DOCSLIB.ORG

King Tut Found! Opened, Everything Was As It Had He Learned About Archaeology Been the Day He Was Entombed

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text

Load more

1922, in the Valley of the Kings— entists went to Egypt to excavate an area of Egypt near Cairo where ancient sites. Carter worked with numerous tombs have been dis- several different archaeologists covered. When Tutankhamun’s and was praised for his sketch burial chambers were finally work. Through this introduction, King Tut Found! opened, everything was as it had he learned about archaeology been the day he was entombed. and became even more interest- The mask made of gold is only Today, Tutankhamun’s gold ed in ancient Egyptian culture. one of numerous treasures bur- By 1907, a wealthy Englishman mask is an iconic symbol of an- ied with the young king. named Lord Carnarvon hired cient Egypt. King Tut, as he is Howard Carter was born in 1874 Carter to lead excavations in known, was young when he be- in London. Carter’s father was a Egypt. Carnarvon was also fasci- came pharaoh, and he did not well-connected artist. Through nated with ancient Egypt. An aris- live long. As a result, his fame his father’s work painting a fa- tocrat, he provided the financial as a ruler was minor. Why, then, mous Egyptologist, Carter grew backing for the meticulous, or is his image on the golden mask interested in the ancient culture. painstaking, work required to ex- so recognizable? Tutankhamun is Like his father, young Carter was cavate a site. Archaeological work famous today because when his artistic. Using family connections, is slow and precise, and it requires tomb was discovered, it was filled at seventeen Carter headed to a team of people. They must pa- with riches. Unlike other ancient Egypt to sketch artifacts for ar- tiently dig through sand, rock, or Egyptian tombs, his had not been chaeologists as a record of their earth in hope of finding artifacts. robbed. Archaeologist and Egyp- findings. With the British occu- Success can take a long time; thus tologist Howard Carter found pation of Egypt in the late nine- it is expensive to finance an exca- King Tut’s tomb on November 4, teenth century, many British sci- continued > Valley of the Kings M ean Se ISRAEL editerran a N A Ramesses IV D R N O Cairo J Son of Ramesses III SAUDI Yuya and Thuya ARABIA Merenptah Ramesses II EGYPT N Ramesses IX i LIBYA le Tutankhamun Sons of Ramesses II Ramesses V/VI Ramesses IX R Horemheb e Valley of the Kings d R S Ramesses I i v e a e Amenhotep II r Seti I Ramesses X Ramesses 11 Bey Political Border SUDAN Siptah Hatshepsut Thutmose I Mentuherkepshef Seti II Thutmose IV Wife of Thutmose III Tomb entrances or Sennefer Valley of the Kings Thutmose II Geography News Network 10/28/16 © 2016 – 1 – from previous page > vation. Most royal sites in the Val- as the site for his burial, and the mense shrine covered with gold ley of the Kings had already been work to build his tomb began. It inlaid with brilliant blue faience discovered and excavated by the was common for many citizens of [ceramic]. This beautiful wooden late 1800s and early 1900s. How- ancient Egypt to plan their burial construction towers nearly to the ever, in 1914, Carnarvon received site during their lifetime, not just ceiling. .” royals. a license to dig at a site believed In the burial chamber, Tut was Although Lord Carnarvon had to be the resting place of the then found in a stone sarcophagus that received the license from the little-known pharaoh called Tut- contained three separate coffins, Egyptian government to dig there, ankhamun, in hope of making a nested each inside the next. The World War I had disrupted the new archaeological discovery. final coffin was made of solid gold progress. Money was running low Tutankhamun became pharaoh with the mummy of the pharaoh and Carnarvon had grown disap- during the New Kingdom period of still inside. Altogether, there were pointed in Carter. He gave him an Egyptian history. He inherited the thousands of artifacts within his ultimatum, or a last warning, that throne when he was only about tomb. Howard Carter and Lord this season would have to be the nine years old. His rule lasted Carnarvon had indeed made the last. Work at the site resumed. from about 1332 to 1323 b.c. Tu- archaeological discovery of a life- On November 4, 1922, a worker tankhamun is believed to have time. using a stick in the sand to scour been the son of Pharaoh Akhenat- Today, many of the artifacts the site discovered what appeared en, based on recent DNA tests. At Carter found are on display at to be a step. He called Carter over. the time Tut became king, Egypt the Museum of Egyptian Antiqui- The steps the worker found led had just endured Akhenaten’s ties in Cairo, Egypt. Objects from down to a door. With an unbroken