Today we are going to be looking at the cartouche of the throne name of pharaoh ๐๐ป Amenhotep III ๐๐ ๐๐ต๐พ๐! Amenhotep III ๐๐ ๐๐ต๐พ๐ ruled during the 18th Dynasty and his rule ๐พ was a time of prosperity for Egypt ๐๐ ๐๐, especially in regards to the arts and international influence!
This piece in the video is a reconstruction of the original by the MET – the blue ๐๐น๐๐ฟ๐ธ๐ฅ faience ๐ฃ๐๐๐ธ๐ผ pieces are original, but the gold ๐๐๐๐ and plaster are not. This beautiful ๐ค๐๐ decoration is a reconstruction using the tiles that were found during the excavation of Amenhotep IIIโs ๐๐ ๐๐ต๐พ๐ palace at Malqata.
Here is his cartouche: ๐ณ๐ง๐ – Nebmaatraย
Cartouche of Amenhotep III at the MET. This is the artifact featured in my video!
Letโs take a closer look at the symbols in the cartouche:
๐ณ – Ra
๐ง – Maat (Truth)
๐ – Neb (Possessor)
The name ๐๐ translates to Possessor is/of the Truth of Ra or Possessor is/of the Maat of Ra
This is my personal video and original text. DO NOT repost without permission.
Today ๐๐๐๐ณ we are going to look at the name ๐๐ of the goddess ๐น๐ Nut ๐๐๐ฏ๐ญ! Nut ๐๐๐ฏ๐ญ is the goddess ๐น๐ of the sky ๐ช๐๐ฏ and the cosmos. In the inscription ๐๐ ฑ๐ pictured, the determinative symbol is missing and Nutโs name ๐๐ is spelled with just the phonograms – โ๐๐๐ฏ.โ
Letโs break down the symbols in Nutโs name!
The โpot ๐โ symbol has a lot of varying and confusing functions! Most commonly, it is used as a biliteral phonogram for the sound โnw.โ It can also replace and act as a variant for the โgrain of sand ๐โ symbol on special occasions.
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!
The โsky ๐ฏโ symbol is mostly used as a determinative and ideogram in the words for โsky/heaven,โ โabove,โ and โceiling.โ When used in the word โsky,โ it is associated with the sound โptโ since it is acting like an ideogram. This symbol can also be associated with the sounds โhrt,โ โhry,โ and โnwtโ – depending on which symbols come before it and how it is used!
If you look closely, the words for โsky ๐ช๐๐ฏโ and โNut ๐๐๐ฏโ look extremely similar but they are pronounced differently! In these words, the โsky ๐ฏโ symbol is working as an ideogram and complementing the sounds of the previous symbols! This is what we call a โphonetic complementโ – the sounds are written twice but pronounced once!
๐๐๐ฏ – Nut is pronounced like โnwtโ and the โnw ๐โ + โt ๐โ is the complemented by the sky symbol which is also โnwtโ in this case! This is how phonetic complements work! โ๐๐ is technically โnwtnwtโ but is only pronounced like โnwt (Nut).โ
Bonus Grammar:
๐ช๐๐ฏ – Sky is pronounced like โpt ๐ช๐โ (โp๐ชโ + โt ๐โ) and the โsky ๐ฏโ symbol would also be associated with the sound โptโ in this case since it is complementing the two previous symbols! Sky is technically written as โptptโ but only pronounced as โpt.โ
This is my personal photograph and original text. DO NOT repost without permission.
Before Horemheb ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ฃ๐ผ๐ณ๐๐ became the last pharaoh ๐๐ป of the 18th Dynasty, he was a general ๐๐ฆ under the pharaohs ๐๐ป๐ฅ Tutankamun ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ฑ๐๐น๐พ๐บ๐ and Ay ๐ณ๐ฃ๐ฃ๐ช๐น๐๐. This large statue ๐๐๐๐ญ๐พ (and a second similar one) would have been placed in a temple ๐๐๐ – either the temple of Ptah ๐ช๐๐๐ฑ at Memphis ๐ ๐๐ค๐๐๐ด๐ or the temple of Amun-Ra ๐๐ ๐๐บ๐ณ at Karnak.ย
Me with a Statue of Horemheb seated with a papyrus from before he was pharaoh.
It was standard for high officials to show themselves in a seated position with a papyrus scroll ๐ ๐๐๐ on their lap. In the Old Kingdom, the statues ๐๐๐๐ญ๐พ๐ช usually showed the official reading, but in the New Kingdom, the statues usually showed the official writing ๐๐๐ฅ. Horemheb ๐๐ ๐๐บ๐ฟ๐๐๐ฑ is writing ๐๐๐ฅ a hymn to the god ๐น Thoth ๐ ค๐ญ(who is the god ๐น of writing ๐๐๐ฅ).ย
Statue of Horemheb seated with a papyrus from before he was pharaoh.
The hieroglyphs ๐น๐๐ช around the base of the statue ๐๐๐๐ญ๐พ mention Horemhebโs ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ฃ๐ผ๐ณ๐๐ many titles. The hieroglyphs ๐น๐๐ช on the โpapyrusโ ๐ ๐๐๐ that is on Horemhebโs ๐๐ ๐๐บ๐ฟ๐๐๐ฑ lap can actually be read, but it was so difficult to get a picture ๐๐ ฑ๐/actually read them because I could not get close enough to the statue ๐๐๐๐ญ๐พ!
It is really interesting to see a pharaoh ๐๐ป depicted in statuary before he became the pharaoh ๐๐ป. Most pharaohs ๐๐ป๐ฅ were born into their role, but Horemheb ๐๐ ๐๐บ๐ฟ๐๐๐ฑ ascended to the throne through his status as general ๐๐ฆ. What a way to end the 18th Dynasty!
This is my personal photograph and original text. DO NOT repost without permission.
Today ๐๐๐๐ณ we are going to look at one of the ways to write โtomb ๐๐ฉ๐๐โ in hieroglyphs ๐น๐๐ช! The picture ๐๐ ฑ๐ below is from a Middle Kingdom sarcophagus ๐๐น๐๐๐ญ at the MET, which has the word for “tomb ๐๐ฉ๐๐” written on it!
The word for “tomb ๐๐ฉ๐๐” in hieroglyphic symbols on a sarcophagus at the MET.
Letโs break down each of the symbols:ย
The โreed ๐โ is a uniliteral phonogram for โฤฑอ (y),โ however it can also function as an ideogram for the word โreed ๐๐บ.โ
The โbundle of reeds ๐ฉโ is a biliteral phonogram that represents the sound โjz.โ
The โdoorbolt ๐โ symbol is a uniliteral phonogram which represents the sound โzโ or โs.โ Itโs also the
ideogram for the word โdoorbolt.โ
The โschematic house plan ๐โ symbol is a biliteral phonogram for the sound โpr,โ but it can also function as an ideogram for the word โhouse ๐๐บ.โ This symbol is commonly used as a determinative for words that have to do with buildings (like our word of the day – tomb ๐๐ฉ๐๐) or places (Duat ๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐).
So how would โ๐๐ฉ๐๐โ be pronounced? ๐๐ฉ๐๐ would actually be said like โis.โ In Middle Egyptian, a bunch of the written words repeat sounds, but the repeated sounds arenโt pronounced at all. Itโs like how โ๐คโ and โ๐ค๐๐โ are both still pronounced โnfrโ even though the sounds repeat in the word.ย There are many variants for ancient Egyptian words, and it makes reading hieroglyphs ๐น๐๐ช like a puzzle! When you first start learning it can be frustrating, but then it becomes fun!
Here are some other variants/ways to write โtombโ in hieroglyphs ๐น๐๐ช:
๐๐ – Mastaba (House of Eternity)
๐๐๐ด – Tomb/Mastaba
๐ฟ๐๐๐ด – Tomb/Mastaba
๐ฟ๐๐ธ – Tomb Shaft
๐ ๐๐๐ – Tomb of a King, Horizon
๐ป๐ด๐ – Tomb Chapel
If you want to see the full inscription ๐๐ ฑ๐ on this sarcophagus ๐๐น๐๐๐ญ, check out my video on this post!
This is my personal photograph and original text. DO NOT repost without permission.
This rectangle fragment of a relief depicting a horse drawn chariot ๐ จ๐๐๐๐ was found at the Great Aten Temple in Amarna (Akhetaten ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐). This piece is estimated to have been carved between c. 1352โ1336 B.C.E., which is during the reign ๐พ๐๐ of Akhenaten ๐๐๐๐ณ๐ ๐๐. This particular relief pictured was originally part of a much larger image ๐๐ ฑ๐. Here, chariot ๐ จ๐๐๐๐ attendants are keeping watch of the chariots ๐ จ๐๐๐๐๐ฆ for the royal family.ย
Image of a horse drawn chariot and a chariot attendant from Akhetaten on display at the MET.
Chariots ๐ จ๐๐๐๐๐ฆ (and horses ๐ด๐ด๐ ๐๐๐ช) were not always a part of Egyptian history. It is estimated by historians that the chariot ๐ จ๐๐๐๐ first arrived in Egypt ๐๐ ๐๐ around 1600 B.C.E. and that they were introduced by the Hyksos. The first horse ๐ด๐ด๐ ๐๐ remains in Egypt ๐๐ ๐๐ are estimated to be from the Thirteenth Dynasty, so horses ๐ด๐ด๐ ๐๐๐ช must have been introduced to Egypt ๐๐ ๐๐ before the Hyksos rule.
After Ahmose I ๐บ๐ defeated the Hyksos and reunified Egypt ๐๐ ๐๐ to start the 18th Dynasty/New Kingdom, the chariot ๐ จ๐๐๐๐ became a common sight in both art and in the life of the pharaoh ๐๐ป. Chariots ๐ จ๐๐๐๐๐ฆ were the number one choice of transportation for royalty! Chariots ๐ จ๐๐๐๐๐ฆ were also used by pharaohs ๐๐ป๐ฆ to take part in hunting, and were used by the army for battle. Many reliefs and other forms of art from this time period shows various pharaohs ๐๐ป๐ฆ hunting or going into battle on their chariot. The chariot ๐ จ๐๐๐๐ became a sign of bravery and strength ๐.
Fun Fact: the hieroglyph ๐น๐ for โchariot ๐โ only appeared in Middle Egyptian around the same time that the chariots ๐ จ๐๐๐๐๐ฆ were introduced to Egypt ๐๐ ๐๐! That totally makes sense and itโs so cool to โwatchโ the language evolve as technology evolved! The same thing happens today!
This is my personal photograph and original text. DO NOT repost without permission.
Here at the MET, I am sitting with a mummy ๐๐น๐ ฑ๐พ that is still wrapped in its linen ๐ฑ. Mummification ๐ด๐ง๐๐ ฑ๐ was an extremely important part of Egyptian religious practices because the body of the deceased ๐ ๐๐ฑ needed to stay intact in order for the deceased ๐ ๐๐ฑ to reach the afterlife ๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐.ย
Me sitting with a linen wrapped mummy at the MET
Mummification ๐ด๐ง๐๐ ฑ๐ was practiced throughout most of Egyptian history, and the earliest mummies ๐๐น๐ ฑ๐พ๐ช were most likely accidental just due to the dry climate of Egypt ๐๐ ๐๐! The mummification ๐ด๐ง๐๐ ฑ๐ of people persisted for over 2,000 years and continued well into the Roman Period. The best preserved mummies ๐๐น๐ ฑ๐พ๐ช are from the 18th-20th Dynasties.
Mummification ๐ด๐ง๐๐ ฑ๐ was a long process that took about seventy days to complete. First ๐, the internal organs ๐๐ง๐๐น๐ฆ such as the liver ๐ ๐๐๐น๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ, stomach ๐๐ฃ๐ป, intestines, lungs ๐๐ด๐ฅ๐ ฑ๐บ, and the brain ๐๐ ๐ ๐น were removed. The heart ๐๐๐ฃ remained in the body because it would be needed for the โWeighing of the Heartโ before the deceased entered the Field of Reeds ๐๐๐ ๐๐ฟ๐๐ ฑ๐ฐ๐. After that, the body was then dried in natron ๐๐ง๐จ, which is a type of salt. Once the drying was complete, the body was wrapped in hundreds of yards of linen ๐ฑ. Amulets ๐๐ช๐ ๐ช could placed in the linen ๐ฑ to help the deceased enter the afterlife ๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐.
Here is some mummy-related vocabulary:
๐๐น๐ ฑ๐พ – Mummy
๐๐ซ๐๐ – Tomb
๐๐ – Mastaba (House of Eternity)
๐๐๐๐ – Burial Chamber
๐ด๐ง๐๐ ฑ๐ – Mummification/Embalm
I have had a fascination with mummies ๐๐น๐ ฑ๐พ๐ช since I was a little girl! Mummies ๐๐น๐ ฑ๐พ๐ช never scared me – I just remember being so interested and intrigued by the idea of them! One of the first books my Nonno ever gave me was called “Faces of the Pharaohs,” and it contained pictures of the 18th Dynasty royal mummies! It is still one of my favorite books!
This is my personal photograph and original text. DO NOT repost without permission.
Whatโs the difference between ๐ and ๐? They are very similar symbols in terms of style, but today ๐๐๐๐ณ we are going to take a closer look at both of them because they do have different functions and meanings in Middle Egyptian!
But first, letโs review the different types of hieroglyphic ๐น๐ symbols! The determinative symbol is a symbol used to show the general meaning of the word! It is basically used as punctuation at the end of the word to show you that it is over, and is not pronounced. An ideogram is a single symbol that is used to write the word it represents and is usually followed by a single stroke ๐บ. A phonogram is a symbol that represents sounds, and is usually part of a larger word. There are phonograms that can represent one (uniliteral), two (biliteral) or three (triliteral) consonants!ย
An image of sunken relief hieroglyphs showing the man with hand to mouth ๐ hieroglyph on the left and the seated man ๐ hieroglyph on the right (The MET)
The โseated man ๐โ symbol can be a phonogram, ideogram, and most commonly a determinative. As a uniliteral phonogram it represents the sound โj.โ It is also an ideogram for โman ๐๐บโ and can be used as a first person pronoun. As a determinative, ๐ appears at the end of words (such as occupations and names) to show that the person is a man.
Here are some examples on how to use ๐:
๐ – I, Me, My
๐ ญ๐ – Son (the determinative is rarely used later on, but this was the original word)
๐๐ – Scribe
๐๐ฏ๐๐๐ฏ๐ – Nonno
๐๐/๐๐๐ – Father
๐๐บ/๐๐๐ค – Man
The โman with hand to mouth ๐โ symbol functions solely as a determinative symbol and is usually used to represent words that are associated with speaking, thinking, eating, drinking, and for feelings/emotions.
Here are some examples on how to use ๐:
๐๐ – To Say/Speak
๐น๐๐ ๐ – Eat
๐๐๐๐ – Drink
๐๐๐ ฑ๐๐ – Mourning
๐ฟ๐๐ ฑ๐ – Rejoice
As you can see, the ๐ symbol appears at the end of the word, meaning that it is the determinative!
This is my personal photograph and original text. DO NOT repost without permission.
Here is a video of me at the Metropolitan Museum of Art with the Ushabti of Paser! This beautiful ๐ค๐๐ ushabti ๐ท๐ฟ๐ฏ๐๐๐ฎ๐พ is on display in Gallery 122!
The blue ๐๐น๐๐ฟ๐ธ๐ฅ faience ๐ฃ๐๐๐ธ๐ผย ushabti ๐ท๐ฟ๐ฏ๐๐๐ฎ๐พ belongs to Paser ๐ ฎ๐๐ฝ! Objects made of faience ๐ฃ๐๐๐ธ๐ผ were thought to hold magical ๐๐๐ฟ๐ powers!ย The ushabtis ๐ท๐ฟ๐ฏ๐๐๐ฎ๐พ served as substitutes for the deceased ๐ ๐๐ฑ and would perform labor or jobs for them in the afterlife ๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐. They are usually inscribed with specific spells ๐๐๐๐ฆ which assigned each ushabti ๐ท๐ฟ๐ฏ๐๐๐ฎ๐พ to a certain task!ย
Paser ๐ ฎ๐๐ฝ was one of the most prominent men of his time and he served under two ๐ป pharaohs ๐๐ป – Seti I ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ and then Rameses II ๐ณ๐๐ง๐ณ๐๐. Paser ๐ ฎ๐๐ฝ served many different roles over twenty-five ๐๐๐พ years! He was vizier ๐ ท๐๐บ๐ and one of his most famous works is the tomb ๐๐ซ๐๐ of Seti I ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ in the Valley of the Kings! A vizier ๐ ท๐๐บ๐ was the highest ranking official ๐ด๐๐ and was the most powerful position in the government, besides the pharaoh ๐๐ป.
Not only was the vizier ๐ ท๐๐บ๐ the most trusted advisor to the pharaoh ๐๐ป, but he also saw to the day-to-day operations of the government. The vizier ๐ ท๐๐บ๐ was in charge of architecture, taxation, agriculture, military, judicial, financial, and many other things.
Paser ๐ ฎ๐๐ฝ had many different titles, including โHigh Preist of Amun,โ โsuperintendent of every work of the king,โ and โchief of secrets of the hieroglyphs.โ
Paser ๐ ฎ๐๐ฝ was my Nonnoโs absolute favorite non-royal, so itโs always so special to see objects that belonged to Paser ๐ ฎ๐๐ฝ in museums.ย
This is my personal video, photograph and original text. DO NOT repost without permission.
Over on my Instagram, a lot of people commented how much they loved my X-Men shirt! I’m going to be honest, thereโs a reason I wore it to the MET – it looks like the โarea with an intersection ๐โ hieroglyph ๐น๐! I love it when my interests collide (Iโm a huge Marvel comics fan)!
The โ๐โ is used as both an ideogram and a determinative! More commonly, โ๐โ functions as the determinative, or the last symbol in the word that almost acts as punctuation to let the reader know the general meaning of the word. โ๐โ is the determinative for town (๐๐บ – njwt), city, settlement, and even the country of Egypt ๐๐ ๐๐! โ๐โ seems to be used for towns/cities in Egypt ๐๐ ๐๐, while most foreign lands used the determinative of โ๐.โ
Me (in my X-Men shirt) at the MET standing with the Personified Estates relief from the tomb of Akhithotep
This relief I am standing with shows โPersonified Estates” from the tomb ๐๐ซ๐๐ of a man named Akhithotep. The โpeopleโ in this relief arenโt actually meant to show people – they are personifications of the farms and estates that belonged to the deceased ๐ ๐๐ฑ. Each of the figures is also carrying food ๐ฌ๐๐ ฑ๐๐ฅ – those are offerings ๐ต๐๐ช๐๐๐ฆ that the estates will continue to provide to the deceased ๐ ๐๐ฑ!ย Personified Estates do appear frequently in Old Kingdom tomb ๐๐ซ๐๐ art, and it’s a really interesting concept!
Letโs read some hieroglyphs ๐น๐๐ช! Above the first ๐ figure on the left, you can see:
๐๐๐๐ฟ๐๐ – Domains of Lower Egypt
๐๐ง๐๐๐ – Bedjet (the estate)
๐๐ด๐๐ – Warm Bread
This inscription ๐๐ ฑ๐ means that the Bedjet ๐๐ง๐๐๐ estate of Lower Egypt will provide warm bread ๐๐ด๐๐ for the deceased ๐ ๐๐ฑ!
This raised relief is dated to the 4th Dynasty (c. 2575โ2551 B.C.E) and is carved in limestone ๐๐๐๐.ย The relief is also quite high off of the limestone ๐๐๐๐, which is typical of Old Kingdom (especially 4th Dynasty) art.
This is my personal photograph and original text. DO NOT repost without permission.
Iโm sure doesnโt come as a surprise to anyone that my favorite time period of Egyptian history is the reign ๐พ๐๐ of Hatshepsut ๐๐ ๐๐น๐๐๐๐ผ๐ช! These stones are dated to the 18th Dynasty reign ๐พ๐๐ of Hatshepsut ๐๐ ๐๐น๐๐๐๐ผ๐ช and are inscribed ๐๐ ฑ๐ with the name ๐๐ of Senemut ๐ข๐๐ ๐ผ. Senemut ๐ข๐๐ ๐ผ was a non-royal man who rose to become the most important official ๐ด๐๐ during Hatshepsutโs ๐๐ ๐๐น๐๐๐๐ผ๐ช reign ๐พ๐๐.ย
While these pieces may seem like some random limestone ๐๐๐๐ blocks, they are actually what archaeologists refer to as โName Stones.โ The Name Stones were built into Senemutโs ๐ข๐๐ ๐ฝ tomb chapel ๐ป๐ด๐ and were not meant to be seen – they were just meant to indicate that Senemut ๐ข๐๐ ๐ผ took ownership of his tomb chapel ๐ป๐ด๐.
Iโve seen Senemutโs name ๐๐appear a couple of different ways in hieroglyphs and here are the variations: ๐ข๐๐ ๐ผ, ๐ข๐๐ ๐ฝ, and ๐ข๐๐ . Itโs the determinative thatโs changing, not the symbols that influence pronunciation!
Letโs take a look at the hieroglyphs on each of the stones!ย
A name stone with the text “Overseer, Senemut” inscribed on it.
In the picture ๐๐ ฑ๐ above, the inscription ๐๐ ฑ๐ states:ย
๐๐๐ค – Overseer
๐ข๐๐ ๐ฝ – Senemutย
A name stone with the text “Senemut, True of Voice” inscribed on it.
In the picture ๐๐ ฑ๐ above, the inscription ๐๐ ฑ๐ states:
๐ข๐๐ ๐ฝ – Senemut
๐๐ค – True of Voice
A name stone with the text “Overseer of the Garden of Amun, Senemut” inscribed on it.
In the picture ๐๐ ฑ๐ above, the inscription ๐๐ ฑ๐ states:
๐๐ค๐ช๐๐ Overseer of the Garden
๐๐ ๐ – Amun
๐ข๐๐ ๐ฝ – Senemut
โOverseer of the Garden of Amun, Senemutโ
These are my personal photographs and original text. DO NOT repost without explicit permission.
