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The Mastaba of Perneb – Video

@ancientegyptblog

Perneb ๐“‰๐“‚‹๐“ˆ–๐“ŽŸ๐“ƒ€ was a palace administrator during the 5th Dynasty, and he had his tomb ๐“‡‹๐“ซ๐“Šƒ๐“‰ built at Memphis ๐“ ๐“ˆ–๐“„ค๐“†‘๐“‚‹๐“‰ด๐“Š– (modern day Saqqara). This type of tomb ๐“‡‹๐“ซ๐“Šƒ๐“‰ is commonly referred to today as a mastaba, but in ancient Egyptian times they were referred to as a โ€œHouse of Eternity ๐“‰๐“†–.โ€ The word โ€œmastabaโ€ is Arabic for the word โ€œbench,โ€ and these tombs ๐“‡‹๐“ซ๐“Šƒ๐“‰๐“ช got their modern name ๐“‚‹๐“ˆ– due to their rectangular structure and flat roofs! I am standing inside the mastaba ๐“‰๐“†– of Perneb ๐“‰๐“‚‹๐“ˆ–๐“ŽŸ๐“ƒ€ at the MET in front of his False Door! I will never forget seeing it for the first time with my Nonno – the first time I saw it, there was no glass on the reliefs! Seeing this for the first time will always be one of my greatest memories! I love being inside the mastaba ๐“‰๐“†– because I feel like I am in Egypt – ๐“†Ž๐“…“๐“๐“Š– I love being in tombs ๐“‡‹๐“ซ๐“Šƒ๐“‰๐“ช! False Doors served as ways for the living relatives to make offerings ๐“Šต๐“๐“Šช๐“๐“”๐“ฆ to the deceased ๐“…“๐“๐“ฑ and there is a spot at the base of the False Door where offerings ๐“Šต๐“๐“Šช๐“๐“”๐“ฆ are meant to be left. The False Door acted as a link between the land of the living ๐“‹น๐“ˆ–๐“ and the land of the dead ๐“…“๐“๐“ฑ. The ancient Egyptians ๐“†Ž๐“๐“€€๐“๐“ช believed that the soul ๐“‚“ of the deceased ๐“…“๐“๐“ฑ could travel between the two lands ๐“‡ฟ๐“‡ฟ through the False Door. They are also known as โ€œka ๐“‚“ doorsโ€ or โ€œsoul ๐“‚“ doors.โ€ This is my personal video and original text. DO NOT repost. #ancientEgypt #ancientegyptblog #egyptology #hieroglyphics #letsreadsomehieroglyphs #egitto #metropolitanmuseumofart #metmuseum #hieroglyphs #anticoegitto #egyptologist #egyptianhistory

โ™ฌ Cruel Summer – Taylor Swift

Perneb ๐“‰๐“‚‹๐“ˆ–๐“ŽŸ๐“ƒ€ was a palace administrator during the 5th Dynasty, and he had his tomb ๐“‡‹๐“ซ๐“Šƒ๐“‰ built at Memphis ๐“ ๐“ˆ–๐“„ค๐“†‘๐“‚‹๐“‰ด๐“Š– (modern day Saqqara). This type of tomb ๐“‡‹๐“ซ๐“Šƒ๐“‰ is commonly referred to today as a mastaba, but in ancient Egyptian times they were referred to as a โ€œHouse of Eternity ๐“‰๐“†–.โ€ The word โ€œmastabaโ€ is Arabic for the word โ€œbench,โ€ and these tombs ๐“‡‹๐“ซ๐“Šƒ๐“‰๐“ช got their modern name ๐“‚‹๐“ˆ– due to their rectangular structure and flat roofs! 

I am standing inside the mastaba ๐“‰๐“†– of Perneb ๐“‰๐“‚‹๐“ˆ–๐“ŽŸ๐“ƒ€ at the MET in front of his False Door! I will never forget seeing it for the first time with my Nonno – the first time I saw it, there was no glass on the reliefs! Seeing this for the first time will always be one of my greatest memories! I love being inside the mastaba ๐“‰๐“†– because I feel like I am in Egypt – ๐“†Ž๐“…“๐“๐“Š– I love being in tombs ๐“‡‹๐“ซ๐“Šƒ๐“‰๐“ช!

False Doors served as ways for the living relatives to make offerings ๐“Šต๐“๐“Šช๐“๐“”๐“ฆ to the deceased ๐“…“๐“๐“ฑ and there is a spot at the base of the False Door where offerings ๐“Šต๐“๐“Šช๐“๐“”๐“ฆ are meant to be left. 

The False Door acted as a link between the land of the living ๐“‹น๐“ˆ–๐“ and the land of the dead ๐“…“๐“๐“ฑ. The ancient Egyptians ๐“†Ž๐“๐“€€๐“๐“ช believed that the soul ๐“‚“ of the deceased ๐“…“๐“๐“ฑ could travel between the two lands ๐“‡ฟ๐“‡ฟ through the False Door. They are also known as โ€œka ๐“‚“ doorsโ€ or โ€œsoul ๐“‚“ doors.โ€ 

If you’re interested in the beautiful reliefs that are on the walls of this mastaba ๐“‰๐“†–, you can read my previous post about them here!

