Month: December 2022

Categories
Reading Hieroglyphs

Stela of Aafenmut

Today 𓏇𓇋𓈖𓇳 we are going to look at a wooden 𓆱𓏏𓏺 stela 𓎗𓅱𓆓𓉸 that is dated to the Third Intermediate Period (c. 924–889 B.C.E., 22nd Dynasty) which belonged to a man 𓊃𓀀𓏤 named Aafenmut 𓉻𓆑𓈖𓏏𓅐𓆇. This stela 𓎗𓅱𓆓𓉸 shows a typical funerary stela 𓎗𓅱𓆓𓉸 offering 𓊵𓏏𓊪𓏏𓏔𓏦 scene, and this style of stela 𓎗𓅱𓆓𓉸 was very popular during this time period. I love this particular style because it is so colorful! This stela 𓎗𓅱𓆓𓉸 is on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC.

The Solar Barge 𓂧𓊪𓏏𓊞 is shown at the top of the stela 𓎗𓅱𓆓𓉸 and the Solar Barge 𓂧𓊪𓏏𓊞 represents Ra’s 𓇳𓏺𓁛 journey across the sky 𓊪𓏏𓇯. Ra’s 𓇳𓏺𓁛 journey is supposed to be representative of his birth/resurrection (sunrise), growth (day) and then death (sunset). In between Aafenmut 𓉻𓆑𓈖𓏏𓅐𓆇 and Ra-Horakhty 𓅊𓏔𓏔𓏤 is a table filled with offerings 𓊵𓏏𓊪𓏏𓏔𓏦 of bread 𓏏𓏐, fruit, and flowers 𓆼𓅱𓆰𓏦. 

Let’s read some hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪! 

𓅊𓏔𓏔𓏤 – Ra-Horakhty

𓊹𓉼 – Great God

𓎟 – Lord

𓇯 – Sky/Heaven

𓂞 – Give

𓆑 – He

𓊵𓏏𓊪𓏏𓐍𓏛- Offerings

𓐝 – To

𓊩𓁹 – Osiris

𓐝 – To

𓏞 – Scribe

𓏺𓉐𓌉𓏺𓉐 – Treasury

𓉻𓆑𓈖𓏏𓅐𓆇 – Aafenmut

𓐙𓊤 – True of Voice (Justified)

So all 𓎟 together 𓈖𓊗, this inscription 𓎘𓅱𓎖 reads: “Ra-Horakhty, the Great God, Lord of the Sky/Heaven, may he give offerings to Osiris, to the scribe of the treasury, Aafenmut, True of Voice.” 

Categories
Egyptian Artifacts Reading Hieroglyphs

Sphinx of Senwosret III (Part II)

Here is a link to Part I!

The Horus Name is one of five 𓏾 ways to write the name 𓂋𓈖 of a pharaoh 𓉐𓉻, and it is the oldest way to do so. The purpose of the Horus Name was to identify the king 𓇓 as an earthly representation of the god 𓊹 Horus 𓅃𓀭. 

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! 

On the sphinx 𓎛𓅱𓃭 of Pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 Senwosret III 𓇳𓈍𓂓𓂓𓂓, you can see the Horus name, however, the throne name is also in the serekh! This is unusual to see both names 𓂋𓈖𓏦 in the serekh! 

Let’s read some hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪! 

𓊹𓆣𓅱 – “Horus, Divine of Form” (Neter-kheperu) (Horus Name)

𓇳𓈍𓂓𓂓𓂓 – “The Souls of Ra have Appeared” (Kha kau ra) (Throne Name)

Something I love about this sphinx 𓎛𓅱𓃭, is that it is made out of gneiss, which is one of my favorite rocks 𓇋𓈖𓂋𓈙𓏦! Gneiss is a foliated metamorphic rock 𓇋𓈖𓂋𓈙 which means that it was subjected to such extreme heat and pressure during its formation (probably due to mountain 𓈋𓅳 building or plate tectonics), that the minerals 𓇋𓌻𓂋𓅱𓈙𓏦 have separated into bands of light (felsic) and dark (mafic) colored minerals 𓇋𓌻𓂋𓅱𓈙𓏦! This gives gneiss a natural zebra-like appearance! 

