Download UNIT III

Ancient Egypt 1
UNIT 2
ANCIENT EGYPT
I.
INTRODUCTION
A. When you think of ancient Egypt, what comes to mind?
II.
THE NILE AND EGYPT
A. The world’s longest river – it flows northward toward the
Mediterranean Sea for 4100 miles --- longer than the distance from
NJ to CA!
1. Herodotus – The Greek historian said that “Egypt was the
gift of the Nile.”
B. Upper and Lower Egypt
1. For most of their history ancient Egyptians knew only the
lower part of the Nile – the last 750 miles before it empties
into the sea.
2. Upper Egypt (think UP river and thus to the south) – a
skinny strip of land never more than 12 miles wide.
3. Lower Egypt (began about 100 miles before the rivere
reached the Mediterranean Sea. At that point, branches of
the river fanned out to form the Nile Delta. The Nile Delta
covers an area of about 14,500 square miles.
C. The Nile as a Transportation Link
1. Northbound – the current moves ships along
2. Southbound – the prevailing winds push the sails of ship
3. Benefited the commerce of Egyptian cities
D. The Nile flood – “Egypt is the gift of the Nile.”
1. Rainfall in Central Africa and melting snows from the
Ethiopian highlands caused the Nile to flood each year,
reaching its highest point in Egypt by the end of August. The
average flood measured 25 feet high, enough to flood the
whole valley up to the desert. When the waters receded, the
soaked earth was covered with a fresh deposit of rich, dark,
silt.
a. Kemet – Egyptians actually called their homeland Kemet,
meaning “The Black.” In contrast, they referred to the
desert as Deshret, meaning “The Red.”
E. Worshipping the Nile
1. Hapy – The Egyptians worshipped the Nile as a god they
called Hapy. Hapy gave them life and seldom turned against
them. Thus, the Egyptians were careful to observe all the
rituals that were supposed to please Hapy and keep Egypt
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safe. In a religious festival on the Nile’s banks, they sang:
“Hail to thee, O Nile, that issues from the earth and comes to
keep Egypt alive.”
F. From villages to a united kingdom
1. Farm villages – Egyptians lived in farm villages as far back
as 6000 BCE
2. Nomes – eventually the villages united into agricultural
districts called nomes. Each nome had its own rituals, gods
and chieftain.
3. Two kingdoms – by 3200 BCE, the nomes of Egypt were
divided into two groups under two kings. One king ruled
Lower Egypt and wore a red crown. The other king ruled
Upper Egypt and wore a tall white crown shaped like a
bowling pin.
4. Menes united Upper and Lower Egypt
a. Strong-willed king of Upper Egypt
b. United Egypt about 3100 BCE
c. Established his capital in the city of Memphis, at the
spot where Lower and Upper Egypt converged.
5. Palette of Narmer
a. Commemorates how Narmer (aka Menes) unified of
Upper and Lower Egypt
b. Palettes were used to mix black eye make-up. This black
eye liner protected the eyes from the sun.
c. Palette of Narmer was most likely a ceremonial palette
and not used for this everyday purpose
d. One of the earliest surviving works in Egyptian art
(3150 BCE)
e. The palette is carved in bas relief.
f. The images are arranged in registers.
g. The sculptor used hierarchical scale. Naturally, Narmer
is the largest figure.
h. Narmer is shown on Side A wearing the crown of Upper
Egypt. He is shown subduing a defeated enemy who
probably represents Lower Egypt. Narmer holds him
by the hair, an act that symbolizes conquest and
domination.
i. The sandal bearer holds Narmer’s sandals indicating
that Narmer stands on holy ground and his acts are
sanctified by the gods. He is involved in a sacred act.
(Recall that God told Moses to remove his shoes before
He appeared to Moses as the burning bush)
j. The top register depicts Hathor twice (pronounced
hattor) – the goddess of the heavens and protector of the
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k.
l.
m.
n.
o.
pharaoh’s family and has Narmer’s serekh (name in
hieroglyphics) in the center
The bottom register shows two more enemies fleeing
from all-powerful Narmer.
