Month: April 2023

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Video

Ushabti of Paser – Video

Here is a video of me at the Metropolitan Museum of Art with the Ushabti of Paser! This beautiful 𓄤𓆑𓂋 ushabti 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾 is on display in Gallery 122!

The blue 𓇋𓁹𓏏𓄿𓏸𓏥 faience 𓋣𓈖𓏏𓏸𓏼  ushabti 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾 belongs to Paser 𓅮𓀙𓀽! Objects made of faience 𓋣𓈖𓏏𓏸𓏼 were thought to hold magical 𓎛𓂓𓄿𓏜 powers!  The ushabtis 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾 served as substitutes for the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱 and would perform labor or jobs for them in the afterlife 𓇼𓄿𓏏𓉐. They are usually inscribed with specific spells 𓎛𓂓𓏛𓏦 which assigned each ushabti 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾 to a certain task! 

Paser 𓅮𓀙𓀽 was one of the most prominent men of his time and he served under two 𓏻 pharaohs 𓉐𓉻 – Seti I 𓇳𓁦𓏠 and then Rameses II 𓇳𓄊𓁧𓇳𓍉𓈖.  Paser 𓅮𓀙𓀽 served many different roles over twenty-five 𓎆𓎆𓏾 years! He was vizier 𓅷𓏏𓏺𓀀 and one of his most famous works is the tomb 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐 of Seti I 𓇳𓁦𓏠 in the Valley of the Kings! A vizier 𓅷𓏏𓏺𓀀 was the highest ranking official 𓋴𓂋𓀀 and was the most powerful position in the government, besides the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻. 

Not only was the vizier 𓅷𓏏𓏺𓀀 the most trusted advisor to the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻, but he also saw to the day-to-day operations of the government. The vizier 𓅷𓏏𓏺𓀀 was in charge of architecture, taxation, agriculture, military, judicial, financial, and many other things.

Paser 𓅮𓀙𓀽 had many different titles, including “High Preist of Amun,” “superintendent of every work of the king,” and “chief of secrets of the hieroglyphs.” 

Paser 𓅮𓀙𓀽 was my Nonno’s absolute favorite non-royal, so it’s always so special to see objects that belonged to Paser 𓅮𓀙𓀽 in museums. 

Ushabti of Paser

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

Categories
Egyptian Artifacts Reading Hieroglyphs

Hieroglyphs or the X-Men?

Over on my Instagram, a lot of people commented how much they loved my X-Men shirt! I’m going to be honest, there’s a reason I wore it to the MET – it looks like the “area with an intersection 𓊖” hieroglyph 𓊹𓌃! I love it when my interests collide (I’m a huge Marvel comics fan)!

The “𓊖” is used as both an ideogram and a determinative! More commonly, “𓊖” functions as the determinative, or the last symbol in the word that almost acts as punctuation to let the reader know the general meaning of the word. “𓊖” is the determinative for town (𓊖𓏺 – njwt), city, settlement, and even the country of Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖! “𓊖” seems to be used for towns/cities in Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖, while most foreign lands used the determinative of “𓈊.”

Personified Estates
Me (in my X-Men shirt) at the MET standing with the Personified Estates relief from the tomb of Akhithotep

This relief I am standing with shows “Personified Estates” from the tomb 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐 of a man named Akhithotep. The “people” in this relief aren’t actually meant to show people – they are personifications of the farms and estates that belonged to the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱. Each of the figures is also carrying food 𓇬𓀁𓅱𓏔𓏥 – those are offerings 𓊵𓏏𓊪𓏏𓏔𓏦 that the estates will continue to provide to the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱! Personified Estates do appear frequently in Old Kingdom tomb 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐 art, and it’s a really interesting concept!

Let’s read some hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪! Above the first 𓏃 figure on the left, you can see: 

𓊖𓊖𓊖𓇿𓎔𓇉 – Domains of Lower Egypt

𓃀𓂧𓆓𓏏𓊖 – Bedjet (the estate) 

𓏑𓋴𓂋𓆑 – Warm Bread

This inscription 𓎘𓅱𓎖 means that the Bedjet 𓃀𓂧𓆓𓏏𓊖 estate of Lower Egypt will provide warm bread 𓏑𓋴𓂋𓆑 for the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱! 