Gebel el-Asr is the only quarry 𓎛𓏏𓏏𓉐 in Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖 where gneiss can be found, and gneiss was prized from the Predynastic to Middle Kingdoms for statue 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾 making!

The following pictures 𓏏𓅱𓏏 show a close up of one of my samples of gneiss, so you can see this banding! 

Categories
Egyptian Artifacts

Sphinx of Senwosret III (Part I)

Pharaohs 𓉐𓉻𓏦 were commonly represented as sphinxes 𓎛𓅱𓃭𓏦 in ancient Egyptian art for many reasons. A sphinx 𓎛𓅱𓃭 is a mythical creature that has the body of a lion 𓌳𓁹𓄿𓄛 and the head of a human. In ancient Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖, lions 𓌳𓁹𓄿𓄛𓏪 have been associated with kingship 𓇓𓇌 since prehistoric times due to their strength 𓌀 and ferocity. The sphinx 𓎛𓅱𓃭 was the perfect representation of the strength 𓌀 of the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 due to its lion 𓌳𓁹𓄿𓄛 body, while the face still preserved the image 𓏏𓅱𓏏 of the king 𓇓 himself. 

This magnificent sphinx 𓎛𓅱𓃭 is a representation of the 12th Dynasty Pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 Senwosret III 𓇳𓈍𓂓𓂓𓂓. Senwosret III 𓇳𓈍𓂓𓂓𓂓 has very distinctive facial features, so he is very easy to spot in Middle Kingdom art. Senwosret III 𓇳𓈍𓂓𓂓𓂓 is wearing the characteristic nemes head cloth 𓈖𓅓𓋴 and false beard 𓐍𓃀𓊃𓅱𓏏𓁸, which are both signs of kingship 𓇓𓇌. 

While this is not a professional term, to me, Senwosret III 𓇳𓈍𓂓𓂓𓂓 looks like a “sad and tired old man,” which is how I distinguish him from statues 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾𓏪 of other pharaohs 𓉐𓉻𓏦. This depiction of a pharaoh demonstrates how in the Middle Kingdom, some of the art took a more realistic approach, instead of the typical idealistic approach. Usually, pharaohs 𓉐𓉻𓏦 and people were shown at their best, not how they actually looked. However, this sphinx 𓎛𓅱𓃭 shows a detachment from idealistic depictions. 

This sphinx 𓎛𓅱𓃭 is in a crouching position, which to the Egyptians 𓆎𓏏𓀀𓁐𓏪 meant that it was a guardian of a sacred place, such as a temple 𓉟𓏏𓉐 or an important building. This is why rows or lines of sphinxes have been found at various temples 𓉟𓏏𓉐𓏪 around Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖 – the sphinx 𓎛𓅱𓃭, and therefore the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻, was using his strength 𓌀 and might to protect these sacred places! 

Here is a link to Part II!

Categories
Egyptian Artifacts

Ushabti and Miniature Coffin

Today 𓏇𓇋𓈖𓇳, we are going to take a look at this unique ushabti 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾 that was discovered in the mortuary temple 𓉟𓏏𓉐 of the pyramid 𓍋𓅓𓂋𓉴 of the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 Senwosret I 𓄊𓋴𓂋𓏏𓊃𓈖 (Dynasty 12). This was probably left as some type of offering 𓊵𓏏𓊪𓏏𓏔𓏦. The ushabti 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾 and coffin 𓋴𓅱𓎛𓏏𓆱 are made out of wood 𓆱𓏏𓏺 and are covered in gold 𓋞𓃉𓃉𓃉 leaf. 

The ushabti 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾 and coffin 𓋴𓅱𓎛𓏏𓆱 contain the name 𓂋𓈖 of Wahneferhotep, who was probably the son 𓅭 of Senwosret I 𓄊𓋴𓂋𓏏𓊃𓈖 due to the title “King’s Son 𓇓𓅭” appearing in the hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪. These two 𓏻 objects seen here are the only place where Wahneferhotep’s name 𓂋𓈖appears, so we know nothing about him! 