reign. During his rule, Akhenaten Tutankhamun’s tomb have also seal on the door, the Egyptologist been shown in touring exhibits outlawed the civilization’s tradi- had high hopes for this find. Until tional polytheistic religion—one throughout the world. Notably, Carter set foot in the first cham- as a diplomatic gift to the United that worships many gods. Instead, ber, no one had disturbed the site he instilled a new, monotheistic States in 1976, for the country’s in the over three thousand years bicentennial, the Egyptian govern- religion based on worshipping since Tut’s death. On November one god, a sun god called Aten. He ment helped organize one of the 26, Carter and Carnarvon en- most well-known tours of King Tut spent Egypt’s vast wealth building tered the tomb. It was filled with a new capital called Amarna, while artifacts. golden objects, art, statues, and Modern DNA analysis of Tut- ignoring political problems such more. The walls were painted with as maintaining the vast kingdom’s ankhamun shows that he was a huge scenes. Large figures of god- frail king. He had several strains borders. The empire was in near desses stood guard. There was of malaria and a bone disease that chaos. much to go through and catalog. gave him a deformed left foot. He When Tut became pharaoh, he They did not reach the innermost likely had to walk with assistance, was too young to rule. He had an chamber with the sarcophagus and his tomb did include canes, administration to provide leader- that contained Tut’s mummy until or walking sticks, among the ar- ship. They ended the new religion February 16, 1923. tifacts. His parents were brother and restored the empire’s tradi- An observer of the events re- and sister, which likely contrib- tional polytheistic beliefs. Ama- porting by telegram for the New uted to his genetic disorders and rna was no longer the capital. The York Times described the scene of frailty, although this practice of new, young pharaoh changed his first opening the inner chamber. inbreeding was not unusual at the name to symbolize this restora- “The process of opening this door- time in ancient Egypt. Scientists tion. He had been known as Tu- way, bearing the royal insignia and believe that the embalming pro- tankhaten, which meant “living guarded by the protective stat- cess used for royalty—which was image of Aten,” but he became utes of the King, had taken sev- of a higher quality and quantity Tutankhamun, to honor Amun in- eral hours of careful manipulation than that used for the rest of the stead. Amun was one of the tra- under the intense heat. It finally population—was especially help- ditional religion’s most powerful ended in a wonderful revelation, gods. for before the spectators was the ful in preserving Tutankhamun’s From studying his mummy, sci- resplendent [magnificent] mauso- DNA and that of his royal family entists believe Tutankhamun was leum of the King, a spacious and for study thousands of years after about nineteen when he died. beautifully decorated chamber their deaths. He picked the Valley of the Kings completely occupied by an im- continued > – 2 – Today, regardless of his frailty, because of the splendors buried icon of the riches and history of his young age, or his modest rule, with him in his tomb. His face on ancient Egypt. he is known throughout the world the golden mask has become an CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS PRACTICE ACTIVITIES AND QUESTIONS Describing: If you were the first to enter Tut’s tomb, how might you describe what was found there? Con- duct research to see examples of the artifacts from his tomb, to help you answer. Explaining: Why are archaeological digs expensive? Inferring: Why were scientists interested in studying King Tut’s DNA? Drawing Conclusions: Why is King Tut famous? Brought to you by Geography News Network. October 28, 2016 #210. SOURCES http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/entrance-to-king-tuts-tomb-discovered http://www.biography.com/people/king-tut-9512446 http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/tutankhamun.shtml http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2016/03/160317-king-tut-tomb-hidden-chambers-radar-egypt-archaeolo- gy/ http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/02/100216-king-tut-malaria-bones-inbred-tutankhamun/ CLASSROOM RESOURCES http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2016/04/160401-king-tut-tomb-radar-scan-nefertiti-archaeology/ http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/egyptians/tutankhamun_gallery.shtml http://www.sca-egypt.org/eng/mus_egyptian_museum.htm Becky Sicking: Becky Sicking has had a 15-year career as an editor and academic designer for McGraw-Hill Education, one of the top education publishers in the industry.
Recommended publications
  • Reading G Uide

