓅮𓀙𓀽 has his own large stela 𓎗𓅱𓆓𓉸 in the British Museum (which I have written about in previous posts) but a smaller stela 𓎗𓅱𓆓𓉸 was also found during the excavation of his tomb 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐. I was so excited to see the name 𓂋𓈖 Paser 𓅮𓀙 in the Petrie Museum when I was there with my Nonno because my Nonno’s favorite non-royal was vizier 𓅷𓏏𓏺𓀀 Paser 𓅮𓀙𓀽! That excitement ended when I saw the date of the piece and realized that these were not for “THE” Paser 𓅮𓀙𓀽 and we’re just for another man 𓊃𓀀𓏤 with the same name 𓂋𓈖 😂.

Let’s read some hieroglyphs! What’s great about this stela 𓎗𓅱𓆓𓉸 is thatall the people are labeled with a “caption” above them so they can be identified. The man 𓊃𓀀𓏤 in the middle is Paser 𓅮𓀙 and on either side of him is a woman 𓊃𓏏𓂑𓏏𓁐. Both women have the same name 𓂋𓈖 – Mery 𓌻𓇌. The word “mery” in Middle Egyptian means “beloved,” and can also be written like this: 𓌻𓂋𓇌.

The woman 𓊃𓏏𓂑𓏏𓁐 that is sitting with Paser 𓅮𓀙 on the lion legged chair is his wife 𓂑𓏏𓁐, while the woman 𓊃𓏏𓂑𓏏𓁐 standing at the offering table 𓂝𓃀𓅡𓄿𓋃 with the lotus flower 𓆸 is their daughter 𓐍𓇌𓀕. Two 𓏻 Eyes of Horus 𓂀 can be seen on either side of the Shen Ring 𓍶 at the top of the stela 𓎗𓅱𓆓𓉸.

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Egyptian Artifacts

Pink Granite Sphinx

Rome and The Vatican Museum were some of my Nonno’s absolute favorite places to be and I am so so lucky that we were able to travel there together in 2014. Some of the best days of my life were spent in Rome and Rome has remained my favorite city since that visit. I love Rome’s combination of ancient and modern – the whole vibe of the city very much fits my personality!

This is the pink granite 𓅓𓌳𓏏𓎶 Sphinx 𓎛𓅱𓃭𓏤 in the Vatican and it is dated to the first century AD. Even as a geologist it’s so weird that this rock 𓇋𓈖𓂋𓈙 is classified as pink granite 𓅓𓌳𓏏𓎶 because it isn’t pink! Red granite 𓅓𓌳𓏏𓎶 is actually a lot more pink and many can get the two 𓏻 rocks 𓇋𓈖𓂋𓈙𓏦 confused! For the purpose of writing hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪, I used the same word for both red and pink granite since the rocks 𓇋𓈖𓂋𓈙𓏦 are definitely similar!

It was difficult to find information about this Sphinx 𓎛𓅱𓃭𓏤 which is why I haven’t made a post about it even though I love this picture 𓏏𓅱𓏏!

But just looking at it you can tell the craftsmanship is exquisite! You can definitely see the merging of Egyptian and Roman styles in this piece. The Sphinx 𓎛𓅱𓃭𓏤 is also so big, which makes it even more impressive. It is so difficult to work with granite 𓇋𓈖𓈙𓈖𓌳𓍿 because it is a very hard and stable rock 𓇋𓈖𓂋𓈙 (which is why it’s so great to use for countertops)!

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Egyptian Artifacts

Statue of a Man Named Ahmose

This is gray schist statue 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾 is of a man 𓊃𓀀𓏤 named Ahmose 𓇹𓄟𓋴 (but his nickname was Ruru). Schist is a metamorphic rock 𓇋𓈖𓂋𓈙, which means it formed under extreme heat and pressure. Schist is formed due to a process called regional metamorphism, which is a fancy way to say mountain building over big areas! Most of NYC is actually built on schist – it is an extremely strong and dense rock, hence why it can support NYC’s tremendous skyscrapers!

Even though this statue 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾 is dated to the 18th Dynasty, it was definitely influenced by Middle Kingdom style art. The wig and the cloak that Ahmose 𓇹𓄟𓋴 is depicted as wearing was a popular style during the Middle Kingdom. However, the facial structure of the statue 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾 is very much a New Kingdom style.

