Category: Egyptian Artifacts

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Egyptian Artifacts

What’s in a Name?

What’s in a name 𓂋𓈖?! To the ancient Egyptians 𓆎𓏏𓀀𓁐𓏪, a person’s name 𓂋𓈖 was everything!

In order to exist, a human needed to have five 𓏾 essential elements: the body 𓎛𓂝𓄼, the shadow 𓆄𓏏𓅱𓋼, the Ba 𓅡𓏤 (impression an individual makes on others – everything except the physical body), the Ka (soul/life force) 𓂓𓏤, and the name 𓂋𓈖. A name 𓂋𓈖 was considered the essential part of the person because the other four 𓏽 elements could not exist without the name 𓂋𓈖. I find this entire concept absolutely fascinating and I’m not going to lie, it has made me appreciate my own name 𓂋𓈖.

If a person wanted to survive after death 𓅓𓏏𓏱, not only was mummification essential, but even more so was preserving the name 𓂋𓈖. This is why pharaohs 𓉐𓉻𓏦 and others who could afford to do so had their name 𓂋𓈖 carved everywhere – they wanted to survive after they died 𓅓𓏏𓏱. If a name 𓂋𓈖 was hacked away or forgotten, it meant that the person was deprived of their entire existence. This is why the names 𓂋𓈖𓏥 of pharaohs 𓉐𓉻𓏦 like Hatshepsut 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓎹𓏏𓄂𓏏𓀼𓏪, Akhenaten 𓇋𓏏𓈖𓇳𓅜𓐍𓈖 and Tutankhamun 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓏏𓅱𓏏𓋹𓋾𓉺𓇓 were either left off of official King’s lists or removed from their monuments.

Rameses II 𓁩𓁛𓈘𓄟𓋴𓇓 has his name 𓂋𓈖 literally everywhere and his cartouche is the most commonly found one! He really wanted to ensure that he survived after he died 𓅓𓏏𓏱! This cartouche from the British Museum is one of Rameses II 𓁩𓁛𓈘𓄟𓋴𓇓 and I think it is so beautifully 𓄤 carved!

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Egyptian Artifacts

Stick Ushabtis at the Petrie Museum

My Nonno 𓈖𓍯𓈖𓈖𓍯𓀀always spoke very highly of the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology at UCL in London. As a kid 𓐍𓇌𓀕, he would always tell me that they had “drawers and drawers full of ushabtis” and it just sounded so cool to me! When we got to visit together, I can confirm that it was most definitely VERY COOL! We spent hours at the museum going through everything and I spent the most time with the ushabtis 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾𓏪 (no surprise there)!!

These particular ushabtis 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾𓏪 that are in the drawer are called “stick ushabtis” by archaeologists. Stick ushabtis 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾𓏪 are made of wood 𓆱𓏏𓏺, have a roughly mummiform shape, no artistic details, and have an inscription 𓏟𓏛𓏥 on the front. Most stick ushabtis 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾𓏪 are dated to the end of the 17th Dynasty to the beginning of the 18th Dynasty.

The function of these stick ushabtis 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾𓏪 also seem to be different than that of the regular ushabtis 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾𓏪 that are found in tombs 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐𓏦 whose function was to perform tasks for the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱 in the afterlife 𓇼𓄿𓏏𓉐. The stick ushabtis 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾𓏪 have only been found in Thebes 𓌀𓏏𓊖, in the above ground chapels that were found near tombs 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐𓏦. They were usually placed in their own model coffins 𓋴𓅱𓎛𓏏𓆱.

The stick ushabtis 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾𓏪 represented the family members of the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱, and were placed in the above ground chapel as a way to symbolize family members being close to their dead 𓅓𓏏𓏱 loved one.

