These clay model houses ๐๐ฅ were found by Petrie, but they are in the MET!
When Petrie found these, he gave them the name โSoul Housesโ due to them being very close to tombs/burials. These Soul Houses ๐๐ฅ are usually found in or near Middle Kingdom burials. These clay models ensured that the deceased ๐ ๐๐ฑ had access to shelter and food ๐ฌ๐๐ ฑ๐๐ฅ in the afterlife ๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐. They are thought to take the place of offering tables – since offering tables were usually for the wealthy, the Soul House ๐๐ค was a more affordable option for people.
I have always been a person who likes tiny things, and the Soul Houses are no exception! I used to call them โEgyptian Dollhousesโ ๐ญ – (not going to lie, I still refer to them as dollhouses!!)
This beautiful ๐ค sculpture at the MET is a raised relief of an owl ๐ hieroglyph ๐น๐ dates to the Ptolemaic Period in Egypt ๐๐ ๐๐.
This relief shows only the partial hieroglyph ๐น๐ and this style of an object being โunfinished but actually finishedโ was very popular during this time period. Limestone pieces such as these are often referred to as โsculptors modelsโ by Egyptologists because they are very detailed and only show one specific part of the object.
I have always loved this piece because I love owls!! I love owls because I absolutely love Harry Potter and anytime I see an owl it reminds me of Hedwig!
One of my favorite things about the Temple of Dendur at the MET are the incredible details that are carved into the walls! The templeย ๐๐๐ย was built by the Roman Emperor Augustusย ๐๐ป๐(who liked to refer to himself as just pharaohย ๐๐ปย in his cartouche) and was meant to be a place of honorย for the goddess ๐น๐ Isisย ๐จ๐๐ฅ. Just like most other Egyptian temples, the common people werenโt allowed to worshipย ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ขย inside of it.ย
A lot of Egyptian architecture was built in three ๐ผ layers! In the case of the Temple of Dendur specifically, the three ๐ผ layers are the Earthย ๐พ๐พ, the Skyย ๐ช๐๐ฏ, and then what happens between the Earthย ๐พ๐พย and the Skyย ๐ช๐๐ฏ. The โbetween theย ๐พ๐พ andย ๐ช๐๐ฏโ sectionย is the templeย ๐๐๐ itself! This section would be where the carvings of the deities ๐น๐น๐น are!ย
The picture above details the section of the templeย ๐๐๐ย that represents the Earthย ๐พ๐พ. I love this because it looks like papyrus ๐ ๐๐๐ฐ and lotus ๐ธ๐ช plantsย ๐พ๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ฐย are growing out of the base of the templeย ๐๐๐! I think it is such a beautiful ๐ค way to represent the Earthย ๐พ๐พ! The ancient Egyptians really like plantsย ๐พ๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ฐย and flowersย ๐ผ๐ ฑ๐ฐ๐ฆย so it makes sense that they would want to represent them realistically in this way! How do we know that the ancient Egyptians liked plantsย ๐พ๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ฐย and flowersย ๐ผ๐ ฑ๐ฐ๐ฆ? Art like this allows us to make these inferences!ย
Fun fact! There are so many ways to write โpapyrusโ in Middle Egyptian! Here are a few:
๐ ๐๐๐ – papyrus roll/scroll
๐ ๐๐๐ฐ – papyrus plant
๐ฏ๐ – papyrus
๐ ๐ฐ – papyrus
๐๐๐๐ – papyrus marsh
Letโs now take a look at the โin-betweenโ layer!
Augustus making an offering to Osiris and Isis
What I like most about the โbetween the Earth ๐พ๐พ and Sky ๐ช๐๐ฏโ section is the depiction of Emperor Augustus ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐๐๐๐ with many different Egyptian deities ๐น๐น๐น! He doesnโt look like an Emperor though – he looks like a pharaoh ๐๐ป! Augustus can be seen wearing many articles of Egyptian royal ๐พ fashion such as the Atef crown ๐, the double crown ๐, a false beard, a broad collar ๐ ฑ๐ด๐๐บ๐, armlets ๐๐ด๐ก๐๐ ฑ๐ฆ, and bracelets ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ฆ. These are all features that are associated with Egyptian pharaohs ๐๐ป๐ฆ, even though Augustus ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐๐๐๐ was Roman.