The hawk is the god Horus, a powerful sky god and
associated with the pharaohs. He holds a creature with
a human’s head and six papyrus blossoms symbolizing
Lower Egypt.
On Side B, Narmer is again barefoot. He walks in a
procession to inspect the decapitated bodies of the
enemy. Note his is now wearing the crown of Lower
Egypt. The artist gives you an aerial view of the scene
for clarity of the story. Optical realism would show only
some of the bodies. This view gives you more
information --- A great number of enemy soldiers have
been killed.
Narmer is shown twice on Side B. On the bottom
register, he is depicted as a horned bull trampling his
enemy and attacking a city.
In the center register, there are two creatures which are
sometimes called “serpopards,” because of their leopard
bodies but serpentine necks.
p. Why are their necks intertwined?
q. What was the purpose of the Palette of Narmer? What
are three ways it conveyed its message?
III.
Organizing Egyptian History
A. How did the ancient Egyptians organize their history?
1. Manetho, a fourth century BCE Egyptian priest, divided the
history into 30 dynasties or royal families.
2. Archaeologists use Manetho’s list of pharaohs, other
inscriptions in temples and royal burial sites, and solar
calendars to date recorded events and place the pharaohs in
correct chronological order
3. The research is still ongoing, and the history changes. This is
currently the best we know.
B. Periods of Egyptian History
1. Predynastic Period – 3300 – 2960 BCE
2. Early Dynastic Period (Dynasties 1-2) 2960 – 2649 BCE
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3. OLD KINGDOM (Dynasties 3-6) 2649 – 2150 BCE
4. First Intermediate Period (Dynasties 7-11) 2143 – 1991 BCE
5. MIDDLE KINGDOM (Dynasties 12-14) 1991 – 1700 BCE
6. Second Intermediate Period (Dynasties 15-17) 1640 – 1550
BCE
7. NEW KINGDOM (Dynasties 18-20) 1550 – 1070 BCE
8. Third Intermediate Period (Dynasties 21-25) 1070 – 660 BCE
9. Late Dynastic Period (Dynasties 26-30) 688 – 342 BCE
10. Ptolemaic Period (after Alexander the Great visited –
governed by one of his generals) 332 – 30 BCE
11. Roman province
IV.
OLD KINGDOM
A. Power of the pharaohs
1. Pharaohs were gods in human form. Were worshipped as
gods after their death as well.
2. They ruled according to the principle of Maat, the goddess of
truth – The pharaohs could not intentionally rule badly
without being judged by her. Her symbol was the feather.
3. The pharaoh’s had full responsibility for Egypt’s well-being
B. Immortality for the pharaoh
1. The ka – Egyptians believed that their pharaoh lived on after
death. He had an eternal spirit called a ka. The ka was
believed to be part of the soul. Gods as well as people each
had a ka. A person’s ka accompanied him or her throughout
life and provided guidance after death.
C. Mummies
1. Even though the ka was a spirit, it needed to refresh itself
occasionally by entering its human body. Thus the Egyptians
preserved the pharaoh’s body by making it a mummy.
2. By 3000 BCE, Egyptians developed a 72-day process of
mummification
a. First step removal of the internal organs, except for the
heart, which was believed to be the seat of
understanding. The heart would be removed by Anubis,
jackal god associated with mummification, to be
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b.
c.
d.
e.
weighed for the judgment of your soul. The brain was
discarded.
The body was then packed in dry natron (a natural
compound of sodium carbonate and bicarbonate),
which dehydrated the cadaver and dissolved its fats.
This took many days.
The corpse was then washed, treated with oils, and
ointments, and bandaged with as many as 20 layers of
linen in a way that conformed with its original shape.
The substances applied to its skin caused the body to
turn black. Later travelers took this to mean that the
body had been preserved with pitch (tar). The Arab
term for pitch is mumiya – hence the English name
mummy.
No less important was the preservation of the internal
organs, which were removed and also mummified. They
were then placed into four CANOPIC JARS. These
canopic jars were discovered with the mummies and
have the animal head images of various gods. Even
these are considered art – a type of funerary sculpture.
