Tag: artifact

Bronze Statues of Deities

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date June 25, 2022

There’s a lot that I love about this picture 𓏏𓅱𓏏 – 1) obviously I love the bronze 𓈔𓏤𓈒𓏦 statues 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾𓏪, 2) it’s in the Petrie Museum, and 3) which I think is the best part – you can see me and Nonno’s reflections in the mirror! We are squished together both trying to take pictures 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓏦 of all the artifacts! We spent a big part of that day like that and I wish I could go back and re-live that day 𓉔𓂋𓏺𓇳 again. So while this is not the best picture 𓏏𓅱𓏏 artistically speaking, it really means a lot to me. While I am certainly no artist, I can fluently read hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 (and have been for 23 years) so it’s all good 😂 – can’t be good at everything!

From the left, the bronze 𓈔𓏤𓈒𓏦 statues 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾 represent Horus 𓅃𓀭(or Harpokrates, the Greek version of Horus 𓅃𓀭), two 𓏻 statues 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾 of Imhotep 𓇍𓅓𓊵𓏏𓊪 (a non-royal man who became deified – responsible for the construction of Djoser’s 𓂦 Step Pyramid amongst many other things), the fertility god 𓊹 Min 𓋊𓊾𓁤, and Khnum 𓎸𓏏𓀭 (one of the oldest deities, god 𓊹 of the source of the Nile 𓇋𓏏𓂋𓅱𓈗𓈘𓈇𓏺, fertility and was thought to have made humans out of clay from his potters wheel).

The Bronze Age started due to the rise in the Sumerian civilization in Mesopotamia. Due to war and trade, bronze 𓈔𓏤𓈒𓏦 was able to come to Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖 around 700 B.C.E. and replace the traditional stone 𓇋𓈖𓂋𓊪 and clay statues 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾𓏪. The bronze 𓈔𓏤𓈒𓏦 pieces are great antiquities because they can preserve small details over long periods of time. Bronze 𓈔𓏤𓈒𓏦 statuary 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾 became very popular starting around the Third Intermediate Period (26th Dynasty), and became very abundant in the Ptolemaic Period, which resulted in mass production and a loss of craftsmanship and quality.

Tags artifact, gods and goddesses, petrie museum

Egyptian Artifacts

Great Sphinx of Tanis

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date June 25, 2022

This sphinx 𓎛𓅱𓃭𓏤 in the Louvre is one of the largest outside of Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖! It is known as the “Great Sphinx of Tanis” because it was found in the ruins of the Temple 𓉟𓏏𓉐 of Amun-Ra 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓏺𓇳 in Tanis 𓆓𓂝𓈖𓏏𓊖! Tanis 𓆓𓂝𓈖𓏏𓊖 was the capital of Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖 from the 21st-23rd Dynasties. The sphinx 𓎛𓅱𓃭𓏤 is made of granite 𓇋𓈖𓈙𓈖𓌳𓍿 – an extremely strong 𓄇𓏏𓂝𓏭 and durable rock 𓇋𓈖𓂋𓈙!

This sphinx 𓎛𓅱𓃭𓏤 is so interesting because the cartouches of the pharaohs 𓉐𓉻𓏦 Merneptah 𓇳𓃒𓈖𓈘𓊹𓊹𓊹 (19th Dynasty) and Sheshonq I 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓌻𓆷𓆷𓈖𓈎 (22nd Dynasty) are both seen on the sphinx 𓎛𓅱𓃭𓏤. Why are two 𓏻 pharaoh’s 𓉐𓉻 names 𓂋𓈖𓏦 there? Well, the Egyptians 𓆎𓏏𓀀𓁐𓏪 used to recycle monuments, a process called “usurping.” The practice of usurping was when the current pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 would take old pharaoh’s 𓉐𓉻 names 𓂋𓈖𓏦 off of monuments and put their own there! It is basically ancient plagiarism and it occurred quite frequently.

