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Egyptian Artifacts

Sarcophagus of Rameses III

This striking red granite 𓅓𓌳𓏏𓎶 sarcophagus 𓎟𓋹𓈖𓐍𓊭 belonged to the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 Rameses III 𓁛𓄟𓋴𓋴𓋾𓉺. Rameses III 𓇳𓄊𓁧𓈘𓇋𓏠𓈖 was the second pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 of the 20th Dynasty and he ruled for 32 𓎆𓎆𓎆𓏻 turbulent years. His reign was marked by political, economic, and military issues. 

The most interesting part about Rameses III’s 𓁛𓄟𓋴𓋴𓋾𓉺 reign for me is what is known as the “Harem Conspiracy” – Rameses III’s 𓇳𓄊𓁧𓈘𓇋𓏠𓈖 secondary wife, Tiye 𓍘𓇌𓏭𓁐, plotted to have Rameses III 𓇳𓄊𓁧𓈘𓇋𓏠𓈖 killed so her son 𓅭 Pentawer 𓊪𓈖𓏏𓄿𓅩𓂋𓏹 could become pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 instead of the chosen heir, Rameses IV 𓇳𓄟𓊃𓊃. While Tiye 𓍘𓇌𓏭𓁐 and her conspirators (other high officials) succeeded in killing Rameses III 𓁛𓄟𓋴𓋴𓋾𓉺, they did not succeed in establishing Pentawer 𓊪𓈖𓏏𓄿𓅩𓂋𓏹 as pharaoh 𓉐𓉻.  All of the conspirators were caught and put to death and Rameses IV 𓇳𓄟𓊃𓊃 succeeded Rameses III 𓁛𓄟𓋴𓋴𓋾𓉺 as the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻. 

Sarcophagus of Rameses III
The Sarcophagus of Rameses III showing details of the goddess Isis.

Here, on the sarcophagus 𓎟𓋹𓈖𓐍𓊭 of Rameses III 𓁛𓄟𓋴𓋴𓋾𓉺, Isis 𓊨𓏏𓁥 is depicted where the feet of the deceased would be placed. Isis’ 𓊨𓏏𓁥 sister Nepthys 𓉠𓏏𓆇 is usually located where the deceased’s head would be located. Isis 𓊨𓏏𓁥 is easily recognized in Egyptian art because she is normally shown with the headdress of a throne, 𓊨, which is also one of the hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 in her name 𓂋𓈖. Isis 𓊨𓏏𓁥 is shown with wings 𓂧𓌳𓏏𓆃𓏦 and sitting on the hieroglyph 𓊹𓌃 for “gold 𓋞.” 

Isis 𓊨𓏏𓁥 is known as a devoted wife 𓂑𓏏𓁐 and mother 𓅐𓏏𓁐, but was also associated with resurrection 𓄟𓍿𓅱 due to her role in piecing her brother/husband Osiris 𓁹𓊨𓀭 back together after he was dismembered by their brother Seth 𓊃𓏏𓄡𓁣. She is the mother 𓅐𓏏𓁐 of Horus 𓅃𓀭, who was magically conceived after Isis 𓊨𓏏𓁥 brought Osiris 𓁹𓊨𓀭 back to life 𓋹. 

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

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Egyptian Artifacts

Imhotep and Khereduankh

Today, let’s talk about some of the stories that surround Imhotep 𓇍𓅓𓊵𓏏𓊪 – including his mother! Imhotep 𓇍𓅓𓊵𓏏𓊪 was a real man that lived during Egypt’s 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖 third dynasty (around 2700 B.C.E.) during the reign 𓋾𓈎𓏏 of the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 Djoser 𓂦𓂋. While Imhotep 𓇍𓅓𓊵𓏏𓊪 is best known for being the architect of Djoser’s Step Pyramid (and Egypt’s first ever pyramid 𓍋𓅓𓂋𓉴), he was also a high priest 𓊹𓍛 of Ra 𓇳𓏺𓁛! After his death, Imhotep 𓇍𓅓𓊵𓏏𓊪 became one of the few non-royal Egyptians to be deified. 

Imhotep and Khereduankh
Imhotep and Khereduankh on display at the MET

There is not much that is known about Imhotep 𓇍𓅓𓊵𓏏𓊪 as a person while he was alive; most of what we know about Imhotep was written at the earliest 1,200 years after his death! Referred to as “Sebayt 𓋴𓃀𓇼𓄿𓇌𓏏𓏛” in Middle Egyptian, these “instructions” or “teachings” refer to Imhotep 𓇍𓅓𓊵𓏏𓊪 as a great physician and a writer! One text from the 20th Dynasty called “Eulogy of Dead Writers” even states “Is there another like Imhotep?” 

Most statues of Imhotep 𓇍𓅓𓊵𓏏𓊪 are made of bronze and are dated to the Ptolemaic Period, because that was when Imhotep 𓇍𓅓𓊵𓏏𓊪 was widely worshipped. Imhotep’s 𓇍𓅓𓊵𓏏𓊪 mother, Khereduankh, even had statues made of her (she is on the right in my picture). Khereduankh is usually depicted as a seated woman wearing a short wig and the feathered crown with two Uraei 𓇋𓂝𓂋𓏏𓆗𓏪. 

Imhotep and Khereduankh
Imhotep and Khereduankh on display at the MET

There are even stories written about Imhotep 𓇍𓅓𓊵𓏏𓊪, Khereduankh, Renpetneferet (his sister or wife depending on the story), and Djoser 𓂦𓂋! This story was written in Demotic on papyrus, and even includes Imhotep 𓇍𓅓𓊵𓏏𓊪 battling an Assyrian sorceress! Imhotep 𓇍𓅓𓊵𓏏𓊪 really could do everything! 

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

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Egyptian Artifacts Reading Hieroglyphs

Statue of Cleopatra VII

I’m going to make my first post of 2024 about one of my Nonno’s absolute favorite people from Egyptian history – Cleopatra VII! Even though Cleopatra VII 𓈎𓃭𓇋𓍯𓊪𓄿𓂧𓂋𓏏𓄿𓆇 was Greek, she is considered to be the last pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 of Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖. 

Cleopatra VII

One of the interesting features about this statue 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾 is that on her forehead there are three Uraei 𓇋𓂝𓂋𓏏𓆗𓏪 instead of the standard two! During the Ptolemaic Period, rulers 𓈎𓏏𓋾𓏪 had three Uraei 𓇋𓂝𓂋𓏏𓆗𓏪 on their forehead, with the third possibly representing the goddess 𓊹𓏏 Isis 𓊨𓏏𓁥. 

Let’s read some hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪! The cartouche 𓏠𓈖𓈙𓍷 seen on the shoulder is actually a later addition and not an original part of the statue 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾, so Egyptologists do not know if this statue 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾 was originally meant to represent Cleopatra VII 𓈎𓃭𓇋𓍯𓊪𓄿𓂧𓂋𓏏𓄿𓆇! 

Cleopatra VII

The picture 𓏏𓅱𓏏 above shows the birth name cartouche 𓏠𓈖𓈙𓍷 of Cleopatra VII 𓈎𓃭𓇋𓍯𓊪𓄿𓂧𓂋𓏏𓄿𓆇! Since Cleopatra VII 𓈎𓃭𓇋𓍯𓊪𓄿𓂧𓂋𓏏𓄿𓆇 was Greek and not native Egyptian, this cartouche 𓏠𓈖𓈙𓍷 of hers is very phonetic – most of the hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 used are uniliteral signs, which means that they correspond to a single sound, just like a letter in the alphabet.

This statue 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾 is made out of limestone 𓇋𓈖𓈙𓌉 and is dated to the Ptolemaic Period (200-30 B.C.E.). 

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

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Egyptian Artifacts

Ahmose I

Despite the 500 𓏲𓏲𓏲𓏲𓏲 years separating their reigns, the pharaohs 𓉐𓉻𓏥 Montuhotep II 𓏠𓈖𓍿𓅱𓊵𓏏𓊪 (Dynasty 11) and Ahmose I 𓇺𓄟 (Dynasty 18) are considered to be two 𓏻 of Egypt’s 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖 greatest pharaohs 𓉐𓉻𓏥 for a very similar reason. They were both responsible for reunifying Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖!

Ahmose I
Me with the head of the pharaoh Ahmose I at the MET

Ahmose I 𓇺𓄟 defeated the Hyksos and founded the 18th Dynasty, which is the start of the New Kingdom (this is my favorite part of Egyptian history)! This is the time period when Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖 not only reached its peak power politically, but also a golden age in arts and building projects. Ahmose I 𓇺𓄟 is responsible for jump-starting all of this by opening quarries 𓎛𓏏𓏏𓉐𓏥, mines, and trade routes in order to undertake these large construction programs.

This beautiful 𓄤𓆑𓂋 statue 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾 of Ahmose I 𓇺𓄟 shows him wearing the White Crown 𓄤𓋑 of Upper Egypt 𓇓. It is estimated that Ahmose I ruled for around 25 𓎆𓎆𓏾 years.