Ahmose 𓇹𓄟𓋴 served as a high ranking government official 𓋴𓂋𓀀(probably some type of priest 𓊹𓍛) during the reign of Hatshepsut 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓎹𓏏𓄂𓏏𓀼𓏪, however her cartouches do not appear anywhere on the statue 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾. Her cartouches were erased and you can now see the cartouche of Thutmosis III 𓇳𓏠𓆣 on the front inscription. This happened to a lot of objects bearing Hatshepsut’s 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓎹𓏏𓄂𓏏𓀼𓏪 name 𓂋𓈖, especially during the reign of Thutmosis III 𓇳𓏠𓆣.

The name 𓂋𓈖 Ahmose 𓇹𓄟𓋴 was an extremely popular name during the 18th Dynasty. Ahmose 𓇹𓄟𓋴 means “the moon is born.”

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Egyptian Artifacts

Details of Anubis on a Roman Sarcophagus

For my whole life I have called this piece the “Roman Anubis Mummy!!!”

As anyone who has followed me for a while knows, I love absolutely anything that has to do with Anubis 𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱𓃣! He has been my favorite Egyptian god 𓊹 since I started learning about mythology at six 𓏿 years old! Since I was a kid who was obsessed with mummies 𓇋𓁹𓅱𓀾𓏪 too, it makes sense that Anubis 𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱𓃣, god 𓊹 of mummification and cemeteries would be a favorite of mine!

What is interesting about this image 𓏏𓅱𓏏 of Anubis 𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱𓃣 though is that he is depicted with the moon 𓇋𓂝𓎛𓇹. Thoth 𓅤𓀭 is usually represented with the moon (as he is god 𓊹 of the moon 𓇋𓂝𓎛𓇹 along with hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪, writing 𓏟𓏛𓏥, wisdom etc.), while Anubis’ 𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱𓃣 connection to the lunar disc 𓇋𓂝𓎛𓇹 is not well understood. One of the earliest images 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓏦 of Anubis 𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱𓃣 with the moon 𓇋𓂝𓎛𓇹 actually comes from Hatshepsut’s 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓎹𓏏𓄂𓏏𓀼𓏪 mortuary temple at Deir el-Bahri 𓂦𓂋𓂦𓏥𓉐, in the scene that “confirms” that Amun 𓇋𓏠𓈖 was Hatshepsut’s 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓎹𓏏𓄂𓏏𓀼𓏪 father 𓇋𓏏𓀀, thus she had the divine right to rule. Other scenes connecting Anubis 𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱𓃣 to the moon 𓇋𓂝𓎛𓇹 exist, but the relationship between two 𓏻 are not well understood and it is something I wish we knew more about!

This is the mummy 𓇋𓁹𓅱𓀾 of a woman 𓊃𓏏𓂑𓏏𓁐 named Artemidora who lived in Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖 during the Roman Period (A.D 90-100). The text above Anubis 𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱𓃣 reads “Artemidora, daughter of Harpokras, died untimely, aged 27. Farewell.” The images 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓏦 taken of her mummy 𓇋𓁹𓅱𓀾 using radiographic techniques confirm this age of death. Big thanks the @metmuseum for the translation, because while I can read and translate hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 I certainly do not know Greek!

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Egyptian Artifacts

Wood Embellishments

These three 𓏼 pieces in the Brooklyn Museum are embellishments made of wood 𓆱𓏏𓏺 that were meant to attach to furniture. They are from the 18th Dynasty and these pieces look so good after so long because Egypt’s 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖 environment is ideal for preserving wood 𓆱𓏏𓏺 because it’s so dry. There isn’t the risk of mold (in most places) so the wood 𓆱𓏏𓏺 can be preserved decently well.

The Djed Pillar 𓊽 (both ends) is associated with Osiris 𓁹𓊨𓀭 and his regenerative powers. The Djed Pillar 𓊽 is thought to represent Osiris’ 𓁹𓊨𓀭 spine, hence why it was used to represent the word “stability” in hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪. It was usually used in a funerary context, and Djed pillar 𓊽 amulets 𓊐𓊪𓅆𓏦 were placed on mummies 𓇋𓁹𓅱𓀾𓏪 to help enhance powers of regeneration. It is one of the most easily recognized symbols in Egyptian art. It’s use can be traced back to the Old Kingdom.

The tyet knot 𓎬 (the middle), also known as the Isis knot 𓎬, was considered a very strong symbol of protection and came to be associated with Isis 𓊨𓏏𓁥. The Egyptians believed that knots 𓎬 were able to bind and then release magic. The Isis Knots 𓎬 were also mostly used in a funerary context, as amulets 𓊐𓊪𓅆𓏦 placed on mummies 𓇋𓁹𓅱𓀾𓏪, so it is very interesting to see both symbols made of wood 𓆱𓏏𓏺 and used for furniture!