Some Egyptologists say this sphinx 𓎛𓅱𓃭𓏤 actually dates back to the Old Kingdom, as the face 𓁶𓏺 doesn’t represent any known pharaoh 𓉐𓉻! A book that I have says the sphinx 𓎛𓅱𓃭𓏤 dates to the Middle Kingdom. We will probably never know!

Tags artifact, louvre, sphinx

Egyptian Artifacts

False Door of Bateti

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date June 25, 2022

This is the False Door of a man 𓊃𓀀𓏤 named Bateti 𓃀𓂝𓏍𓏏𓏏𓇋 who was an official during the 5th Dynasty (2494-2345 B.C.E.). This particular False Door is interesting because it shows Bateti 𓃀𓂝𓏍𓏏𓏏𓇋 emerging from it – the statue 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾 served as a vessel for his soul 𓂓 to pass through the door. This False Door stood in the chapel of his mastaba tomb 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐. The False Door remains unfinished and his name 𓂋𓈖 should be carved above the statue 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾, but only two 𓏻 hieroglyphic symbols were carved.

Bateti’s full name: 𓃀𓂝𓏍𓏏𓏏𓇋

What appears on the False Door: 𓏍𓏏𓏏 (the “𓏏𓏏” has been fully carved but the “𓏍” has only been sketched on to the limestone 𓇋𓈖𓈙𓌉).

False Doors are an extremely important part of ancient Egyptian funerary practices. False Doors served as ways for the living relatives to make offerings 𓊵𓏏𓊪𓏏𓏔𓏦 to the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱. The offerings 𓊵𓏏𓊪𓏏𓏔𓏦 usually consisted of food 𓇬𓀁𓅱𓏔𓏥- bread 𓏐 and beer 𓏊 were two common ones! The False Door acted as a link between the land of the living and the land of the dead. The ancient Egyptians 𓆎𓏏𓀀𓁐𓏪 believed that the soul 𓂓 of the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱 could travel between the two lands 𓇿𓇿 through the False Door. They are also known as “ka 𓂓 doors” or “soul 𓂓 doors.”

False Doors were usually located on the western 𓋀𓏏𓏭 walls of tombs 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐𓏦 because the west 𓋀𓏏𓏏𓈊 is associated with the dead 𓅓𓏏𓏱. The west 𓋀𓏏𓏏𓈊 is associated with the dead 𓅓𓏏𓏱 because the sun 𓇳𓏺 sets in the west 𓋀𓏏𓏏𓈊 – when Ra 𓇳𓏺𓁛 makes his daily journey across the sky 𓊪𓏏𓇯, sunset 𓇋𓐍𓐍𓅱𓇶 is representative of his death.

𓏙𓋹𓊽𓌀

Tags artifact, british museum, hieroglyphs

Egyptian Artifacts

Name Panels of Senwosret I

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date June 25, 2022

I am standing in front of the Name 𓂋𓈖 Panels for the Middle Kingdom Pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 Senwosret I 𓄊𓋴𓂋𓏏𓊃𓈖. These panels were originally part of his pyramid 𓍋𓅓𓂋𓉴 complex and were reconstructed from many pieces that were found during excavations.

Senwosret I’s 𓄊𓋴𓂋𓏏𓊃𓈖 throne name, Kheperkare 𓇳𓆣𓂓, is seen multiple times along with his Horus name “𓋹𓄟” which means “living in births.”

These large panels represent the world 𓇾𓇾 according to Egyptian religious beliefs. The falcon god 𓊹 Horus 𓅃𓀭 is seen at the top of all the panels because the sky 𓊪𓏏𓇯 is the realm of Horus 𓅃𓀭. Beneath the sky 𓊪𓏏𓇯 is the realm of the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻, or the “two lands 𓇿𓇿.” Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖 was always referred to as the two lands 𓇿𓇿 due to the distinction between Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt.

𓏙𓋹𓊽𓌀

Tags artifact, Senwosret I, the met

Egyptian Artifacts

White Sarcophagus of Madja

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date June 25, 2022

This beautifully 𓄤 painted sarcophagus 𓎟𓋹𓈖𓐍𓊭 belonged to a woman 𓊃𓏏𓂑𓏏𓁐 named Madja who lived during the 18th Dynasty (c. 1550 – c. 1069 BCE). The sarcophagus 𓎟𓋹𓈖𓐍𓊭 was found in a cemetery in West Thebes 𓌀𓏏𓊖, which overlooked Deir el-Medina.

The thing that is most striking about the sarcophagus 𓎟𓋹𓈖𓐍𓊭 is how the painted images 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓏦 stand out in contrast to the white 𓌉𓆓𓇳 background. On the bottom there are four 𓏽 panels, each with different images. From the lest you can see the Eye of Horus 𓂀 on a shrine, two 𓏻 female 𓊃𓏏𓂑𓏏𓁐 mourners, and two 𓏻 priestesses 𓊹𓍛𓏏𓏦 with the sarcophagus 𓎟𓋹𓈖𓐍𓊭. On the middle panels are two 𓏻timages 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓏦 of the god 𓊹 Anubis 𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱𓃣 on top of a shrine.

The hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 going down the middle of the lid consist of the standard funerary offering formula:

𓇓𓏏𓊵𓏙𓊩𓁹𓀭𓎟𓊽𓊽𓈋𓅱𓊖𓊹𓉻𓎟𓍌𓈋𓃀𓅱𓊖𓂞𓆑𓉓 – “An offering the king gives Osiris, Lord of Djedu, the Great God, Lord of Abydos, Given a voice offering of…”

“𓊩𓁹𓀭” is not a common variation of Osiris’ name 𓂋𓈖 but it can be seen on a lot of 18th Dynasty sarcophagi.

𓊽𓊽𓈋𓅱𓊖 is also a variation of Djedu which is more commonly written as “𓊽𓊽𓅱𓊖.”

𓏙𓋹𓊽𓌀

Tags artifact, louvre

Egyptian Artifacts Reading Hieroglyphs

“Stela of the Overseer of the Fortress Intef”

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date June 24, 2022

This beautiful 𓄤 limestone 𓇋𓈖𓈙𓌉 stela 𓎗𓅱𓆓𓉸 is titled by the MET as “Stela of the Overseer of the Fortress Intef.”

This stela 𓎗𓅱𓆓𓉸 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 𓏠𓈖𓍿𓅱𓊵𓏏𓊪 (credited with reunifying Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖) appear as a dedication from Intef 𓏎𓈖𓏏𓆑, the owner of the stela 𓎗𓅱𓆓𓉸. Intef 𓏎𓈖𓏏𓆑 was an official 𓋴𓂋𓀀 and “overseer of the fortress” – a title that could’ve only been given to him after the reunification of Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖.

Let’s read some hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪! 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 it’s hard to see some of the hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 on my picture 𓏏𓅱𓏏! so I will do as much as I can! Below are the hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 from the first half of top panel of the stela 𓎗𓅱𓆓𓉸! I want to translate the other readable parts for you all too so I will do that soon!

𓅃𓄥𓇿𓇿 – Horus, Uniter of the Two Lands

𓅒𓄥𓇿𓇿- Two Ladies, Uniter of the Two Lands

𓅉 – Horus of Gold

𓆥 – King of Upper and Lower Egypt

(𓇳𓎟𓊤) Nebhapetra (throne name)

𓅭𓇳 – Son of Ra

(𓏠𓈖𓍿𓅱𓊵𓏏𓊪) Mentuhotep II (given name)

𓋹 – Life

𓇳𓏇 -Like Ra

𓆖 – Forever

Here it is all together: 𓅃𓄥𓇿𓇿𓅒𓄥𓇿𓇿𓅉𓆥(𓇳𓎟𓊤)𓅭𓇳(𓏠𓈖𓍿𓅱𓊵𓏏𓊪)𓋹𓇳𓏇𓆖

“Horus, “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.”

Nicole (me) with the Stela of the Overseer of the Fortress Intef.

Tags artifact, hieroglyphs, stela, the met

Egyptian Artifacts

Horus as a Sphinx

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date June 24, 2022

This is a really interesting piece from the British Museum!

It is a sandstone 𓂋𓅱𓂧𓏏𓌗𓈙 statue 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾 of a falcon 𓃀𓇋𓎡𓅄 headed sphinx 𓎛𓅱𓃭𓏤! Usually sphinxes 𓎛𓅱𓃭𓏦 are depicted as being the body of a lion 𓌳𓁹𓄿𓄛 with the head 𓁶𓏺 of a man 𓊃𓀀𓏤, but obviously this one is quite different!

This particular statue 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾 is dated to c. 1250 B.C.E.; the reign of Rameses II 𓁩𓁛𓈘𓄟𓋴𓇓. This sphinx 𓎛𓅱𓃭𓏤 and many other similar ones used to stand guard at Rameses II’s 𓁩𓁛𓈘𓄟𓋴𓇓 temple 𓉟𓏏𓉐 at Abu Simbel.

Sphinxes 𓎛𓅱𓃭𓏦 are incredibly powerful creatures because not only do they represent the physical strength 𓄇𓏏𓂝𓏭 of a lion 𓌳𓁹𓄿𓄛, but also the power of a pharaoh 𓉐𓉻. While the pharaoh’s 𓉐𓉻 head 𓁶𓏺 isn’t represented on this sphinx 𓎛𓅱𓃭𓏤, a falcon is. Falcons 𓃀𓇋𓎡𓅄𓏦 are associated with the god 𓊹 Horus 𓅃𓀭, who is the personification of the pharaoh’s 𓉐𓉻 power. Since one of Horus’ 𓅃𓀭 roles is as the god 𓊹 of pharaonic power, it makes sense that sphinxes 𓎛𓅱𓃭𓏦 can also represent pharaohs 𓉐𓉻𓏦 while using a falcon 𓃀𓇋𓎡𓅄 head 𓁶𓏺.

Tags artifact, british museum, horus, sphinx

Egyptian Artifacts

Ushabti Broad Collar

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date June 24, 2022

This is one of the more interesting pieces that I have ever seen in a museum! I don’t believe I have seen anything like it outside of the Petrie Museum in London! It combines two of my favorite things – ushabtis 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾 and Egyptian jewelry!

This broad collar 𓅱𓋴𓐍𓎺𓋝 is dated to the 21st Dynasty (Third Intermediate Period c. 1069 – 747 B.C.E.). There are 62 𓎆𓎆𓎆𓎆𓎆𓎆𓏻 faience 𓋣𓈖𓏏𓏸𓏼 ushabtis 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾 that make up their broad collar 𓅱𓋴𓐍𓎺𓋝 and they come in green 𓇅𓄿𓆓𓏛 and blue 𓇋𓁹𓏏𓄿𓏸𓏥 colors! The ushabtis 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾 are about 4cm in height so they are pretty tiny! I love tiny things so tiny ushabtis 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾 to me are just so cute!! There are also beads of many different colors that adorn the broad collar 𓅱𓋴𓐍𓎺𓋝.

Normally, ushabtis 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾 were buried with the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱 and were meant to be their servants in the afterlife 𓇼𓄿𓏏𓉐. I do not know if the ushabtis 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾 in this broad collar are supposed to be worker ushabtis 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾 or are for adorning a mummy 𓇋𓁹𓅱𓀾 for burial!

Normally ushabtis 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾 are buried in shabti boxes and inscribed with a spell that tells you what their function was. When Osiris 𓁹𓊨 𓀭 called upon the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱 for labor, the deceased would say the spell on the ushabti 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾 and it would come to life and perform the labor in place of the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱!

As a kid I really loved ushabtis 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾 because they reminded me of little dolls and my Nonno used to tell me stories about them! He loved them too and he made leaning about them so much fun!