This raised relief is dated to the 4th Dynasty (c. 2575–2551 B.C.E) and is carved in limestone 𓇋𓈖𓈙𓌉. The relief is also quite high off of the limestone 𓇋𓈖𓈙𓌉, which is typical of Old Kingdom (especially 4th Dynasty) art.

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

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Egyptian Artifacts

Late Period Mummy Mask

I love mummy masks 𓅱𓇋𓀾𓏪! Funerary Masks (also called Burial Masks or Mummy Masks) were an important part of a person’s burial equipment 𓈎𓂋𓋴𓏏𓏏𓊭 because the mask 𓅱𓇋𓀾 could either serve as protection 𓅓𓂝𓎡𓀜 for the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱, or take the place of the body if the head was destroyed or lost. In the Egyptian religion, the body of the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱 needed to stay intact in order for the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱 to be transported to the afterlife 𓇼𓄿𓏏𓉐. This was the purpose of mummification 𓋴𓂧𓐍𓅱𓐎 – the mask 𓅱𓇋𓀾 just served as extra protection 𓅓𓂝𓎡𓀜! 

Late Period Mummy Mask
Me at the Brooklyn Museum with a Late Period Mummy Mask

This mask 𓅱𓇋𓀾 of a woman 𓊃𓏏𓂑𓏏𓁐 is dated to the Late Period (1st Century B.C.E). This mask 𓅱𓇋𓀾 is made of cartonnage, which was a very popular type of material to use because it was easy to work with and the mask 𓅱𓇋𓀾 could be made relatively quickly. The colors on this mask 𓅱𓇋𓀾 are so bright and well preserved – especially on the broad collar 𓅱𓋴𓐍𓎺𓋝. I love how the Egyptians 𓆎𓏏𓀀𓁐𓏪 used red 𓂧𓈙𓂋𓅟 and the blue/green 𓇅𓆓𓏛 color together 𓈖𓊗 a lot.

Late Period Mummy Mask
A beautiful example of a Late Period Mummy Mask at the Brooklyn Museum. The goddess Isis is on the left and her sister Nephthys is on the right.

The art on the wig shows the goddesses 𓊹𓊹𓊹𓏏 Isis 𓊨𓏏𓁥 (left) and Nephthys 𓉠𓏏𓆇(right). Isis 𓊨𓏏𓁥 and Nephthys 𓉠𓏏𓆇 were sisters and were both prominent funerary goddesses 𓊹𓊹𓊹𓏏 who appeared a lot together 𓈖𓊗 on funerary objects such as masks and sarcophagi. 

You can easily tell Isis 𓊨𓏏𓁥 and Nephthys 𓉠𓏏𓆇 apart from each other in Egyptian art based off of the crowns that they are wearing. The crowns correspond to the hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 that make up their names: Isis (𓊨𓏏𓁥) wears “𓊨” as a crown while Nephthys (𓉠𓏏𓆇) wears “𓉠” as a crown! 

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

Categories
Reading Hieroglyphs

Name Stones of Senemut

Let’s read some hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪! 

I’m sure doesn’t come as a surprise to anyone that my favorite time period of Egyptian history is the reign 𓋾𓈎𓏏 of Hatshepsut 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓎹𓏏𓄂𓏏𓀼𓏪! These stones are dated to the 18th Dynasty reign 𓋾𓈎𓏏 of Hatshepsut 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓎹𓏏𓄂𓏏𓀼𓏪 and are inscribed 𓎘𓅱𓎖 with the name 𓂋𓈖 of Senemut 𓌢𓈖𓅐𓀼. Senemut 𓌢𓈖𓅐𓀼 was a non-royal man who rose to become the most important official 𓋴𓂋𓀀 during Hatshepsut’s 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓎹𓏏𓄂𓏏𓀼𓏪 reign 𓋾𓈎𓏏. 

While these pieces may seem like some random limestone 𓇋𓈖𓈙𓌉 blocks, they are actually what archaeologists refer to as “Name Stones.” The Name Stones were built into Senemut’s 𓌢𓈖𓅐𓀽 tomb chapel 𓀻𓋴𓉐 and were not meant to be seen – they were just meant to indicate that Senemut 𓌢𓈖𓅐𓀼 took ownership of his tomb chapel 𓀻𓋴𓉐. 