D. Old Kingdom architecture – The Pyramids
1. Introduction – Pyramids were monumental expressions of
the pharaoh’s power and the Egyptian belief in the afterlife
2. MASTABAS – These box-like structures preceded the
pyramids. Named after the Arabic word for “bench.” These
were single-story, trapezoidal structures with a shaft and
burial chamber below ground. There was another groundlevel chamber with a statue of the deceased, to which family
members could bring offerings of food and drink.
3. STEPPED PYRAMID OF DJOSER at Saqqara
a. Built by IMHOTEP, history’s first known architect (his
name is recorded as the builder inside the pyramid).
Imhotep became a legendary figure in ancient Egypt
revered for his wisdom as a magician, astronomer, and
healer. The movie “The Mummy” is based on him. He
was worshipped as a god by an Egyptian cult.
b. It is 200 feet tall and seems to be composed of a series of
mastabas of diminishing size
c. Its purpose was to: protect the mummified King Djoser
and his possessions; symbolize King Djoser’s absolute
and god-like power; a small temple stood on the side of
the pyramid for priests to perform funerary rituals for
Djoser
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d. This step pyramid was built in Saqqara, the necropolis
(city of the dead) of the city of Memphis, the capital at
the time.
e. The Saqqara complex is also significant – It contains the
first known use of columns! The columns are
ENGAGED – attached to the building. The CAPITAL
(tops of the columns) are shaped like lotus leaves
(sacred for the afterlife and symbolic of Upper Egypt)
and papyrus (symbolic of Lower Egypt).
f. To demonstrate his fitness during his lifetime, King
Djoser had to run a lap around the whole complex.
4. Pyramids at Gizeh
a. About 80 pyramids were built
b. The three at Gizeh are the most famous. The largest
was built for Khufu. It is called “The Great Pyramid”
and is the only surviving Wonder of the Ancient World
that we know so far. The other two were built for his
successors, his son Khafre, and grandson Menkaure.
5. The Great Pyramid
a. Original height was 480 feet, equal to a 40-story
building
b. Its square base had sides of 755 feet and occupies 13
acres, equal to 10 New York City blocks
c. It is comprised of 2.3 million blocks of stone and
estimated to have a total weight of 6.5 million tons!
d. Built for Pharaoh Khufu
E. Old Kingdom sculpture
1. The Sphinx
a. Largest colossal statue of the ancient Near East –
monumental size symbolized the power of the pharaoh
b. Carved out of stone from a quarry
c. Probably a colossal statue Khafre (Khufu’s son) but
may be Khufu himself
d. A sphinx was a lion with a human head; sphinxes were
associated with the sun god. Pharaohs were associated
with the sun god.
e. Guardian figure --- head of a human for intelligence;
body of lion for power and authority(king of beasts)
f. Face was damaged by Napoleon’s soldiers during his
expedition to Egypt
2. Pharaoh Khafre from Gizeh – ca. 2500 BCE
a. Purpose:
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1. Alternate dwelling place for the ka if the mummy
should deteriorate too much
2. Found in his funerary temple, offerings of food and
drink were made to it. Egyptians believed that
priests could make this statue come to life.
3. The strict adherence to the Egyptian CANON – a set
of rules for depicting the appearance of individuals
b. Form
1. Designed to last forever.
2. Carved out of DIORITE, one of the hardest known
stones.
3. The body appendages are carved close to the torso
and throne so that no parts will break off.
4. Designed to show his power and authority. One
hand is clenched on his lap and the other is laid flat
on his knee. It is a very rigid pose that was used for
important people. His body is erect, idealized and
not natural (would an older many usually be this
built?) Egyptians followed these conventions and
canons to depict important figures.
5. He wears the nemes headdress (a special headdress
to show his pharaoh). Also, it serves to make him
look more monumental and important.
6. Important symbols: Horus (the falcon, sky god, and
protector of the pharaoh) spreads his wings behind
Khafre’s head and intertwined plants on the side of
the throne to symbolize his authority over Upper
and Lower Egypt.
