Month: November 2022

White Cross-Lined Ware Pottery with Crocodiles

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date November 19, 2022

Today 𓏇𓇋𓈖𓇳, we are going to travel all the way back to predynastic Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖 (c. 3650-3500 B.C.E.)! More specifically, this piece is dated to the Naqada II Period (also known as the Gerzean Period), which is a period of accelerated development in art and culture. This time period is when more elaborate pottery began to appear and people started to get buried in larger and more elaborate tombs 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐𓏪! This was all before the first 𓏃 writing 𓏟𓏛𓏥 even appeared, which was during Naqada III (3200-3000 B.C.E.).

This piece of pottery 𓏠𓈖𓇋𓏋 is commonly referred to as “white cross-lined ware” by archaeologists. Flinders Petrie, the first Egyptologist to try and date predynastic pottery, described white cross-lined ware pottery 𓏠𓈖𓇋𓏋 as being a reddish-brown or dark red 𓂧𓈙𓂋𓅟 color that was decorated with white 𓌉𓆓𓇳 images 𓅱𓏏𓅱𓏪 or geometric drawings. White cross-lined ware pottery 𓏠𓈖𓇋𓏋 is usually only found in Upper Egypt 𓇓, near Abydos 𓍋𓃀𓈋𓊖 and Naqada.

I absolutely love this piece of pottery 𓏠𓈖𓇋𓏋 because beautifully 𓄤 drawn crocodiles 𓅓𓋴𓎛𓆌𓏦 that are on it! Much like the hippopotamus 𓌉𓏏𓃯, the crocodile 𓅓𓋴𓎛𓆌 is one of the animals that appears frequently in early Egyptian imagery 𓏏𓅱𓏏 probably because the people of the Nile 𓇋𓏏𓂋𓅱𓈗𓈘𓈇𓏺 needed to always be on their guard in regards to crocodiles 𓅓𓋴𓎛𓆌𓏦 since they could come out of the water 𓈗 and on to the banks of the Nile 𓇋𓏏𓂋𓅱𓈗𓈘𓈇𓏺!

Even as ancient Egyptian culture evolved, Egyptians 𓆎𓏏𓀀𓁐𓏪 both feared and revered 𓇋𓌴𓄪 crocodiles 𓅓𓋴𓎛𓆌𓏦 due to their strength 𓄇𓏏𓂝𓏭 and power. While crocodiles 𓅓𓋴𓎛𓆌𓏦 were the feared animals along the Nile 𓇋𓏏𓂋𓅱𓈗𓈘𓈇𓏺, images 𓅱𓏏𓅱𓏪 of them could offer protection 𓅓𓂝𓎡𓀜, such as in the form of amulets 𓊐𓊪𓅆𓏪 which evolved much later.

Sobek 𓋴𓃀𓎡𓆋, the god 𓊹 was both feared and revered due to him being a crocodile 𓅓𓋴𓎛𓆌! He was worshipped 𓇼𓄿𓀢 in order to ensure the fertility of both people and crops, but also to protect against crocodile 𓅓𓋴𓎛𓆌 attacks. Sobek 𓋴𓃀𓎡𓆋 was one of the gods 𓊹𓊹𓊹 that was named in the Pyramid Texts, which makes him one of the oldest deities 𓊹𓊹𓊹 in the Egyptian pantheon, however, this piece of pottery 𓏠𓈖𓇋𓏋 is still older than Sobek 𓋴𓃀𓎡𓆋!

Tags artifact, the met

Egyptian Artifacts

Harpokrates

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date November 19, 2022

While a lot of the same themes and ideas persisted through the Egyptian religion for thousands of years, changes and evolution did occur from time to time! One of the ways those changes showed up were in the evolution of gods 𓊹𓊹𓊹 and goddesses 𓊹𓊹𓊹𓏏. In both classical Egyptian and Graeco-Roman times, Horus 𓅃𓀭, Isis 𓊨𓏏𓁥 and Osiris 𓁹𓊨𓀭 were very popular deities 𓊹𓊹𓊹, however, their names 𓂋𓈖𓏦 and roles did evolve. For example, Osiris 𓁹𓊨𓀭 was replaced/referred to as Serapis 𓁹𓊨𓀭𓎛𓐑𓊪𓃒 by the Ptolemies. Today 𓏇𓇋𓈖𓇳 we are going to look at one of the ways that Horus evolved 𓅃𓀭!