    Reading G Uide

    1 Reading Guide Introduction Pharaonic Lives (most items are on map on page 10) Bodies of Water Major Regions Royal Cities Gulf of Suez Faiyum Oasis Akhetaten Sea The Levant Alexandria Nile River Libya Avaris Nile cataracts* Lower Egypt Giza Nile Delta Nubia Herakleopolis Magna Red Sea Palestine Hierakonpolis Punt Kerma *Cataracts shown as lines Sinai Memphis across Nile River Syria Sais Upper Egypt Tanis Thebes 2 Chapter 1 Pharaonic Kingship: Evolution & Ideology Myths Time Periods Significant Artifacts Predynastic Origins of Kingship: Naqada Naqada I The Narmer Palette Period Naqada II The Scorpion Macehead Writing History of Maqada III Pharaohs Old Kingdom Significant Buildings Ideology & Insignia of Middle Kingdom Kingship New Kingdom Tombs at Abydos King’s Divinity Mythology Royal Insignia Royal Names & Titles The Book of the Heavenly Atef Crown The Birth Name Cow Blue Crown (Khepresh) The Golden Horus Name The Contending of Horus Diadem (Seshed) The Horus Name & Seth Double Crown (Pa- The Nesu-Bity Name Death & Resurrection of Sekhemty) The Two Ladies Name Osiris Nemes Headdress Red Crown (Desheret) Hem Deities White Crown (Hedjet) Per-aa (The Great House) The Son of Re Horus Bull’s tail Isis Crook Osiris False beard Maat Flail Nut Rearing cobra (uraeus) Re Seth Vocabulary Divine Forces demi-god heka (divine magic) Good God (netjer netjer) hu (divine utterance) Great God (netjer aa) isfet (chaos) ka-spirit (divine energy) maat (divine order) Other Topics Ramesses II making sia (Divine knowledge) an offering to Ra Kings’ power
  • 1 Egypt Nov 18 to Dec 7 2019 Nov 18 to 19 a Long Flight from Chicago To

    1 Egypt Nov 18 to Dec 7 2019 Nov 18 to 19 a Long Flight from Chicago To

    Egypt Nov 18 to Dec 7 2019 Nov 18 to 19 A long flight from Chicago to Amman, then a short flight to Cairo. We were met inside security by the Egitalloyd representative who, with the driver, took us to the Ramses Hilton on the Nile. Our minibus had to pass the soccer stadium, where a big game was about to start, so the roads were jammed. The representative had been with us briefly in 2018, and seemed really happy to see us. At the hotel, we were given a refurbished room with a Nile view, which we love, and non-smoking, but with a shower instead of a tub. Nov. 20 After a short night (from jetlag) and a nice breakfast, we walked the few blocks to the old Egyptian Museum and spent several hours there. A large number of artifacts had been moved out to the new Grand Egyptian Museum, in Giza, for conservation and eventual display, and they were painting and refurbishing the old Egyptian Museum so a lot of sculpture was wrapped and covered in drop cloths. They had done a good job of introducing new areas, in particular the exhibit of artifacts from Yuya and Thuyu’s tomb (which was already set up when we were there in 2018). A special exhibition space had a good exhibit of the El-Gusus Cachette, a tomb of 153 elites, mostly priests and priestesses of Amun, discovered in 1891. We managed to spend time in the protodynastic exhibit, as well. Not surprisingly, we ran into someone we know who was not on our group tour...Tom Hardwick, the curator of Ancient Egyptian art at the Houston Museum of Natural History.
  • Amarna Period Down to the Opening of Sety I's Reign