7. Khafre is carved closely connected to his throne (no
spaces were carved out of the stone to separate his
body from the throne). This symbolically links him
to the throne of Egypt.
3. Pharaoh Menkaure and Queen Khamerernebty
a. This serene and idealized royal image is one of the finest
pieces of Egyptian sculpture known. It is 4 feet, 6 inches
high. The statue is located in the Museum of Fine Arts
in Boston.
b. Made of stone, its surface subtly modeled and gives a
very real sense of bodily form and structure.
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c. Menkaure assumes the classic pose for high-ranking
men in Egyptian art, striding forward, his left leg
advanced, arms rigid and by his side, with an idealized
body type.
d. The queen has her arm around him, clasping him in a
traditional gesture of intimacy and respect. Her foot is
also striding forward but not as far as his (lower
position of women). She is rendered more
naturalistically; she has more curves and a little more
expression than Menkaure.
e. The royal couple shows no other sign of affection or
emotion and look not at each other but out into space.
Royal portraits must adhere to the strict canon of
Egyptian art.
4. Seated Scribe (Kay?) from his mastaba at Saqqara, Egypt
a. Less monumental and permanent – just 23 inches high,
made from painted limestone
b. Spaces between the arms and body
c. Not idealized – note the pot belly and flabby pectoral
muscles
d. Does not follow the strict canon of appearance – a sense
of personality in his face
e. Must have had a higher status because he had his own
tomb
f. In position to do his responsibility even in the afterlife;
he is a scribe or keeper of written records.
5. Ka-Aper, from his mastaba at Saqqara
a. Carved out of wood --- it has cracks in it
b. Note the spaces
c. A sense of expression when looking at his face
d. Still a conventional pose – one foot striding forward
e. Probably a noble – a tall walking stick in his left hand, a
baton (missing) in his right
f. Note his paunchy build – contrasts with Khafre’s and
Menkaure’s idealized muscular statues – his build may
symbolize that he led the comfortable life of a noble –
obesity was common for non-royal Old Kingdom
portraits.
F. Old Kingdom Tomb Painting
1. Purpose: Entertaining the ka in the afterlife. The deceased
wanted to be surrounded by familiar scenes:
work/responsibility, hunting, family, parties, and servants to
enjoy for eternity
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2. Location – on the walls of tombs, often combine bas relief
with painting
3. Ti watching a hippopotamus hunt, relief in the mastaba of Ti,
Saqqara, Egypt
a. Ti, his men, and his boats move slowly through the
marshes, hunting hippopotami in a dense growth of
papyrus
b. Foxes chase birds in the upper part of the relief
c. Below, the water is teeming with fish and hippopotami
d. Compare Ti to his men.
e. Ti is twice their size. The men are frantically hunting
while he stands there in a rigid pose reserved for
someone important
f. Can be interpreted in different ways. Hunting
hippopotami was compared to conquering the forces of
evil.
g. Note the conventional, Egyptian depiction
a. Ti is shown partially in profile (his face, legs, and
feet)
b. Partially frontal – torso, two arms are shown,
frontal eye
c. Slight turn at the waist to transition to legs in
profile – shows his navel
d. Artists used a canon of proportions. This stayed
fairly consistent (some minor changes, a shortlived period of big change) over thousands of
years
4. Goats treading seed and cattle fording a canal, painted relief
from the tomb of Ti
V.
The Middle Kingdom
A. About 2150 BCE, Egyptians revolted against their pharaohs and there
was a period of localized rule. This period, called the First
Intermediate period, lasted for a little over a hundred years.
B. A pharaoh reunited Egypt under one government again about 2040
BCE. This reunification was called the Middle Kingdom.
C. Fragmentary head of Senusret III
1. Notice how his face is more expressive than seated statue of
Khafre or Menkaure from the Old Kingdom.
2. Notice his eyebrows, the outline of his mouth, and his
expression
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3. He fought four brutal military campaigns against the
Nubians, a group of people south of Egypt. Senusret III never
fully gained control of Nubia
D. Nobles begin to build rock-cut tombs in cliffs
E. Pyramids are plundered (pharaohs of New Kingdom followed the
example of the nobles and built rock-cut tombs for the afterlife.