I’ve seen Senemut’s name 𓂋𓈖appear a couple of different ways in hieroglyphs and here are the variations: 𓌢𓈖𓅐𓀼, 𓌢𓈖𓅐𓀽, and 𓌢𓈖𓅐. It’s the determinative that’s changing, not the symbols that influence pronunciation!

Let’s take a look at the hieroglyphs on each of the stones! 

Name Stones
A name stone with the text “Overseer, Senemut” inscribed on it.

In the picture 𓏏𓅱𓏏 above, the inscription 𓎘𓅱𓎖 states: 

𓄓𓉐𓏤 – Overseer 

𓌢𓈖𓅐𓀽 – Senemut 

Name Stone
A name stone with the text “Senemut, True of Voice” inscribed on it.

In the picture 𓏏𓅱𓏏 above, the inscription 𓎘𓅱𓎖 states:

𓌢𓈖𓅐𓀽 – Senemut 

𓐙𓊤 – True of Voice

Name Stone
A name stone with the text “Overseer of the Garden of Amun, Senemut” inscribed on it.

In the picture 𓏏𓅱𓏏 above, the inscription 𓎘𓅱𓎖 states:

𓈙𓏤𓊪𓈙𓈖 Overseer of the Garden

𓇋𓏠𓈖 – Amun

𓌢𓈖𓅐𓀽 – Senemut 

“Overseer of the Garden of Amun, Senemut”

These are my personal photographs and original text. DO NOT repost without explicit permission.

Categories
Reading Hieroglyphs

The Cartouches of Pharaoh Rameses I

Let’s read some hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪! 

Today 𓏇𓇋𓈖𓇳 we are going to look at the cartouches 𓏠𓈖𓈙𓍷𓏦 of the first 𓏃 pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 of the 19th Dynasty, Rameses I 𓇳𓄟𓋴𓇓𓅱! Rameses I 𓇳𓄇𓏠 was of non-Royal birth and was already quite old when the previous pharaoh 𓉐𓉻, Horemheb 𓇳𓂦𓆣𓏼𓇳𓍉𓈖, chose him as his successor. Rameses I 𓇳𓄟𓋴𓇓𓅱 had a very brief reign 𓋾𓈎𓏏 of about two 𓏻 years! 

Before he was pharaoh 𓉐𓉻, Rameses I 𓇳𓄇𓏠 served as the vizier 𓅷𓏏𓏺𓀀 to Horemheb 𓇳𓂦𓆣𓏼𓇳𓍉𓈖 and was a High Priest of Seth 𓊃𓏏𓄡𓁣. This means that Rameses I 𓇳𓄇𓏠 probably played an important role in the restoration of the old religion! Seti I 𓇳𓁦𓏠 (his 𓆑 son 𓅭) succeeded him on the throne and this was the first direct father 𓇋𓏏𓀀 to son 𓅭 succession since Akhenaten 𓇋𓏏𓈖𓇳𓅜𓐍𓈖!

Rameses I
The throne name (left) and birth name (left) cartouches of the 19th Dynasty pharaoh Rameses I

Let’s break down each of the cartouches 𓏠𓈖𓈙𓍷𓏦! We are going to start with the throne name cartouche 𓏠𓈖𓈙𓍷 (prenomen) on the left! This is the name 𓂋𓈖 that the person took when they became the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻!

𓇳𓄇𓏠 – Men Pehty Ra (“Eternal is the Strength of Ra”) 

Let’s break down the symbols/phrases in the cartouche 𓏠𓈖𓈙𓍷 to gain a better understanding of the name 𓂋𓈖: 

𓇳 – Ra 

𓄇 – Strength/Strong

𓏠 – Eternal 

Now let’s look at the birth name cartouche 𓏠𓈖𓈙𓍷 on the right! The birth name is the name 𓂋𓈖 that the person was born with!

𓇳𓄟𓋴𓇓𓅱 – Ramessu (“Ra has Bore Him” or “Ra has Fashioned Him”)

Let’s break down the symbols/phrases in the cartouche 𓏠𓈖𓈙𓍷 to gain a better understanding of the name 𓂋𓈖: 

𓇳 – Ra𓄟𓋴𓇓𓅱 – Bore Him/Fashioned Him/Born Of

Categories
Egyptian Artifacts

Embalming Cache of Tutankhamun

Today 𓏇𓇋𓈖𓇳 we are going to look at a really cool display at the MET, which shows the Embalming Cache of Tutankhamun 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓏏𓅱𓏏𓋹𓋾𓉺𓇓!