    Amarna Period Down to the Opening of Sety I's Reign

    oi.uchicago.edu STUDIES IN ANCIENT ORIENTAL CIVILIZATION * NO.42 THE ORIENTAL INSTITUTE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO Thomas A. Holland * Editor with the assistance of Thomas G. Urban oi.uchicago.edu oi.uchicago.edu Internet publication of this work was made possible with the generous support of Misty and Lewis Gruber THE ROAD TO KADESH A HISTORICAL INTERPRETATION OF THE BATTLE RELIEFS OF KING SETY I AT KARNAK SECOND EDITION REVISED WILLIAM J. MURNANE THE ORIENTAL INSTITUTE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO STUDIES IN ANCIENT ORIENTAL CIVILIZATION . NO.42 CHICAGO * ILLINOIS oi.uchicago.edu Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 90-63725 ISBN: 0-918986-67-2 ISSN: 0081-7554 The Oriental Institute, Chicago © 1985, 1990 by The University of Chicago. All rights reserved. Published 1990. Printed in the United States of America. oi.uchicago.edu TABLE OF CONTENTS List of M aps ................................ ................................. ................................. vi Preface to the Second Edition ................................................................................................. vii Preface to the First Edition ................................................................................................. ix List of Bibliographic Abbreviations ..................................... ....................... xi Chapter 1. Egypt's Relations with Hatti From the Amarna Period Down to the Opening of Sety I's Reign ...................................................................... ......................... 1 The Clash of Empires
  • Egypt—Ramesside Society, Dynasties XIX and XX

    Egypt—Ramesside Society, Dynasties XIX and XX

    Heinemann Ancient and Medieval History Kim McCorquodale Egypt—Ramesside Society, Dynasties XIX and XX hi.com.au/ancient Contents Introduction . .iv Outcomes and objectives . .v Chapter 1 The geographical environment . .1 Geographical features . .3 Resources . .6 Egypt’s neighbours and their resources . .7 Significant sites . .8 Chapter 2 Social structure and political organisation . .12 Images and role of the pharaoh . .13 The viziers . .14 Civil, religious and military administration . .15 The army . .17 Royal and non-royal women . .19 Scribes, artisans and agricultural workers . .21 Chapter 3 The economy . .25 Importance of the Nile . .26 Crafts and industry . .29 Economic exchange . .30 Technological developments . .33 Later economic problems . .34 Chapter 4 Religion, death and burial . .37 Cults of gods and goddesses . .38 Festivals . .40 Personal religion . .41 Funerary customs . .43 Funerary texts . .46 Temples . .47 Tombs . .49 Chapter 5 Cultural life . .53 Art—statues, jewellery, wall paintings and reliefs . .54 Writing and literature—love poetry and tales . .58 Chapter 6 Everyday life . .63 Daily life and leisure activities . .64 Food . .67 Clothing . .68 Housing and furniture . .69 Occupations . .71 Index . .74 III Why study societies? The focus of Heinemann Ancient and Medieval History: Egypt—Ramesside Society, Dynasties XIX and XX is the study of the society and the lives of people during that time. The central question that needs to be asked is, ‘Why do we study societies?’ By studying ancient societies, sites and sources, we are concerned with seeking the explanations to the ‘how’ and ‘why’ questions of history: how people lived in the past, why they may have lived that way, and how and why their life circumstances changed.
  • The Ancient Egyptian Books of the Earth Wilbour Studies in Egypt and Ancient Western Asia

    The Ancient Egyptian Books of the Earth Wilbour Studies in Egypt and Ancient Western Asia

    THE ANCIEN THE Collections of scenes and texts designated variously as the “Book of the Earth,” “Creation of the Solar Disc,” and “Book of Aker” were inscribed on the walls of royal sarcophagus chambers throughout Egypt’s Ramesside period (Dynasties 19–20). This material illustrated discrete episodes from the The Ancient Egyptian nocturnal voyage of the sun god, which functioned as a model for the resurrection of the deceased T king. These earliest “Books of the Earth” employed mostly ad hoc arrangements of scenes, united E by shared elements of iconography, an overarching, bipartite symmetry of composition, and their GYP Books of the Earth frequent pairing with representations of the double sky overhead. From the Twenty-First Dynasty and later, selections of programmatic tableaux were adapted for use in private mortuary contexts, T I often in conjunction with innovative or previously unattested annotations. The present study collects A and analyzes all currently known Book of the Earth material, including discussions of iconography, BOOKSN OF by Joshua Aaron Roberson grammar, orthography, and architectural setting. Joshua Aaron Roberson is an Assistant Professor in the Department of History, Camden County College. Blackwood, NJ. He has worked as an epigrapher and sigillographer with the University of Pennsylvania expeditions to Saqqara and Abydos and as a sigillographer for the French-Egyptian expedition to the Opet temple at Karnak. He earned his PhD in Egyptology from the University of Pennsylvania. T HE HE EA R T H Joshua Aaron Aaron Joshua Wilbour Studies R o berson Brown University Wilbour Studies in Egypt and Ancient Western Asia, 1 Department of Egyptology and Ancient Western Asian Studies LOCKWOOD PRESS www.lockwoodpress.com LOCKWOOD PRESS Wilbour_cover_template.indd 1 1/27/12 10:24 AM The Ancient Egyptian Books of the Earth Wilbour Studies in Egypt and Ancient Western Asia Series Editors James P.
  • The Wooden Shabti of Amenemhat in the Brooklyn Museum 39

