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Egyptian Artifacts

Papyrus Depicting a Building Foundation Ceremony

Sorry for the glare, but I quite like this piece! This papyrus 𓅓𓍑𓏏𓏛 is a very cool artifact – it is a papyrus 𓅓𓍑𓏏𓏛 depicting a building foundation ceremony from the 22nd Dynasty (c. 1069-664 B.C.E.).

On the top right side of the papyrus 𓅓𓍑𓏏𓏛, Sobek π“‹΄π“ƒ€π“Ž‘π“†‹ and Neith π“ˆ–π“π“‹Œπ“€­ are pictured. The names π“‚‹π“ˆ–π“¦ of Sobek π“‹΄π“ƒ€π“Ž‘ and Neith π“ˆ–π“­π“ appear above their heads 𓁢𓏦, and act almost like captions which I always think is such a cool feature of Egyptian art! The names π“‚‹π“ˆ–π“¦ do not include the determinative symbols, just the phonograms! Even without the captions, Sobek π“‹΄π“ƒ€π“Ž‘π“†‹ and Neith are easy deities to recognize because Sobek π“‹΄π“ƒ€π“Ž‘π“†‹ is usually represented as a man’s π“Šƒπ“€€π“€ body with a crocodile π“…“π“‹΄π“Ž›π“†Œ head, while Neith π“ˆ–π“π“‹Œπ“€­ is a slender woman π“Šƒπ“π“‚‘π“π“ wearing the Red Crown of Lower Egypt π“‚§π“ˆ™π“‚‹π“π“‹”.

The other people (drum and tambourine players) are dedicating the foundation of the building that is to be built to Neith π“ˆ–π“π“‹Œπ“€­ and Sobek π“‹΄π“ƒ€π“Ž‘π“†‹. There are also workers who are breaking ground, using various tools (on the bottom left you can see them using a hoe, which is also a popular hieroglyph π“ŒΊ).

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Egyptian Artifacts

Scribe Statuette

How cute is this little π“ˆ–π“†“π“‹΄π“…© scribe π“Ÿπ“€€ statue π“„šπ“ˆ–π“π“­π“€Ύ?! I think he is just adorable!!! Though small π“ˆ–π“†“π“‹΄π“…©, the statue π“„šπ“ˆ–π“π“­π“€Ύ is wonderfully detailed. The eyes 𓁹𓏏𓏦, nose π“†‘π“ˆ–π“‚§π“‚‰, wig, and hands 𓂧𓏏𓏦 can all be clearly seen with great detail.

The base of the statue π“„šπ“ˆ–π“π“­π“€Ύ is interesting too! You can see part of the Offering Formula, except it’s written a little β€œstrangely.” Let’s take a look!

Here is the inscription π“Ÿπ“›π“₯ on the base of the statue π“„šπ“ˆ–π“π“­π“€Ύ:

π“Š΅π“π“™π“‡“π“‡“π“™π“Š΅

The inscription π“Ÿπ“›π“₯ on the statue π“„šπ“ˆ–π“π“­π“€Ύ can be read β€œsplit” down the middle:

π“Š΅π“π“™π“‡“ || π“‡“π“™π“Š΅

As you can see in the statue π“„šπ“ˆ–π“π“­π“€Ύ itself, the direction of the hieroglyphs π“ŠΉπ“Œƒπ“ͺ change which indicates that you start reading in a different direction! When written out β€œproperly,” the Offering Formula looks like this: π“‡“π“π“Š΅π“™.

So obviously the symbols are mixed up, and even the 𓏏 is missing from the inscription π“Ÿπ“›π“₯ at the right. This was done probably because of spacing issues – this statue π“„šπ“ˆ–π“π“­π“€Ύ is tiny π“ˆ–π“†“π“‹΄π“…© when you see it in person!

Scribes π“Ÿπ“€€π“ͺ were very highly regarded in ancient Egyptian society. Due to the complexity of hieroglyphs π“ŠΉπ“Œƒπ“ͺ/hieratic, those who were able to master it were extremely valued. Scribes π“Ÿπ“€€π“ͺ recorded magic spells, wills and other legal contracts, medical procedures, and tax records. Most importantly for us, scribes π“Ÿπ“€€π“ͺ also helped to preserve Egyptian culture throughout time. They were considered part of the royal court and did not have to serve in the military because their job as a scribe π“Ÿπ“€€ was so essential.

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Egyptian Artifacts

Viscera Coffin

This is a β€œviscera coffin” dated to the 18th Dynasty (c. 1400 B.C.E.). A β€œviscera coffin” (sometimes called a coffinette) is very similar to a canopic jar because it stored the mummified organ of the deceased, however it looks like a coffin 𓅱𓇋𓀾 instead of a jar! These were popular during the 18th Dynasty. Most famously, Tutankhamun’s π“‡‹π“ π“ˆ–π“π“…±π“π“‹Ήπ“‹Ύπ“‰Ίπ“‡“ organs 𓇋𓂧𓂋𓄹𓏦 were found in tiny π“ˆ–π“†“π“‹΄π“…© viscera coffins that were almost exact replicas of the larger coffin 𓅱𓇋𓀾 that he was found to be buried in!

This viscera coffin is made of wood 𓆱𓏏𓏺 and overlaid with gold π“‹žπ“ƒ‰π“ƒ‰π“ƒ‰ leaf, which was a very popular way to make it look like a piece was made of solid gold π“‹žπ“ƒ‰π“ƒ‰π“ƒ‰ when it wasn’t! There are also lots of beautiful π“„€ inlaid stones π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“‚‹π“Šͺ𓏦 of many different colors. The stones π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“‚‹π“Šͺ𓏦 make up the Nemes head cloth π“ˆ–π“…“π“‹΄ and the broad collar π“…±π“‹΄π“π“ŽΊπ“‹ that Anubis π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“Šͺ𓅱𓃣 is wearing! While it is it in the most pristine condition, I like how the wear and tear gives us a look into the different materials that make up the piece!

Obviously, I love this piece because this viscera coffin shows Anubis π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“Šͺ𓅱𓃣! As everyone knows, Anubis π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“Šͺ𓅱𓃣 is my absolute favorite Egyptian god π“ŠΉ so I always get so excited when I see a unique piece that depicts him! Anubis π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“Šͺ𓅱𓃣 is the god π“ŠΉ of mummification, burial rites and tombs π“‡‹π“«π“Šƒπ“‰π“₯/cemeteries, so it makes sense to have him on a visceral coffin!

There are two 𓏻 words for β€œcoffin” and another for β€œsarcophagus” in Middle Egyptian:
𓅱𓇋𓀾 – Mummiform coffin
π“‹΄π“…±π“Ž›π“π“†± – Coffin
π“ŽŸπ“‹Ήπ“ˆ–π“π“Š­ – Sarcophagus