Embalming Cache of Tutankhamun
Me with some of the artifacts from the Embalming Cache of Tutankhamun

In ancient Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖, mummification 𓋴𓂧𓐍𓅱𓐎 was an extremely important aspect of their religion because the body of the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱 needed to stay intact in order for the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱 to reach to the afterlife 𓇼𓄿𓏏𓉐. The mummification 𓋴𓂧𓐍𓅱𓐎 process was long (about 70 days) and it took the work of special priests and many different supplies in order to embalm the dead 𓅓𓏏𓏱. 

Embalming Cache of Tutankhamun
Beautifully decorated vases from Tutankhamun’s Embalming Cahce

An embalming cache is a collection of the supplies and materials that were used during the mummification 𓋴𓂧𓐍𓅱𓐎 process. The embalming cache was usually kept separate from the actual tomb 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐 itself, though sometimes these supplies were found in the tomb 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐 of the person. 

The embalming cache that I am with is actually the supplies used to mummify the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 Tutankhamun 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓏏𓅱𓏏𓋹𓋾𓉺𓇓! Tutankhamun’s 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓏏𓅱𓏏𓋹𓋾𓉺𓇓 embalming ache was found in 1907, which was 15 years before the discovery of his tomb 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐! The embalming cache was actually only about 360 feet away from the entrance to his tomb 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐! 

Embalming Cache of Tutankhamun
Broad Collars and Linens from Tutankhamun’s Embalming Cache
Embalming Cache of Tutankhamun
Vases and Pottery from Tutankhamun’s Embalming Cache

Some of the items that were found in Tutankhamun’s 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓏏𓅱𓏏𓋹𓋾𓉺𓇓 embalming cache are linens 𓍱𓍱𓍱, natron 𓃀𓂧𓇨, animal bones, vases 𓏠𓈖𓇋𓏋𓏦, and most impressively, three 𓏼 floral broad collars 𓅱𓋴𓐍𓎺𓋝𓏦! The floral broad collars 𓅱𓋴𓐍𓎺𓋝𓏦 are thought to have been used during the funeral of Tutankhamun 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓏏𓅱𓏏𓋹𓋾𓉺𓇓. 

Embalming Cache of Tutankhamun
An exquisitely preserved broad collar made of flowers, which was used during Tutankhamun’s funeral. This was found in his embalming cache.

I’m just so amazed that the broad collars 𓅱𓋴𓐍𓎺𓋝𓏦 stayed preserved for thousands of years – it’s absolutely incredible! 

Categories
Reading Hieroglyphs Video

Video – Hieroglyphs on Sarcophagus

Let’s read some hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪! 

This very simple limestone 𓇋𓈖𓈙𓌉 sarcophagus 𓎟𓋹𓈖𓐍𓊭 from the Middle Kingdom (Dynasty 11, c. 2051–2030 B.C.E.) is one of my absolute favorite pieces! This sarcophagus 𓎟𓋹𓈖𓐍𓊭 belonged to a priestess 𓊹𓍛 of Hathor 𓉡 named Henhenet 𓉔𓈖𓉔𓈖𓏏. The hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 on this sarcophagus 𓎟𓋹𓈖𓐍𓊭 are incredibly well preserved!

Here is the full inscription 𓎘𓅱𓎖: 

𓇓𓏏𓊵𓏙𓇋𓈖𓊪𓃣𓁶𓏺𓈋𓆑𓇋𓏶𓅱𓏏𓐎𓎟𓇾𓂦𓈎𓂋𓌠𓋴𓁀𓉬𓄤𓄤𓆑𓂋𓏏𓅓𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐𓋴𓈖𓊼𓉓𓐍𓂋𓃣𓏅𓊹𓉱𓈖𓇋𓌳𓄪𓐍𓇌𓏏𓇓𓏏𓆭𓌡𓏏𓏏𓉡𓊹𓍛𓉔𓈖𓉔𓈖𓏏𓐙𓅱𓏏𓊤

Here is the inscription 𓎘𓅱𓎖 broken down by word/phrase:

𓇓𓏏𓊵𓏙 An Offering the King Gives 

𓇋𓈖𓊪𓃣 – Anubis

𓁶𓏺𓈋𓆑 – Upon his Hill/Mountain

𓇋𓏶𓅱𓏏𓐎- He Who is in the Mummy Wrappings

𓎟𓇾𓂦 – Lord of the Sacred Land

𓈎𓂋𓌠𓋴𓁀𓉬 – Burial

𓄤𓆑𓂋𓏏- Good 

𓅓 – In Her

𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐 – Tomb 

𓋴𓈖𓊼 – Necropolis

𓉓 – A Voice Offering 

𓐍𓂋 – Before

𓃣 – Anubis 

𓏅 – In Front At 

𓊹𓉱 – God’s Booth (Shrine for Anubis)

𓈖𓇋- For The/By The

𓌳𓄪𓐍𓇌𓏏 – Venerated/Revered

𓇓 – King 

𓏏𓆭𓌡𓏏𓏏 – Sole Ornament 

𓉡 – Hathor

𓊹𓍛 – High Priestess

𓉔𓈖𓉔𓈖𓏏 – Henhenet

𓐙𓅱𓏏𓊤 – True of Voice

“An Offering the King Gives Anubis, Upon his Hill, He Who is in the Mummy Wrappings, Lord of the Sacred Land, A Good Burial In Her Tomb of the Necropolis, A Voice Offering Before Anubis In Front At the God’s Booth, For the Venerated Sole Ornament of the King, High Priestess of Hathor, Henhenet, True of Voice.”

Categories
Egyptian Artifacts

Corn Mummies in Ancient Egypt

Corn Mummies are an interesting part of Egyptian religious practices. While millions of animal mummies 𓇋𓁹𓅱𓀾𓏪 have been found at sites all over Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖, mummies 𓇋𓁹𓅱𓀾𓏪 made of grains 𓈎𓄿𓅱𓏸𓏦 like wheat and barley have also been found – these have been nicknamed “corn mummies” by Egyptologists. 

Corn Mummies
A corn mummy with an outer “sarcophagus” made of wood with the head of a falcon. This is dated to the Late Period-Ptolemaic Period.

Corn mummies are found in cemeteries that are usually dated from the Third Intermediate Period through Roman times though they first 𓏃 appeared during the Middle Kingdom. This particular corn mummy is (in the first picture) from the Late Period – Ptolemaic Period (400 – 200 B.C.E.). 

Corn Mummies are meant to be a representation of the god 𓊹 Osiris 𓁹𓊨𓀭 and Egyptologists came to this conclusion because the “coffins” that contain the corn mummies 𓇋𓁹𓅱𓀾𓏪 almost always contain Osiris’ 𓁹𓊨𓀭 name and his titles/epithets in hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪, but also a “mummy” stuffed with grain that has a head of Osiris 𓁹𓊨𓀭. 

Another reason Egyptologists made the connection to Osiris 𓁹𓊨𓀭 was the cyclic nature of growing grains 𓈎𓄿𓅱𓏸𓏦- in Egyptian religion, anything that was cyclical was related to the birth 𓄟, death 𓅓𓏏𓏱, and then rebirth 𓄟𓍿𓅱 cycle of the human experience/Egyptian religion.

Corn Mummies
Three corn mummies on display at the MET. This picture shows the variation in the designs of the “sarcophagus,” however, they all have the head of a falcon.

Even though the corn mummies are dedicated to Osiris 𓁹𓊨𓀭, they are almost always found in cases with a falcon head. The falcon 𓃀𓇋𓎡𓅄 head is representative of the god 𓊹 Sokar 𓊃𓎡𓂋𓅋, who is often connected to Osiris 𓁹𓊨𓀭. Their connection goes all the way back to the Old Kingdom, and The Pyramid Texts are the one of the first instances in which they are shown to have a connection. This particular corn mummy contains hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 that mention the combination god 𓊹 Ptah-Sokar-Osiris, who was popularly worshipped 𓇼𓄿𓀢 as a funerary god 𓊹 during this time period.

Categories
Reading Hieroglyphs

Beautiful, Good, and Perfect in Hieroglyphs

Let’s read some hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪!

