Tag: artifact

Relief of a Nobleman

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date April 28, 2023

This limestone 𓇋𓈖𓈙𓌉 “Relief of a Nobleman” on display at the Brooklyn Museum is a beautiful 𓄤𓆑𓂋 and detailed example of a sunken relief! Sunken relief is defined as art that is carved directly into the rock 𓇋𓈖𓂋𓈙, and it is below the rock face.

The “Relief of a Nobleman” piece is on display at the Brooklyn Museum.

This piece is dated to the 19-20th Dynasties (c. 1295-1070 B.C.E.). According to the information from the Brooklyn Museum, the original location of the relief (and the rest of it) is unknown, however, based off the intricacy of the artistry, Egyptologists believe it was possibly originally from a Ramesside-era tomb 𓇋𓇩𓊃𓉐 in Memphis 𓏠𓈖𓄤𓆑𓂋𓉴𓊖 (modern-day Saqqara).

While this was carved way after the reign of Akhenaten 𓇋𓏏𓈖𓇳𓅜𓐍𓈖 (and his artistic revolution), some remnants of Amarna-era inspiration remain. For example, the fact that the face is more rounded than flat is Amarna-inspired, as well as the deep carving into the rock 𓇋𓈖𓂋𓈙 near the back of the head as compared to the face. This creates a really cool dimension, and was really first seen in the Amarna-era!

The wig 𓄿𓂋𓏏𓁸 that this man is wearing is intricately carved, and I feel like every little detail is seen! The wig 𓄿𓂋𓏏𓁸 almost looks real! My favorite aspect is the headband with the lotus flowers 𓆸𓆸𓆸 on it!

On the left side of the relief, a hand 𓂝𓏺 is holding a sistrum 𓊃𓈙𓈙𓏏𓏣 and a flower 𓆼𓅱𓆰. A sistrum 𓊃𓈙𓈙𓏏𓏣 was a musical instrument (like a rattle/tambourine) that was associated with the goddess 𓊹𓏏 Hathor 𓉡. Hathor’s 𓉡 face usually appears on the stem of the sistrum 𓊃𓈙𓈙𓏏𓏣, right below the “rattles.” The ancient Egyptians 𓆎𓏏𓀀𓁐𓏪 had a big connection with music 𓉔𓇌𓆸, and sistrums 𓊃𓈙𓈙𓏏𓏣𓏪 appeared in art (and as actual artifacts) often.

Music 𓉔𓇌𓆸 is something I love and cannot live without. I think it’s fascinating that a love of music 𓉔𓇌𓆸 is something that has not changed in thousands 𓆼𓆼𓆼 of years or across civilizations/cultures. I love that I share that connection with ancient Egyptian culture!

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

Tags artifact, brooklyn museum, sistrum

Egyptian Artifacts

Statue of Horemheb Before He Was Pharaoh

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date April 27, 2023

Before Horemheb 𓇳𓂦𓆣𓏼𓇳𓍉𓈖 became the last pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 of the 18th Dynasty, he was a general 𓀎𓏦 under the pharaohs 𓉐𓉻𓏥 Tutankamun 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓏏𓅱𓏏𓋹𓋾𓉺𓇓 and Ay 𓇳𓆣𓆣𓏪𓁹𓐙𓏏. This large statue 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾 (and a second similar one) would have been placed in a temple 𓉟𓏏𓉐 – either the temple of Ptah 𓊪𓏏𓎛𓁱 at Memphis 𓏠𓈖𓄤𓆑𓂋𓉴𓊖 or the temple of Amun-Ra 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓏺𓇳 at Karnak.

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 𓅓𓍑𓏏𓏛 on their lap. In the Old Kingdom, the statues 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾𓏪 usually showed the official reading, but in the New Kingdom, the statues usually showed the official writing 𓏟𓏛𓏥. Horemheb 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓌺𓄿𓋔𓐝𓎱 is writing 𓏟𓏛𓏥 a hymn to the god 𓊹 Thoth 𓅤𓀭(who is the god 𓊹 of writing 𓏟𓏛𓏥).

Statue of Horemheb seated with a papyrus from before he was pharaoh.

The hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 around the base of the statue 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾 mention Horemheb’s 𓇳𓂦𓆣𓏼𓇳𓍉𓈖 many titles. The hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 on the “papyrus” 𓅓𓍑𓏏𓏛 that is on Horemheb’s 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓌺𓄿𓋔𓐝𓎱 lap can actually be read, but it was so difficult to get a picture 𓏏𓅱𓏏/actually read them because I could not get close enough to the statue 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾!

It is really interesting to see a pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 depicted in statuary before he became the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻. Most pharaohs 𓉐𓉻𓏥 were born into their role, but Horemheb 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓌺𓄿𓋔𓐝𓎱 ascended to the throne through his status as general 𓀎𓏦. What a way to end the 18th Dynasty!

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

Tags artifact, horemheb, the met

Video

Soul of Pe Statue – Video

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date April 25, 2023

This bronze 𓈔𓏤𓈒𓏦 kneeling statue 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾 of a falcon 𓃀𓇋𓎡𓅄 deity 𓊹 is referred to as the “Soul of Pe” and it is actually another way to depict the god 𓊹 Horus 𓅃𓀭. Also known as “Horus of Pe,” these bronze 𓈔𓏤𓈒𓏦 statues 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾𓏪 became popular during the Late Period, after 600 B.C.E.

The Souls 𓂓𓂓𓂓 of Pe 𓊪𓊖 and Nekhen 𓊔𓈖𓊖 were first mentioned in the Pyramid Texts and are referred to as the ancestors of the pharaohs 𓉐𓉻𓏥. The Souls 𓂓𓂓𓂓 of Pe 𓊪𓊖 and Nekhen 𓊔𓈖𓊖 were thought of as very powerful deities 𓊹𓊹𓊹 that not only aided the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱 pharaohs 𓉐𓉻𓏥, but also the current living 𓆣𓂋𓀀𓏪 pharaoh 𓉐𓉻.

In this particular statue 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾, Horus 𓅃𓀭/Soul of Pe 𓊪𓊖 is shown in a characteristic kneeling position with one arm raised, with the other resting on his chest. This is known as a “jubilation position,” which is meant to show the Soul of Pe 𓊪𓊖 celebrating the rising of the sun 𓆄𓅱𓇶. The Soul of Pe 𓊪𓊖 is usually represented as Horus 𓅃𓀭 the Falcon 𓃀𓇋𓎡𓅄, while the Soul of Nekhen 𓊔𓈖𓊖 is usually represented as a jackal 𓊃𓄿𓃀𓃥.

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

Tags artifact, brooklyn museum, gods and goddesses, horus, soul of pe

Egyptian Artifacts

Ancient Egyptian Earth Day!

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date April 23, 2023

Yesterday was Earth Day and I forgot about it but I have a good excuse I promise – I’m an Earth Science teacher and for me, everyday is Earth Day!!

It’s incredible to me how much the ancient Egyptians 𓆎𓏏𓀀𓁐𓏪 knew about our beautiful 𓄤𓆑𓂋 planet, and how that knowledge was reflected in their intricate mythology. The Earth 𓇾𓇾 itself is differentiated (interior is divided into layers), has an atmosphere, and that atmosphere fades and thins away until space is reached. We can see all of these different “layers” in this art from a sarcophagus 𓎟𓋹𓈖𓐍𓊭 which is showing part of the creation myth! Let’s take a closer look!

A close-up image of a sarcophagus at the Brooklyn Museum depicts (from top): Nut, Shu, Khnum and Geb!

The goddess 𓊹𓏏 of the cosmos, Nut 𓏌𓏏𓇯𓀭, is depicted as a woman 𓂑𓏏𓁐 arched over the rest of the figures, because as the goddess 𓊹𓏏 of the cosmos, she surrounds the Earth 𓇾𓇾 – just like space actually does! Directly underneath Nut 𓏌𓏏𓇯𓀭 is Shu 𓆄𓅱𓀭, the god 𓊹 of the atmosphere. Shu 𓆄𓅱𓀭 is seen holding up the sky 𓊪𓏏𓇯 (which is depicted as the sky 𓇯 hieroglyph). Shu 𓆄𓅱𓀭 is responsible for raising the atmosphere from the Earth’s 𓇾𓇾 surface!