What is so cool about the miniature coffin 𓋴𓅱𓎛𓏏𓆱 is that it is so detailed and similar to an actual coffin 𓋴𓅱𓎛𓏏𓆱! The text 𓏟𓏛𓏥 on the miniature coffin 𓋴𓅱𓎛𓏏𓆱 is inscribed with the same funerary spells as regular sized coffins would be! The eyes 𓁹𓏏𓏦 on this side of the coffin 𓋴𓅱𓎛𓏏𓆱 would allow the mummy 𓇋𓁹𓅱𓀾 (or in this case, the ushabti 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾) to see outside of it! The ushabti 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾 was even found covered with linen 𓍱 and laying on its side! This was very typical of Middle Kingdom burial practices 𓈎𓂋𓋴𓏏𓏏𓊭, and it was something my Nonno would always point out to me when we were in a museum! 

The text 𓏟𓏛𓏥 on the ushabti 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾 is a version of the standard “Shabti Spell. This spell 𓎛𓂓𓏛 gives the ushabti 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾 the power to complete tasks (farming, manual labor, etc) for the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱 in the Field of Reeds 𓇏𓏏𓈅𓇋𓄿𓂋𓅱𓆰𓊖 so the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱 doesn’t have to do any work in the afterlife 𓇼𓄿𓏏𓉐. 

Categories
Blog Video

Video – Stela of Hatshepsut Replica

This is a replica of the Hatshepsut 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓎹𓏏𓄂𓏏𓀼𓏪 Stela 𓎗𓅱𓆓𓉸 at the Musei Vaticani that my Nonno gave to me over fifteen years ago. I love this piece so much because the hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 on it are so accurate compared to the original stela 𓎗𓅱𓆓𓉸!

This is one of my most prized possessions because my Nonno have it to me. He brought this for me before we got to see the stela 𓎗𓅱𓆓𓉸 together, because he knew I would absolutely love it, and I do! 

Let me know if you guys enjoy seeing my little collection of Egyptian replica pieces that my Nonno has given me!

Here is one of my posts about this beautiful 𓄤 stela 𓎗𓅱𓆓𓉸!

Categories
Egyptian Artifacts

Sandstone Stela of Hatshepsut

I love this picture for two 𓏻 reasons: the first 𓏃 is because my Nonno took this picture 𓏏𓅱𓏏 of me with the Hatshepsut 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓎹𓏏𓄂𓏏𓀼𓏪 Stela 𓎗𓅱𓆓𓉸 at the Musei Vaticani! I almost feel that this picture 𓏏𓅱𓏏 represents how Nonno saw me, and I’ve never shared it until today 𓏇𓇋𓈖𓇳 because I wanted to keep it as “mine.” I wish I could go back to this moment because look at the happiness 𓄫𓄣 and joy 𓄫𓄣 on my face! The second 𓏌𓏻 reason is because this Stela 𓎗𓅱𓆓𓉸 of Hatshepsut 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓎹𓏏𓄂𓏏𓀼𓏪 is one of my absolute favorite Egyptian artifacts – it was a dream of mine to see this in person, and I’m so lucky I was able to!

I know I have posted about this stela 𓎗𓅱𓆓𓉸a lot, however, today 𓏇𓇋𓈖𓇳we are going to examine a different aspect of it! If you search “Hatshepsut” or “Vatican Museum,” you will be able to see my previous posts on this beautiful stela 𓎗𓅱𓆓𓉸!

This sandstone 𓂋𓅱𓂧𓏏𓌗𓈙 stela 𓎗𓅱𓆓𓉸 depicts Hatshepsut 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓎹𓏏𓄂𓏏𓀼𓏪 and Thutmosis III 𓇳𓏠𓆣 during their joint reign. Hatshepsut 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓎹𓏏𓄂𓏏𓀼𓏪 is wearing the blue (khepresh) crown 𓆣𓂋𓈙𓋙 and is making an offering of nemset jars 𓏌𓏌𓏌 to the god 𓊹 Amun-Ra 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓇳𓏺. Thutmosis III 𓇳𓏠𓆣 is wearing the White Crown 𓄤𓋑 of Upper Egypt 𓇓! 

The stela 𓎗𓅱𓆓𓉸 was meant to commemorate restoration works in West Thebes 𓌀𓏏𓊖! Many pharaohs 𓉐𓉻𓏦 would restore the work of previous rulers 𓈎𓏏𓋾𓏪 to demonstrate their own power and to honor the gods 𓊹𓊹𓊹, not to honor the previous pharaohs 𓉐𓉻𓏦! 

Another reason why restoring previous works and building lots of new buildings (which Hatshepsut 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓎹𓏏𓄂𓏏𓀼𓏪 did early in her reign 𓈎𓏏𓋾), was so significant was because it meant the name 𓂋𓈖 of the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 (in this case, Hatshepsut) would live on since the names were part of the buildings’ inscriptions 𓏟𓏛𓏥. All of these new projects also impressed upon the common people the economic prosperity of the Hatshepsut’s 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓎹𓏏𓄂𓏏𓀼𓏪 regime. This was important for her to demonstrate immediately because she was not only a female 𓊃𓏏𓂑𓏏𓁐 ruler 𓈎𓏏𓋾, but she kind of pushed Thutmosis III 𓇳𓏠𓆣 to the side and named herself the legitimate pharaoh 𓉐𓉻. 

Categories
Reading Hieroglyphs

How to Read a Three-Symbol Cartouche

Let’s read some hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪! 

When I was first starting to learn to read hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪, the cartouches of the pharaohs 𓉐𓉻𓏦 were some of the first things I learned how to read and recognize! Learning the cartouches allowed me to become familiar with the different uniliteral, biliteral, and triliteral signs! By remembering the signs/meanings of the hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 associated with the names 𓂋𓈖𓏥 of the pharaohs 𓉐𓉻𓏦, I was able to then expand my knowledge using the Book of the Dead transliteration/translation!

A lot of the New Kingdom pharaohs 𓉐𓉻𓏦 had simple three 𓏼 symbol throne name cartouches, which sometimes takes some practice to read because of the order of the symbols! For the three symbol cartouches, usually (not always) the symbols were read “Middle-Right-Left” or “Middle-Bottom-Top” depending on the orientation of the hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪.

For example, Hatshepsut’s throne name of (𓇳𓁦𓂓) would be read “Maatkare” (Maat 𓁦 ka 𓂓 re 𓇳) and the throne name of Thutmosis III (𓇳𓏠𓆣) would be read “Menkhepherre” (Men 𓏠 kheper 𓆣 re 𓇳). 

While to most this is just a piece of wood 𓆱𓏏𓏺, to me this is significant because this piece of wood 𓆱𓏏𓏺 is inscribed with the cartouche of the throne name of the 19th Dynasty pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 Seti I!

So in this picture 𓏏𓅱𓏏, Seti I’s cartouche reads (𓁦𓏠𓇳) or “Menmaatre” (Men 𓏠 maat 𓁦 re 𓇳), however, in most inscriptions 𓏟𓏛𓏥 his cartouche is written as (𓇳𓁦𓏠)! A lot of people will translate his name as “Maatmenre” (Maat 𓁦 men 𓏠 re 𓇳) because of the way it is written. So as you can see, the orientation of the three 𓏼 symbols definitely changes and can be confusing to a beginner! I have seen both Menmaatre and Maatmenre used in published books, but if we are going to get technical, the translation of Menmaatre (Eternal is the Truth of Re) makes a little more sense than Maatmenre (Truth is the Eternal of Re). 

I chose to use Seti I’s 𓇳𓁦𓏠 cartouche for this example because Nonno loved Seti I 𓇳𓁦𓏠!

Categories
Blog

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas 🎄 // Buon Natale! 🎄

This year for Christmas/Advent, my sister 𓌢𓈖𓏏𓁐 made our Mom 𓅐𓏏𓁐 an advent calendar of beautiful 𓄤 homemade ornaments for the Christmas tree 𓆭𓅓𓆭 using pictures 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓏦 from past Christmases! One of the pictures 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓏦 she chose was a picture 𓏏𓅱𓏏 of us at the MET with Hatshepsut 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓎹𓏏𓄂𓏏𓀼𓏪! This picture 𓏏𓅱𓏏 definitely qualifies as “Christmas Themed” because my sister 𓌢𓈖𓏏𓁐 is wearing a Santa hat, plus this was actually taken during Christmas 2015! 

My Nonno loved Christmas and he loved spending Christmas together 𓈖𓊗 as a family 𓅕𓉔𓅱𓏏𓀀𓁐𓏦. Christmas 2019 was my Nonno’s last Christmas, and I’m so glad we got to spend it with him. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day (we celebrate both days) are very hard now that he isn’t here with us. I miss him so, so much. 

Let’s read some hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 – this time it will be Christmas 🎄 themed vocabulary! 

𓋴𓃀𓄿𓇼 – Star

𓆭𓅓𓆭 – Tree

𓄫𓂝𓏺 – Gift, Present

𓅐𓏏𓁐 – Mother 

𓈖𓐍𓈖𓀕 – Baby/Infant

𓌙𓏲𓏏𓅂𓏛𓋾 – Shepherd

𓄫𓄣𓏏/𓄫𓏏𓄣𓏺/𓄫𓄣𓏺/𓄫𓄣 – Joy, Happiness (Wide Heart)

𓉔𓂋𓏏𓏛 – Peace

𓉔𓈖𓇋𓄿𓏸𓏦 – Sweet Food

𓊃𓂋𓈎𓏲𓈗𓈘𓈇 – Snow

𓈖𓊗 – Together 

𓅕𓉔𓅱𓏏𓀀𓁐𓏦 – Family

From me 𓁐 and my family 𓅕𓉔𓅱𓏏𓀀𓁐𓏦 to yours, I hope you all have a joyful 𓄫𓄣𓏏, happy 𓄫𓄣𓏺, and Merry Christmas 🎄! 

Categories
Egyptian Artifacts

The Five-Pointed Egyptian Star

The star 𓋴𓃀𓄿𓇼 design is one of my absolute favorites to see. As someone who has always been fascinated by space and astronomy, I love how the Egyptians 𓆎𓏏𓀀𓁐𓏪 incorporated astronomical concepts not just into their language and religion, but into their art as well. I even have this star 𓋴𓃀𓄿𓇼 design as my phone case! 

This design appears on the ceilings of tombs 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐𓏪 (Seti I’s 𓊪𓏏𓎛𓁣𓇌𓌸𓈖 tomb 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐 comes to mind), temples 𓉟𓏏𓉐𓏪 (Hatshepsut’s 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓎹𓏏𓄂𓏏𓀼𓏪 temple 𓉟𓏏𓉐 at Deir el-Bahri 𓂦𓂋𓂦𓏥𓉐) and even on funerary objects 𓈎𓂋𓋴𓏏𓏏𓊭 like canopic jar cases! The star hieroglyphic 𓊹𓌃 symbol 𓇼 was used very frequently in words as well and there are different variations of star symbols (𓇻, 𓇽). 

Today 𓏇𓇋𓈖𓇳 I chose to highlight the star 𓋴𓃀𓄿𓇼 design because a five 𓏾 pointed star 𓇼, just like the hieroglyphic 𓊹𓌃 symbol, appeared over the manger in Bethlehem when Jesus was born and guided the Wise Men to his birthplace. Known as the “Christmas Star” or the “Star of Bethlehem,” this star 𓋴𓃀𓄿𓇼 was seen as a sign that the Messiah had been born. I have always loved Nativity scenes, and the symbolism behind the star 𓇼 shining above the Nativity. The star is even mentioned in The Bible: 

Matthew 2:9-10 : …and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.

I love this verse because I too feel overjoyed when I see stars 𓋴𓃀𓄿𓇼𓏪 – whether it’s the stars in the sky 𓆼𓅡𓋴𓇼𓇼𓇼, stars 𓋴𓃀𓄿𓇼𓏪 on top of Christmas Trees, stars 𓋴𓃀𓄿𓇼𓏪 on Egyptian art or in hieroglyphic 𓊹𓌃 inscriptions 𓏟𓏛𓏥. Stars 𓋴𓃀𓄿𓇼𓏪 are the light in the darkness – and I hope your holidays are filled with light and love. 

Merry Christmas Everyone / Buon Natale a Tutti!

🎄⭐️🎄

Categories
Blog Video

Video – Replica Statue of Rameses II

This little replica of the Rameses II 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓈘𓇳𓏺𓄟𓋴𓇓 statue 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾 from the Museo Egizio in Torino was given to me by my Nonno, and I love it so much!

You can read more about this beautiful 𓄤 statue 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾 in my post about it!

Here is a picture 𓏏𓅱𓏏 to show you where Rameses II 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓈘𓇳𓏺𓄟𓋴𓇓 (and a replica ushabti 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾 figure, also from the Museo Egizio) sits on my bookshelf!