In the following reliefs, Augustus ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐๐๐๐ is making offerings ๐ต๐๐ช๐๐๐ฆ to Egyptian gods ๐น๐น๐น. In the first image ๐๐ ฑ๐, he is making an offering ๐ต๐๐ช๐๐๐ฆ to Osirisย ๐น๐จ๐ญย and Isisย ๐จ๐๐ฅ. You can even see the papyrusย ๐ ๐๐๐ฐย and lotusย ๐ธ๐ชย flower plantsย ๐พ๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ฐย from yesterdayโs post just below the relief!ย
Hathor (right), Horus (middle) and Augustus (right) with me!A closeup view of Horus and Augustus
In the second/third images ๐๐ ฑ๐๐ฆ above, Augustus ๐๐ป๐ is making an offeringย ๐ต๐๐ช๐๐๐ฆ of wineย to Horusย ๐ ๐ญย and Hathorย ๐ก!ย
You can also see three ๐ผ of Augustusโ cartouches in these images! Can you spot them all?
๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐๐๐๐ – Autokrator (Greek for โEmperorโ)
๐๐๐๐๐๐น๐ – Kaisaros (Greek for โCaesarโ)
๐๐ป๐ – Pharaohย
The next and final layer we are going to talk about is the skyย ๐ช๐๐ฏ! The wingedย ๐ง๐ณ๐๐ย sun disc ๐ณ๐บ appears above all of the entrances to the templeย ๐๐๐.
The wingsย ๐ง๐ณ๐๐๐ฆย belong to Horusย ๐ ๐ญ, who was often represented as a falconย ๐๐๐ก๐ .ย Horusย ๐ ๐ญ, whose ย realm was the Skyย ๐ช๐๐ฏ,ย was one of the most important gods ๐น๐น๐น in the Egyptian pantheon. Horusย ๐ ๐ญย was not only the mythological representation of the pharaohย ๐๐ป/heir to the throne of Egyptย ๐๐ ๐๐, but also a skyย ๐ช๐๐ฏย god ๐น. Horusโย ๐ ๐ญย name ๐๐ means โThe Distant One,โ due to him residing in the skyย ๐ช๐๐ฏ!ย
Due to the symbolโs association with Horus ๐ ๐ญ, the winged ๐ง๐ณ๐๐ sun disc ๐ณ๐บ also represents royalty ๐พ, power, divinity ๐น, and order vs. chaos. There are many different representations of Horus throughout Egyptian mythology. The the winged ๐ง๐ณ๐๐ sun disc ๐ณ๐บ design is also known as โHorus the Behdetiteโ and is a representation of Horus ๐ ๐ญ.
The sky ๐ช๐๐ฏ was not only the realm of Horus ๐ ๐ญ, but many other deities ๐น๐น๐น as well. Ra ๐ณ๐บ๐, Shu ๐๐ ฑ๐ญ, Nut ๐๐๐ฏ๐ญ, Khepri ๐ฃ๐๐๐ and others were deities ๐น๐น๐น associated with the sky ๐ช๐๐ฏ. The sky ๐ช๐๐ฏ was where the divine ๐น resided, hence why it was so heavily represented in Egyptian mythology and architecture.
The two ๐ป columns represent papyrusย ๐ ๐๐๐ฐย and lotus flowersย ๐ธ๐ชย growing from the ground/Earthย ๐พ๐พย to the skyย ๐ช๐๐ฏ! These columns can be seen as forming a connection between all three ๐ผ layers of the templeย ๐๐๐! I will never not be amazed by the symbolism and craftsmanship of Egyptian architecture!ย
I absolutely love snakeย ๐๐๐๐๐ jewelry! My Nonno even got me a replica of the snakeย ๐๐๐๐๐ ringย ๐๐๐๐ช (from the MET) in the last picture for my sixteenth birthday, and while I may be 30 now, I haven’t taken the ringย ๐๐๐๐ช off because I love it so much!ย
While snakes ๐๐๐๐๐๐ช (such as the Uraeus ๐๐๐๐๐) were popular symbols in ancient Egypt ๐๐ ๐๐, snake ๐๐๐๐๐ based jewelry such as the bracelets ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ช and rings ๐๐๐๐ช๐ฆ pictured did not appear in Egypt ๐๐ ๐๐ until the Hellenistic times, and then continued on into the Roman Period. Snakes ๐๐๐๐๐๐ช were associated with the Greek and Roman figures Asklepios and Salus, but also the Uraeus ๐๐๐๐๐ in Egypt ๐๐ ๐๐. Snakes ๐๐๐๐๐๐ช were also associated with the Wadjet ๐ and could be a symbol of the pharaoh ๐๐ป as the living god ๐น Horus ๐ ๐ญ.
