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Egyptian Artifacts Reading Hieroglyphs

Faience Foundation Brick of Thutmosis III

β€œThe Great God, Menkheperra, Beloved of Osiris.”

This faience π“‹£π“ˆ–π“π“Έπ“Ό piece is most likely a foundation deposit brick of a building that was built during the reign π“‹Ύ of Thutmosis III 𓅝𓄠𓋴.

Foundation deposit bricks were ceremonial offerings that were placed at the corners of buildings, courts, temples π“‰Ÿπ“π“‰π“¦ , tombs π“‡‹π“«π“Šƒπ“‰π“¦, and pretty much the foundation of any building. They can almost be thought of as the ancient version of a ground-breaking ceremony. The foundation deposit bricks usually contained the cartouche of the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 that the building was constructed under on it!

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

π“ŠΉπ“„€ – [The] Great God
(𓇳𓏠𓆣) – Menkheperra [Throne name of Thutmosis III]
π“Ήπ“Š¨π“€­ – Osiris
π“ŒΉπ“‡Œ – Beloved

So the full inscription reads: β€œThe Great God, Menkheperra, Beloved of Osiris.”

β€œBeloved π“ŒΉπ“‡Œβ€ is a word that pops up a lot in inscriptions π“Ÿπ“›π“₯ so it is a good one to know! It is also popular as the first part of a person’s name π“‚‹π“ˆ–. For example the name π“‚‹π“ˆ– β€œMeryamun” or β€œBeloved of Amun” was a very popular name π“‚‹π“ˆ– in ancient Egypt π“†Žπ“…“π“π“Š–!