Month: June 2022

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Egyptian Artifacts

Columns of Rameses II at the Louvre

Here I am in the Louvre!

The Louvre had such a large Egyptian collection (even compared to the MET) that I was honestly a little overwhelmed trying to see everything!! My Nonno and I spent the whole time practically running around because we didn’t want to miss anything!

One of the first cartouches I learned to read were for Rameses II 𓇳𓄊𓁧𓇳𓍉𓈖. I always felt so proud as a little girl when I could recognize the names of the pharaohs 𓉐𓉻𓏦 on the artifacts! Rameses II’s 𓇳𓄊𓁧𓇳𓍉𓈖 name 𓂋𓈖 is always a good one to know because he put his name 𓂋𓈖 everywhere! He usurped a lot of monuments from previous pharaohs 𓉐𓉻𓏦 and replaced their names with his own. Rameses II 𓇳𓄊𓁧𓇳𓍉𓈖 also had a lot of variations of his name 𓂋𓈖 and depending when in his reign the monument was made and the amount of space available could determine which cartouche was used.

Here are some examples:

(𓇋𓏠𓈖𓈘𓇳𓏺𓄟𓋴𓇓), (𓁩𓁛𓈘𓄟𓋴𓇓), and (𓇋𓏠𓈖𓈘𓁜𓏺𓄟𓋴𓊃) are all different variations of Rameses II’s birth name! While “spelled” with different hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪, they actually all mean the same thing! For example, 𓇳𓏺, 𓁛, and 𓁜 are all used to designate “Ra” while 𓇋𓏠𓈖 and 𓁩 are used for Amun! (𓇳𓄊𓁧𓇳𓍉𓈖) which is seen on the column in the picture 𓏏𓅱𓏏 is his throne name!
What’s really cool is that a very similar column also belonging to Rameses II can be found in the British Museum too!

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Egyptian Artifacts

Limestone Column of Bes

This is part of a limestone 𓇋𓈖𓈙𓌉 column that is representative of the god 𓊹 Bes 𓃀𓋴𓄜 and it is dated to the Ptolemaic Period (332-31 B.C.E.).

Bes 𓃀𓋴𓄜 was worshipped as the protector 𓅓𓂝𓎡𓀜 of households 𓉐𓏺, mothers 𓅐𓏏𓁐𓏪, children 𓐍𓇌𓀕𓏪, and even childbirth. Bes 𓃀𓋴𓄜 also represented everything good, and was the enemy of anything evil. Bes 𓃀𓋴𓄜 is also thought to protect 𓅓𓂝𓎡𓀜 people against sickness. Cups were fashioned in Bes’ 𓃀𓋴𓄜 likeness and people thought if they drank from the cup, Bes 𓃀𓋴𓄜 would heal them! Small statues 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾𓏪 and amulets 𓊐𓊪𓅆𓏪 of Bes 𓃀𓋴𓄜 were also placed in bedrooms as a form of protection.

Fun fact: the Spanish island of Ibiza is thought to be named after Bes 𓃀𓋴𓄜! Bes 𓃀𓋴𓄜 was worshipped by the Phoenicians (whose pantheon mixed with the Egyptians) and Phoenician settlers brought their worship of Bes 𓃀𓋴𓄜 with them to Ibiza when it was settled. Ibiza actually means “Island of Bes.”

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Egyptian Artifacts

Faience Tiles from the Step Pyramid

Djoser 𓂦 was the first pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 of the 3rd Dynasty, and his Step Pyramid 𓍋𓅓𓂋𓉴 was the first large stone structure in Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖. Designed by the architect Imhotep 𓇍𓅓𓊵𓏏𓊪, who was later deified, the Step Pyramid 𓍋𓅓𓂋𓉴 was meant to provide the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 with a large funerary complex and a home for eternity 𓎛𓇳𓎛.