Beautiful, Good, and Perfect in Hieroglyphs

Today 𓏇𓇋𓈖𓇳 we are going to look at a very popular word that appears a lot in ancient Egyptian writing 𓏟𓏛𓏥! The word “𓄤𓆑𓂋/𓄤𓆑𓂋𓏏” translates to “beautiful,” “perfect,” or “good” and can be used not only in titles such as “𓊹𓄤 Perfect God” or names 𓂋𓈖𓏦 such as “Nefertiti 𓄤𓄤𓄤𓄤𓄤𓇋𓏏𓈖𓇳𓄤𓇍𓍘𓏻𓁗,” but also in various words or phrases too! 

In Middle Egyptian there are a couple of ways to write “beautiful,” “perfect,” or “good:” 

𓄤 – the hieroglyphic symbol “nfr” (nefer) can be used on its own to represent the word. 

𓄤𓆑𓂋 – this would also be pronounced as “nfr” (nefer) as the sounds by the uniliteral phonograms would not be repeated. 

𓄤𓆑𓂋𓏏 – this would be pronounced as “nfrt,” (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! “𓄤𓆑𓂋𓏏𓁐” with the woman determinative means “beautiful woman” while “𓄤𓆑𓂋𓏏𓃒” with the cow determinative means cow! Determinatives can totally change the meaning of the word! 

Let’s break down the hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪! Since the horned viper 𓆑 is pointing to the right, we will start reading from the right! 

The “heart and windpipe 𓄤” symbol is a triliteral phonogram that represents the sound “nfr” which in modern times we pronounce like “nefer.”

The “horned viper 𓆑” functions as a uniliteral phonogram and represents the sound “f.” In other words, it can function as a determinative. As a stand-alone symbol, it can also mean he/his. 

The “ mouth – 𓂋” is a uniliteral phonogram for the sound “r” and can be an ideogram for the word “mouth 𓂋𓏺.” 

The “flat loaf of bread 𓏏” is a uniliteral phonogram used to represent the sound “t.” It also functions as the ideogram for the word “bread 𓏏𓏺” and can be used to make words feminine!

Categories
Egyptian Artifacts

Fragment of a Statue of Pharaoh Khafre

This is a fragment of a statue 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾 that once depicted the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 Khafre 𓇳𓈍𓆑. Khafre 𓇳𓈍𓆑 ruled during the 4th Dynasty and was the son 𓅭 of the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 Khufu 𓐍𓅱𓆑𓅱. Most people think that Khafre 𓇳𓈍𓆑 directly succeeded Khufu 𓐍𓅱𓆑𓅱, but actually Khafre’s 𓇳𓈍𓆑 brother, Rajedef 𓇳𓊽𓆑 ruled 𓋾𓈎𓏏 for about eight years in between the two. 

Khafre

Khafre 𓇳𓈍𓆑 is most famous for building one of the pyramids 𓍋𓅓𓂋𓉴𓏦 at Giza, and he built it just south 𓇔𓅱𓏏 of his father’s 𓇋𓏏𓀀 Great Pyramid 𓍋𓅓𓂋𓉴. Khafre 𓇳𓈍𓆑 also commissioned the construction of the Great Sphinx 𓎛𓅱𓃭𓏤 and a large temple 𓉟𓏏𓉐 complex. Khafre’s 𓇳𓈍𓆑 pyramid 𓍋𓅓𓂋𓉴 is the second largest, his father 𓇋𓏏𓀀 Khufu’s 𓐍𓅱𓆑𓅱 being the larger pyramid 𓍋𓅓𓂋𓉴.

This statue 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾 fragment was found at Giza near Khafre’s 𓇳𓈍𓆑 temple 𓉟𓏏𓉐 complex. Egyptologists have identified this fragment as belonging to Khafre 𓇳𓈍𓆑 not just due to the location in which it was found, but also it’s similarities to other statues 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾𓏪 of the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻. Other statues 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾𓏪 of Khafre 𓇳𓈍𓆑 contain his name 𓂋𓈖 in a cartouche 𓏠𓈖𓈙𓍷, so it is pretty easy to know that those statues 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾𓏪 depict him!

Khafre’s 𓇳𓈍𓆑 name 𓂋𓈖 translates to “He appears as Re.” However, sometimes in the Old Kingdom, “Re 𓇳” was both pronounced and written first 𓏃, so his name 𓂋𓈖 might have been “Rakhaf” which translates to “Ra is his Appearance,” which also makes sense! I guess we will never know which way was correct!

Let’s break down the hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪!

𓇳 – Re 

𓈍 – Appears

𓆑 – He/His