HOMEWORK due:
Read Annotated Mona Lisa (AML) – pp. 8 – 11
Egyptian Masterpieces of the Metropolitan Museum of Art
 Read about each work of art below.
Quiz worth 20 points!
Directions:
1. Go to http://www.metmuseum.org and click on “enter here”
2. Click on the Permanent Collection link on the left.
3. Scroll down and click on Egyptian Art
4. Click on Collection Highlights
5. Click on, view, and read about the following works:
a. Tomb of Perneb (page 1)
b. Statue of an Offering Bearer (page 2)
c. Model of a River Boat (page 2)
e. Statuette of a Hippopotamus (page 3)
f. Seated Statue of Hatshepsut (page 4)
g. Fragmentary Head of a Queen (page 5)
h. Akhenaton Sacrificing a Duck (page 6)
i. Canopic Jar in the Shape of a Royal Woman’s Head (page 6)
j. Haremhab as a Scribe (page 6)
k.Temple of Dendur (page 9)
l. Portrait of a Boy (page 9)
VI.
NEW KINGDOM
A. Middle Kingdom broke down
1. Hyksos (people from Syria and Mesopotamia) invaded Egypt
2. Introduced the horse to Egypt
3. Overthrown by Ahmose I, first king of the 18th Dynasty
4. Begins the New Kingdom
B. Egypt at its peak
1. Vigorous rulers
a. Hatshepsut (1473-1458 BCE) – first famous female
pharaoh
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b. Thutmose III (1458-1425 BCE) – great conqueror who
expanded Egyptian influence
c. Akhenaton (1353-1335 BCE) – religious iconoclast are
artistic innovator
d. Tutankhamen (1333-1323 BCE) – tomb discovered in
1922
e. Ramses II (1290-1224 BCE) – ruled for 67 years, father
of over 50 sons (he had 8 official wives) and built
gigantic statues of himself
C. New Capital at Thebes
D. Pylon Temples (Temple of Amen-Re, Karnak, Egypt)
1. Diagram and Parts
a. Avenue of deities (a walkway lined with statues of gods,
often in animal form)
b. Obelisks – tall, tapering four-sided pillars ending in a
pointed tip called a pyramidion
c. Colossal statues of the pharaoh
d. Pylon – sloping towers or gateways flanking the
entrance to the temple (like the front wall of the temple)
146 feet high, 50 feet thick!) Most commoners could
never go beyond this point.
e. Courtyard – farthest point nobles could venture into the
temple on special holidays
f. HYPOSTYLE HALL – a hall with a roof supported by
a row of columns
a. Supported by post-and-lintel construction
b. CLERESTORY – row of windows in the upper
part of a wall
g. Sanctuary – only the pharaoh and the priests could
enter. Here the priests washed the god’s statue every
morning and clothed it with a new garment. Twice
every day they provided it with tempting meals.
E. QUEEN/PHARAOH HATSHEPSUT (1479-1458 BCE)
1. Introduction
a. Daughter of Thutmose I and wife and half-sister of
Thutmose II
b. When Thutmose II died, his twelve-year old son,
Thutmose III was too young to rule
c. Around 1479 BCE, Hatshepsut became a regent for her
stepson/nephew but soon exerted her right to succeed
her father and rule Egypt
d. First great female monarch whose name was recorded
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e. Her strong character and political acumen (mental skill
and sharpness) contributed to her success
2. Artistic Achievements
a. Statues at the Met
1. over 200 statues carved
2. Show her as a male figure, a sphinx, and feminine
mother figure --- Why this different personas?
3. Hatshepsut with offering jars, from upper court of
her mortuary temple at Deir-el-Bahri
4. Mix of male and female attributes
5. Her statues were destroyed during the reign of
Thutmose III
6. Skillfully reassembled and restored at the MET
b. Terraced Funerary Temple at Deir-el-Bahri
1. Work of SENMUT, Hatshepsut’s chancellor,
advisor, chief architect, guardian of her daughter
Princess Nefrua and possible lover!
