Author: ancientegyptblog7

Categories
Egyptian Artifacts Reading Hieroglyphs

The Sistrum of Pharaoh Teti

Let’s read some hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪!

Today 𓏇𓇋𓈖𓇳 we are going to be looking at a sistrum 𓊃𓈙𓈙𓏏𓏣 which has the various names 𓂋𓈖𓏦 of the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 Teti 𓊪𓇌 on it!

While most sistrums 𓊃𓈙𓈙𓏏𓏣𓏪 contain an image 𓏏𓅱𓏏 of the goddess 𓊹𓏏 Hathor 𓉡 on the handle, this is actually one of the earliest sistrums 𓊃𓈙𓈙𓏏𓏣𓏪 ever found (c. 2323–2291 B.C.E.) and is dated to the 6th Dynasty (Old Kingdom) so it is a little bit different than the sistrums 𓊃𓈙𓈙𓏏𓏣𓏪 we are used to seeing! The top part of the sistrum 𓊃𓈙𓈙𓏏𓏣 which contains the hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 is supposed to be a shrine 𓐍𓊃𓅓𓂜𓉐.

The hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 on the sistrum 𓊃𓈙𓈙𓏏𓏣 are a list of the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 Teti’s 𓊪𓇌 various names 𓂋𓈖𓏥! Something interesting is that Teti’s 𓊪𓇌 names (except the birth name) are only mentioned on this sistrum 𓊃𓈙𓈙𓏏𓏣 – I don’t think the names 𓂋𓈖𓏥 have been inscribed anywhere else! Usually just Teti 𓊪𓇌 is seen! Also, Teti 𓊪𓇌  doesn’t seem to have a throne name 𓂋𓈖!! Let’s take a closer look! 

Let’s start from the right-most column:

𓆥 – King of Upper and Lower Egypt

(𓅭𓇳𓊪𓇌) – Son of Ra, Teti (in the Old Kingdom, the titles were sometimes placed in the cartouche) (Birth Name) 

Left-most column: 

𓅒𓋴𓊵𓏏𓊪 – Sehotep Nebty (The One Who Has Satisfied the Two Lands) (Nebty Name)

𓄥𓅉 – Bik Nebu Sema (The Uniter) (Golden Horus Name)

Middle column:

𓋴𓊵𓏏𓊪𓈙𓈙 – Sehotep Tawy (The One Who Pacifies the Two Lands) (Horus Name) 

The bottom row: 

𓏙 – Given 

𓋹 – Life

𓌀 – Strength

𓆖 – Eternity

Categories
Reading Hieroglyphs

The Names of Pharaoh Merenptah (Usurped Statue Part II)

Let’s read some hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪!

Today 𓏇𓇋𓈖𓇳 we are going to be taking a closer look at one of the statues 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾𓏪 that Merenptah 𓇳𓃒𓈖𓈘𓊹𓊹𓊹 usurped from Amenhotep III 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓊵𓋾𓋆! There are definitely some familiar hieroglyphic 𓊹𓌃𓏪 phrases here that some of you will recognize!! This statue is at the 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾 MET!

The hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 here show three 𓏼 names 𓂋𓈖𓏦: the Horus Name, the Throne Name and the Given Name! Since the symbols are pointing to the left, let’s start reading from the left! 

𓂡𓃒𓎛𓂝𓀠𓅓𓏏𓆄 – “The Strong Bull Who Rejoiced in Truth” (Horus Name)

𓎟𓇿𓇿 – Lord of the Two Lands

𓁞𓁩𓈘𓈖𓃒 – “The Soul of Ra, Beloved of Amun” (Ba en Ra, mery Amun) (Throne Name)

𓎟𓈍𓏥 – Lord of Appearances 

𓁰𓁧𓈘𓈖𓊵𓁷𓏺 – “Beloved of Ptah, Maat is Satisfied” (Mer en Ptah hotep her Maat) (Birth Name) 

Now let’s look at the bottom line of hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪! 

𓌺𓁞𓁩𓈘𓈖𓃒 – Ba en Ra, mery Amun (Throne Name)

𓅭𓇳 – Son of Ra

𓎟𓈍𓏥 – Lord of Appearances 

𓌺𓁰𓁧𓈘𓈖𓊵𓁷𓏺 – Merenptah (Birth Name) 

𓇋𓏠𓈖𓇳𓏺 – Amun-Ra

𓌹 – Beloved 

𓋍 – this symbol on the side of the statue 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾 is thought to be representative of the unification of Upper 𓇓 and Lower 𓆤 Egypt.