In this picture 𓏏𓅱𓏏, Horus 𓅃𓀭 is represented in his Greek form Harpokrates 𓅃𓀭𓅮𓄿𓄡𓂋𓂧𓀔𓀭 (or Harpocrates), with his trademarked “finger to lips” pose. This pose represents the “be quiet” gesture because to the Greeks, Harpokrates was the god 𓊹 of silence. In the Hellenistic world, Harpokrates could also be the god 𓊹 of secrets, confidentiality, and even the embodiment of hope!

The name 𓂋𓈖 Harpokrates 𓅃𓀭𓅮𓄿𓄡𓂋𓂧𓀔𓀭 is actually a Greek adaptation of the Egyptian “Heru-pa-khered” or “Heru-pa-khart” which translates to “Horus the Child” or “Horus the Younger.” This name 𓂋𓈖 makes sense when you look at the statues 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾𓏪, because Horus 𓅃𓀭/Harpokrates is represented as a child! Also, the determinative hieroglyph (last symbol in the phrase) for the word child “𓐍𓇌𓀔/𓄡𓂋𓂧𓀔” shows a seated boy with his hand to his mouth, which is where the idea for the representation of Harpokrates 𓅃𓀭𓅮𓄿𓄡𓂋𓂧𓀔𓀭 is thought to have originated from!

Here is a breakdown of Harpokrates’ name 𓂋𓈖 in hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪:
𓅃𓀭𓅮𓄿𓄡𓂋𓂧𓀔𓀭 – Harpokrates

𓅃𓀭 -Heru
𓅮𓄿 – pa
𓄡𓂋𓂧𓀔𓀭 – khered/khart

Tags artifact, gods and goddesses, horus, the met

Egyptian Artifacts

The False Door Inside Perneb’s Mastaba

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date November 19, 2022

Perneb 𓃀𓈖𓎟𓉐𓂋 was a palace administrator during the 5th Dynasty, and he had his tomb 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐 built at Memphis 𓏠𓈖𓄤𓆑𓂋𓉴𓊖 (modern day Saqqara). This type of tomb 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐 is commonly referred to today as a mastaba, but in ancient Egyptian times they were referred to as a “House of Eternity 𓉐𓆖.” The word “mastaba” is Arabic for the word “bench,” and these tombs 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐𓏪 got their modern name 𓂋𓈖 due to their rectangular structure and flat roofs!

During the Old Kingdom, the Pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 and the palace were pretty much the center of the government/society, so Perneb 𓃀𓈖𓎟𓉐𓂋 held quite an important role, hence the exquisite tomb 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐!

I am standing inside the mastaba 𓉐𓆖 of Perneb 𓃀𓈖𓎟𓉐𓂋 at the MET in front of his False Door! I will never forget seeing it for the first time with my Nonno – the first time I saw it, there was no glass on the reliefs! Seeing this for the first time will always be one of my greatest memories! I love being inside the mastaba 𓉐𓆖 because I feel like I am in Egypt – 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖 I love being in tombs 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐𓏪!

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 and there is a spot at the base of the False Door where offerings 𓊵𓏏𓊪𓏏𓏔𓏦 are meant to be left.

The False Door acted as a link between the land of the living 𓋹𓈖𓐍 and the land of the dead 𓅓𓏏𓏱. 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.”

Tags mastaba, the met

Egyptian Artifacts

The Temple of Dendur in Color!

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date November 19, 2022

One thing about Egyptian art that many people do not realize is that it once used to be very colorful! However, while time has preserved the beautiful 𓄤 carvings and inscriptions 𓏟𓏛𓏥, the paint 𓇨𓂋𓅱𓏭𓏸𓏦 on a lot of Egyptian art has been lost. This project at the MET, which features a projection of colors on to the Temple of Dendur shows what the temple 𓉟𓏏𓉐 might have looked like when it was commissioned to be built by the Emperor Augustus 𓉐𓉻𓀀. By 10 B.C.E, the temple 𓉟𓏏𓉐 construction was completed.

The relief at the Temple of Dendur without color

Usually when trying to recreate colors on past artifacts, a combination of techniques are used such as researching other similar objects (looking at the colors used at the Temple of Hathor at Dendera and the Temple of Isis at Philae), or using scientific techniques such as checking for remnants of color/paint 𓇨𓂋𓅱𓏭𓏸𓏦 using various instruments. No traces of paint 𓇨𓂋𓅱𓏭𓏸𓏦 were found on the Temple of Dendur, so looking at the paint 𓇨𓂋𓅱𓏭𓏸𓏦 used on other similar temples 𓉟𓏏𓉐𓏥 was how the colors were inferred for this particular relief.

The relief that the artists chose to recreate the color of the temple 𓉟𓏏𓉐 with shows the Emperor Augustus 𓄿𓏲𓏏𓈎𓂋𓏏𓂋 making offerings 𓊵𓏏𓊪𓏏𓏔𓏦 of wine to the Egyptian gods 𓊹𓊹𓊹 Horus 𓅃𓀭 and Hathor 𓉡! The pictures above show the progression of the colorization of the temple! This is created by using a projector to put the colors on the actual temple reliefs!

Fun fact because I can’t help myself: In this image 𓏏𓅱𓏏 you can see two 𓏻 (of Augustus’ three 𓏼) cartouches! I loved seeing these in color on the projection too!!

𓄿𓏲𓏏𓈎𓂋𓏏𓂋 Augustus (Autokrator)

𓈎𓇌𓊃𓂋𓊃𓋹𓆖 Augustus (Kaisaros)

The projection on the temple 𓉟𓏏𓉐 happens in phases, so people can see the color start to come together and that’s what I tried to show in my photographs 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓏪!! I hope you enjoy this unique look at the Temple of Dendur – let me know what you think about it!

Tags artifact, temple of dendur, the met

Reading Hieroglyphs

The “Water Jars in a Rack” Hieroglyph

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date November 19, 2022

Let’s read some hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪!

Today 𓏇𓇋𓈖𓇳, we are going to be looking at another popular hieroglyph 𓊹𓌃! This is the “water jars in a rack 𓏅” symbol!

𓏅 is most commonly used as a triliteral phonogram, and is associated with the sound ḫnt. Less commonly, 𓏅 (and it’s variants) can be used as an ideogram for the word “jar-rack” and would then be associated with the sound ḫntw.

There are many variants of this symbol, all of which have the same sound associated with them. They are also classified as “water jars in a rack: 𓏃, 𓏄, and 𓏆.” All of these can be used interchangeably!

Let’s take a look at how 𓏅 can be used in a variety of inscriptions 𓏟𓏛𓏥!

Now, 𓏅 is very commonly used as a proposition to mean “in front at/of:”

𓏅𓊹𓉱/𓏅𓏏𓊹𓉱 – In Front at the God’s Booth (one of Anubis’ 𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱𓃣 epithets)

𓏅𓈖𓏏 – At the Head of/In Front of

𓏅 Is also commonly used to mean the word “Foremost,” especially in epithets of the gods𓊹𓊹𓊹. “Foremost” can also be written as “𓄂𓏏.”

𓏅𓈖𓏏𓏭𓋀𓄿/ – Foremost of the Westerners (one of Osiris’ 𓁹𓊨𓀭 epithets)

𓏅𓋀𓏏𓏏𓈊 – Foremost of the West (I have seen this epithet of Osiris 𓁹𓊨𓀭 written this way too)

𓏶𓏅 – Is Foremost (priest’s title)

𓏅 can also function as an ordinal number and mean “First.”

Tags hieroglyph lessons, hieroglyphs, the met

Reading Hieroglyphs

The “Sedge” Hieroglyph

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date November 19, 2022

Let’s read some hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪!