2. Rises from the valley in 3 colonnaded terraces
connected by ramps (these columns were also
destroyed during the reign of Thutmose III)
3. Inner sanctuary is located inside the cliff
4. Painted reliefs on the walls constitute the first great
pictorial tribute to a woman’s achievement in the
history of art
F. AKHENATON (1353-1335 BCE) and the AMARNA style
1. Introduction
a. Fascinating religious reformer and iconoclast
b. A new style of art
2. The Religious Reformer
a. Akhenaton made the new and shocking claim that the
sun-disk god, Aton, was the only true god
b. Changed his name from Amenhotep IV to Akhenaton
(follower of Aton)
c. Moved the capital from Thebes to Tell-el-Amarna. Built
a glorious new city their dedicated to Aton.
d. Challenged the power of the priests. Akhenaton ordered
the religious cults that worshipped the cat-god, the
crocodile god, the baboon-god, and all other gods to
shut down their temples and worship only Aton.
e. How did Egypt react to such drastic changes?
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3. Artistic Reforms
a. Old Style
a. Meant to last for eternity
b. Function was to embody the ka of a royal person
c. Rigid, formal posture – arms at sides, fists
clenched, left leg forward, little or no emotion,
looking out into eternity
d. Perfect physique – no deformities, fitting for a
person of importance
b. Examples of the Amarna Style
a. Statue of Akhenaton
b. Queen Tiye (Akhenaton’s mother)
c. Smenkare (was a co-regent with Akhenaton) and
Meritaten
d. Bust of Nefertiti (Akhenaton’s queen)
Beautiful wife with whom he had six daughters
c. Characteristics of the Amarna Style
a. Curvilinear body types, not erect and rigid
b. Elongated heads
c. Long necks and thin arms
d. Wide hips and legs
e. A paunch
f. More naturalistic approach – full lips, heavylidded eyes, and more expression
g. New androgynous image of the pharaoh as the
manifestation of Aton, the sexless sun disk
4. What happened to Akhenaton and his reforms?
a. The priests reluctantly complied with the
reforms during Akhenaton’s reign. After his
death, Egypt reverted back to its previous
beliefs.
b. The next pharaoh, Tutankhamen reinstated
Amen as the chief deity as well as the priestly
hierarchy and worship of other gods.
c. Revival of the traditional artistic styles
d. Tell-el-Amarna abandoned; capital returned to
Thebes
e. Akhenaton’s tomb has been identified, but only
recently have archaeologists identified his
mummy. It seems that later rulers attempted to
eradicate traces of this time period.
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G. Tutankhamen (r. 1333-123 BCE)
1. Life and times
a. The son of Akhenaton and young woman (possibly
Akhenaton’s other wife Kiya).
b. Kiya died in the 12th year of Akhenaton’s reign, the
same year that King Tut was born. It is possible she was
his mother and died in childbirth. King Tut permitted
his nurse to construct an opulent tomb for herself next
to his. Maybe, she became a mother figure.
c. Guided by relatives to move the capital back to Thebes
d. Changed his name from Tut Ankh Aton to Tut Ankh
Amen – Why?
e. Reinstated the worship of Amen as the top god
f. Died when he was 18 or 19 (reason why is still
uncertain). Had a painful deformity of the foot and
broke is leg later (could have fallen while walking or
from his chariot) – Could have died of an infection
g. Is now Egypt’s most famous pharaoh but why?
2. The Valley of the Kings
a. Opposite Luxor, 400 miles south of modern Cairo
b. Five miles west of the Nile
3. Howard Carter
a. Lord Carnavon – Carter’s wealthy patron
b. Five futile years of searching
c. “The glint of gold” (November 26, 1922)
a. At first I could see nothing…but presently as my
eyes grew accustomed to the light, details of the
room within emerged slowly from the mist,
strange animals, statues, and gold – everywhere
the glint of gold.”