Jewelry was very culturally important in ancient Egypt ๐๐ ๐๐, and that continued in Roman Egypt. Traditional Egyptian jewelry usually took the form of necklaces and rings ๐๐๐๐ช๐ฆ. These pieces would usually also double as amulets ๐๐ช๐ ๐ช, which would protect the wearer from evil.
Rings ๐๐๐๐ช๐ฆ and necklaces were highly important to the Egyptians because they took the shape of a circle. A circle has no end, thus it represents eternal ๐ life ๐น and love. Rings ๐๐๐๐ช๐ฆ that took the shape of the Eye of Horus ๐, signets, and scarabs ๐๐ช๐๐๐ฃ๐ช were extremely popular, and then snakes ๐๐๐๐๐๐ช became popular much later.
The pharaohs ๐๐ป๐ฆ and nobility wore more expensive jewelry that was made of gold ๐๐๐๐ and contained precious stones. In ancient Rome and Roman Egypt, gold ๐๐๐๐ was highly treasured and only the richest were able to wear it.
The snake ๐๐๐๐๐ bracelet ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ in the first picture is meant to be for a child and is dated to the Ptolemaic Period (c. 332-30 B.C.E.). The snake bracelet ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ and the snake rings ๐๐๐๐ช๐ฆ in the second and third pictures are dated to the First Century A.D.
Todayย ๐๐๐๐ณย we are going to be looking at this vibrant/beautifully ๐ค paintedย ๐จ๐๐ ฑ๐ญ๐ธ๐ฆย sarcophagusย ๐๐น๐๐๐ญย from the MET!ย
This image ๐๐ ฑ๐ depicts the deceasedโsย ๐ ๐๐ฑย ba ๐ ก๐บ returning to its mummyย ๐๐น๐ ฑ๐พ! The Baย ๐ ก๐บย was part of an individual’s soul that was depicted as a human headed bird. The Baย ๐ ก๐บ and the ka ๐๐บ ย were both aspects of a personโs soul! I also love the detail of the four ๐ฝ canopic jars underneath the mummyย ๐๐น๐ ฑ๐พ!ย
The Ba ๐ ก๐ค is the impression that an individual makes on others – everything except the physical body ๐๐๐ผ. The Ba ๐ ก๐ค can also be thought of as an individualโs personality. The Ba ๐ ก๐ค wasnโt necessarily associated with living, and seemed to manifest after the person died. Ba ๐ ก๐ค has no equivalent word ๐๐ง๐ ฑ๐ in any current language ๐๐บ, as this was an ancient Egyptian funerary concept/belief.
When a person died, the Ba ๐ ก๐ค was the only part of the person that would be able to travel out of the tomb ๐๐ซ๐๐, but it did have to return eventually to be reunited with the mummy ๐๐น๐ ฑ๐พ.
Thereโs a spell ๐๐๐ from the Book of the Dead that states โMay it (Ba) see my corpse, may it rest on my mummy, Which will never be destroyed or perish.โ This spell ๐๐๐ illustrates why it was so important that the mummy ๐๐น๐ ฑ๐พ remain intact; the Ba ๐ ก๐ค needed to return to it! This is why funerary masks became so popular; if the mummy ๐๐น๐ ฑ๐พ was destroyed, the mask could take the place of the mummyโs head and allow the Ba ๐ ก๐ค to return.
Can you recognize any words in the hieroglyphs ๐น๐๐ช on the sarcophagus ๐๐น๐๐๐ญ?! Thereโs a bunch we have learned:
This is probably my favorite wooden ๐ฑ๐๐บ boat ๐ง๐ช๐๐ model that I have seen in any museum!ย This particular model is at the MET!
This wooden ๐ฑ๐๐บ model boat ๐ง๐ช๐๐ is from the tomb ๐๐ซ๐๐ of a man named ๐๐ Ukhhotep ๐๐ต๐๐ช. Ukhotep ๐๐ต๐๐ช was the chief treasurer ๐จ๐ ฑ, which is why he probably received such gorgeous ๐ค funerary equipment ๐๐๐ด๐๐๐ญ.
This is one of two ๐ป funerary boats that were found in his tomb ๐๐ซ๐๐ – most Middle Kingdom tombs ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ฆ that had wooden ๐ฑ๐๐บ models always contained two ๐ป boats ๐ง๐ช๐๐๐ฆ. In the tomb ๐๐ซ๐๐, one boat ๐ง๐ช๐๐ was oriented to the north ๐๐ and the other towards the south ๐๐ ฑ๐.