These blue 𓇋𓁹𓏏𓄿𓏸𓏥 faience 𓋣𓈖𓏏𓏸𓏼 tiles decorated the lower levels of Djoser’s 𓂦 Step Pyramid 𓍋𓅓𓂋𓉴 Complex. There were over 30,000 tiles used!!! The tiles were meant to represent various types of reeds that covered the walls of Djoser’s 𓂦 palace.

I have always been obsessed with anything having to do with the Step Pyramid 𓍋𓅓𓂋𓉴 solely because of Imhotep 𓇍𓅓𓊵𓏏𓊪. My Nonno always spoke more about Imhotep 𓇍𓅓𓊵𓏏𓊪 than Djoser 𓂦! My Nonno always pointed these tiles out to me in the museum. While to most people, the tiles look somewhat insignificant compared to beautifully 𓄤 carved reliefs and statues, my Nonno always said that these types of tiles were important because they were really only found in the Step Pyramid 𓍋𓅓𓂋𓉴 and one of Djoser’s 𓂦 other buildings at Saqqara. The tiles were pretty much a “uniquely Imhotep 𓇍𓅓𓊵𓏏𓊪” thing according to Nonno!

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Egyptian Artifacts

Book of the Dead of Sobekmose

One of the greatest aspects of the Brooklyn Museum’s Egyptian collection is The Book of the Dead for a man named Sobekmose, who had the title “Goldworker of Amun.” Sobekmose was buried in Memphis 𓏠𓈖𓄤𓆑𓂋𓉴𓊖 and that is where this papyrus 𓅓𓍑𓏏𓏛 was found. This Book of the Dead dates to the 18th Dynasty (early New Kingdom 1500-1480 B.C.E.). It is displayed as one complete papyrus 𓅓𓍑𓏏𓏛!

The Book of the Dead is interesting because it doesn’t follow a particular story. The spells 𓎛𓂓𓏛𓏦 do seem to be grouped by theme, and sometimes pictures 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓏦 can be representative of the spells 𓎛𓂓𓏛𓏦 as well.

In this image 𓏏𓅱𓏏, you can see some of the Hieratic script that the Book of the Dead is written in – don’t ask me to translate, because I can’t read Hieratic! I can only read hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪! I would love to learn Hieratic though! The text is read from top to bottom, right to left.

Some of the Hieratic is in black 𓆎𓅓 ink while some of it is in red 𓂧𓈙𓂋𓅟. The red 𓂧𓈙𓂋𓅟 ink seems to symbolize either the beginning or the end 𓎼𓂋𓎛𓂝𓏛 of a spell 𓎛𓂓𓏛, or it could highlight a word for a noun that was considered “bad” in Egyptian culture. However, sometimes even “offering table 𓂝𓃀𓅡𓄿𓋃” could have been written/drawn in red 𓂧𓈙𓂋𓅟 and offering tables 𓂝𓃀𓅡𓄿𓋃 were not bad at all! So, some of the red 𓂧𓈙𓂋𓅟 ink seems kinda random.

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Blog

BTS and Ancient Egypt!

안녕하세요 – Hello!!

So this is going to be a different type of post but that’s okay! Namjoon 남준 from BTS 방탄소년단 posted a picture at the Temple of Dendur at the MET! As many of you know, this is one of my absolute favorite places and I was very excited to see that I actually have a picture 𓏏𓅱𓏏 in the same exact spot as him! Namjoon 남준 loves museums and is a big supporter of the arts – just like me!

I discovered BTS 방탄소년단 during quarantine in 2020 after my Nonno passed away and their music (plus their TV shows etc.) have been a huge comfort for me. I love their music and I love their message – so much so that I am trying my hardest to learn some Korean 한국어 so I can listen to their music without needing as many translations. Writing about ancient Egypt and BTS 방탄소년단 have been my ways to try to healthily cope with my Nonno’s death, which is still something I am having difficulty processing.