Today 𓏇𓇋𓈖𓇳, we are going to be looking at another popular hieroglyph 𓊹𓌃! This is the “sedge 𓇓” symbol!

The 𓇓 is a biliteral phonogram and has the sound of “sw.” The symbol can also function as an ideogram for both the words “king (nswt)” and “sedge (swt).” The sedge 𓇓 is also the symbol to represent Upper Egypt!

Let’s take a look at some examples of how 𓇓 can be used in words!

𓇓 – King

𓇓𓏏𓈖𓀭 – King

𓇓𓏏𓈖𓀲 – King

𓇓𓏏𓇌𓏛/𓇓𓏏𓈖𓇌𓏛 – To Be King

𓇓𓇌 – Kingship

𓇓𓏏𓏏𓈞 King’s Wife

𓇓𓂋𓐍𓏏 – King’s Acquaintance (literally “King’s 𓇓 Knowledge 𓂋𓐍𓏏(𓏜)”)

Now, let’s take a look at some examples of how 𓇓 can be used in popular phrases:

𓆥 – He of the Sedge and the Bee or King of Upper and Lower Egypt

𓇓𓏏𓊵𓏙 – An Offering the King Gives (𓇓 – King, 𓏏𓊵- Offering, 𓏙 – Gives)

As you can see, the sedge 𓇓 symbol has many uses, and they mostly have to do with the word “king!” So if you see the 𓇓, in most cases you’re going to be dealing with something to do with the king 𓇓𓏏𓈖𓀲/pharaoh 𓉐𓉻!

Tags hieroglyph lessons, hieroglyphs, the met

Egyptian Artifacts

Reliefs in the Mastaba of Perneb

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date November 19, 2022

This picture 𓏏𓅱𓏏 shows a closeup of one of the many beautiful 𓄤 reliefs that decorate the inside of Perneb’s 𓉐𓂋𓈖𓎟𓃀 mastaba 𓉐𓆖.

This relief shows two 𓏻 men carrying offerings 𓊵𓏏𓊪𓏏𓏔𓏦 of bread 𓏏𓏐 and fowl 𓅿. These reliefs are facing the False Door inside the tomb 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐, where family 𓅕𓉔𓅱𓏏𓀀𓁐𓏦 members would leave offerings 𓊵𓏏𓊪𓏏𓏔𓏦 as well. Drawing the people bringing offerings 𓊵𓏏𓊪𓏏𓏔𓏦 to Perneb 𓉐𓂋𓈖𓎟𓃀 towards the False Door was done on purpose! In the ancient Egyptian religion/culture, it was thought that the drawings on the walls of tombs 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐𓏪 could come to life. If people were drawn bringing food 𓇬𓀁𓅱𓏔𓏥 to the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱, then it was thought that the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱 would have enough sustenance for the afterlife 𓇼𓄿𓏏𓉐!

Perneb 𓉐𓂋𓈖𓎟𓃀 was a palace administrator during the 5th Dynasty, and he had his tomb 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐 built at Memphis 𓏠𓈖𓄤𓆑𓂋𓉴𓊖 (modern day Saqqara). This type of tomb 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐 is commonly referred to today as a mastaba, but in ancient Egyptian times they were referred to as a “House of Eternity 𓉐𓆖.” The word “mastaba” is Arabic for the word “bench,” and these tombs 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐𓏪 got their modern name 𓂋𓈖 due to their rectangular structure and flat roofs!

Tags artifact, mastaba, the met

Egyptian Artifacts Reading Hieroglyphs

Closeup of the Hatshepsut Stela

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date November 11, 2022

Here’s a closeup of a part of the Hatshepsut 𓇳𓁦𓂓 Stela 𓎗𓅱𓆓𓉸 from the Vatican Museum in Rome! My Nonno took this picture on one of his trips to the museum. He knows how much I love this piece (it’s second only to the limestone statue of Hatshepsut 𓇳𓁦𓂓 at the MET).

Let’s read some hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪!

In the hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪, you can see the cartouches for the throne names (or prenomen) of both Hatshepsut and Thutmosis III. The prenomen was one of the five royal names of the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻.