During the actual funeral, the deceased ๐ ๐๐ฑ would take one last journey across the Nile River ๐๐๐๐ ฑ๐๐๐๐บ. Models of boats ๐ง๐ช๐๐๐ฆ (usually funerary boats), were usually found in tombs ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ฆ as a way to symbolically bring the deceased ๐ ๐๐ฑ into the afterlife ๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐.
I really love this model because of the mummy ๐๐น๐ ฑ๐พ that you can see underneath the canopy! As a kid I always loved that! The canopy also has a leopard ๐๐๐๐ฎ skin on the top, and the details on the leopard ๐๐๐๐ฎ are just gorgeous! ย
The mummy ๐๐น๐ ฑ๐พ is accompanied by two ๐ป women ๐๐๐๐๐๐ช mourners – they are probably meant to represent Isis ๐จ๐๐ฅ and Nephthys ๐ ๐๐. There is also a priest ๐น๐ (dressed in the leopard ๐๐๐๐ฎ skin) who holds a scrollย ๐ ๐๐๐ย with a funerary offeringย ๐ต๐๐ช๐๐๐ฆย on it. There is a second priest ๐น๐, also dressed in leopard ๐๐๐๐ฎ skin with his arm ๐๐บ extended outward in a mourning gesture.
Wooden ๐ฑ๐๐บ models were very popular amongst Middle Kingdom tombs ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ฆ. This particular boat ๐ง๐ช๐๐ is dated to the 12th Dynasty (c. 1981โ1802 B.C.E.)
This statueย ๐๐๐๐ญ๐พย of Anubisย ๐๐๐ช๐ ฑ๐ฃย is dated to the Ptolemaic Period (c.ย 332โ30 B.C.E.) and is quite beautiful ๐ค in person! I have never posted about this piece before because the lighting in the gallery is so bad that it makes it hard to get a good picture ๐๐ ฑ๐!ย
This statue ๐๐๐๐ญ๐พ is made of plaster and wood ๐ฑ๐๐บ, and has been painted ๐๐ in many beautiful ๐ค colors! Anubisโ ๐๐๐ช๐ ฑ๐ฃ arms are raised in a protective ๐ ๐๐ก๐ stance, as if he is welcoming the dead ๐ ๐๐ฑ to the afterlife ๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐.
Anubis ๐๐๐ช๐ ฑ๐ฃ held many important titles, all of which signify how important he was to not only embalming, but to all aspects of a personโs death ๐ ๐๐ฑ. The title โUpon His Hill/Mountain ๐ถ๐บ๐๐โ references the cliff that usually surrounded necropolises, which Anubis ๐๐๐ช๐ ฑ๐ฃ (and jackals ๐๐ฟ๐๐ฅ๐ฆ) would guard. The title โHe who is in the mummy wrappings ๐๐ถ๐ ฑ๐๐๐โ signifies Anubisโ role in the mummification process, which is what he is most known for.
The title โIn front at the Godโs booth ๐ ๐น๐ฑโ references Anubisโย ๐๐๐ช๐ ฑ๐ฃย place not only in the place of embalming, but in the burial chamberย ๐๐๐๐ย of a tombย ๐๐ซ๐๐ย too! ย Before Osirisย ๐น๐จ๐ญย became a much more major god ๐น of the deadย ๐ ๐๐ฑ, Anubisย ๐๐๐ช๐ ฑ๐ฃย had that role and was known by the title โForemost of the Westerners ๐ ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ฟ๐ฆย โ Since the sunย ๐๐ ฑ๐ณย set in the westย ๐๐๐๐, the westย ๐๐๐๐ย was known as the land of the dead to the ancient Egyptiansย ๐๐๐๐๐ช.ย
Todayย ๐๐๐๐ณย we are going to be looking at some grammar – how to make a word feminine! The inscriptionย ๐๐๐ฅย in the picture ๐๐ ฑ๐ says the word โgoddess ๐น๐.โ The word โgod ๐นโ is an extremely popular word and is used throughout ancient Egyptian inscriptionsย ๐๐๐ฅ!
The โcloth wound on a pole ๐นโ symbol is both an ideogram and a determinative for the word โgod.โ The symbol is thought to sound like โntrโ which probably sounds like โneter.โ
Yesterday in my post I mentioned that the โflat loaf of bread ๐โ is a uniliteral phonogram used to represent the sound โt.โ It also functions as the ideogram for the word โbread ๐๐บโ and can be used to make words feminine when placed at the end of the word!
A Note: just because the โ๐โ appears in a doesnโt mean that the word is automatically feminine – it must be at the end of the word! All nouns in Middle Egyptian were either masculine or feminine, and the masculine nouns had no special ending! The ending of โ๐โ is just an ending, and is not part of the root of the word.