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Egyptian Artifacts

Frog Figures

These frog 𓈎𓂋𓂋𓆏 figures are dated to the 1st and 2nd Dynasties, which is grouped as part of the Early Dynastic Period (c. 3000-2675 B.C.E.) so these are quite old! This is about the time that Egyptologists think that writing 𓏟𓏛𓏥 was first developed in Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖! However, this form of writing 𓏟𓏛𓏥 consisted of very rudimentary symbols and don’t really represent Middle Egyptian or hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪, which is the form of the language that persisted throughout Egyptian history (and the one that I know).

Frogs 𓈎𓂋𓂋𓆏𓏦 were not really written about at all during these predynastic times, and these statues 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾𓏪 predate a lot of religious writing 𓏟𓏛𓏥 and iconography so all Egyptologists can do is make educated guesses on their significance!

So what inferences can we make about these cute frog 𓈎𓂋𓂋𓆏 figures? Scientifically speaking, frogs 𓈎𓂋𓂋𓆏𓏦 would appear after the flooding of the Nile River 𓇋𓏏𓂋𓅱𓈗𓈘𓈇𓏺, so they were associated with the life 𓋹/the regenerative qualities of water 𓈗. Not only is water 𓈗 necessary for humans, but also for irrigating land for agriculture.

The frog 𓈎𓂋𓂋𓆏 is also associated with the goddess 𓊹𓏏 Heqet 𓎛𓈎𓏏𓆏 who is represented as a woman with a frog 𓈎𓂋𓂋𓆏 head. Also, the frog determinative 𓆏 appears in her name 𓂋𓈖 so she was clearly associated with frogs 𓈎𓂋𓂋𓆏𓏦. Heqet 𓎛𓈎𓏏𓆏 was the goddess 𓊹𓏏 of birth and rebirth. She also protected 𓅓𓂝𓎡𓀜 women 𓊃𓏏𓂑𓏏𓁐𓏪 during the childbirth process so it is possible these statues 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾𓏪 could be symbols of protection 𓅓𓂝𓎡𓀜 for childbirth.

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Egyptian Artifacts

Ancient Fish Dish

Today I’m going to talk about fish 𓂋𓅓𓆟 because fish 𓂋𓅓𓆟 were an incredibly important part of life 𓋹𓏤 along the Nile River 𓇋𓏏𓂋𓅱𓈗𓈘𓈇𓏺! Also, I love fish 𓂋𓅓𓆟 and watching fish 𓂋𓅓𓆟 swim 𓈖𓎟𓃀𓈗 is something I find so relaxing!

So why fish 𓂋𓅓𓆟 on New Year’s Eve?! In ancient Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖, fish 𓂋𓅓𓆟 were seen as a symbol of rebirth and regeneration! Since the ancient Egyptian religion was primarily based on these ideas, symbols that represented them were considered important and very powerful in Egyptian culture.

One of the most common fish 𓂋𓅓𓆟 you would find in the Nile River 𓇋𓏏𓂋𓅱𓈗𓈘𓈇𓏺 was tilapia 𓇋𓆛𓈖𓏏𓆟, which is the type of fish 𓂋𓅓𓆟 that this Fish Dish (18th Dynasty c. 1479-1400 B.C.E.) depicts. Nile tilapia 𓇋𓆛𓈖𓏏𓆟 are easily identified by their very long dorsal fin! The tilapia even has its own hieroglyphic symbol – “𓆛,” and it definitely looks like the dish in the picture 𓏏𓅱𓏏!

The first Fish Dishes have been dated to the pre-dynastic period, and they are one of the types of every day objects that have persisted throughout the Egyptian civilization. It always amazes me how such ideas and objects were able to persist for thousands of years!

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Egyptian Artifacts

Anubis Engraving on a Sarcophagus

Anubis 𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱𓃣 has been my favorite god 𓊹 since I was a child 𓐍𓇌𓀕. Why is he my favorite? Here are some fun facts about Anubis 𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱𓃣 so you can see why!

Anubis 𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱𓃣 is the god of mummification, graveyards/cemeteries, funerals, tombs 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐𓏦 and a bunch of other things associated with death 𓅓𓏏𓏱. Even as a kid 𓐍𓇌𓀕, I was fascinated by mummies 𓇋𓁹𓅱𓀾𓏪 and the process of mummification, so by default Anubis 𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱𓃣 is my favorite!

The name 𓂋𓈖“Anubis” is actually the Hellenistic version of his name 𓂋𓈖 – the Egyptians 𓆎𓏏𓀀𓁐𓏪 called him Inpw.

Anubis 𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱𓃣 is usually represented by the jackal 𓊃𓄿𓃀𓃥 or having the head 𓁶𓏤 of a jackal 𓊃𓄿𓃀𓃥 because these canines were often found in cemeteries.

Anubis 𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱𓃣 has no temples 𓉟𓏏𓉐𓏦 dedicated to him because every tomb/cemetery was considered a “temple” to Anubis 𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱𓃣!

Anubis 𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱𓃣 can be written a bunch of different ways in hieroglyphs: 𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱𓁢, 𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱𓃣, 𓃣.

Here are some titles that Anubis 𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱𓃣 is commonly associated with. His name 𓂋𓈖 appears with these a lot in hieroglyphic inscriptions:
𓁶𓏺𓈋 𓆑 – “Upon his hill”
𓏅 𓊹 𓉱 – “In front at the God’s booth” (shrine)
𓇋𓏶𓅱𓏏𓐎𓊖 – “He who is in the mummy wrappings”

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Egyptian Artifacts

The Ba Bird

In order to exist, a human needed to have five 𓏾 essential elements: the body 𓎛𓂝𓄼, the shadow 𓆄𓏏𓅱𓋼, the Ba 𓅡𓏤, the Ka (soul/life force) 𓂓𓏤, and the name 𓂋𓈖.

The Ba 𓅡𓏤 is the impression that an individual makes on others – everything except the physical body 𓎛𓂝𓄼. The Ba 𓅡𓏤 can also be thought of as an individual’s personality. When a person died, the Ba 𓅡𓏤 was the only part of the person that would be able to travel out of the tomb 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐, but it did have to return eventually to be reunited with the mummy 𓇋𓁹𓅱𓀾. The Ba 𓅡𓏤 was the part of the person that lived on after death 𓅓𓏏𓏱.

This particular Ba 𓅡𓏤 statue 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾 is dated to the Ptolemaic Period (c. 332–30 B.C.E.). Ba 𓅡𓏤 statues 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾𓏦 like this one pictured were popular to place in tombs 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐𓏦 during this time period – either they were attached to coffins 𓋴𓅱𓎛𓏏𓆱𓏦 or added as an attachment to a stela 𓎗𓅱𓆓𓉸.

The details on this Ba 𓅡𓏤 statue 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾 are absolutely beautiful 𓄤. The Ba 𓅡𓏤 has a sun disk 𓇳𓏤 on its head 𓁶𓏤 and is wearing a broad collar 𓅱𓋴𓐍𓎺𓋝 around its neck. It is in great condition even though it is made out of wood 𓆱𓏏𓏺 (wood is organic and can decay very quickly) and the details are in paint and gold 𓋞𓃉𓃉𓃉 leaf!

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Egyptian Artifacts

Statue of Tutankhamun

As a child 𓐍𓇌𓀕 (and even now) I love the story about the discovery of the tomb 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐 of Tutankhamun 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓏏𓅱𓏏𓋹𓋾𓉺𓇓! The gold 𓋞𓃉𓃉𓃉 funerary mask and all of the other artifacts found in the tomb 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐 completely fascinated me and still fascinate me to this day!

Better known to the public as King Tut, Tutankhamun 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓏏𓅱𓏏𓋹𓋾𓉺𓇓 wasn’t that significant of a pharaoh 𓉐𓉻, but the discovery is his pretty much intact tomb 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐 helped to popularize him in the modern day. He is the son 𓅭 of the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 Akhenaten 𓇋𓏏𓈖𓇳𓅜𓐍𓈖, and is credited with restoring the traditional Egyptian pantheon after Akhenaten 𓇋𓏏𓈖𓇳𓅜𓐍𓈖 changed the entire Egyptian religion to the monotheistic worship of the Aten 𓇋𓏏𓈖𓇳 during his rule.

One of the things I love about Tutankhamun 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓏏𓅱𓏏𓋹𓋾𓉺𓇓 is his cartouche!! Here is a breakdown of its meaning:
𓇋𓏠𓈖 Amun
𓏏𓅱𓏏 Tut (image)
𓋹 Ankh (life)
𓋾𓉺𓇓 Ruler of Heliopolis/Upper Egypt

The name 𓂋𓈖 “Tutankhamun” in Middle Egyptian translates to “Living Image of Amun.” However, this wasn’t his original name 𓂋𓈖; Tutankhaten 𓇋𓏏𓈖𓇳𓏏𓅱𓏏𓋹𓈖𓇳 or “Living Image of the Aten” was his actual birth name! When Tutankhamun brought back the old religion, he changed his name 𓂋𓈖 to reflect the old religion!

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Egyptian Artifacts

The Three foreign Wives of Thutmosis III

The MET has a very large collection of objects from the tomb 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐 of the Three foreign Wives of Thutmosis III 𓇳𓏠𓆣. These women 𓂑𓏏𓁐𓏪 were named Menhet 𓐝𓂟𓈖𓉔𓏏𓇿𓏐𓁐, Menwi 𓅓𓂟𓏌𓍯𓇋𓁐, and Merti 𓅓𓂟𓃭𓍘𓇋𓁐 and were buried in an undecorated tomb 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐 located near Thebes 𓌀𓏏𓊖. The country of origin of these women 𓂑𓏏𓁐𓏪 is unknown.

This gold 𓋞𓃉𓃉𓃉 broad collar 𓅱𓋴𓐍𓎺𓋝 has a falcon 𓃀𓇋𓎡𓅄 head on each end. While this piece is dated to the New Kingdom (18th Dynasty c. 1479–1425 B.C.E.), broad collars 𓅱𓋴𓐍𓎺𓋝𓏦 have been used to adorn mummies 𓇋𓁹𓅱𓀾𓏪 since the Old Kingdom (c. 2649 B.C.E.). Broad Collars 𓅱𓋴𓐍𓎺𓋝𓏦 were the necklace of choice amongst the elites and the gods 𓊹𓊹𓊹.

The Vulture Pectoral is also most likely from the same tomb 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐 as the broad collar 𓅱𓋴𓐍𓎺𓋝 pictured. Vultures are common funerary symbols and are usually associated with the goddess 𓊹𓏏 Nekhbet 𓇑𓃀𓏏𓅐𓎟. Nekhbet 𓇑𓃀𓏏𓅐𓎟 was usually depicted as a woman 𓂑𓏏𓁐 with the head 𓁶𓏤 of a vulture. She is the patron goddess 𓊹𓏏 of Upper Egypt 𓇑 (hence why her name has the “𓇑” symbol for upper Egypt) and was also tasked with protecting 𓅓𓂝𓎡𓀜 royal women 𓀻𓋴𓏏𓁐.

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Egyptian Artifacts

“Processional Way of the Sphinxes”

This display of sphinxes 𓎛𓅱𓃭𓏦 at the Louvre is referred to as the “Processional Way of the Sphinxes” and it contains six 𓏿 sphinxes 𓎛𓅱𓃭𓏦 dated to the later period of Egyptian history (no exact date is known but inferences have been made and will be mentioned as you read further).