Ahmose I
A closer view of the head of a statue of pharaoh Ahmose I at the MET.

What does Ahmose I’s name 𓂋𓈖 mean? Let’s read some hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪! This is what the individual symbols mean:
𓇺 – Iah (The Moon)
𓄟 – Born/Birth
All together, the name 𓂋𓈖 means “The Moon is Born” which is such a wonderful name 𓂋𓈖! I love it!

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

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Egyptian Artifacts Reading Hieroglyphs

The Egyptian Star

Egyptian Star
The Egyptian Star hieroglyph might have been inspired by the starfish that live in the Red Sea

The five pointed Egyptian Star 𓇼 is one of my absolute favorite hieroglyphic symbols! The star hieroglyphic 𓊹𓌃 symbol 𓇼 was used very frequently in words as well and there are different variations of star symbols (𓇻, 𓇽). You’ll mostly see it in words like “Duat 𓇼𓄿𓏏𓉐.” Sometimes “Duat” is represented with just the “𓇽” symbol too! 

Egyptian Star
A painted and a carved hieroglyphic Egyptian star!

What I also love about the Star 𓇼 is that not only does it function as a hieroglyph, but it is also used as artistic decoration. 

Egyptian Star
Egyptian Stars on the Middle Kingdom Canopic Jar Case of Ukhotep (MET)

The night sky/star design appears on the ceilings of tombs 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐𓏪 (Seti I’s 𓊪𓏏𓎛𓁣𓇌𓌸𓈖 tomb 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐 comes to mind), temples 𓉟𓏏𓉐𓏪 (Hatshepsut’s 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓎹𓏏𓄂𓏏𓀼𓏪 temple 𓉟𓏏𓉐 at Deir el-Bahri 𓂦𓂋𓂦𓏥𓉐) and even on funerary objects 𓈎𓂋𓋴𓏏𓏏𓊭 like canopic jar cases and in the Book of the Dead 𓉐𓂋𓏏𓂻𓅓𓉔𓂋𓏲𓇳𓏺𓍼𓏺! 

Egyptian Star
Stars in the Book of the Dead of Sobekmose (Brooklyn Museum)

The five pointed star hieroglyph (𓇼), while used to represent stars 𓋴𓃀𓄿𓇼𓏦 in the sky 𓊪𓏏𓇯, actually resembles the starfish 𓇼𓈙𓇼 that inhabit the Red Sea! Egyptologists and archaeologists think that the star hieroglyph (𓇼) originally represented the starfish 𓇼𓈙𓇼 but then evolved to represent stars 𓋴𓃀𓄿𓇼𓏦 in the sky 𓊪𓏏𓇯 as well. 

Egyptian Star
Stars in the Book of the Dead of Imhotep (MET) 

What I find fascinating is that the ancient Egyptian language (𓇼𓈙𓇼), English (starfish), and Italian (stella marina) all equate these beautiful 𓄤 sea animals to the stars in the sky! The ancient Egyptians had a deep understanding of astronomy and the stars 𓋴𓃀𓄿𓇼𓏦 and it’s so cool that they saw starfish 𓇼𓈙𓇼 in the Red Sea and thought that they looked like the bright objects in the sky 𓊪𓏏𓇯! 

Egyptian Star
A Starfish at EPCOT in Disney World – it definitely looks like a five pointed Egyptian Star!

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

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Egyptian Artifacts

Magical Stela or Cippus

This magnificent piece is known as a “Magical Stela,” or a “Cippus of Horus.” Normally, stela 𓎗𓅱𓆓𓉸 were used to commemorate the dead but Cippus pieces are like a protective amulet 𓊐𓊪𓅆 in the shape of a stela 𓎗𓅱𓆓𓉸. 

Me with the Cippus at the MET

This cippus was used by the living for protection 𓅓𓂝𓎡𓀜. Since the Old Kingdom, Horus 𓅃𓀭 was called upon as a defender against snake or scorpion bites. Placing the cippus on a wound would evoke its magical and healing powers. 

Smaller versions of Cippus stela 𓎗𓅱𓆓𓉸 were usually kept in homes 𓉐𓏺, but this one here at the MET is a lot more elaborate and was actually commissioned by a priest 𓊹𓍛 to be displayed in public! It’s difficult to see in pictures, but the hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 are carved so exquisitely and I love just looking at them! 

A closeup of the top of the Cippus at the MET

The top panel on the front of the Cippus depicts Horus 𓅃𓀭 standing on two 𓏻 crocodiles 𓅓𓋴𓎛𓆌𓏥 and holding other dangerous animals such as snakes 𓇋𓂝𓂋𓏏𓆘𓏪, a lion 𓌳𓁹𓄿𓄛, an antelope 𓃲𓏺 and scorpions 𓋴𓂋𓈎𓏏𓆫𓏪 in each hand. Surrounding Horus 𓅃𓀭 are other deities. On Horus’ 𓅃𓀭 left there is Isis 𓊨𓏏𓁥, Ra-Horakhty 𓅊𓏔𓏔𓏤, and then on Horus’ 𓅃𓀭 right is Thoth 𓅝𓏏𓏭𓀭. The god 𓊹 Bes 𓃀𓋴𓄜 also appears above Horus’ 𓅃𓀭 head 𓁶𓏺. Bes 𓃀𓋴𓄜 was known to ward off evil 𓃀𓇋𓈖𓏏𓅨 and bad luck. 

This piece is dated to the Late Period (30th Dynasty). Considering everything, I figured this would be a fitting post for today! 

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

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Video

Ushabtis are My Favorite – Video

Nonno and I are co-presidents of the Ushabti 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾 fan club! As much as I also love the Temple of Dendur at the MET, nothing beats seeing all of the different types of ushabti 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾 figures on display! Seeing the ushabtis 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾 makes me so happy! 

Watch on TikTok

Fun Facts about Ushabti 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾 figures: 

  1. The ushabtis 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾 served as substitutes for the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱 and would perform labor or jobs for them in the afterlife 𓇼𓄿𓏏𓉐. 
  2. Ushabtis are usually inscribed with specific spells 𓎛𓂓𓏛𓏦 which assigned each ushabti 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾 to a certain task! The most popular one is the “Shabti Spell.” 
  3. Ushabtis can be made of many different types of materials such as faience 𓋣𓈖𓏏𓏸𓏼, wood 𓆱𓏏𓏺, clay 𓊪𓈖𓋴𓈇, limestone 𓇋𓈖𓈙𓌉 and rarely even bronze 𓈔𓏤𓈒𓏦! 
  4. People who could afford it were buried with over 400 𓏲𓏲𓏲𓏲 ushabtis  𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾𓏪! Usually there were 365 𓏲𓏲𓏲𓎆𓎆𓎆𓎆𓎆𓎆𓏾 worker ushabtis 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾𓏪 (one for each day of the year) and then overseer ushabtis!

My Nonno loved ushabtis 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾𓏪 so much and would tell my sister 𓌢𓈖𓏏𓁐 and I stories about them! I love these statues so much and I may be among their biggest fans – I cannot get enough of them! 

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

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Egyptian Artifacts Video

Talatat – Video

These small 𓈖𓆓𓋴𓅩 limestone 𓇋𓈖𓈙𓌉 blocks are called “Talatat” and were used solely during the reign 𓋾𓈎𓏏 of the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 Akhenaten 𓇋𓏏𓈖𓇳𓅞𓐍𓈖! These were used in the construction of the Aten 𓇋𓏏𓈖𓇳 temple 𓉟𓏏𓉐 at Karnak (this construction started when he was still Amenhotep IV 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓊵𓊹𓋾𓌀) and the palace 𓂝𓎛𓏏𓉥𓉐 at Akhetaten 𓈌𓏏𓉐𓇋𓏏𓈖𓊖. Akhetaten 𓈌𓏏𓉐𓇋𓏏𓈖𓊖 was the capital of Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖 during the reign 𓋾𓈎𓏏 of Akhenaten 𓇋𓏏𓈖𓇳𓅞𓐍𓈖. 

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These limestone 𓇋𓈖𓈙𓌉 blocks were unique because they were so small 𓈖𓆓𓋴𓅩 a single worker could carry them and put it into place. This was meant to expedite construction and make building a lot faster. The Talatat are also unique because they were only used during the reign 𓋾𓈎𓏏 of Akhenaten 𓇋𓏏𓈖𓇳𓅞𓐍𓈖, and were never used again. 

Even though originally from Amarna 𓈌𓏏𓉐𓇋𓏏𓈖𓊖, these Talatat were actually found at Hermopolis because after Akhenaten’s 𓇋𓏏𓈖𓇳𓅞𓐍𓈖 reign 𓋾𓈎𓏏, his monuments 𓏠𓏍 were destroyed and building materials were used by other pharaohs 𓉐𓉻𓏦! 

