I love this display at the Brooklyn Museum because itβs so blue ππΉππΏπΈπ₯ – blue ππΉππΏπΈπ₯ is my favorite color (and it was a favorite of the ancient Egyptians πππππͺ too – for various religious reasons)! Both of these pieces are dated to the reign of Amenhotep III π³π§π (Dynasty 18).
The first piece is a scarab π£ that is known as a βMarriage Scarab,β even though it doesnβt mention marriage! During his reign πΎ, Amenhotep III π³π§π commissioned the production of her 200 π²π² scarabs π£π£π£ that recorded important events. Fifty-six ππππππΏ of the scarabs π£π£π£, like this one pictured, contained information such as Amenhotep IIIβs π³π§π complete list of names/titles, the boundaries of the empire and Queen Tiyeβs official names and titles/the names of her parents. The mention of Queen Tiye and her relation to Amenhotep III π³π§π is what led Egyptologists to call these the βmarriage scarabs.β
Senet ππππ is the worldβs oldest board game – thereβs evidence of its existence all the way back to the First Dynasty (though this particular board is dated c. 1390-1353 B.C.E.). During the New Kingdom, the game represented the journey of the Ka π (soul) to the afterlife/Duat πΌπΏππ. The word βSenetβ ππππ actually means passage or gateway! If you look really closely, you can see details of the Djed Pillar π½ and the Tyet π¬ (Isis Knot) painted on the sides!
Senet ππππ is still a game that can be played today, though some of the rules are debatable! I find it so interesting that board games have been around for so long in history! Some things a about humanity have not changed!