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Egyptian Artifacts

Bronze Statues of Deities

There’s a lot that I love about this picture 𓏏𓅱𓏏 – 1) obviously I love the bronze 𓈔𓏤𓈒𓏦 statues 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾𓏪, 2) it’s in the Petrie Museum, and 3) which I think is the best part – you can see me and Nonno’s reflections in the mirror! We are squished together both trying to take pictures 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓏦 of all the artifacts! We spent a big part of that day like that and I wish I could go back and re-live that day 𓉔𓂋𓏺𓇳 again. So while this is not the best picture 𓏏𓅱𓏏 artistically speaking, it really means a lot to me. While I am certainly no artist, I can fluently read hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 (and have been for 23 years) so it’s all good 😂 – can’t be good at everything!

From the left, the bronze 𓈔𓏤𓈒𓏦 statues 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾 represent Horus 𓅃𓀭(or Harpokrates, the Greek version of Horus 𓅃𓀭), two 𓏻 statues 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾 of Imhotep 𓇍𓅓𓊵𓏏𓊪 (a non-royal man who became deified – responsible for the construction of Djoser’s 𓂦 Step Pyramid amongst many other things), the fertility god 𓊹 Min 𓋊𓊾𓁤, and Khnum 𓎸𓏏𓀭 (one of the oldest deities, god 𓊹 of the source of the Nile 𓇋𓏏𓂋𓅱𓈗𓈘𓈇𓏺, fertility and was thought to have made humans out of clay from his potters wheel).

The Bronze Age started due to the rise in the Sumerian civilization in Mesopotamia. Due to war and trade, bronze 𓈔𓏤𓈒𓏦 was able to come to Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖 around 700 B.C.E. and replace the traditional stone 𓇋𓈖𓂋𓊪 and clay statues 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾𓏪. The bronze 𓈔𓏤𓈒𓏦 pieces are great antiquities because they can preserve small details over long periods of time. Bronze 𓈔𓏤𓈒𓏦 statuary 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾 became very popular starting around the Third Intermediate Period (26th Dynasty), and became very abundant in the Ptolemaic Period, which resulted in mass production and a loss of craftsmanship and quality.

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Blog

Why I Love “The Mummy” (1999) So Much!

Another bit of a different post for today!! I want to talk about The Mummy because it is my absolute favorite movie of all time (and I know many of you love it as much as me)!!

I must have been around nine years old (I started studying ancient Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖 around six years old) and my mom told me that I “had to watch this movie with her” and that the main girl in the movie was just like me! Now I’m a scaredy cat and I do not like horror movies (and never will) so I remember being very hesitant to watch it.

Once the movie started I couldn’t believe it! Evie was literally just like me! Nerdy, brown hair, clumsy, glasses and could read hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 too!! I related to her so much and I really felt that she was just like me (she is definitely much braver and more adventurous than I am 😂). The movie instantly became my favorite movie of all time (and at nine years old I realized Rick O’Connell was the perfect man 😂). I honestly cannot put into words just how much this movie has meant to me throughout my whole life. I really can’t think of a way to express it in any of the languages I know!

I have probably seen the movie over 100 times and every time I watch it, the movie brings me incredible joy. Not only did I relate to Evie, but she also inspired me to keep studying Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖 and hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 because I really did want to be as amazing as her (and of course make Nonno proud). My Nonno also loved the movie, and not only is it my favorite, but it is also the entire family’s favorite! We also LOVE the ride at Universal Studios (which is where I am in the picture). The movie has had an incredible influence on my life and I am forever grateful that it was made (I also love The Mummy Returns)!!

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Reading Hieroglyphs

Small Relief from the Reign of Nectanbo

This is a small relief with beautifully 𓄤 carved hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 that dates to the reign of the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 Nectanbo 𓇳𓆣𓂓 in Dynasty 30.

Let’s read some hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪!

𓆥 – “King of Upper and Lower Egypt”

𓎟𓇿𓇿 – “Lord of the Two Lands”

(𓇳𓆣𓂓) – Kheperkare (“The manifestation of the soul is Re”)

𓅭𓇳 – “Son of Ra”

𓎟𓈍𓏥 – “Lord of Appearances”

(𓈖𓐍𓏏𓂡𓃭𓆑) – (Nakt Nebef “The Strong One of His Lord”)

𓄑𓂧𓏏𓊖 – “Edfu” or “Behdet” (Egyptian city in Upper Egypt. Horus of the Winged Disc or “Behdetite” was the chief god of the city)

𓎟𓊪𓏏𓇯 – “Lord of the Sky”

Here it is all out together:

𓆥𓎟𓇿𓇿(𓇳𓆣𓂓)𓅭𓇳𓎟𓈍𓏥(𓈖𓐍𓏏𓂡𓃭𓆑) 𓄑𓂧𓏏𓊖𓎟𓊪𓏏𓇯

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Egyptian Artifacts

Great Sphinx of Tanis

This sphinx 𓎛𓅱𓃭𓏤 in the Louvre is one of the largest outside of Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖! It is known as the “Great Sphinx of Tanis” because it was found in the ruins of the Temple 𓉟𓏏𓉐 of Amun-Ra 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓏺𓇳 in Tanis 𓆓𓂝𓈖𓏏𓊖! Tanis 𓆓𓂝𓈖𓏏𓊖 was the capital of Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖 from the 21st-23rd Dynasties. The sphinx 𓎛𓅱𓃭𓏤 is made of granite 𓇋𓈖𓈙𓈖𓌳𓍿 – an extremely strong 𓄇𓏏𓂝𓏭 and durable rock 𓇋𓈖𓂋𓈙!

This sphinx 𓎛𓅱𓃭𓏤 is so interesting because the cartouches of the pharaohs 𓉐𓉻𓏦 Merneptah 𓇳𓃒𓈖𓈘𓊹𓊹𓊹 (19th Dynasty) and Sheshonq I 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓌻𓆷𓆷𓈖𓈎 (22nd Dynasty) are both seen on the sphinx 𓎛𓅱𓃭𓏤. Why are two 𓏻 pharaoh’s 𓉐𓉻 names 𓂋𓈖𓏦 there? Well, the Egyptians 𓆎𓏏𓀀𓁐𓏪 used to recycle monuments, a process called “usurping.” The practice of usurping was when the current pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 would take old pharaoh’s 𓉐𓉻 names 𓂋𓈖𓏦 off of monuments and put their own there! It is basically ancient plagiarism and it occurred quite frequently.

Some Egyptologists say this sphinx 𓎛𓅱𓃭𓏤 actually dates back to the Old Kingdom, as the face 𓁶𓏺 doesn’t represent any known pharaoh 𓉐𓉻! A book that I have says the sphinx 𓎛𓅱𓃭𓏤 dates to the Middle Kingdom. We will probably never know!

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Egyptian Artifacts

False Door of Bateti

This is the False Door of a man 𓊃𓀀𓏤 named Bateti 𓃀𓂝𓏍𓏏𓏏𓇋 who was an official during the 5th Dynasty (2494-2345 B.C.E.). This particular False Door is interesting because it shows Bateti 𓃀𓂝𓏍𓏏𓏏𓇋 emerging from it – the statue 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾 served as a vessel for his soul 𓂓 to pass through the door. This False Door stood in the chapel of his mastaba tomb 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐. The False Door remains unfinished and his name 𓂋𓈖 should be carved above the statue 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾, but only two 𓏻 hieroglyphic symbols were carved.

Bateti’s full name: 𓃀𓂝𓏍𓏏𓏏𓇋

What appears on the False Door: 𓏍𓏏𓏏 (the “𓏏𓏏” has been fully carved but the “𓏍” has only been sketched on to the limestone 𓇋𓈖𓈙𓌉).

False Doors are an extremely important part of ancient Egyptian funerary practices. False Doors served as ways for the living relatives to make offerings 𓊵𓏏𓊪𓏏𓏔𓏦 to the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱. The offerings 𓊵𓏏𓊪𓏏𓏔𓏦 usually consisted of food 𓇬𓀁𓅱𓏔𓏥- bread 𓏐 and beer 𓏊 were two common ones! The False Door acted as a link between the land of the living and the land of the dead. The ancient Egyptians 𓆎𓏏𓀀𓁐𓏪 believed that the soul 𓂓 of the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱 could travel between the two lands 𓇿𓇿 through the False Door. They are also known as “ka 𓂓 doors” or “soul 𓂓 doors.”

False Doors were usually located on the western 𓋀𓏏𓏭 walls of tombs 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐𓏦 because the west 𓋀𓏏𓏏𓈊 is associated with the dead 𓅓𓏏𓏱. The west 𓋀𓏏𓏏𓈊 is associated with the dead 𓅓𓏏𓏱 because the sun 𓇳𓏺 sets in the west 𓋀𓏏𓏏𓈊 – when Ra 𓇳𓏺𓁛 makes his daily journey across the sky 𓊪𓏏𓇯, sunset 𓇋𓐍𓐍𓅱𓇶 is representative of his death.

𓏙𓋹𓊽𓌀