Underneath Shu 𓆄𓅱𓀭 is Geb 𓅭𓃀𓀭, the god 𓊹 of the Earth’s 𓇾𓇾 surface, which the ancient Egyptians called the Upper Earth. Tantanen (not pictured) is the god 𓊹 of the Lower Earth (aka Earth’s interior). I still think it’s amazing that the ancient Egyptians knew there was an interior to the Earth 𓇾𓇾, and the mythology is how they conceptualized that.

Khnum 𓎸𓀭/𓎸𓏏𓀭, the ram headed creator god, is also pictured. Khnum 𓎸𓏏𓀭 is one of the oldest deities; he is the god 𓊹 of the source of the Nile 𓇋𓏏𓂋𓅱𓈗𓈘𓈇𓏺, fertility and was thought to have made humans out of clay from his potters wheel!

Take a closer look at the picture 𓏏𓅱𓏏 and see if you can see the names 𓂋𓈖𓏦 of all of these gods 𓊹𓊹𓊹 in the hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪!

So in this beautiful 𓄤𓆑𓂋 image 𓏏𓅱𓏏, we have a representation of Space (Nut 𓏌𓏏𓇯𓀭), the atmosphere (Shu 𓆄𓅱𓀭), the Earth’s surface (Geb 𓅭𓃀𓀭) and the source of the Nile (Khnum 𓎸𓀭). This is how the Egyptians saw Earth 𓇾𓇾 and I think it’s incredible!!

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

Tags artifact, brooklyn museum, geb, gods and goddesses, Khnum, nut, shu

Egyptian Artifacts

The Chariot in Ancient Egypt

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date April 22, 2023

This rectangle fragment of a relief depicting a horse drawn chariot 𓅨𓂋𓂋𓏏𓌝 was found at the Great Aten Temple in Amarna (Akhetaten 𓈌𓏏𓉐𓇋𓏏𓈖𓊖). This piece is estimated to have been carved between c. 1352–1336 B.C.E., which is during the reign 𓋾𓈎𓏏 of Akhenaten 𓇋𓏏𓈖𓇳𓅜𓐍𓈖. This particular relief pictured was originally part of a much larger image 𓏏𓅱𓏏. Here, chariot 𓅨𓂋𓂋𓏏𓌝 attendants are keeping watch of the chariots 𓅨𓂋𓂋𓏏𓌝𓏦 for the royal family.

Image of a horse drawn chariot and a chariot attendant from Akhetaten on display at the MET.

Chariots 𓅨𓂋𓂋𓏏𓌝𓏦 (and horses 𓋴𓋴𓅓𓏏𓃗𓏪) were not always a part of Egyptian history. It is estimated by historians that the chariot 𓅨𓂋𓂋𓏏𓌝 first arrived in Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖 around 1600 B.C.E. and that they were introduced by the Hyksos. The first horse 𓋴𓋴𓅓𓏏𓃗 remains in Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖 are estimated to be from the Thirteenth Dynasty, so horses 𓋴𓋴𓅓𓏏𓃗𓏪 must have been introduced to Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖 before the Hyksos rule.

After Ahmose I 𓇺𓄟 defeated the Hyksos and reunified Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖 to start the 18th Dynasty/New Kingdom, the chariot 𓅨𓂋𓂋𓏏𓌝 became a common sight in both art and in the life of the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻. Chariots 𓅨𓂋𓂋𓏏𓌝𓏦 were the number one choice of transportation for royalty! Chariots 𓅨𓂋𓂋𓏏𓌝𓏦 were also used by pharaohs 𓉐𓉻𓏦 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 𓉐𓉻𓏦 hunting or going into battle on their chariot. The chariot 𓅨𓂋𓂋𓏏𓌝 became a sign of bravery and strength 𓌀.

Fun Fact: the hieroglyph 𓊹𓌃 for “chariot 𓌝” only appeared in Middle Egyptian around the same time that the chariots 𓅨𓂋𓂋𓏏𓌝𓏦 were introduced to Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖! That totally makes sense and it’s so cool to “watch” the language evolve as technology evolved! The same thing happens today!