    The Wooden Shabti of Amenemhat in the Brooklyn Museum 39

    the wooden shabti of amenemhat in the brooklyn museum 39 REUSED OR RESTORED? THE WOODEN SHABTI OF AMENEMHAT IN THE BROOKLYN MUSEUM Edward Bleiberg Brooklyn Museum The Brooklyn Museum Egyptian collection in- The Date of the Shabtis and Box cludes two very fine shabtis of a certain Ame- nemhat, an official who lived during the 18th At some point after the publication of James’s Dynasty. In addition to a limestone shabti (fig. 1, Corpus, the departmental records in the Brooklyn Brooklyn 50.128) and a wooden shabti (fig. 2, Museum were altered to date these objects to the Brooklyn 50.129), there is a wooden box (figs. “Reign of Thutmose IV to Akhenaten.” Though 3-6, Brooklyn, 50.130). The Museum purchased no explanation was included with the change, it is these three objects from a New York dealer. They clear why it was made. The limestone shabti holds were published together in the auction catalogue a hoe and a basket in each hand. Schneider’s study of the Mansoor Collection in 1947, the first pub- of shabtis indicates that this feature of shabtis first lication of these objects known to me.1 The cata- appeared either in the reign of Thutmose IV or logue’s author asserts a connection between these Amenhotep III.6 Moreover, the wooden shabti’s objects and Theban Tomb 82, the burial spot for face, with its narrow, almond-shaped eyes, lower the Scribe of the Counting of the Grain of Amun, inner canthi of the eyes, and a distinctly carved Amenemhat, who lived during the reign of Thut- lip line, suggests a date in the reign of Amenhotep mose III.2 This connection was affirmed by John III.
  • The Solar Eclipses of the Pharaoh Akhenaten

    The Solar Eclipses of the Pharaoh Akhenaten

    IN ORIGINAL FORM PUBLISHED IN: arXiv: 2004.12952 [physics.hist-ph] Habilitation at the University of Heidelberg v2: 20th July 2020 The Solar Eclipses of the Pharaoh Akhenaten Emil Khalisi 69126 Heidelberg, Germany e-mail: [email protected] Abstract. We suggest an earlier date for the accession of the pharaoh Akhenaten of the New Kingdom in Egypt. His first year of reign would be placed in 1382 BCE. This conjecture is based on the possible witness of three annular eclipses of the sun during his lifetime: in 1399, 1389, and 1378 BCE. They would explain the motivefor his worshipof the sun that left its mark onlater religious communities. Evidence from Akhenaten’s era is scarce, though some lateral dependencies can be disentangled on implementing the historical course of the subsequent events. Keywords: Solar eclipse, Astronomical dating, Akhenaten, New Kingdom, Egypt. 1 Introduction here. Though there are many reasons to refrain from this method for dates before 700 BCE, we argue that the average The flourishing time of the 18th to 20th dynasty of the Egyp- ∆T is sufficient to satisfy the timeline. The exact position of tian pharaohs, the so-called “New Kingdom”, is not well es- the central tracks is not required to suit our revised course tablished. Traditionally it is placed roughly between 1550 of the historical cornerstones. and 1070 BCE. In the public awareness this era of ancient Egypt is known best, since most people associate with it the “classic pharaonic etiquette”. Memphis near today’s Cairo 2 Worship of the Sun was the administrative center in the very old times, while The adoration of the most important luminary in the sky Thebes about 650 km farther to the south remained an im- played a central role for the old Egyptians, in religion as portant residence of the monarchs.
  • WHO WAS WHO AMONG the ROYAL MUMMIES by Edward F

    WHO WAS WHO AMONG the ROYAL MUMMIES by Edward F

    THE oi.uchicago.edu ORIENTAL INSTITUTE NEWS & NOTES NO. 144 WINTER 1995 ©THE ORIENTAL INSTITUTE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO WHO WAS WHO AMONG THE ROYAL MUMMIES By Edward F. Wente, Professor, The Oriental Institute and the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations The University of Chicago had an early association with the mummies. With the exception of the mummy of Thutmose IV, royal mummies, albeit an indirect one. On the Midway in the which a certain Dr. Khayat x-rayed in 1903, and the mummy area in front of where Rockefeller Chapel now stands there of Amenhotep I, x-rayed by Dr. Douglas Derry in the 1930s, was an exhibit of the 1893 World Columbian Exposition known none of the other royal mummies had ever been radiographed as "A Street in Cairo." To lure visitors into the pavilion a plac­ until Dr. James E. Harris, Chairman of the Department of Orth­ ard placed at the entrance displayed an over life-sized odontics at the University of Michigan, and his team from the photograph of the "Mummy of Rameses II, the Oppressor of University of Michigan and Alexandria University began x­ the Israelites." Elsewhere on the exterior of the building were raying the royal mummies in the Cairo Museum in 1967. The the words "Royal Mummies Found Lately in Egypt," giving inadequacy of Smith's approach in determining age at death the impression that the visitor had already been hinted at by would be seeing the genuine Smith in his catalogue, where mummies, which only twelve he indicated that the x-ray of years earlier had been re­ Thutmose IV suggested that moved by Egyptologists from a this king's age at death might cache in the desert escarpment have been older than his pre­ of Deir el-Bahri in western vious visual examination of the Thebes.
  • Cwiek, Andrzej. Relief Decoration in the Royal

    Cwiek, Andrzej. Relief Decoration in the Royal

    Andrzej Ćwiek RELIEF DECORATION IN THE ROYAL FUNERARY COMPLEXES OF THE OLD KINGDOM STUDIES IN THE DEVELOPMENT, SCENE CONTENT AND ICONOGRAPHY PhD THESIS WRITTEN UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF PROF. KAROL MYŚLIWIEC INSTITUTE OF ARCHAEOLOGY FACULTY OF HISTORY WARSAW UNIVERSITY 2003 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This work would have never appeared without help, support, advice and kindness of many people. I would like to express my sincerest thanks to: Professor Karol Myśliwiec, the supervisor of this thesis, for his incredible patience. Professor Zbigniew Szafrański, my first teacher of Egyptian archaeology and subsequently my boss at Deir el-Bahari, colleague and friend. It was his attitude towards science that influenced my decision to become an Egyptologist. Professor Lech Krzyżaniak, who offered to me really enormous possibilities of work in Poznań and helped me to survive during difficult years. It is due to him I have finished my thesis at last; he asked me about it every time he saw me. Professor Dietrich Wildung who encouraged me and kindly opened for me the inventories and photographic archives of the Ägyptisches Museum und Papyrussammlung, and Dr. Karla Kroeper who enabled my work in Berlin in perfect conditions. Professors and colleagues who offered to me their knowledge, unpublished material, and helped me in various ways. Many scholars contributed to this work, sometimes unconsciously, and I owe to them much, albeit all the mistakes and misinterpretations are certainly by myself. Let me list them in an alphabetical order, pleno titulo: Hartwig
  • A Brief Journey Into Medical Care and Disease in Ancient Egypt Richard Sullivan Bsc(Hons) MBBS

    A Brief Journey Into Medical Care and Disease in Ancient Egypt Richard Sullivan Bsc(Hons) MBBS

    JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF MEDICINE Volume 88 March 1995 A brief journey into medical care and disease in Ancient Egypt Richard Sullivan BSc(Hons) MBBS J R Soc Med 1995;88:141-145 Keywords: @00 SUMMARY Ancient Egypt was one of the greatest civilizations to have arisen, becoming the cradle of scientific enquiry and social development over 3 millennia; undoubtedly its knowledge of medicine has been vastly underestimated. Few artefacts survive which describe the medical organization, but from the extent of the diseases afflicting that ancient populus there would have been much to study. Evidence from papyri, tomb bas reliefs and the writings of historians of antiquity tell of an intense interest in the sciences, humanities and medicine born of an educated society which had overcome the superstitions of its nomadic ancestors. MEDICAL CARE Table 1 Dynasties ofAncient Egypt and the equivalent time periods Evidence of medical organization in ancient Egypt is of two (after Manetho) the and the Of the former, kinds, literary archaeological. Dynasty Period Approx Date BC never have classic writers, notably Herodotust, who may l-ll Archaic 3168-2705 at visited the area except around the Greek trading centre II-VI Old Kingdom 2705-2250 Naukratis in 400 BC, relied heavily upon reports of previous VII-X 1st Intermediate 2250-2035 travellers such as Hecataeus of Miletus2. There are further XI-XIII Middle Kingdom 2035-1668 brief accounts of medical practice within the Old XIV-XVI 2nd Intermediate 1720-1 550 of Testament3, Hittite state records4 and state archives XVIII-XX New Kingdom 1550-1 070 Babylonia and Assyria5.
  • The Levantine War-Records of Ramesses Iii: Changing Attitudes, Past, Present and Future*

    The Levantine War-Records of Ramesses Iii: Changing Attitudes, Past, Present and Future*

    03 James Levantine_Antiguo Oriente 08/06/2018 04:37 p.m. Página 57 THE LEVANTINE WAR-RECORDS OF RAMESSES III: CHANGING ATTITUDES, PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE* PETER JAMES [email protected] Independent researcher London, United Kingdom Summary: The Levantine War-Records of Ramesses III: Changing Attitudes, Past, Present and Future This paper begins with a historiographic survey of the treatment of Ramesses III’s claimed war campaigns in the Levant. Inevitably this involves questions regarding the so-called “Sea Peoples.”1 There have been extraordinary fluctuations in attitudes towards Ramesses III’s war records over the last century or more—briefly reviewed and assessed here. His lists of Levantine toponyms also pose considerable problems of interpretation. A more systematic approach to their analysis is offered, concentrat- ing on the “Great Asiatic List” from the Medinet Habu temple and its parallels with a list from Ramesses II. A middle way between “minimalist” and “maximalist” views of the extent of Ramesses III’s campaigns is explored. This results in some new iden- tifications which throw light not only on the geography of Ramesses III’s campaigns but also his date. Keywords: Ancient Egypt – Canaan – Late Bronze Age – War Records – Toponymy Resumen: Los registros de la guerra levantina de Ramsés III: Actitudes cam- biantes, pasado, presente y futuro Este artículo comienza con un recorrido historiográfico del tratamiento de las supues- tas campañas bélicas de Ramsés III en el Levante. Inevitablemente esto implica pre- * I would like to dedicate this paper to the memory of the late David Lorton for all his help on Egyptological matters.
  • A Fragmentary Statue of Ramesses II with a Scarab on the Head 180 M������ K���

    A Fragmentary Statue of Ramesses II with a Scarab on the Head 180 M K

    INSTITUT DES CULTURES MÉDITERRANÉENNES ET ORIENTALES DE L’ACADÉMIE POLONAISE DES SCIENCES ÉTUDES et TRAVAUX XXVII 2014 M K A Fragmentary Statue of Ramesses II with a Scarab on the Head 180 M K The Egyptian Museum in Cairo houses a fragmentary eroded royal bust, dated to the Nineteenth Dynasty (Fig. 1).1 The statue was found in the Temple of Ptah in Memphis.2 The sculpture has never been discussed before from an iconographic and stylistic point of view. The aim of the present article is to analyze some unusual features that can be observed on this interesting fragment. The king is shown wearing the nemes-headdress with the uraeus decorating the forehead. On the middle top part of his head there is a three-dimensional, forward-facing scarab.3 The pharaoh’s face is almost round, the cheeks chubby. The eyebrows are shaped in raised relief, forming two symmetrical arches on the protruding brow. The king’s wide almond-shaped eyes are placed horizontally, the inner canthi carved deeply, so that the eyeballs appear to be gazing downward. Although the nose is damaged, the remains show that it could have been broad. The mouth is small with fl eshy lips and it is well articulated with two little hollows at the corners. The small rounded chin is marked by side furrows; remains of the royal beard are still visible on the king’s neck and chest. The ears are pierced. The surface of the statue is much eroded, so that not much can be said of the way in which the torso was worked.