Some history on the Temple of Dendur: The temple 𓉟𓏏𓉐 was actually commissioned by Augustus 𓉐𓉻𓀀 and building was completed by 10 B.C. Dendur is located in Nubia, and is just south 𓇔𓅱𓏏 of Aswan 𓋴𓃹𓈖𓏌𓏲𓊖. Even though the temple 𓉟𓏏𓉐 was built by Augustus 𓉐𓉻𓀀, it definitely follows Egyptian style and not Roman style. The temple 𓉟𓏏𓉐 was primarily used to worship the goddess 𓊹𓏏 Isis 𓊨𓏏𓁥.

감사합니다 – Thank You!

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Egyptian Artifacts

Scribes in Ancient Egypt

Scribes 𓏟𓀀𓏪 were very highly regarded in ancient Egyptian society. Due to the complexity of hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪/hieratic, those who were able to master it were extremely valued. Scribes 𓏟𓀀𓏪 recorded magic spells, wills and other legal contracts, medical procedures, and tax records. Scribes 𓏟𓀀𓏪 also helped to preserve Egyptian culture throughout time. They were considered part of the royal court and did not have to serve in the military because their job as a scribe 𓏟𓀀 was so essential.

Nicole (me) and her sister Amanda with the scribe statue at the Louvre.

It took almost ten 𓎆 years for a person to complete scribal training and children started school as young as five 𓏾 years old. Though most scribes 𓏟𓀀𓏪 are shown to be men 𓊃𓀀𓏤, there is archaeological evidence that some girls also attended school and learned to read. Most boys inherited the job of scribe 𓏟𓀀 from their father 𓇋𓏏𓀀 as is the same with other occupations in ancient Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖.

Fun fact: it took me about six 𓏿 years to really master reading hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪! Even though I’ve been practicing/reading them for over 20 𓎆𓎆 years now, I’m still learning every single day!

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Egyptian Artifacts Reading Hieroglyphs

Bronze Blades of Hatshepsut

Believe it or not, these two 𓏻 pieces were probably my favorite objects that I saw in the Petrie Museum.

I was so excited when I saw them, because Hatshepsut’s 𓇳𓁦𓂓 throne name appears on it! Since I absolutely love anything to do with Hatshepsut 𓇳𓁦𓂓, I was incredibly excited to see something with her name on it. These two 𓏻 pieces are actually bronze 𓈔𓏤𓈒𓏦 blades that were once attached to a handle.

Let’s read some hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪!

𓄤𓊹 – Perfect God

(𓇳𓁦𓂓) – Maatkare (Hatshepsut’s Throne Name – translates to “Truth is the Soul of Re.”)

𓇋𓏠𓈖 – Amun

𓏃𓂦𓂦𓉐- Holiest of Holies (Deir el-Bahri temple)

𓌺𓇌 – Beloved

Put together, the inscription reads: 𓄤𓊹(𓇳𓁦𓂓)𓇋𓏠𓈖𓏃𓂦𓂦𓌺𓇌 “The Perfect God Maatkare, Beloved of Amun, Holiest of Holies.”

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Egyptian Artifacts

Magical Stela – Cippus

This is known as a Magical Stela, or a cippus.

It depicts Horus 𓅃𓀭(or Harpokrates, the Greek version of Horus 𓅃𓀭) standing on two 𓏻 crocodiles 𓅓𓋴𓎛𓆌𓏥 and holding other dangerous animals such as snakes 𓇋𓂝𓂋𓏏𓆘𓏪 and scorpions 𓋴𓂋𓈎𓏏𓆫𓏪 in each hand. The god Bes 𓃀𓋴𓄜 also appears above Horus’ 𓅃𓀭 head 𓁶𓏺. Bes 𓃀𓋴𓄜 was known to ward off evil and bad luck.

Normally, stela 𓎗𓅱𓆓𓉸 were used to commemorate the dead so this is almost like a protective amulet 𓊐𓊪𓅆 in the form of a stela 𓎗𓅱𓆓𓉸. This cippus was used by the living for protection 𓅓𓂝𓎡𓀜. Since the Old Kingdom, Horus 𓅃𓀭 was called upon as a defender against snake or scorpion bites. Placing the cippus on a wound would evoke its magical and healing powers. Cippus stela 𓎗𓅱𓆓𓉸 like this were usually kept in homes 𓉐𓏺.