This is my personal video, photo, and original text. DO NOT repost. 

Categories
Egyptian Artifacts

Sphinx of Amenhotep II

This is a sandstone ๐“‚‹๐“…ฑ๐“‚ง๐“๐“Œ—๐“ˆ™ Sphinx ๐“Ž›๐“…ฑ๐“ƒญ๐“ค of Amenhotep II ๐“‡‹๐“ ๐“ˆ–๐“Šต๐“๐“Šช! Amenhotep II ๐“‡‹๐“ ๐“ˆ–๐“Šต๐“๐“Šช was pharaoh ๐“‰๐“‰ป๐“ฅ during the 18th Dynasty and was the son ๐“…ญ of Thutmosis III ๐“‡ณ๐“ ๐“†ฃ. He ruled ๐“‹พ๐“ˆŽ๐“ Egypt ๐“†Ž๐“…“๐“๐“Š– for about 26 ๐“Ž†๐“Ž†๐“ฟ years and the first two ๐“ป years of his rule might have been a co-reign with his father ๐“‡‹๐“๐“€€.ย 

Sphinx of Amenhotep II
A small sandstone Sphinx of Amenhotep II

Why do so many pharaohs ๐“‰๐“‰ป๐“ฅ represent themselves as sphinxes ๐“Ž›๐“…ฑ๐“ƒญ๐“ฆ? A sphinx ๐“Ž›๐“…ฑ๐“ƒญ๐“ค is a mythical creature and is the combination of a lion ๐“Œณ๐“น๐“„ฟ๐“„› (the body) and a human (the head ๐“ถ๐“บ).  In ancient Egypt ๐“†Ž๐“…“๐“๐“Š–, lions ๐“Œณ๐“น๐“„ฟ๐“„›๐“ช have been associated with kingship ๐“‡“๐“‡Œ since prehistoric times due to their strength ๐“Œ€ and ferocity. The sphinx ๐“Ž›๐“…ฑ๐“ƒญ was the perfect representation of the strength ๐“Œ€ of the pharaoh ๐“‰๐“‰ป due to its lion ๐“Œณ๐“น๐“„ฟ๐“„› body, while the face still preserved the image ๐“๐“…ฑ๐“ of the king ๐“‡“ himself. 

Sphinxes ๐“Ž›๐“…ฑ๐“ƒญ๐“ฆ are incredibly powerful creatures because not only do they represent the physical strength ๐“„‡๐“๐“‚๐“ญ of a lion ๐“Œณ๐“น๐“„ฟ๐“„›, but also the power of a pharaoh ๐“‰๐“‰ป. 

Amenhotep II ๐“‡‹๐“ ๐“ˆ–๐“Šต๐“๐“Šช loved to portray himself as powerful (as all pharaohs ๐“‰๐“‰ป๐“ฅ did), but Amenhotep II ๐“‡‹๐“ ๐“ˆ–๐“Šต๐“๐“Šช is actually most known for his athletic abilities! Many depictions show him as an accomplished archer!

Amenhotep IIโ€™s birth name is actually the same as Amenhotep I, which is ๐“‡‹๐“ ๐“ˆ–๐“Šต๐“๐“Šช. Letโ€™s break down the meaning of the name:

๐“‡‹๐“ ๐“ˆ– – Amun

๐“Šต๐“๐“Šช – Satisfied

So the name translates to โ€œAmun is Satisfied.โ€

We can tell pharaohs ๐“‰๐“‰ป๐“ฅ with the same name apart based on their throne name! Amenhotep IIโ€™s throne name is โ€œAakheperura ๐“‡ณ๐“‰ป๐“†ฃ๐“ฆ!โ€ Letโ€™s break down the meaning of the name:

๐“‡ณ – Ra

๐“‰ป – Great 

๐“†ฃ๐“ฆ – Manifestations

The name translates to โ€œThe Great Manifestations of Ra.โ€ย 

This is my personal photograph and original text. DO NOT repost.ย 

Categories
Reading Hieroglyphs

Cleopatra VII’s Cartouche

Letโ€™s read some hieroglyphs ๐“Šน๐“Œƒ๐“ช!ย Today we are going to take a closer look at Cleopatra VII’s ๐“ˆŽ๐“ƒญ๐“‡‹๐“ฏ๐“Šช๐“„ฟ๐“‚ง๐“‚‹๐“๐“„ฟ๐“†‡ cartouche ๐“ ๐“ˆ–๐“ˆ™๐“ท!