𓇳𓁦𓂓 = Maatkare (Hatshepsut)
𓇳𓏠𓆣 = Menkhepra (Thutmosis III)

The hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 in between the two cartouches spell out 𓏙𓋹𓇳𓏇 which translates to “given life like Ra”

Tags artifact, hatshepsut, hieroglyph lessons, hieroglyphs, thutmosis iii, vatican museum

Egyptian Artifacts

Pharaoh Horemheb with the God Amun

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date November 11, 2022

My Nonno took this picture!! This is a statue of the Pharaoh Horemheb 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓌺𓄿𓋔𓐝𓎱 with the god 𓊹 Amun 𓇋𓏠𓈖. Amun 𓇋𓏠𓈖 is pictured as larger than the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻. The gods 𓊹𓊹𓊹 were always depicted bigger to symbolize the fact that they were more important than the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻. The only being a pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 ever bowed to was a god, since the pharaohs themselves were gods 𓊹𓊹𓊹 on Earth.

Amun 𓇋𓏠𓈖 was the King of the Gods (kind of like Zeus). As early as the 11th Dynasty, Amun 𓇋𓏠𓈖 was the patron god 𓊹 of Thebes. At the start of the 18th Dynasty, the god 𓊹 Amun 𓇋𓏠𓈖 gained great national importance in the pantheon and this is illustrated with Amun’s fusion with the sun god Ra (Amun-Ra 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓏺𓇳).

Let’s read some hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪!

On the left side of the statue, the hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 read: 𓄤𓊹 𓎟𓇿𓇿(𓇳𓂦𓆣𓏼𓇳𓍉𓈖)𓇋𓏠𓈖𓏺𓇳 𓌻𓇌𓏙𓋹 – this translates to: “The great god, lord of the two lands, Djeser Kheperu Re, beloved of Amun-Ra, given life.”

While on the right side, the hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 read: 𓅭𓇳 𓎟𓈍𓏥(𓇋𓏠𓈖𓌺𓄿𓋔𓐝𓎱) 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓏺𓇳 𓌻𓇌𓏙𓋹 -this translates to: “Son of Ra, lord of appearances, Horemheb, beloved of Amun-Ra, given life.”

Tags amun, artifact, gods and goddesses, hieroglyph lessons, hieroglyphs, horemheb

Egyptian Artifacts

Egyptian Obelisks in Rome

Rome 🇮🇹 was my Nonno’s favorite place, and when we visited Rome as a family, it became my favorite city. The combination of ancient and modern is something that Nonno and I absolutely loved.

While my sister (who is in the picture with me) was excited to visit Piazza Navona because of the book “Angels and Demons,” (which I totally recommend – it’s an incredible book), I was most excited to see the obelisk 𓉶! The obelisk 𓉶 was commissioned by Emperor Domitian. The hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 on the obelisk 𓉶 state that Emperor Domitian rebuilt the Temple of Isis at Philae.

Since we are on the topics of Egyptian Obelisks 𓉶𓏪 in Rome, here’s a picture of my sister and I in Piazza San Pietro (Saint Peter’s Square) in Rome 🇮🇹!

What’s different about this obelisk 𓉶 is that there’s no hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 on it – it’s completely blank! Of the 13 obelisks 𓉶𓏪 in Rome, eight of them are completely Egyptian, while the other five were procured by Romans after they conquered Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖.

The Vatican Obelisk was brought to Rome by Emperor Caligula. But the question is: why are some obelisks 𓉶𓏪 inscribed with hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 and some not? This question has baffled historians, but Egyptologist Bob Brier has come to the conclusion that the inclusion/non inclusion of hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 simply has to do with the Roman emperor’s attitude towards Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖. Some emperors had positive views of Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖(Domitian, Hadrian), while some Emperors had very negative views of Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖(Augustus, Caligula). For example, Augustus hated Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖 because he lost a lot of Roman men in battle there.

Fun fact: Rome has a total of 13 obelisks 𓉶𓏪! That is the most obelisks 𓉶𓏪 in any city outside of Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖!

Tags italy, obelisk, rome, vatican museum

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