Something else that is interesting is that there are name 𓂋𓈖 variants on the same statue 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾! Name 𓂋𓈖 variants were just different ways to write the same name 𓂋𓈖 in hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪! 

Categories
Egyptian Artifacts

Usurped Statues of Amenhotep III (Part 1)

I must admit – I am very guilty of walking past these statues 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾𓏪 at the MET a lot because usually I want to go straight for the Temple of Dendur!! These pictures 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓏦 are from May, but when I went to the MET earlier this month I got some close up photos 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓏦 of these gorgeous 𓄤 statues 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾𓏪, so I’m going to do a bit of a series on them! Today 𓏇𓇋𓈖𓇳 we will learn the history, and then we will read the hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 tomorrow 𓇼𓄿𓇳! 

These two 𓏻 statues 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾𓏪 originally belonged to the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 Amenhotep III 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓊵𓋾𓋆. While these two 𓏻 statues 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾𓏪 now adorn the entrance to the museum exhibit of the Temple of Dendur, they originally were located at Amenhotep III’s 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓊵𓋾𓋆 temple 𓉟𓏏𓉐 dedicated to Amun-Ra 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓇳𓏺 at Thebes 𓌀𓏏𓊖 (modern day Luxor). Amenhotep III 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓊵𓋾𓋆 ruled 𓋾 Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖 during the 18th Dynasty. 

Then in the 19th Dynasty, along came the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 Merenptah 𓇳𓃒𓈖𓈘𓊹𓊹𓊹! Merenptah 𓇳𓃒𓈖𓈘𓊹𓊹𓊹 was the son 𓅭 of Rameses II 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓈘𓇳𓏺𓄟𓋴𓇓, and like father 𓇋𓏏𓀀 like son 𓅭, Merenptah 𓇳𓃒𓈖𓈘𓊹𓊹𓊹 usurped the statues 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾𓏪 of other pharaohs 𓉐𓉻𓏦 and put his name 𓂋𓈖 on them! 

Usurping can be thought of as ancient plagiarism, and was very common during this time period. While I equate usurpation to plagiarism to put it in a modern context, the purpose wasn’t to defame the previous pharaohs 𓉐𓉻𓏦 of Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖. The purpose was for the common pharaoh to promote his own rule 𓋾, and what better way to do that than to use statues 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾𓏪, temples 𓉟𓏏𓉐𓏦, etc. that already are made!?

It is always funny to see a statue 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾 that has the facial features of one pharaoh 𓉐𓉻, but has the name 𓂋𓈖 of another pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 on it! Rameses II 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓈘𓇳𓏺𓄟𓋴𓇓 did this all the time – that man’s name 𓂋𓈖 is everywhere! 

Categories
Reading Hieroglyphs

The Horus Name of Rameses II

Let’s read some hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪!

Today 𓏇𓇋𓈖𓇳 we are going to be looking at the Horus Name for the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 Rameses II! So far, I have really only spoken about the Throne Name (𓇳𓄊𓁧𓇳𓍉𓈖) and the Birth Name (𓇋𓏠𓈖𓈘𓇳𓏺𓄟𓋴𓇓), so let’s take a closer look at the Horus Name! 

The Horus Name is the oldest way that a pharaoh’s 𓉐𓉻 name 𓂋𓈖 was written/identified and is one of five 𓏾 ways to write the name 𓂋𓈖 of a pharaoh 𓉐𓉻. The Horus Name consists of three elements: the palace facade 𓊁, Horus the Falcon 𓅃 standing on top of the palace 𓊁, and the name 𓂋𓈖 of the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 within the palace 𓊁. The palace 𓊁 hieroglyph 𓊹𓌃 is pronounced like “serekh” and some Egyptologists are now referring to the Horus Name as the Serekh Name. This was basically the early version of the cartouche! 

Rameses II 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓈘𓇳𓏺𓄟𓋴𓇓 had a lot of different variations of his Horus Name, so let’s take a look at the two 𓏻 that are pictured! 

𓂡𓃒𓁛𓌺 – “Strong Bull, Beloved of Ra”

𓂡𓃒𓁧𓌺 – “Strong Bull, Beloved of Maat”

“Strong Bull 𓂡𓃒“ was a very popular way to start off the Horus Name because bulls 𓃒𓃒𓃒 were a symbol of strength 𓌀 and fertility, both of which are qualities that pharaohs 𓉐𓉻𓏦 wanted to have!