However, cippus pieces have also been found in tombs 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐𓏪, so we can assume that the Egyptians thought it not only would help protect 𓅓𓂝𓎡𓀜 the living, but the dead too.

Fun fact! The Middle Egyptian word for scorpion is 𓋴𓂋𓈎𓏏𓆫 which can be pronounced like “Serket.” Serket 𓋴𓂋𓈎𓏏𓆫 was a goddess 𓊹𓏏 who was represented by a scorpion and she was associated with healing, protection, and magic. Serket 𓋴𓂋𓈎𓏏𓆫 could also be written like this: 𓊃𓂋𓈎𓏏𓁐.

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Egyptian Artifacts

The Abydos King List

Something I was so excited to see in the British Museum was the Abydos King List. There are two surviving King Lists from temples 𓉟𓏏𓉐𓏪 at Abydos, the cult center of Osiris 𓁹𓊨𓀭. One temple 𓉟𓏏𓉐 is from Seti I 𓇳𓁦𓏠, and the other from his son Rameses II 𓁩𓁛𓈘𓄟𓋴𓇓, who were both pharaohs 𓉐𓉻𓏥 during the 19th Dynasty. Seti I’s 𓇳𓁦𓏠 list is still in the temple 𓉟𓏏𓉐 at Abydos, while Rameses II’s 𓁩𓁛𓈘𓄟𓋴𓇓 was excavated and brought to the British Museum.

While neither list is a 100% complete list, there are some glaring holes in the list – Hatshepsut 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓎹𓏏𓄂𓏏𓀼𓏪, Akhenaten 𓇋𓏏𓈖𓇳𓅞𓐍𓈖, Smenkhare 𓇳𓊃𓉻𓂓𓂦𓆣, Tutankhamun 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓏏𓅱𓏏𓋹𓋾𓉺𓇓, and Ay’s 𓇳𓆣𓆣𓏪𓁹𓐙𓏏 cartouches are missing. Obviously, these names were left off because these pharaohs 𓉐𓉻𓏥 are considered non-legitimate. Hatshepsut 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓎹𓏏𓄂𓏏𓀼𓏪 was the female pharaoh 𓉐𓉻, and Akhenaten-Ay is considered the Amarna Period, which was not well liked due to the drama of Akhenaten changing the religion and moving the capital of Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖.

The point of the King Lists was not to preserve history for future generations, rather the main objective was to glorify the gods 𓊹𓊹𓊹, and as we know, pharaohs 𓉐𓉻𓏥 were considered gods 𓊹𓊹𓊹 on Earth. These lists allowed Seti I 𓇳𓁦𓏠 and Rameses II 𓁩𓁛𓈘𓄟𓋴𓇓 to assert their legitimacy amongst the old pharaohs 𓉐𓉻𓏥 of Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖.

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Egyptian Artifacts

The Hatshepsut Gallery

The room is known as Gallery 115, but I have always called it “The Hatshepsut Room” simply because it is the gallery in the MET where all of her statues 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾𓏦 are. The MET was instrumental in excavating Hatshepsut’s 𓇳𓁦𓂓 mortuary temple 𓉟𓏏𓉐 at Deir el-Bahri 𓂦𓂋𓂦𓏥𓉐, and all of the statues 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾𓏦 in this gallery are from that excavation.

While Hatshepsut 𓇳𓁦𓂓 was not the only female pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 in Egyptian history, she was without a doubt the most successful (if not one of the most successful pharaohs 𓉐𓉻𓏦 to ever live). During her rule, any Hyksos influence was now erased, and this time was kind of the “golden age” for New Kingdom art. Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖 also had good relationships with neighboring peoples and trade flowed freely. This allowed Egypt to prosper in ways that it hadn’t before 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖.