Women's Monumental Mark on Ancient Egypt Author(s): Barbara S. Lesko Source: The Biblical Archaeologist, Vol. 54, No. 1 (Mar., 1991), pp. 4-15 Published by: The American Schools of Oriental Research Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3210327 . Accessed: 04/07/2014 09:46 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at . http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp . JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. The American Schools of Oriental Research is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to The Biblical Archaeologist. http://www.jstor.org This content downloaded from 146.96.24.14 on Fri, 4 Jul 2014 09:46:51 AM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions _|-P9 usuallyarenentlyEvenwith usually femalegraceinfigures tomb portrayed workersand scenespromi- Womeas Monumental Grand templesand tombs on chronologicalchart} offer the rare andcolossal statues bear Mark opportunityto look at a society manyreminders ofEgypt's goingabout its business,not just aIlcientqueens and fe- Ancient religiousand funerary rites but malepharaohs, but even common agricultural,hunting and economic womenleft a monumentalmark. Egypt pursuitsas well as entertainment Thislegacy consists of tombchapels andsports. The svelte,attractively withextensive wall decoration, por- by BarbaraS.Lesko groomedsnd fetchinglygarbed traitstatues, funerary Egyptianwoman andvotive stelae, and _ _ cuts a strikingfigure offeringtables, all _ in almostall scenes. bearingthe names and titlesof theirowners _== ordedicators (even - thoseof theirnearest _ g 1\X dignity.The wife relatives).This corpus _b i,jx of the tomb owner iS notwell published _a andis littlestudied, _ a buthas survived in = R _ as her husband's unbelievablequanti- E ! R companionand sup- ties,often because ! Ei porter.In Old King- theseobjects were s |sMi dom scenes children madeof stone.Publi- 1sX1 andretainers are cationand analysis of al typicallyrendered on thesemonuments has ! | a much smallerscale. unfortunatelynot _ I Whenviewing keptpace with their tombwalls, it is easy discoveries,sothe information gleaned Evenfemale workers were usuallyportrayed to fall into the trapset by the an- be subjectto with dignityand gzace, such as thesefemale cient artisticperspective, where fromthem thus far will farmworkersdecorating the FifthDynasty correction,or enhancement, as more tombof Ti at Sakkara.Drawing by Leonard figuresthat aremeant to be shown sourcematerials become available. H. Lesko. seatedside by side appearto be sit- Althoughthere is no firmagree- ting behindone another.Because mentamong Egyptologists onthe civil the wife is most oftendepicted as rightsand economic levels of the dif- the survivorand mourner, she is ferentclasses in ancientEgyptian so- WhatXmb ArtReveals oftenportrayed as supportingor ciety-or, indeed,how to distinguish of the AverageWoman otherwiseclasping her husband. It amongthem-we know that common Ancienttombs are found throughout was importantfor the Egyptianartist womenas well as women in the elite the Nile Valley,its limestonecliffs to presentthe entirehuman figure, androyal classes were commemo- harringprovided convenient and easily andthis necessitatedplacing the ratedby physical monuments. I will cut rockthat couldbe used as build- wife in such a waythat she appears concentrateon thesemonuments, ing blocksor hollowedinto, depend- to be takinga positionbehind her bothartistic and architectural, as a ing on the preferenceof the age. husbandwhen in fact,she is meant wayof illustratingthe independence, Vastexpanses of wall decoration to be seen as sittingor standingbe- responsiblepositions and self-respect datingfrom the laterOld Kingdom side him, as in sculpturedgroups enjoyedby various classes of women andsubsequent Middle and New that survivefrom the threemajor in ancientEgyptian society. Kingdomperiods {see accompanying earlyperiods. 4 Biblical Archaeologist, March 1991 This content downloaded from 146.96.24.14 on Fri, 4 Jul 2014 09:46:51 AM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions -l ze-4Flw .@ A; t ' X _ if_ Thisscene from the tombof Nakhtat Thebes, datingto the EighteenthDynasty, shows ThroughoutEgyptian history femalemusicians entertaining at a banquet. (Fischer1989: 21). This givesus a womenprominent in tombscenes are Scenessuch as this indicatethat ancient strongindication that women wielded most oftendepicted as companions Egyptianwomen fully mingled in society. the family'spurchasing power, a of the men beingcommemorated. Photoby LeonardH. Lesko. prestigiousand definitely not uni- Theirattainments, such as literacy, versalposition. Also significantis or theirmost prestigiouspublic ac- evidencethat in the earliesthistori- tivities areusually only subtly Throughout Egyptian cal periodsweaving workshops were hintedat in these portraits(through filledexclusively by women, whereas the ornamentsthey hold)and are history women men did not moveinto this impor- mentionedvery briefly, if at all, in tant industryfor several centuries. the accompanyinginscriptions. We promillent in tomb In the OldKingdom, titles de- can also wonderwhy moredetailed notingpositions of responsibility descriptionsof a man'scareer, scenes are most andauthority belonged to womenof whetherin the military,the civil the elite class,who generallywere service,or the templehierarchy, are often depicted as closely tied by bloodor marriageto not shown,whereas in OldKingdom the royalfamily. Tomb inscriptions tombsand some tombsdating to companions of the of some womenprovide startling laterperiods the supervisingof work evidenceof theirprofessional in- on estatesand workshops is empha- men commemorated. volvements.One womantells of be- sized.It is likely that religiousmo- ing an overseerof femalephysicians tivationwas behindthe choiceof Iyt-hotep,bearing the titleMistress of theHouse (Ghalioungui1975). Another used tombscenes. Perhaps the perpetual andChantress of Amon, is picturedin this wall the importanttitles of judgeand decorationfrom tomb number 96 at Thebes. abundanceof foodand water in the Noticeshe is carryingan ankhand other cult vizier,although they mayhave been beyond,even the renewalof the life implements.Photo by LeonardH. Lesko. purelyhonorific (Fischer 1976: 74- cycle,is beingassured and not the 75).There is, however,an abundance continuationof earthlyconcerns of titles forwomen in positionsof andidentities. Thus tombscenes are authority,such as Directorof the only of limitedvalue in reconstruct- DiningHall, Overseerof Funerary ing peoples'lives, offering a partial Priestsand Overseer of the Weavers' andbiased look at the Egyptian House,to namea few (Fischer1976: familyand society. 70-71).It wouldseem that few re- Neverthelessit is obviousfrom strictionswere placed on womenof these tombscenes that ancient abilityand high social statusin the Egyptianwomen were respected and OldKingdom. It is interestingto that they fully mingledin society, note that religiouspositions were playingmany roles, whether in the not limitedto noblewomen,for we household,the templecults, or the havefound priestesses of majorgod- economicrealm. Peasant women are desseswho bearhumble titles such depictedas helpingwith the harvest as tenantfarmer. andtrapping birds; townswomen are Manyadministrative, honorific shownas professionalmourners, andpriestly titles forwomen have musiciansand dancers, members of been recoveredfrom Old Kingdom a templestaff and party guests. Rare, monuments;fewer have been found thoughextant, are scenes of a woman fromthe MiddleKingdom, which commandinga boator buyingand followedthe FirstIntermediate sellinggoods in the marketplace Period,a time of socialand economic BiblicalArchaeologists March 1991 5 This content downloaded from 146.96.24.14 on Fri, 4 Jul 2014 09:46:51 AM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions ThroughoutEgyptian historyprominent womenin tombscenes are most often depicted as companionsof themen beingcommemo- rated.Here are Renutet, priestess of EIathor, andher husband, Yuny. This New Kingdom portraitdates to the NineteenthDynasty. Photocourtesy of the MetropolitanMuseum of Art,New York(15.2.1, Rogers Fund). piece as beingunmistakably from the OldKingdom. A moreattractive female portrait is the MiddleKingdom statue of LadySentluwy, wife of the Nomarch Hapdjefi.Originally from Asslut and now in the Museumof FineArts in Boston,this statueis a supremeex- ampleof lifesized Egyptianportrai- turecarved in granite.The graceof the femalefigure is enhancedby the unknownsculptor's disperlsirlg with the backpillar, which too oftenmars Egyptiansculpture in the round.A veryfull coiffurelends necessary supportfor the head,resulting in a instability.Middle Kingdom titles Numerousrecords show this was Thepair statue was verypopular,but women forwomen seldom reflect positions true of freewomen in generaltnot werenot onlyportrayedin the companyof theirhusbands or sons. Individual female of authority(Ward 1989: 34-391, just those of the gentry(Allam 1985: portraitshave been found from throughout which suggestspolitical and eco- 14-221.On a personallevelt it is the centuries.One example is this Mitr.t- nomic changes.Instead, they reveal clearthat womenenjoyed freedom priestessfrom Giza, discovered