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Egyptian Artifacts

Fragment of Akhenaten

This is a fragment of what used to be a limestone π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“ˆ™π“Œ‰ statue 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾 of the pharaoh Akhenaten π“‡‹π“π“ˆ–π“‡³π“…œπ“π“ˆ–! This (and many others like it) were found during Flinders Petrie and Howard Carter’s excavation at present-day Amarna in 1891, which in ancient times was called Akhetaten π“ˆŒπ“π“‰π“‡‹π“π“ˆ–π“Š–. Akhetaten π“ˆŒπ“π“‰π“‡‹π“π“ˆ–π“Š– was the capital of Egypt π“†Žπ“…“π“π“Š– during the reign π“‹Ύπ“ˆŽπ“ of Akhenaten π“‡‹π“π“ˆ–π“‡³π“…œπ“π“ˆ–.Β 

Fragment of Akhenaten
A Fragment of Akhenaten – many of Akhenaten’s statues were intentionally destroyed after his reign

Many of Akhenaten’s π“‡‹π“π“ˆ–π“‡³π“…œπ“π“ˆ– statues 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾π“ͺ not only have the faces destroyed, but are also in hundreds of pieces. This deliberate destruction of his statuary was an attempt to destroy his image 𓏏𓅱𓏏 so he would be forgotten from history. Images/statues of a person, and the name π“‚‹π“ˆ– of a person held immense power in ancient Egypt π“†Žπ“…“π“π“Š– so if a name π“‚‹π“ˆ– and image 𓏏𓅱𓏏 was destroyed, its power was removed!Β 

A Fragment of Akhenaten – a front view of the statue where the extent of the damage to his face can be clearly seen.

Why did Akhenaten’s π“‡‹π“π“ˆ–π“‡³π“…œπ“π“ˆ– successors want his image 𓏏𓅱𓏏 destroyed? Akhenaten π“‡‹π“π“ˆ–π“‡³π“…œπ“π“ˆ– is infamous for completely changing the Egyptian pantheon from polytheistic worship of the traditional gods π“ŠΉπ“ŠΉπ“ŠΉ to the monotheistic worship of the Aten π“‡‹π“π“ˆ–π“‡³ and people definitely did not like that! When Akhenaten’s π“‡‹π“π“ˆ–π“‡³π“…œπ“π“ˆ– son, Tutankhamun π“‡‹π“ π“ˆ–π“π“…±π“π“‹Ήπ“‹Ύπ“‰Ίπ“‡“ became the pharaoh, he reinstated the old religion and moved the capital of Egypt π“†Žπ“…“π“π“Š– back to Thebes π“Œ€π“π“Š–. 

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