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

Tags akhenaten, amarna, artifact, the met

Egyptian Artifacts

I Love Mummies!

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date April 21, 2023

Here at the MET, I am sitting with a mummy 𓇋𓁹𓅱𓀾 that is still wrapped in its linen 𓍱. Mummification 𓋴𓂧𓐍𓅱𓐎 was an extremely important part of Egyptian religious practices because the body of the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱 needed to stay intact in order for the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱 to reach the afterlife 𓇼𓄿𓏏𓉐.

Me sitting with a linen wrapped mummy at the MET

Mummification 𓋴𓂧𓐍𓅱𓐎 was practiced throughout most of Egyptian history, and the earliest mummies 𓇋𓁹𓅱𓀾𓏪 were most likely accidental just due to the dry climate of Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖! The mummification 𓋴𓂧𓐍𓅱𓐎 of people persisted for over 2,000 years and continued well into the Roman Period. The best preserved mummies 𓇋𓁹𓅱𓀾𓏪 are from the 18th-20th Dynasties.

Mummification 𓋴𓂧𓐍𓅱𓐎 was a long process that took about seventy days to complete. First 𓏃, the internal organs 𓇋𓂧𓂋𓄹𓏦 such as the liver 𓅓𓊃𓏏𓄹𓏸𓏸𓏸, stomach 𓂋𓄣𓏻, intestines, lungs 𓊃𓌴𓄥𓅱𓄺, and the brain 𓂝𓅓𓅓𓄹 were removed. The heart 𓇋𓃀𓄣 remained in the body because it would be needed for the “Weighing of the Heart” before the deceased entered the Field of Reeds 𓇏𓏏𓈅𓇋𓄿𓂋𓅱𓆰𓊖. After that, the body was then dried in natron 𓃀𓂧𓇨, which is a type of salt. Once the drying was complete, the body was wrapped in hundreds of yards of linen 𓍱. Amulets 𓊐𓊪𓅆𓏪 could placed in the linen 𓍱 to help the deceased enter the afterlife 𓇼𓄿𓏏𓉐.

Here is some mummy-related vocabulary:

𓇋𓁹𓅱𓀾 – Mummy

𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐 – Tomb

𓉐𓆖 – Mastaba (House of Eternity)

𓄚𓈖𓏏𓉐 – Burial Chamber

𓋴𓂧𓐍𓅱𓐎 – Mummification/Embalm

I have had a fascination with mummies 𓇋𓁹𓅱𓀾𓏪 since I was a little girl! Mummies 𓇋𓁹𓅱𓀾𓏪 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.

Tags artifact, mummy, the met

Video

Ushabti of Paser – Video

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date April 19, 2023

Here is a video of me at the Metropolitan Museum of Art with the Ushabti of Paser! This beautiful 𓄤𓆑𓂋 ushabti 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾 is on display in Gallery 122!

The blue 𓇋𓁹𓏏𓄿𓏸𓏥 faience 𓋣𓈖𓏏𓏸𓏼 ushabti 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾 belongs to Paser 𓅮𓀙𓀽! Objects made of faience 𓋣𓈖𓏏𓏸𓏼 were thought to hold magical 𓎛𓂓𓄿𓏜 powers! The ushabtis 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾 served as substitutes for the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱 and would perform labor or jobs for them in the afterlife 𓇼𓄿𓏏𓉐. They are usually inscribed with specific spells 𓎛𓂓𓏛𓏦 which assigned each ushabti 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾 to a certain task!

Paser 𓅮𓀙𓀽 was one of the most prominent men of his time and he served under two 𓏻 pharaohs 𓉐𓉻 – Seti I 𓇳𓁦𓏠 and then Rameses II 𓇳𓄊𓁧𓇳𓍉𓈖. Paser 𓅮𓀙𓀽 served many different roles over twenty-five 𓎆𓎆𓏾 years! He was vizier 𓅷𓏏𓏺𓀀 and one of his most famous works is the tomb 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐 of Seti I 𓇳𓁦𓏠 in the Valley of the Kings! A vizier 𓅷𓏏𓏺𓀀 was the highest ranking official 𓋴𓂋𓀀 and was the most powerful position in the government, besides the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻.