These Talatat at the MET were once brightly painted in striking colors, as was most of the Egyptian monuments 𓏠𓏍. A lot of the colors you see on these blocks are restored and not necessarily the original colors. 

Tens of thousands of Talatat have been found across Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖. 

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

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Egyptian Artifacts

Monkey Statue from Amarna

How cute is this blue 𓇋𓁹𓏏𓄿𓏸𓏥 faience 𓋣𓈖𓏏𓏸𓏼 statue 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾 of a monkey 𓎼𓄿𓆑𓃸?

Monkey Statue
A blue faience monkey statue from Amarna on display at the Brooklyn Museum

This statue 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾 is from Amarna 𓈌𓏏𓉐𓇋𓏏𓈖𓊖 and is dated to Akhenaten’s 𓇋𓏏𓈖𓇳𓅜𓐍𓈖 reign 𓋾𓈎𓏏 in the 18th Dynasty. This piece strikes me as interesting for an Amarna-era piece because it doesn’t look like the “typical” Amarna-era art style! It’s more realistic looking instead of having exaggerated features! 

One really cool feature about this monkey 𓎼𓄿𓆑𓃸 statue 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾 is that his ears are pierced! It’s possible that in antiquity the statue 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾 had earrings – how cool is that? The Brooklyn Museum has speculated that the presence of an earring would be an indication that this statue 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾 represented a household pet. If a person had a monkey 𓎼𓄿𓆑𓄛 as a household pet in ancient Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖, that meant that the person was extremely wealthy because monkeys had to be imported into Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖 from far away and were extremely expensive! 

The monkey 𓎡𓇌𓃸 also seems to be holding something round in his hands – my guess is that it’s some type of fruit! 

There are a lot of different ways to write the word for “monkey” in hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪, however, a lot of these variants are similar except for the determinative used at the end! Here’s a list of some of the variants here (there are actually too many to list): 

𓎼𓄿𓆑𓃻

𓎼𓄿𓆑𓃸

𓎼𓄿𓆑𓄛

𓎼𓄿𓆑𓄜

𓎡𓇌𓃸

𓆓𓎛𓆓𓎛𓃻

Thank you to my sister 𓌢𓈖𓏏𓁐 for taking this wonderful picture 𓏏𓅱𓏏!

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

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Egyptian Artifacts

Animals in Ancient Egypt

Happy World Animal Day! Let’s learn about the significance of Animals in Ancient Egypt!

Animals in Ancient Egypt
Me with a blue faience hippo at the Brooklyn Museum! The blue faience hippos are one of my absolute favorite types of artifacts!

Believe it or not, there is no Middle Egyptian word for “animal” – there was the word “𓌚𓅓𓄛” but it translates more accurately to “beast” than to all animals in general. What I love about language 𓂋𓏺 is that even a small detail such as this can show us so much about the culture of the people who spoke it! 

Animals in Ancient Egypt
An ibis on display at the MET

In ancient Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖, Animals were usually referred to by their name 𓂋𓈖 instead of as a singular category. What I love about Middle Egyptian is that the name 𓂋𓈖 the animal was given was sometimes very similar to the sound the animal made! For example, the Middle Egyptian word for cat is 𓅓𓇋𓅱𓃠 (miu) which can be pronounced similarly to “meow.” The word for dog is 𓃛𓅱𓃛𓅱𓃥 (iwiw) which can almost sound like “woof woof.”

Animals in Ancient Egypt
A cat mummy on display at the MET

Why is this significant? It shows that the Egyptians 𓆎𓏏𓀀𓁐𓏪 didn’t regard animals as different from humans or less than humans (unlike the Greeks and Romans, and eventually Western cultures). Animals were living things that contained a ba 𓅡𓏺 (part of the soul that is active in this world and the spiritual world). They could become gods 𓊹𓊹𓊹 through death 𓅓𓏏𓏱 and mummification 𓋴𓂧𓐍𓅱𓐎 just like humans. 

Animals in Ancient Egypt
Hathor in her cow form from the Book of the Dead of Imhotep at the MET

Animals like cats 𓅓𓇋𓅱𓃠𓏪, ibises 𓉔𓃀𓅤𓏪, cows 𓄤𓆑𓂋𓏏𓃒𓏦, snakes 𓇋𓂝𓂋𓏏𓆘𓏪, hippos 𓌉𓏏𓃯𓏦, and many others were held in high regard due to the gods 𓊹𓊹𓊹 and goddesses 𓊹𓊹𓊹𓏏 who could take the form of those animals! 

Animals in Ancient Egypt
A fish bowl on display at the Brooklyn Museum

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