Cleopatra VII ๐“ˆŽ๐“ƒญ๐“‡‹๐“ฏ๐“Šช๐“„ฟ๐“‚ง๐“‚‹๐“๐“„ฟ๐“†‡ is arguably one of the most famous pharaohs ๐“‰๐“‰ป๐“ฆ to ever rule Egypt ๐“†Ž๐“…“๐“๐“Š– and one of the most famous women in history. Even though Cleopatra VII ๐“ˆŽ๐“ƒญ๐“‡‹๐“ฏ๐“Šช๐“„ฟ๐“‚ง๐“‚‹๐“๐“„ฟ๐“†‡ was Greek, she is considered to be the last pharaoh ๐“‰๐“‰ป of Egypt ๐“†Ž๐“…“๐“๐“Š–.ย 

Cleopatra VII's Cartouche
Cleopatra VII’s Cartouche on a statue on display at the MET

This picture shows the birth name cartouche ๐“ ๐“ˆ–๐“ˆ™๐“ท of Cleopatra VII ๐“ˆŽ๐“ƒญ๐“‡‹๐“ฏ๐“Šช๐“„ฟ๐“‚ง๐“‚‹๐“๐“„ฟ๐“†‡! Since Cleopatra VII ๐“ˆŽ๐“ƒญ๐“‡‹๐“ฏ๐“Šช๐“„ฟ๐“‚ง๐“‚‹๐“๐“„ฟ๐“†‡ was Greek and not native Egyptian, this cartouche ๐“ ๐“ˆ–๐“ˆ™๐“ท of hers is very phonetic – most of the hieroglyphs ๐“Šน๐“Œƒ๐“ช used are uniliteral signs, which means that they correspond to a single sound, just like a letter in the alphabet. 

Letโ€™s take a closer look! 

๐“ˆŽ – The โ€œsandy slope ๐“ˆŽโ€ symbol is a uniliteral phonogram associated with the sound โ€œq.โ€

๐“ƒญ – the โ€œrecumbent lion ๐“ƒญโ€ was traditionally a biliteral phonogram for the sound โ€œrw,โ€ however, during the Hellenistic Period it adopted the sound of โ€œL.โ€ 

๐“‡‹ – The โ€œreed ๐“‡‹โ€ represents the sound of โ€œฤฑอ—,โ€ however it can also function as an ideogram for the word โ€œreed ๐“‡‹๐“บ.โ€ 

๐“ฏ – The โ€œlasso ๐“ฏโ€ was traditionally a biliteral phonogram for โ€œw3โ€ (wah) but became evolved to adopt the sound of โ€œo.โ€

๐“Šช – The โ€œstool ๐“Šชโ€ is a uniliteral phonogram for the sound โ€œp.โ€ 

๐“„ฟ – The โ€œEgyptian Vulture ๐“„ฟโ€ represents the sound โ€œ3โ€ which would be pronounced like โ€œah.โ€ 

๐“‚ง – The โ€œhand ๐“‚งโ€ represents the sound โ€œdโ€ and is also the ideogram for the word โ€œhand.โ€ 

๐“‚‹ – The โ€œmouth ๐“‚‹โ€ symbol is used to represent the sound โ€œr.โ€ It can also be used as an ideogram for the word โ€œmouth ๐“‚‹๐“บ.โ€ 

๐“ – The โ€œflat loaf of bread ๐“โ€ is a uniliteral phonogram used to represent the sound โ€œt.โ€ It also functions as the ideogram for the word โ€œbread ๐“๐“บ.โ€

๐“„ฟ – see above!

๐“†‡ – The โ€œegg ๐“†‡โ€ symbol is kind of used as a determinative here?? The โ€œegg ๐“†‡โ€ is usually used this way in the name of the goddess โ€œIsis ๐“Šจ๐“๐“†‡,โ€ who was a very popular deity at the time so there is probably a relation. The โ€œegg ๐“†‡โ€ symbol can adopt different sounds depending on how itโ€™s used. 

Itโ€™s pretty cool to see the versatility of the hieroglyphic ๐“Šน๐“Œƒ๐“ช symbols with examples of foreign names ๐“‚‹๐“ˆ–๐“ฆ! 

This is my personal photograph and original text. DO NOT repost without permission.

Categories
Egyptian Artifacts

Composite Papyrus Capital

This piece is called the โ€œComposite Papyrus Capitalโ€ and it is on display at the MET! This used to be a part of a larger column ๐“…ฑ๐“๐“‡‹๐“‡…ย  that measured over seven ๐“€ meters tall! In building/archaeology, the โ€œcapitalโ€ is the name of the decorated uppermost part of the column ๐“…ฑ๐“๐“‡‹๐“‡…!ย 

Composite Papyrus Capital
Composite Papyrus Capital on display at the MET

This column ๐“…ฑ๐“๐“‡‹๐“‡… was originally at the Temple of Amun at the Kharga Oasis which was built by the pharaoh ๐“‰๐“‰ป Nectanebo I ๐“‡ณ๐“†ฃ๐“‚“(378 – 360 B.C.E.). This was part of a large temple ๐“‰Ÿ๐“๐“‰ building program that Nectanbo I ๐“ˆ–๐“†ฑ๐“๐“๐“‚ก๐“ƒญ๐“†‘ initiated as a way to resist the threat of Persian rule through the introduction of more traditional Egyptian religious works. 