Categories
Blog

“First Love”

I’ve had this written for a while but haven’t posted it because it is very feelings-y and very different from my usual posts. I am a huge fan of the group BTS. They are a Korean boy band whose music has basically gotten me through 2020. While I love all of their music, one of their songs has really struck a chord with me because it basically puts my feelings about ancient Egypt into words. The song is called “First Love” and it is written and performed by Min Yoongi (aka SUGA). While you would expect a song with this title to be about a person, it is in fact about Yoongi’s love for the piano from a very young age and his lifelong journey with his childhood piano.


I have always called Ancient Egypt my “first love” so when I listened to the song and I read the translation I immediately related to it. While I am passionate about many things, Egypt is always the thing that I will return to because Egypt’s history is just something I love so deeply. Throughout my life, I have so many beautiful memories in my Nonno‘s basement looking through his books and staring up at the bookcases hoping to one day be able to read every single word that they contain. So many memories of listening to my Nonno explain the significance of each piece in museums. These feelings of childish wonder are emotions that I always wish to return to.

“When I was fed up and lost, Back then when I fell into a pit of despair, Even when I pushed you away, Even when I resented meeting you, You were firmly by my side, You didn’t have to say anything, So don’t ever let go of my hand, I won’t let you go ever again either, My birth and the end of my life, You will be there to watch over it all” -First Love


I feel like a picture of me with my favorite Hatshepsut 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓎹𓏏𓄂𓏏𓀼𓏪 statue is appropriate for this type of post! I’m 16 in this picture!

Categories
Egyptian Artifacts

The Temple of Dendur

The Temple of Dendur is gorgeous 𓄤 – the room that it is located in makes it actually feel like you are along the Nile River 𓇋𓏏𓂋𓅱𓈗𓈘𓈇𓏺 in Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖!

This room is one of my absolute favorite places – sometimes I like to sit on one of the benches and just enjoy the atmosphere of it! Visiting the temple only makes me want to go to Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖 more!


The temple 𓉟𓏏𓉐 was actually commissioned by Augustus and building was complete by 10 B.C. Dendur is located in Nubia, and is just south of Aswan. Even though the temple 𓉟𓏏𓉐 was built by Augustus, it definitely follows Egyptian style and not Roman style. The emperor is actually presented as a pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 worshipping Egyptian gods 𓊹𓊹𓊹 on the walls of the temple 𓉟𓏏𓉐. The temple 𓉟𓏏𓉐 was primarily used to worship the goddess 𓊹𓏏 Isis 𓊨𓏏𓁥.

Categories
Egyptian Artifacts

Ostraca of Senemut


Ostraca are basically the ancient Egyptian version of a sketch pad or scrap paper! They were used by scribes 𓏟𓀀𓏪 or artists to practice their craft! The ostraca were usually chips of limestone or broken pottery.


These ostraca at the MET are very awesome because they depict Senemut 𓌢𓈖𓅐𓀼!! Senemut 𓌢𓈖𓅐𓀼 was Hatshepsut’s 𓇳𓁦𓂓 most trusted advisor (and in my opinion, they were definitely much closer than that 😜). Senemut 𓌢𓈖𓅐𓀼 was not only the tutor for Hatshepsut’s 𓇳𓁦𓂓 daughter 𓅭𓏏 Neferure 𓇳𓄤 𓄤 𓄤, the royal architect in charge of Deir el-Bahri, but he was also the Steward to Amun 𓆓𓉐𓏺𓇋𓏠𓈖 at Karnak.

The sketch of Senemut 𓌢𓈖𓅐𓀼 on these ostraca are very similar to the sketches of Senemut 𓌢𓈖𓅐𓀼 that are seen in his tomb!

These were always some of my favorite pieces to see as a kid! Not only because it was Senemut 𓌢𓈖𓅐𓀼, but also I loved seeing how the Egyptians 𓆎𓏏𓀀𓁐𓏪 used to do things!! Seeing the grids and seeing their “sketch pads” allowed me a glimpse into just how some of this incredible art was created!

Categories
Egyptian Artifacts

Bronze Statue of Isis, Osiris and Horus


This bronze statue at the MET is from the Ptolemaic Period (664 – 31 B.C.E.) represents Isis 𓊨𓏏𓁥, Osiris 𓁹𓊨𓀭 and Horus 𓅃𓀭- the main triad of the Egyptian pantheon.

Here, Horus 𓅃𓀭 is represented in his Greek form Harpokrates, with his trademarked “finger to lips” pose. This pose represents the “be quiet” gesture because to the Greeks Harpokrates was the god 𓊹 of silence. What is interesting about this piece is that there are suspension loops on the back of Osiris 𓁹𓊨𓀭 and Harpokrates – this piece is probably too big to be worn as a necklace, so the loops may have some type of unknown symbolic significance.

