Some history on the Temple of Dendur: The temple πππ was actually commissioned by Augustus ππ»π and building was completed by 10 B.C. Dendur is located in Nubia, and is just south ππ ±π of Aswan π΄πΉπππ²π. Even though the temple πππ was built by Augustus ππ»π, it definitely follows Egyptian style and not Roman style. The temple πππ was primarily used to worship the goddess πΉπ Isis π¨ππ₯.
The room is known as Gallery 115, but I have always called it βThe Hatshepsut Roomβ simply because it is the gallery in the MET where all of her statues πππππΎπ¦ are. The MET was instrumental in excavating Hatshepsutβs π³π¦π mortuary temple πππ at Deir el-Bahri π¦ππ¦π₯π, and all of the statues πππππΎπ¦ in this gallery are from that excavation.
While Hatshepsut π³π¦π was not the only female pharaoh ππ» in Egyptian history, she was without a doubt the most successful (if not one of the most successful pharaohs ππ»π¦ to ever live). During her rule, any Hyksos influence was now erased, and this time was kind of the βgolden ageβ for New Kingdom art. Egypt ππ ππ also had good relationships with neighboring peoples and trade flowed freely. This allowed Egypt to prosper in ways that it hadnβt before ππ ππ.
For my whole life I have called this piece the βRoman Anubis Mummy!!!β
As anyone who has followed me for a while knows, I love absolutely anything that has to do with Anubis πππͺπ ±π£! He has been my favorite Egyptian god πΉ since I started learning about mythology at six πΏ years old! Since I was a kid who was obsessed with mummies ππΉπ ±πΎπͺ too, it makes sense that Anubis πππͺπ ±π£, god πΉ of mummification and cemeteries would be a favorite of mine!
What is interesting about this image ππ ±π of Anubis πππͺπ ±π£ though is that he is depicted with the moon ππππΉ. Thoth π €π is usually represented with the moon (as he is god πΉ of the moon ππππΉ along with hieroglyphs πΉππͺ, writing πππ₯, wisdom etc.), while Anubisβ πππͺπ ±π£ connection to the lunar disc ππππΉ is not well understood. One of the earliest images ππ ±ππ¦ of Anubis πππͺπ ±π£ with the moon ππππΉ actually comes from Hatshepsutβs ππ ππΉππππΌπͺ mortuary temple at Deir el-Bahri π¦ππ¦π₯π, in the scene that βconfirmsβ that Amun ππ π was Hatshepsutβs ππ ππΉππππΌπͺ father πππ, thus she had the divine right to rule. Other scenes connecting Anubis πππͺπ ±π£ to the moon ππππΉ exist, but the relationship between two π» are not well understood and it is something I wish we knew more about!
This is the mummy ππΉπ ±πΎ of a woman πππππ named Artemidora who lived in Egypt ππ ππ during the Roman Period (A.D 90-100). The text above Anubis πππͺπ ±π£ reads βArtemidora, daughter of Harpokras, died untimely, aged 27. Farewell.” The images ππ ±ππ¦ taken of her mummy ππΉπ ±πΎ using radiographic techniques confirm this age of death. Big thanks the @metmuseum for the translation, because while I can read and translate hieroglyphs πΉππͺ I certainly do not know Greek!
I am standing in front of the Name ππ Panels for the Middle Kingdom Pharaoh ππ» Senwosret I ππ΄ππππ. These panels were originally part of his pyramid ππ ππ΄ complex and were reconstructed from many pieces that were found during excavations.
Senwosret Iβs ππ΄ππππ throne name, Kheperkare π³π£π, is seen multiple times along with his Horus name βπΉπβ which means βliving in births.β
These large panels represent the world πΎπΎ according to Egyptian religious beliefs. The falcon god πΉ Horus π π is seen at the top of all the panels because the sky πͺππ― is the realm of Horus π π. Beneath the sky πͺππ― is the realm of the pharaoh ππ», or the βtwo lands πΏπΏ.β Egypt ππ ππ was always referred to as the two lands πΏπΏ due to the distinction between Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt.
This beautiful π€ limestone ππππ stela ππ ±ππΈ is titled by the MET as βStela of the Overseer of the Fortress Intef.β
This stela ππ ±ππΈ is dated to Dynasty 11 of the Middle Kingdom (c. 2000-1988 B.C.E.) and we know this because the cartouches of Mentuhotep II π ππΏπ ±π΅ππͺ (credited with reunifying Egypt ππ ππ) appear as a dedication from Intef ππππ, the owner of the stela ππ ±ππΈ. Intef ππππ was an official π΄ππ and βoverseer of the fortressβ – a title that couldβve only been given to him after the reunification of Egypt ππ ππ.
Letβs read some hieroglyphs πΉππͺ! While I would love to translate the whole thing for all of you, there is too much text to fit in an Instagram description, and itβs hard to see some of the hieroglyphs πΉππͺ on my picture ππ ±π! so I will do as much as I can! Below are the hieroglyphs πΉππͺ from the first half of top panel of the stela ππ ±ππΈ! I want to translate the other readable parts for you all too so I will do that soon!
π π₯πΏπΏ – Horus, Uniter of the Two Lands
π π₯πΏπΏ- Two Ladies, Uniter of the Two Lands
π – Horus of Gold
π₯ – King of Upper and Lower Egypt
(π³ππ€) Nebhapetra (throne name)
π π³ – Son of Ra
(π ππΏπ ±π΅ππͺ) Mentuhotep II (given name)
πΉ – Life
π³π -Like Ra
π – Forever
Here it is all together: π π₯πΏπΏπ π₯πΏπΏπ π₯(π³ππ€)π π³(π ππΏπ ±π΅ππͺ)πΉπ³ππ
βHorus, “Uniter of the Two Lands,” Two Ladies “Uniter of the Two Lands,” Falcon of Gold, King of Upper and Lower Egypt Nebhepetre, Son of Ra, Mentuhotep, alive like Ra forever.β
Nicole (me) with the Stela of the Overseer of the Fortress Intef.
There are many misconceptions about Hatshepsut ππ ππΉππππΌπͺ, and I want to show why they are misconceptions.
It was always said by historians that Hatshepsut ππ ππΉππππΌπͺ was βshowing herself as a maleβ or βtrying/wanting to be a man.β These statements are just not true. Hatshepsut ππ ππΉππππΌπͺ never portrayed herself as a man πππ€. She portrayed herself as a Pharaoh ππ», which she was! In fact, she very much referred to herself as a woman πππππ. How do we know? Itβs all in the hieroglyphs πΉππͺ!
Letβs take a look at the titles she gives herself.
The inscription reads: π€πΉππππΏπΏπ³π¦πππ πππΌπΌπΌπΏπΏπΈππΉππ
π€πΉπ – βPerfect goddessβ πππΏπΏ – βLady of the Two Landsβ π³π¦π – βMaatkareβ (Hatshepsutβs throne name) ππ π – Amun ππΌπΌπΌπΏπΏ – Lord of the Thrones πΈπ – Beloved πΉπ – May She Live! π – Eternity
So the inscription reads βPerfect goddess, lady of the two lands Maatkare, Beloved of Amun, Lord of the Thrones, May She Live, For Eternity.β
If Hatshepsut ππ ππΉππππΌπͺ was referring to herself as a man πππ€ or trying to be a man πππ€, the inscription would read like this:
π€πΉ ππΏπΏ π³π¦π – βPerfect god, lord of the two lands Maatkare.β
The addition of the βπβ makes the words the feminine version! βπ – Lordβ becomes βππ – Ladyβ and βπΉ -Godβ becomes β πΉπ – Goddess.β So as you can see, Hatshepsut ππ ππΉππππΌπͺ is very much referring to herself as a woman πππππ – itβs in the hieroglyphs πΉππͺ!
Here is the other inscription that is on the statue:
The inscription reads:π ππ³πππ‘ππ(ππ ππΉππππΌπͺ)ππ ππ³πππΉπ₯π»ππΉπππ
π ππ³ – Daughter of Ra πππ‘ππ – Bodily/Of Her Body (ππ ππΉππππΌπͺ) – Hatshepsutβs cartouche (birth name) ππ ππ³ – Amun-Ra ππ – King of (feminine form of King) πΉπ₯ – Gods π»π – Beloved πΉπππ – She Live Forever (forever is usually written as βπβ)
Put together, the inscription reads: βBodily daughter of Ra, Hatshepsut, beloved of Amun-Ra, King of the Gods, May She Live Forever.β
Hatshepsut ππ ππΉππππΌπͺ is very much referring to herself as a woman πππππ – itβs in the hieroglyphs πΉππͺ! If she called herself the βSon of Raβ the inscription would look like βπ π³β instead of βπ ππ³. β The word for βbodily πππ‘ππβ is also feminized, and would be written as βπππ‘πβ if it was referencing a male. The word for βking πβ is also written in the feminine form and has the βπβ at the end (ππ).
There was no word for βqueenβ in Middle Egyptian, the closest word that exists is βππππ,β which translates to βThe Kingβs Wife.β Hatshepsut ππ ππΉππππΌπͺ was certainly not the Kingβs Wife: she was the pharaoh ππ»/king ππ.
This misconception needs to be squashed, because it very much erases Hatshepsutβs ππ ππΉππππΌπͺ identity ππ and as we know, the name/identity ππ of a person was essential to Egyptian cultural beliefs. Referring to Hatshepsut ππ ππΉππππΌπͺ as anything but how she referred to herself is an insult to her.
Here is a piece of an inscription ππ ±π from a Middle Kingdom sarcophagus ππΉπππ at the MET.
Letβs read some hieroglyphs πΉππͺ!!
ππ – Before π£ – βAnubisβ
A very simple inscription ππ ±π, but something that was important for the deceased π ππ± since Anubis πππͺπ ±π£ was tasked with the protection of the mummy ππΉπ ±πΎ! In order for ancient Egyptians πππππͺ to journey through the Duat πΌπΏππ and eventually reach the Field of Reeds πππ ππΏππ ±π°π, the mummy ππΉπ ±πΎ/body of the deceased π ππ± needed to remain intact! So a person definitely wanted to be near Anubis πππͺπ ±π’!
Anubisβ πππͺπ ±π£ name ππ Can be written many different ways! Here are some common variations: πππͺπ ±π£ πππͺπ£ πππͺπ ± πππͺπ ±π’ π£ π€ π’
Much like in English and other languages, the same words could have different spellings! In ancient Egypt ππ ππ, most of the time the different spellings had to do with the space that was available on the piece that was being inscribed!
In order to exist, a human needed to have five πΎ essential elements: the body πππΌ, the shadow πππ ±πΌ, the Ba π ‘π€, the Ka (soul/life force) ππ€, and the name ππ.
The Ba π ‘π€ is the impression that an individual makes on others – everything except the physical body πππΌ. The Ba π ‘π€ can also be thought of as an individualβs personality. When a person died, the Ba π ‘π€ was the only part of the person that would be able to travel out of the tomb ππ«ππ, but it did have to return eventually to be reunited with the mummy ππΉπ ±πΎ. The Ba π ‘π€ was the part of the person that lived on after death π ππ±.
This particular Ba π ‘π€ statue πππππΎ is dated to the Ptolemaic Period (c. 332β30 B.C.E.). Ba π ‘π€ statues πππππΎπ¦ like this one pictured were popular to place in tombs ππ«πππ¦ during this time period – either they were attached to coffins π΄π ±πππ±π¦ or added as an attachment to a stela ππ ±ππΈ.
The details on this Ba π ‘π€ statue πππππΎ are absolutely beautiful π€. The Ba π ‘π€ has a sun disk π³π€ on its head πΆπ€ and is wearing a broad collar π ±π΄ππΊπ around its neck. It is in great condition even though it is made out of wood π±ππΊ (wood is organic and can decay very quickly) and the details are in paint and gold ππππ leaf!
The MET has a very large collection of objects from the tomb ππ«ππ of the Three foreign Wives of Thutmosis III π³π π£. These women ππππͺ were named Menhet ππππππΏππ, Menwi π πππ―ππ, and Merti π πππππ and were buried in an undecorated tomb ππ«ππ located near Thebes πππ. The country of origin of these women ππππͺ is unknown.
This gold ππππ broad collar π ±π΄ππΊπ has a falcon πππ‘π head on each end. While this piece is dated to the New Kingdom (18th Dynasty c. 1479β1425 B.C.E.), broad collars π ±π΄ππΊππ¦ have been used to adorn mummies ππΉπ ±πΎπͺ since the Old Kingdom (c. 2649 B.C.E.). Broad Collars π ±π΄ππΊππ¦ were the necklace of choice amongst the elites and the gods πΉπΉπΉ.
The Vulture Pectoral is also most likely from the same tomb ππ«ππ as the broad collar π ±π΄ππΊπ pictured. Vultures are common funerary symbols and are usually associated with the goddess πΉπ Nekhbet ππππ π. Nekhbet ππππ π was usually depicted as a woman πππ with the head πΆπ€ of a vulture. She is the patron goddess πΉπ of Upper Egypt π (hence why her name has the βπβ symbol for upper Egypt) and was also tasked with protecting π ππ‘π royal women π»π΄ππ.
Since I canβt go too long without talking about Hatshepsut ππ ππΉππππΌπͺ, letβs talk about this granite πππππ³πΏ statue πππππΎ of her!
She is depicted in female attire, but is also wearing the nemes head cloth ππ π΄, which is usually reserved only for the reigning pharaoh ππ» to wear! Once again, this imagery ππ ±π shows that Hatshepsut ππ ππΉππππΌπͺ wanted to be seen as a pharaoh ππ», not be seen as a man πππ€.
Her hands ππ¦ are flat on her lap, which means that this statue πππππΎ was probably put inside the temple πππ and meant to receive offerings π΅ππͺπππ¦. This statue πππππΎ was found in multiple pieces during excavations at Deir el-Bahri π¦ππ¦π₯π, and then pieced back together.
Letβs look at the hieroglyphic πΉππͺ inscription (only the top part of it can be seen – the other half is too destroyed for me to finish translating):
So the inscription reads βPerfect goddess, Maatkare.β
If Hatshepsut ππ ππΉππππΌπͺ was referring to herself as a man πππ€ or trying to be a man πππ€, the inscription would read like this:
The addition of the βπβ makes the word the feminine version – βπΉ -Godβ becomes β πΉπ – Goddess.β So as you can see, Hatshepsut ππ ππΉππππΌπͺ is very much referring to herself as a woman πππππ – itβs in the hieroglyphs πΉππͺ! There are too many examples of Hatshepsut ππ ππΉππππΌπͺ being referred to as a female in writing to make the rash conclusion that she was βtrying to be a man.β