The most striking aspect of this column capital is the intricate design and the preserved colors. While Egypt ๐“†Ž๐“…“๐“๐“Š– is a desert ๐“…Ÿ๐“‚‹๐“๐“ˆŠ, is has always had diverse plant ๐“‡๐“…“๐“†ฐ life thanks to the Nile River ๐“‡‹๐“๐“‚‹๐“…ฑ๐“ˆ—๐“ˆ˜๐“ˆ‡๐“บ. Ancient Egyptian art always showcased the biodiversity of the area and this column does that beautifully! Papyrus plants ๐“‡…๐“†ฐ (upper) and flatsedge plants ๐“‡“ (lower) are the main decoration on the column. Both plants ๐“†พ๐“†ฐ๐“†ฐ๐“†ฐ were very common along the Nile ๐“‡‹๐“๐“‚‹๐“…ฑ๐“ˆ—๐“ˆ˜๐“ˆ‡๐“บ and were quite important to the Egyptian economy. 

Some of the preserved colors they can be seen are green ๐“‡…๐“„ฟ๐“†“๐“›, yellow and red ๐“‚ง๐“ˆ™๐“‚‹๐“…Ÿ. I always love when stone ๐“‡‹๐“ˆ–๐“‚‹๐“Šช works still have retained their original color because most of the time, the colors have faded over time. 

This is my personal photograph and original text. DO NOT repost without permission.

Categories
Video

Wax Ushabtis – Video

@ancientegyptblog

Before ushabtis ๐“†ท๐“„ฟ๐“ฏ๐“ƒ€๐“๐“ฎ๐“€พ๐“ช evolved in the 12th Dynasty, wax ๐“ ๐“ˆ–๐“Ž›๐“ธ๐“ฆ figurines that looked like humans (and had their own mini coffins ๐“‹ด๐“…ฑ๐“Ž›๐“๐“†ฑ๐“ฆ) werew placed in tombs ๐“‡‹๐“ซ๐“Šƒ๐“‰๐“ช with the deceased ๐“…“๐“๐“ฑ! These precursor-ushabtis ๐“†ท๐“„ฟ๐“ฏ๐“ƒ€๐“๐“ฎ๐“€พ๐“ช were made of beeswax and beeswax was said to have magical ๐“Ž›๐“‚“๐“„ฟ๐“œ powers of protection ๐“…“๐“‚๐“Žก๐“€œ, resurrection, and regeneration. The figures are somewhat detailed and were wrapped in a linen cloth ๐“ฑ and placed in the mini-coffin ๐“‹ด๐“…ฑ๐“Ž›๐“๐“†ฑ. The coffin ๐“‹ด๐“…ฑ๐“Ž›๐“๐“†ฑ did not identify any role or jobs that the figure had (like the text on a ushabti ๐“†ท๐“„ฟ๐“ฏ๐“ƒ€๐“๐“ฎ๐“€พ could identify what itโ€™s job was), but it did identify the name ๐“‚‹๐“ˆ– of the deceased ๐“…“๐“๐“ฑ. Sometimes even the standard Offering Formula (๐“‡“๐“๐“Šต๐“™ an offering the king gives) appeared on the mini-coffin ๐“‹ด๐“…ฑ๐“Ž›๐“๐“†ฑ as if it were a real one! If these figures werenโ€™t workers, then what was their purpose? It is thought that this figure would take the place of the body should the body of the deceased ๐“…“๐“๐“ฑ be destroyed. These particular wax ๐“ ๐“ˆ–๐“Ž›๐“ธ๐“ฆ figures belonged to Queen Neferu, who lived during the 11th Dynasty (c. 2051โ€“2030B.C.E) during the reign of Montuhotep II ๐“ ๐“ˆ–๐“ฟ๐“…ฑ๐“Šต๐“๐“Šช. Her tomb ๐“‡‹๐“ซ๐“Šƒ๐“‰ had many of these wax ๐“ ๐“ˆ–๐“Ž›๐“ธ๐“ฆ figures, however in general, not many similar ones have been found (in comparison to the amount of ushabtis ๐“†ท๐“„ฟ๐“ฏ๐“ƒ€๐“๐“ฎ๐“€พ๐“ช that have been found) Ushabtis ๐“†ท๐“„ฟ๐“ฏ๐“ƒ€๐“๐“ฎ๐“€พ๐“ช evolved into the little worker figures we know today during the 12th Dynasty, but became very popular during the New Kingdom. This is my personal video and original text. DO NOT repost without permission. #ancientEgypt #egyptology #ushabti #shabti #egyptologist #egyptianhistory #egyptianmythology #ancientegyptblog #metropolitanmuseumofart @The Metropolitan Museum of Art

โ™ฌ original sound – ancientegyptblog Nicole Lesar

Before ushabtis ๐“†ท๐“„ฟ๐“ฏ๐“ƒ€๐“๐“ฎ๐“€พ๐“ช evolved in the 12th Dynasty, wax ๐“ ๐“ˆ–๐“Ž›๐“ธ๐“ฆ figurines that looked like humans (and had their own mini coffins ๐“‹ด๐“…ฑ๐“Ž›๐“๐“†ฑ๐“ฆ) were placed in tombs ๐“‡‹๐“ซ๐“Šƒ๐“‰๐“ช with the deceased ๐“…“๐“๐“ฑ! 

These precursor-ushabtis ๐“†ท๐“„ฟ๐“ฏ๐“ƒ€๐“๐“ฎ๐“€พ๐“ช were made of beeswax and beeswax was said to have magical ๐“Ž›๐“‚“๐“„ฟ๐“œ powers of protection ๐“…“๐“‚๐“Žก๐“€œ, resurrection, and regeneration. The figures are somewhat detailed and were wrapped in a linen cloth ๐“ฑ and placed in the mini-coffin ๐“‹ด๐“…ฑ๐“Ž›๐“๐“†ฑ. The coffin ๐“‹ด๐“…ฑ๐“Ž›๐“๐“†ฑ did not identify any role or jobs that the figure had (like the text on a ushabti ๐“†ท๐“„ฟ๐“ฏ๐“ƒ€๐“๐“ฎ๐“€พ could identify what itโ€™s job was), but it did identify the name ๐“‚‹๐“ˆ– of the deceased ๐“…“๐“๐“ฑ. Sometimes even the standard Offering Formula (๐“‡“๐“๐“Šต๐“™ an offering the king gives) appeared on the mini-coffin ๐“‹ด๐“…ฑ๐“Ž›๐“๐“†ฑ as if it were a real one! 

If these figures werenโ€™t workers, then what was their purpose? It is thought that this figure would take the place of the body should the body of the deceased ๐“…“๐“๐“ฑ be destroyed. 

These particular wax ๐“ ๐“ˆ–๐“Ž›๐“ธ๐“ฆ figures belonged to Queen Neferu, who lived during the 11th Dynasty (c. 2051โ€“2030B.C.E) during the reign of Montuhotep II ๐“ ๐“ˆ–๐“ฟ๐“…ฑ๐“Šต๐“๐“Šช. Her tomb ๐“‡‹๐“ซ๐“Šƒ๐“‰ had many of these wax ๐“ ๐“ˆ–๐“Ž›๐“ธ๐“ฆ figures, however in general, not many similar ones have been found (in comparison to the amount of ushabtis ๐“†ท๐“„ฟ๐“ฏ๐“ƒ€๐“๐“ฎ๐“€พ๐“ช that have been found). 

Ushabtis ๐“†ท๐“„ฟ๐“ฏ๐“ƒ€๐“๐“ฎ๐“€พ๐“ช evolved into the little worker figures we know today during the 12th Dynasty, but became very popular during the New Kingdom. 

Wax Ushabtis
Wax Ushabtis on display at the MET

This is my personal video and original text. DO NOT repost without permission.

Categories
Reading Hieroglyphs

“Given Life”

โ€œGiven Life ๐“™๐“‹นโ€

"Given Life"
“Given Life” in raised relief on display at the MET

Happy 800 ๐“ฒ๐“ฒ๐“ฒ๐“ฒ๐“ฒ๐“ฒ๐“ฒ๐“ฒ posts to @ancientegyptblog (on Instagram)! I honestly canโ€™t believe how much Iโ€™ve written, but whatโ€™s even more unbelievable is how many people have read what Iโ€™ve written!ย I’m not going to lie; I’m so proud!

โ€œGiven Life ๐“™๐“‹นโ€ is such a simple and easy phrase to learn when youโ€™re starting on your hieroglyph ๐“Šน๐“Œƒ journey. While  โ€œGiven Life ๐“™๐“‹นโ€ is a super common phrase to see in inscriptions ๐“Ÿ๐“›๐“ฅ, it is also super meaningful in ancient Egypt ๐“†Ž๐“…“๐“๐“Š– – thatโ€™s why it appeared everywhere! A lot of inscriptions ๐“Ÿ๐“›๐“ฅ either started or ended with โ€œGiven Life ๐“™๐“‹น.โ€ Usually, these inscriptions ๐“Ÿ๐“›๐“ฅ were meant to preserve the name ๐“‚‹๐“ˆ– of the deceased, so their soul ๐“‚“๐“บ could continue to live on. 

You all have โ€œGiven Life ๐“™๐“‹นโ€ to not only my posts, but more importantly, to my memories about my Nonno and also his knowledge ๐“‚‹๐“๐“๐“œ that he shared with me. This account started as a memorial for my Nonno, and it always will be. Thank you ๐“‹ด๐“๐“ฏ๐“„ฟ๐“€ข guys!!

Letโ€™s read some hieroglyphs ๐“Šน๐“Œƒ๐“ช! Letโ€™s break down these two ๐“ป symbols and take a closer look at what they mean:

The โ€œbread mold ๐“™โ€ symbol is functions as a phonogram for โ€œdโ€ or โ€œแธjโ€ and also as โ€œrdjโ€ in the word for โ€œgive.โ€ The most common use for this symbol is as the word โ€œgive.โ€ 

The โ€œsandal strap ๐“‹นโ€ more commonly known as the โ€œAnkh,โ€ is a triliteral phonogram that has the sound โ€œหnแธซโ€ which would sound like โ€œankh.โ€ While it can also be an ideogram for โ€œsandal strapโ€ and โ€œmirror,โ€ the โ€œsandal strap ๐“‹นโ€ is much more commonly seen as the word for โ€œLife.โ€ 

This is my personal photograph and original text. DO NOT repost without permission.

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Egyptian Artifacts

Inscribed Stones

There are two ๐“ป things that completely fascinate me: ancient Egyptian history and geology so these “inscribed stones” are so interesting to me! I love when I can combine my passion for these two ๐“ป subjects! Rocks ๐“‡‹๐“ˆ–๐“‚‹๐“ˆ™๐“ฅ are basically the hieroglyphs ๐“Šน๐“Œƒ๐“ช of the Earth ๐“‡พ๐“‡พ! Whatโ€™s even better is when hieroglyphs ๐“Šน๐“Œƒ๐“ช appear on pieces/fragments of rock ๐“‡‹๐“ˆ–๐“‚‹๐“ˆ™ – itโ€™s like hieroglyph ๐“Šน๐“Œƒ inception!ย 

Inscribed Stones
Many Inscribed Stones with the cartouche of Hatshepsut on display at the MET

The MET has these listed as โ€œinscribed stones,โ€ which were most likely intentionally put at the base of Hatshepsutโ€™s ๐“‡‹๐“ ๐“ˆ–๐“Žน๐“๐“„‚๐“๐“€ผ๐“ช Valley Temple as offerings ๐“Šต๐“๐“Šช๐“๐“”๐“ฆ. Three ๐“ผ different types or rocks are shown in the picture ๐“๐“…ฑ๐“ above: limestone ๐“‡‹๐“ˆ–๐“ˆ™๐“Œ‰, sandstone ๐“‚‹๐“…ฑ๐“‚ง๐“๐“Œ—๐“ˆ™ and quartzite. All three ๐“ผ of these rocks ๐“‡‹๐“ˆ–๐“‚‹๐“ˆ™๐“ฅ are found in abundance across Egypt ๐“†Ž๐“…“๐“๐“Š–, especially the sandstone ๐“‚‹๐“…ฑ๐“‚ง๐“๐“Œ—๐“ˆ™ and limestone ๐“‡‹๐“ˆ–๐“ˆ™๐“Œ‰!ย 

Inscribed Stones
A closeup of an Inscribed Stone with the throne name of Hatshepsut on it! Look at how beautiful the carvings are! The details on the “ka ๐“‚“” symbol are particularly stunning!

While many of these โ€œinscribed stonesโ€ have very rough carvings on them, the cartouche ๐“ ๐“ˆ–๐“ˆ™๐“ท that appears in the picture ๐“๐“…ฑ๐“ above on the limestone ๐“‡‹๐“ˆ–๐“ˆ™๐“Œ‰ rock ๐“‡‹๐“ˆ–๐“‚‹๐“ˆ™ is quite beautiful ๐“„ค๐“†‘๐“‚‹! The version of Hatshepsutโ€™s ๐“‡‹๐“ ๐“ˆ–๐“Žน๐“๐“„‚๐“๐“€ผ๐“ช name ๐“‚‹๐“ˆ– that appears on these fragments of rock ๐“‡‹๐“ˆ–๐“‚‹๐“ˆ™ is her throne name, which is the name she took when she became pharaoh ๐“‰๐“‰ป! Her throne name is โ€œMaatkare ๐“‡ณ๐“ฆ๐“‚“โ€ which translates to โ€œTruth is the Soul of Re.โ€ย 

Letโ€™s take a closer look at what the symbols in her name mean:

๐“‡ณ – Ra

๐“ฆ – Maat (Truth) 

๐“‚“ – Ka (Soul)

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Egyptian Artifacts

Ritual Statue

A โ€œRitual Statueโ€ was used in ancient Egypt ๐“†Ž๐“…“๐“๐“Š– on processional boats to show the pharaoh ๐“‰๐“‰ป worshipping the gods ๐“Šน๐“Šน๐“Šน. Usually, the statues ๐“๐“…ฑ๐“๐“€พ๐“ช that appeared on these processional/ceremonial boats were of the gods ๐“Šน๐“Šน๐“Šน exclusively. This particular ritual statue ๐“๐“…ฑ๐“๐“€พ is the earliest one found from ancient Egypt ๐“†Ž๐“…“๐“๐“Š– that depicts a pharaoh ๐“‰๐“‰ป!

Ritual Statue
Ritual Statue of the 18th Dynasty pharaoh Thutmosis III on display at the MET

Another important aspect of this statue ๐“๐“…ฑ๐“๐“€พ is that it is made of bronze ๐“ˆ”๐“ค๐“ˆ’๐“ฆ – with the exception of a few Middle Kingdom examples, this statue ๐“๐“…ฑ๐“๐“€พ seems to be the start of bronze ๐“ˆ”๐“ค๐“ˆ’๐“ฆ statuary in ancient Egypt ๐“†Ž๐“…“๐“๐“Š–!  Both ritual statues ๐“๐“…ฑ๐“๐“€พ๐“ช and bronze ๐“ˆ”๐“ค๐“ˆ’๐“ฆ statuary became much more common during the Third Intermediate and Late Periods. 

My Nonno loved bronze ๐“ˆ”๐“ค๐“ˆ’๐“ฆ statuary, and I do too because they are always so well preserved and the details can easily be seen! On this statue ๐“๐“…ฑ๐“๐“€พ in particular, the gold ๐“‹ž๐“ƒ‰๐“ƒ‰๐“ƒ‰ around the eyes ๐“น๐“๐“ฆ is still intact (some of the gold was restored) as is the nemset jar ๐“Œ๐“บ! The inlays in the eyebrows are missing, but might have been gold ๐“‹ž๐“ƒ‰๐“ƒ‰๐“ƒ‰ or stone ๐“‡‹๐“ˆ–๐“‚‹๐“Šช. While an arm ๐“‚๐“บ may be missing, this gives us insight into the artistic ingenuity of the Egyptian artisans; the arms ๐“‚๐“ฆ attach perfectly into the grooves provided, which allowed for more detailed work! 

This statue ๐“๐“…ฑ๐“๐“€พ is dated to the 18th Dynasty (New Kingdom) and we know that because the throne name of the pharaoh ๐“‰๐“‰ป Thutmosis III ๐“‡ณ๐“ ๐“†ฃ appears on the belt that the statue ๐“๐“…ฑ๐“๐“€พ is wearing! Kneeling bronze ๐“ˆ”๐“ค๐“ˆ’๐“ฆ statues ๐“๐“…ฑ๐“๐“€พ๐“ช of pharaohs ๐“‰๐“‰ป๐“ฆ dated to the New Kingdom are extremely rare! 

Egyptologists can also date this statue ๐“๐“…ฑ๐“๐“€พ to the 18th Dynasty based on the clothes it is wearing; the combination of the Khepresh Crown ๐“†ฃ๐“‚‹๐“ˆ™๐“‹™ and the way the skirt is styled (longer in the front) are very typical pharaonic fashion for the 18th Dynasty! 

This statue ๐“๐“…ฑ๐“๐“€พ is also very small ๐“ˆ–๐“†“๐“‹ด๐“…ฉ and is only 5 inches (13.1 cm) tall! 

This is my personal photograph and original text. DO NOT repost without permission.

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Egyptian Artifacts Reading Hieroglyphs

Thoth on a Coffin

Letโ€™s read some hieroglyphs ๐“Šน๐“Œƒ๐“ช – with the god ๐“Šน of writing ๐“Ÿ๐“›๐“ฅ himself, Thoth ๐“…๐“๐“ญ! I love Thoth ๐“…because I love hieroglyphs ๐“Šน๐“Œƒ๐“ช and heโ€™s my second favorite Egyptian deity!ย Let’s take a look at a depiction of Thoth on a coffin!

Thoth on a Coffin
Thoth on a Coffin depicted as an Ibis with a human body.

This photo ๐“๐“…ฑ๐“ shows some details on the mummiform coffin ๐“…ฑ๐“‡‹๐“€พ of a man named Kharrushere who lived during the Third Intermediate Period/22nd Dynasty (c. 825โ€“712 B.C.E.). Elaborately decorated coffins ๐“…ฑ๐“‡‹๐“€พ๐“ช are very typical of this time period and I love just looking at them and enjoying the beautiful ๐“„ค๐“†‘๐“‚‹ art!

Thoth ๐“…๐“๐“ญ was represented in multiple ways, and was always associated with either the baboon or the ibis ๐“‰”๐“ƒ€๐“…ค. When in humanoid form (like on this coffin ๐“…ฑ๐“‡‹๐“€พ), he was represented as a human body with the head of an ibis ๐“‰”๐“ƒ€๐“…ค. 

Letโ€™s break down the hieroglyphs ๐“Šน๐“Œƒ that are to the left of Thoth! 

๐“†“๐“Œƒ๐“‡‹๐“ˆ– – Words Spoken By

๐“…ค – Thoth (โ€œDjeutyโ€ in Middle Egyptian)

๐“ŽŸ – Lord

๐“Šน๐“Œƒ – Hieroglyphs (โ€œDivine Words/Writingโ€)

Thoth ๐“…ค๐“€ญ was thought to have invented writing ๐“Ÿ๐“›๐“ฅ, and was thus the god ๐“Šน of all record keeping, hence the epithet โ€œLord of the Divine Words/Writing ๐“ŽŸ๐“Šน๐“Œƒ.โ€ Due to his vast knowledge, ๐“‚‹๐“๐“๐“œ Thoth ๐“Ÿ was thought to know magic ๐“Ž›๐“‚“๐“„ฟ๐“œ and secrets ๐“ƒ€๐“‹ด๐“†Ÿ๐“›๐“ฆ that were unknown to the rest of the gods ๐“Šน๐“Šน๐“Šน in the Egyptian pantheon. He was also the god ๐“Šน of scribes ๐“Ÿ๐“€€๐“ช.

Thoth ๐“…ค has many ways to write his name ๐“‚‹๐“ˆ– in hieroglyphs! Here are a few of them: 

๐“…ค๐“€ญ 

๐“…ค

๐“…๐“๐“ญ๐“€ญ

๐“…๐“๐“ญ

๐“Ÿ

Most of the deities ๐“Šน๐“Šน๐“Šน in the Egyptian pantheon have many variations of ways to write their names in hieroglyphs ๐“Šน๐“Œƒ!

This is my personal photograph and original text. DO NOT repost without permission.

Categories
Egyptian Artifacts

Art in Amenhotep III’s Palace

The art in Amenhotep IIIโ€™s ๐“‡ณ๐“ง๐“Ž  palace ๐“‚๐“Ž›๐“๐“‰ฅ๐“‰ at present-day Malqata must have been such a sight to see! Malqata is located near Thebes ๐“Œ€๐“๐“Š– in Upper Egypt ๐“‡“ on the West Bank of the Nile ๐“‡‹๐“๐“‚‹๐“…ฑ๐“ˆ—๐“ˆ˜๐“ˆ‡๐“บ. One of the reasons why the palace ๐“‚๐“Ž›๐“๐“‰ฅ๐“‰ at Malqata is so fascinating is because of the beautiful ๐“„ค๐“†‘๐“‚‹ artwork that has been discovered throughout it!

Art in Amenhotep III's Palace
One of the many pieces of art in Amenhotep III’s Palace from Malqata. The duck and various forms of vegetation create a relaxing ambience!

Believe it or not, this beautiful ๐“„ค๐“†‘๐“‚‹ piece of art actually was part of the decoration on the floor in one of the rooms of the palace ๐“‚๐“Ž›๐“๐“‰ฅ๐“‰! I love how the blue ๐“‡‹๐“น๐“๐“„ฟ๐“ธ๐“ฅ, green ๐“‡…๐“„ฟ๐“†“๐“›, gold ๐“‹ž๐“ƒ‰๐“ƒ‰๐“ƒ‰ and cream colors complement each other and make a relaxing ambience. Plus, I think ducks ๐“„ฟ๐“Šช๐“‚ง๐“…ญ๐“ช are adorable and I love how this duck ๐“„ฟ๐“Šช๐“‚ง๐“…ญ is just hanging out amongst the flowers ๐“†ผ๐“…ฑ๐“†ฐ๐“ฆ/papyrus ๐“‡…๐“†ฐ and other vegetation ๐“‡†๐“†ฐ๐“ฅ! 

In order to celebrate his Heb Sed Festival ๐“Ž›๐“ƒ€๐“‹ด๐“‚ง๐“๐“Žฑ๐“‡ณ๐“ช, the pharaoh ๐“‰๐“‰ป Amenhotep III ๐“‡ณ๐“ง๐“Ž  built a new palace ๐“‚๐“Ž›๐“๐“‰ฅ๐“‰ which was referred to as โ€œThe House of Rejoicingโ€ at present day Malqata in Egypt ๐“†Ž๐“…“๐“๐“Š–. The Heb Sed Festival ๐“Ž›๐“ƒ€๐“‹ด๐“‚ง๐“๐“Žฑ๐“‡ณ๐“ช, also known as the โ€œ30 Year Jubilee,โ€ was meant to celebrate the 30th year of a pharaohโ€™s ๐“‰๐“‰ป reign ๐“‹พ๐“ˆŽ๐“. The construction started during year 11 ๐“Ž†๐“บ of his reign, and Amenhotep III ๐“‡ณ๐“ง๐“Ž  made Malqata his primary residence by year 29 ๐“Ž†๐“Ž†๐“€๐“บ. 

Malqata was abandoned by Akhenaten ๐“‡‹๐“๐“ˆ–๐“‡ณ๐“…œ๐“๐“ˆ– when he succeeded his father. Many archaeologists speculate that many of the artists ๐“๐“๐“ญ๐“€ and craftsmen that worked at Malqata also worked in the Amarna ๐“ˆŒ๐“๐“‰๐“‡‹๐“๐“ˆ–๐“Š– workshops because similar floor-art has also been found at Amarna ๐“ˆŒ๐“๐“‰๐“‡‹๐“๐“ˆ–๐“Š–. 

This is my personal photograph and original text. DO NOT repost without permission.