Many gods 𓊹𓊹𓊹 in the Egyptian pantheon appeared in groups of threes 𓏼, which were known as Triads. They were groups of gods 𓊹𓊹𓊹 that usually have some type of familial significance to each other. For example, one of the Memphis triads during this period was Ptah 𓊪𓏏𓎛𓁱, Sekhmet 𓌂𓐍𓅓𓏏𓁐, and Nefertem 𓄤𓆑𓂋𓏏𓍃𓀯. Nefertem 𓄤𓆑𓂋𓏏𓍃𓀯 is the son of Ptah 𓊪𓏏𓎛𓁱 and Sekhmet 𓌂𓐍𓅓𓏏𓁐, just like Horus 𓅃𓀭 is the son of Isis 𓊨𓏏𓁥 and Osiris 𓁹𓊨𓀭!!

Categories
Egyptian Artifacts

Large Kneeling Statue of Hatshepsut

This is one of the grand, large kneeling statues 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾𓏪 of Hatshepsut 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓎹𓏏𓄂𓏏𓀼𓏪 that were found during excavations of her temple at Deir el-Bahri. The excavations were a joint operation between the MET and the Egyptian government.

In this statue 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾, Hatshepsut 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓎹𓏏𓄂𓏏𓀼𓏪 is depicted wearing the nemes headcloth, a false beard on her chin, and is kneeling with a nemset jar 𓏌 in each hand 𓂧𓏏𓏺. These were meant to be offerings to the god 𓊹 Amun 𓇋𓏠𓈖- an inscription on the statue 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾 states that Hatshepsut 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓎹𓏏𓄂𓏏𓀼𓏪 is offering “maat” to Amun 𓇋𓏠𓈖- while Maat 𓐙𓌴𓂣𓏏𓁦 was the goddess of truth, “maat” was also a concept held dearly by Hatshepsut 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓎹𓏏𓄂𓏏𓀼𓏪. Her reign was guided by order, truth, and justice – all the principles of maat.

Hatshepsut 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓎹𓏏𓄂𓏏𓀼𓏪 is seen kneeling, which is not too common for a Pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 since they were considered to be gods 𓊹𓊹𓊹 on Earth. However, since Hatshepsut 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓎹𓏏𓄂𓏏𓀼𓏪 was making an offering to the god 𓊹 Amun 𓇋𓏠𓈖, she did this in a kneeling position. A pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 kneeled for no one – except for another god 𓊹.

From this angle, the statue 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾 looks even more grand! I also love pink granite, which many of Hatshepsut’s 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓎹𓏏𓄂𓏏𓀼𓏪 statues 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾𓏪 are made out of. Granite is an extremely dense and durable rock (hence why it is used for countertops today), and these statues 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾𓏪 of Hatshepsut 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓎹𓏏𓄂𓏏𓀼𓏪 were definitely built to last.

The image above is of the cartouches of Hatshepsut’s throne name, Maatkare 𓇳𓁦𓂓.

Categories
Egyptian Artifacts

Small Kneeling Statue of Hatshepsut

This is a small, kneeling statue 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾 of Hatshepsut 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓎹𓏏𓄂𓏏𓀼𓏪 made out of black/pink granite! The black and pink granite is traditionally found in Aswan (Upper Egypt). In the USA, black and pink granite is commonly found in Nevada and other western states! This piece is in the MET.

While not as grand as some of her other statues 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾𓏪 that adorned her temple 𓉟𓏏𓉐 at Deir el-Bahri, this one makes quite an impression. There are at least eight of these statues 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾𓏪, and many of them are in the MET. They were most likely used to line the upper court at her temple 𓉟𓏏𓉐, and are thought to be intended for her Heb Sed festival (a festival used to celebrate 30 𓎆𓎆𓎆 years of rule, and then celebrated every three 𓏼 years after the initial 30 𓎆𓎆𓎆). Hatshepsut 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓎹𓏏𓄂𓏏𓀼𓏪, ever the Pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 to break from tradition, instead celebrated hers in the 16th 𓎆𓏿 year of her rule!

In this statue, Hatshepsut 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓎹𓏏𓄂𓏏𓀼𓏪 is kneeling and is seen holding the nemset jar 𓏌. The jar 𓏌 has the djed pillar 𓊽 adorning the front. The djed pillar 𓊽 is thought to be the spine of Osiris 𓁹𓊨𓀭, and it represents stability and endurance – both are attributes a Pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 needed in order to be a successful ruler!