Hereโs some examples of some words that become feminine with the โ๐โ:
โ๐ข๐ brotherโ and โ๐ข๐๐ sisterโ
โ๐น godโ and โgoddeHieroglyphic Grammar – Making Words Femininess ๐น๐โ
โ๐พ๐๐ male rulerโ and โ๐พ๐๐๐โ (here not only is ๐ added but the determinative changes too)
โ๐ Lordโ and โLady ๐๐โ
โ๐ณ๐น๐ฟ๐ lionโ and โ๐ณ๐น๐ฟ๐๐ lionessโ
Todayย ๐๐๐๐ณ we are going to be looking at a word ๐๐ง๐ ฑ๐ that has two ๐ป meanings! The wordย ๐๐ง๐ ฑ๐ย is โ๐๐๐ปโ which can mean โcomeโ or โwelcomeโ depending on the context!ย
The โreed with legs ๐โ symbol is a combination of the โreed ๐โ and the โwalking legs ๐ปโ symbols. ๐ is a uniliteral phonogram symbol, and is usually associated with the sound โj.โ
The โreed ๐โ is a very popular symbol that Iโm sure you all recognize! ๐ is also a uniliteral phonogram symbol, and is also associated with the sound โj.โ This symbol can also act as an ideogram for the word โreed ๐๐บ.โ When the symbol is doubled โ๐โ it is associated with the sound โy.โ Now, most will translate the โreed ๐โ as having the sound of โi,โ but that sound association only became popularized during Greek times!
The โwalking legs ๐ปโ symbol is a determinative in words that have to do with motion. It can also function as a biliteral phonogram and was associated with the sound โjw.โ ๐ป could also function as an ideogram for the word โstep ๐ป๐บ.โ
So all together, ๐๐๐ป would have possibly been pronounced like โฤฑอฤฑอโ or โjjโ!! In this word, โ๐๐โ are the phonograms and โ๐ปโ is the determinative! The determinatives at the end of words ๐๐ง๐๐ were not pronounced and instead acted like punctuation! The determinative โsummarizedโ the meaning of the word ๐๐ง๐ ฑ๐ and let you know that the word ๐๐ง๐ ฑ๐ was finished!
So if you are new here, Welcome ๐๐๐ป to @ancientegyptblog ๐ฃ๐!!!
Today ๐๐๐๐ณ we are going to be looking at an alternate spelling for the name ๐๐ of the god ๐น Duamutef ๐ผ๐๐๐! Usually, Duamutef is written as โ๐ผ๐ ๐๐,โ however, โ๐ผ๐๐๐โ is an alternate spelling for his name ๐๐! While it is only a one symbol difference, that could confuse people who are just learning which is why I wanted to talk about it! Most of the deities in the Egyptian pantheon had multiple ways that their names ๐๐๐ฆ written in inscriptions ๐๐๐ฅ! Another less common way to write Duamutefโs name is โ๐ง๐ฏ๐ผ๐ ๐๐,โ but I have rarely seen that spelling used!
Letโs take a look at Duamutefโsย ๐ผ๐๐๐ย name ๐๐ in hieroglyphs ๐น๐๐ช! All of the symbols in Duamutefโsย ๐ผ๐๐๐ย name ๐๐ are phonogram symbols, which means that they represent sounds!ย
The โstar ๐ผโ functions as a triliteral phonogram for the sound โdw3โ (almost like โduaโ). Triliteral means that the symbol represents three consonants! In other words, it can also function as a determinative or ideogram.
The โforearm with bread ๐โ symbol could either function as a uniliteral or biliteral phonogram depending ok the word! ๐ represented the sounds โmโ or โmj.โ The โforearm with bread ๐โ could also be a determinative in the word for โgive ๐๐.โ
The โflat loaf of bread ๐โ is a uniliteral phonogram used to represent the sound โt.โ It also functions as the ideogram for the word โbread ๐๐บโ and can be used to make words feminine!
The โhorned viper ๐โ functions as a uniliteral phonogram and represents the sound โf.โ In other words, it can function as a determinative.
So Duamutefโs ๐ผ๐๐๐ name ๐๐ in hieroglyphs ๐น๐๐ช is something like โduamwttfโ – which is very similar to โDuamutef!โ Most of the major deities have Greek names ๐๐๐ฆ that we use to identify them, instead of their actual Egyptian name ๐๐. For example, โAnubisโ is a Greek name – โInpuโ is what the ancient Egyptians would have called Anubis ๐๐๐ช๐ ฑ๐ฃ!