Tags artifact, jewelry, petrie museum, ushabti

Egyptian Artifacts Reading Hieroglyphs

Cartouche of Seti I

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date June 24, 2022

Here’s another piece from the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology! This is a really simple piece but I really like it! It probably caught my eye because it has the cartouche of Seti I 𓇳𓁦𓏠 on it, and Seti I 𓇳𓁦𓏠 was one of my Nonno’s favorite pharaohs 𓉐𓉻𓏦! The afternoon that Nonno and I spent exploring the Petrie Museum was one of the best days of my life!

This piece is a fragment from a larger statue 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾. On the top part of the piece you can even see the bottom part of a broad collar 𓅱𓋴𓐍𓎺𓋝. It is made of black 𓆎𓅓 basalt, which is an igneous rock 𓇋𓈖𓂋𓈙. Basalt forms when lava solidifies on the Earth’s surface or under the ocean. The entire ocean floor is made of basalt which means that it is is the most abundant rock 𓇋𓈖𓂋𓈙 on Earth (and Mars too)!

The hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 on this piece are very simple and easy to read!

𓇓𓏏 King of Upper…

𓋔𓏏…and Lower Egypt

(𓇳𓁦𓏠) – Maatmenra (Seti I – Maatmenra was his throne name)

Usually the title of “King of Upper and Lower Egypt” is written as “𓆥” so it is interesting to see it written as “𓇓𓏏𓋔𓏏.” In the hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 for this piece, the crown of Lower Egypt 𓋔 was used instead of the bee 𓆤.

King of Upper and Lower Egypt 𓆥 can literally be translated to “He of the Sedge and the Bee,” which is the title that usually preceded the prenomen, which was also known as the throne name or the royal name. The sedge 𓇓 was the symbol for Upper Egypt while the bee 𓆤 was the symbol of Lower Egypt. This title was symbolic that the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 was ruling over a united Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖. The first pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 to have this title was the Pharaoh Den 𓂧𓈖 during the First Dynasty!

Tags artifact, hieroglyphs, petrie museum, seti i

Egyptian Artifacts

Small Limestone Stela of Akhenaten

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date June 24, 2022

Here’s another piece from the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology! This is a small limestone 𓇋𓈖𓈙𓌉 stela 𓎗𓅱𓆓𓉸 of the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 Akhenaten 𓇋𓏏𓈖𓇳𓅜𓐍𓈖 (by small, I mean it is only about 8.5cm in height)!

While the image 𓏏𓅱𓏏 is very crudely drawn, it is quite obvious that we are looking at Akhenaten 𓇋𓏏𓈖𓇳𓅜𓐍𓈖 here because art during the period of his rule was incredibly unique! On the stela 𓎗𓅱𓆓𓉸, Akhenaten 𓇋𓏏𓈖𓇳𓅜𓐍𓈖 can be seen standing in front of two 𓏻 vases of incense with his arms raised in a worshipping position. The Sun 𓇳𓏺, or the Aten 𓇋𓏏𓈖𓇳, can be seen above Akhenaten’s 𓇋𓏏𓈖𓇳𓅜𓐍𓈖 head 𓁶𓏺.

The Petrie Museum has a lot of unique pieces from Akhenaten’s 𓇋𓏏𓈖𓇳𓅜𓐍𓈖 reign because Petrie helped to excavate Amarna, which the place in modern-day Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖 where Akhenaten 𓇋𓏏𓈖𓇳𓅜𓐍𓈖 moved the capital to (the capital of Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖 was originally in Thebes 𓌀𓏏𓊖). The new capital was called Akhetaton “Horizon of the Aten” and it was established ~1332 B.C.E., around the time when the Aten 𓇋𓏏𓈖𓇳 was declared to be the only god 𓊹.

One of the reasons I enjoyed my trip to the Petrie Museum so much was being able to see all of these unique pieces that really can’t be seen in other museums! Akhenaten 𓇋𓏏𓈖𓇳𓅜𓐍𓈖 is my second favorite pharaoh 𓉐𓉻, so I really enjoyed seeing all of the Amarna-era pieces!

Tags akhenaten, artifact, petrie museum

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