4. The Treasures of King Tut’s Tomb
a. The treasures of Tutankhamon are located in the
Egyptian Museum in Cairo. Let’s look at some of
the most famous objects.
b. Over 5,000 objects
c. A lotus flower surmounted by a King Tut’s head
(being born into the afterlife)
d. The young pharaoh’s chair
e. The golden throne
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f. Canopic coffinettes
g. Selket – the goddess protector. “These four
goddesses shall be your flesh, exterminating
those who come against you.”
h. Three nested coffins
i. Innermost coffin – solid gold and weighs 243 lbs.
j. Death mask of Tutankhamon
i. REPOUSSE technique – hammering the
material (usually metal) from the inside to
create a design on the outside
ii. Notice traces of the Amarna style
k. Mummified fetuses – unclear why they are there
– Attempts to have children?
l. Many walking staffs, more than any other
pharaoh’s tomb – Why?
m. Wooden chest
i. Portrays Tut as a warrior in his chariot
shooting down the enemy like wild game
ii. Probably was too young to be a warrior
pharaoh but this appropriate for someone
of his status
iii. Three tiers of his soldiers are in chariots
behind him, much smaller (hierarchical
scale, shows many soldiers)
H. Egyptian painting
1. Usually painted pictures of scenes from life on the walls of
tombs to entertain the ka
2. Painted scenes in BOOKS OF THE DEAD, scrolls with
spells and incantations to guide the ka through the after life
3. Examples:
a. Last Judgment of Hu-Nefer
1. Hu-Nefer was a royal scribe and steward of
the pharaoh Seti I
2. The scene is part of a papyrus scroll found in
his tomb that was part of his BOOK OF THE
DEAD
3. At left, Anubis, jackal-headed god associated
with embalming leads the ka of Hu-Nefer
toward the Weighing of the Heart ceremony.
4. Hu-Nefer’s heart is being weighed against a
feather representing Maat, goddess of truth.
5. If his heart is lighter than the feather, HuNefer will proceed into the afterlife
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6. If the weighing is unfavorable, Ammit, a half
hippo/half lion monster will devour HuNefer’s heart
7. Egyptian pantheon of gods observes
proceedings
8. Thoth- god of scribes records the
proceedings.
9. Horus – son of Osiris, brings Hu-Nefer to
meet Osiris, god of the underworld. Osiris is
flanked by his sisters Isis and Nephthys.
10. Hu-Nefer hopes to receive the award of
eternal life
11. Notice that the scene lacks the stylistic
features of the Amarna period. The rigidity
of the figures, the lack of emotion represents
the return to the conservative Egyptian style
of art.
b. Fowling scene from Nebamun’s tomb
a. PURPOSE: to entertain Nebamun’s ka
b. Nebamun was a scribe and took inventory of
grain during the 18th Dynasty
c. This scene shows Nebamun taking some
recreation time. He is about to throw a stick at a
flock of birds while he stands on his papyrus
boat
d. The painting is a fragment from a wall which
also included a scene of Nebamun spear-fishing.
The tip of his spear can be seen entering the
water in the lower left hand corner.
e. His wife, Hatshepsut (not the pharaoh), is behind
him dressed in elegant clothing and his daughter
sits between his legs
f. A cat jumps up and bites one of the birds and a
duck sits on the corner of his boat
g. Painting may be more than just a fowling scene.
There are symbols that include sexual love for
his wife and there are references to the afterlife
and rebirth.
VII.
LATE PERIOD
A. Egyptian power declined
1. Alexander the Great of Macedon invaded Egypt and was
proclaimed a god. His general Ptolemy took Egypt after
Alexander’s death and established the Ptolemaic line.
Ancient Egypt 17
Cleopatra and her brother were the last pharaohs of the
Ptolemaic line.
2. Romans conquered Egypt under Octavian (Caesar Augustus)
when they defeated Mark Antony and Cleopatra’s forces at
the Battle of Actium
3. Egypt style and architecture still remained prominent in the
Roman Empire (many obelisks were taken to decorate the
Roman Empire
B. Consistency of Egyptian Art
1. Mentuemhet from Karnak, Egypt
a. Rich and powerful man who was mayor of Thebes
during the 26th Dynasty
b. Notice his stiff, upright stance, compact pose, little
space between limbs, one foot striding forward,
frontality of the pose