Not only was the vizier 𓅷𓏏𓏺𓀀 the most trusted advisor to the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻, but he also saw to the day-to-day operations of the government. The vizier 𓅷𓏏𓏺𓀀 was in charge of architecture, taxation, agriculture, military, judicial, financial, and many other things.

Paser 𓅮𓀙𓀽 had many different titles, including “High Preist of Amun,” “superintendent of every work of the king,” and “chief of secrets of the hieroglyphs.”

Paser 𓅮𓀙𓀽 was my Nonno’s absolute favorite non-royal, so it’s always so special to see objects that belonged to Paser 𓅮𓀙𓀽 in museums.

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

Tags artifact, paser, shabti, the met, ushabti, video

Egyptian Artifacts Reading Hieroglyphs

Hieroglyphs or the X-Men?

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date April 18, 2023

Over on my Instagram, a lot of people commented how much they loved my X-Men shirt! I’m going to be honest, there’s a reason I wore it to the MET – it looks like the “area with an intersection 𓊖” hieroglyph 𓊹𓌃! I love it when my interests collide (I’m a huge Marvel comics fan)!

The “𓊖” is used as both an ideogram and a determinative! More commonly, “𓊖” 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. “𓊖” is the determinative for town (𓊖𓏺 – njwt), city, settlement, and even the country of Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖! “𓊖” seems to be used for towns/cities in Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖, while most foreign lands used the determinative of “𓈊.”

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 “Personified Estates” from the tomb 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐 of a man named Akhithotep. The “people” in this relief aren’t actually meant to show people – they are personifications of the farms and estates that belonged to the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱. Each of the figures is also carrying food 𓇬𓀁𓅱𓏔𓏥 – those are offerings 𓊵𓏏𓊪𓏏𓏔𓏦 that the estates will continue to provide to the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱! Personified Estates do appear frequently in Old Kingdom tomb 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐 art, and it’s a really interesting concept!

Let’s read some hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪! Above the first 𓏃 figure on the left, you can see:

𓊖𓊖𓊖𓇿𓎔𓇉 – Domains of Lower Egypt

𓃀𓂧𓆓𓏏𓊖 – Bedjet (the estate)

𓏑𓋴𓂋𓆑 – Warm Bread

This inscription 𓎘𓅱𓎖 means that the Bedjet 𓃀𓂧𓆓𓏏𓊖 estate of Lower Egypt will provide warm bread 𓏑𓋴𓂋𓆑 for the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱!

This raised relief is dated to the 4th Dynasty (c. 2575–2551 B.C.E) and is carved in limestone 𓇋𓈖𓈙𓌉. The relief is also quite high off of the limestone 𓇋𓈖𓈙𓌉, which is typical of Old Kingdom (especially 4th Dynasty) art.

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

Tags artifact, hieroglyph lessons, hieroglyphs, the met

Egyptian Artifacts

Late Period Mummy Mask

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date April 17, 2023

I love mummy masks 𓅱𓇋𓀾𓏪! Funerary Masks (also called Burial Masks or Mummy Masks) were an important part of a person’s burial equipment 𓈎𓂋𓋴𓏏𓏏𓊭 because the mask 𓅱𓇋𓀾 could either serve as protection 𓅓𓂝𓎡𓀜 for the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱, or take the place of the body if the head was destroyed or lost. In the Egyptian religion, the body of the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱 needed to stay intact in order for the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱 to be transported to the afterlife 𓇼𓄿𓏏𓉐. This was the purpose of mummification 𓋴𓂧𓐍𓅱𓐎 – the mask 𓅱𓇋𓀾 just served as extra protection 𓅓𓂝𓎡𓀜!