It is thought that these limestone sphinxes 𓎛𓅱𓃭𓏦 lined the processional way to the Serapis Temple at Saqqara (also known as the “Serapeum of Saqqara”). This temple 𓉟𓏏𓉐 was originally the burial place for sacred bulls (it was believed that the bulls were representations of the god 𓊹 Ptah 𓊪𓏏𓎛𓁱). Fun fact: Saqqara is the modern name 𓂋𓈖 for the area, but the Egyptians 𓆎𓏏𓀀𓁐𓏪 called it Memphis 𓏠𓈖𓄤𓆑𓂋𓉴𓊖!

This area has quite a history because construction started in c. 1400 B.C.E. (New Kingdom), and continued through to the end of the Ptolemaic Period/end of Cleopatra VII’s 𓈎𓃭𓇋𓍯𓊪𓄿𓂧𓂋𓏏𓄿𓆇 rule (c. 31 B.C.E.). The temple 𓉟𓏏𓉐, during Ptolemaic rule, then was dedicated to the cult of Serapis (the Greco-Egyptian deity of the sun 𓇳𓏤).

So who built 𓐍𓂤𓅱𓋴𓀧 these magnificent sphinxes 𓎛𓅱𓃭𓏦? There are two theories: it’s possible that the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 Nectanbo I 𓇳𓆣𓂓 of the 30th Dynasty had over 600 𓏲𓏲𓏲𓏲𓏲𓏲 sphinxes 𓎛𓅱𓃭𓏦 built to line the processional way to the temple 𓉟𓏏𓉐. However, some historians think that the sphinxes 𓎛𓅱𓃭𓏦 were built by Ptolemy I 𓊪𓏏𓍯𓃭𓐝𓇌𓋴 as he changed the area to be dedicated to Serapis. The reasoning for this is that the sphinxes 𓎛𓅱𓃭𓏦 share artistic features of the Ptolemaic Period, and they also don’t have inscriptions 𓏟𓏛𓏥 on them, which is also typical of Ptolemaic objects. We will probably never know!

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Egyptian Artifacts

Statue of Husband and Wife

This is a beautiful 𓄤 limestone statue 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾 of husband 𓉔𓄿𓇌𓂺𓀀 and wife 𓂑𓏏𓁐 that is dated to the 18th Dynasty (New Kingdom). The names 𓂋𓈖𓏦 of the people depicted are not preserved in the hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 that adorn the back of the statue, 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾 but the funerary prayers are preserved.

It is assumed that these types of statues 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾𓏪 are of husband 𓉔𓄿𓇌𓂺𓀀 and wife 𓂑𓏏𓁐, even though it’s not explicitly stated in the hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 because the family 𓅕𓉔𓅱𓏏𓀀𓁐𓏦 was held in such high regard in Egyptian culture. This is why entire families 𓂧𓈖𓏌𓏏𓅱𓀀𓏸𓏸𓏸 can be found buried in the same tomb 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐 – the family 𓅕𓉔𓅱𓏏𓀀𓁐𓏦 was to stay together 𓈖𓊗 forever 𓆖!!

Here are some fun facts about marriage in Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖! Marriages were not arranged/forced in ancient Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖; it was a personal choice between the couple! Also, there seems to be no official marriage ceremony; the couple decided they wanted to be together 𓈖𓊗 and let their friends and family 𓅕𓉔𓅱𓏏𓀀𓁐𓏦 know! The marriage seems to become “official” with a contract that allowed for the transfer of property. Divorce was a very common occurrence as was having four 𓏽 to seven 𓐀 children 𓐍𓇌𓀕𓏪!

Though the symbol “ 𓏦” is usually used to denote plural words, it is used in the singular term family 𓅕𓉔𓅱𓏏𓀀𓁐𓏦 because there are multiple members in a single family 𓅕𓉔𓅱𓏏𓀀𓁐𓏦 group! Instead, the Egyptians had a different word to represent multiple family groups (in English, families “𓂧𓈖𓏌𓏏𓅱𓀀𓏸𓏸𓏸”) and “𓏸𓏸𓏸” is used the pluralize it!