Me at the Brooklyn Museum with a Late Period Mummy Mask

This mask 𓅱𓇋𓀾 of a woman 𓊃𓏏𓂑𓏏𓁐 is dated to the Late Period (1st Century B.C.E). This mask 𓅱𓇋𓀾 is made of cartonnage, which was a very popular type of material to use because it was easy to work with and the mask 𓅱𓇋𓀾 could be made relatively quickly. The colors on this mask 𓅱𓇋𓀾 are so bright and well preserved – especially on the broad collar 𓅱𓋴𓐍𓎺𓋝. I love how the Egyptians 𓆎𓏏𓀀𓁐𓏪 used red 𓂧𓈙𓂋𓅟 and the blue/green 𓇅𓆓𓏛 color together 𓈖𓊗 a lot.

A beautiful example of a Late Period Mummy Mask at the Brooklyn Museum. The goddess Isis is on the left and her sister Nephthys is on the right.

The art on the wig shows the goddesses 𓊹𓊹𓊹𓏏 Isis 𓊨𓏏𓁥 (left) and Nephthys 𓉠𓏏𓆇(right). Isis 𓊨𓏏𓁥 and Nephthys 𓉠𓏏𓆇 were sisters and were both prominent funerary goddesses 𓊹𓊹𓊹𓏏 who appeared a lot together 𓈖𓊗 on funerary objects such as masks and sarcophagi.

You can easily tell Isis 𓊨𓏏𓁥 and Nephthys 𓉠𓏏𓆇 apart from each other in Egyptian art based off of the crowns that they are wearing. The crowns correspond to the hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 that make up their names: Isis (𓊨𓏏𓁥) wears “𓊨” as a crown while Nephthys (𓉠𓏏𓆇) wears “𓉠” as a crown!

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

Tags artifact, brooklyn museum, gods and goddesses, isis, nephthys

Egyptian Artifacts

Embalming Cache of Tutankhamun

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date April 14, 2023

Today 𓏇𓇋𓈖𓇳 we are going to look at a really cool display at the MET, which shows the Embalming Cache of Tutankhamun 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓏏𓅱𓏏𓋹𓋾𓉺𓇓!

Me with some of the artifacts from the Embalming Cache of Tutankhamun

In ancient Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖, mummification 𓋴𓂧𓐍𓅱𓐎 was an extremely important aspect of their religion because the body of the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱 needed to stay intact in order for the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱 to reach to the afterlife 𓇼𓄿𓏏𓉐. The mummification 𓋴𓂧𓐍𓅱𓐎 process was long (about 70 days) and it took the work of special priests and many different supplies in order to embalm the dead 𓅓𓏏𓏱.

Beautifully decorated vases from Tutankhamun’s Embalming Cahce

An embalming cache is a collection of the supplies and materials that were used during the mummification 𓋴𓂧𓐍𓅱𓐎 process. The embalming cache was usually kept separate from the actual tomb 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐 itself, though sometimes these supplies were found in the tomb 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐 of the person.

The embalming cache that I am with is actually the supplies used to mummify the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 Tutankhamun 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓏏𓅱𓏏𓋹𓋾𓉺𓇓! Tutankhamun’s 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓏏𓅱𓏏𓋹𓋾𓉺𓇓 embalming ache was found in 1907, which was 15 years before the discovery of his tomb 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐! The embalming cache was actually only about 360 feet away from the entrance to his tomb 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐!

Embalming Cache of Tutankhamun — Broad Collars and Linens from Tutankhamun’s Embalming Cache

Some of the items that were found in Tutankhamun’s 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓏏𓅱𓏏𓋹𓋾𓉺𓇓 embalming cache are linens 𓍱𓍱𓍱, natron 𓃀𓂧𓇨, animal bones, vases 𓏠𓈖𓇋𓏋𓏦, and most impressively, three 𓏼 floral broad collars 𓅱𓋴𓐍𓎺𓋝𓏦! The floral broad collars 𓅱𓋴𓐍𓎺𓋝𓏦 are thought to have been used during the funeral of Tutankhamun 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓏏𓅱𓏏𓋹𓋾𓉺𓇓.

An exquisitely preserved broad collar made of flowers, which was used during Tutankhamun’s funeral. This was found in his embalming cache.

I’m just so amazed that the broad collars 𓅱𓋴𓐍𓎺𓋝𓏦 stayed preserved for thousands of years – it’s absolutely incredible!

Tags artifact, the met, tutankhamun

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