ARTH 120 Midterm slides - 2
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Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 3 reasons Egyptology is so popular | Found the mystery of Egypt fascinating, largely because of funerary practices which have led to a wealth of materials Accessibility - Egyptian art and artifacts have been accessible in the present century Egyptian archaeology quickly yielded results, a lot of historical information is available to the public |
| Rosetta Stone | the key to decoding ancient Egypt hieroglyphs. The language had long since been spoken, as spoils of war this stone was brought to Europe. The inscription dated to 196 BC, decree proclaimed at Memphis by priests to honor a ruler named Ptolomy V, who ruled 205-180 BC. The decree was written in 3 languages, hieroglyphs, demotic and Greek, and this provided the opportunity to translate and understand hieroglyphs. Jean Francois Champollion deciphered the two Egyptian texts. From this stone, he created an Egyptian dictionary, from which other documents and writings could be figured out. The name for Ptolomy was key to figuring the languages out. |
| Palette of Narmer, from Hierakonpolis Early Dynastic Period - Dynasty 1 c. 3200 BC Slate | Narmer may also be King Menes, he appears as the earliest figure in an Egyptian document Primary figure, Narmer, is identified by pictographs (at the top center of the palette, picture of a fish and chisel) Palette has two sides, carved in low relief and his name appears on both sides Set in between two cow figures, represents Hathor - the goddess of the Milky Way, cow goddess, she is responsible for the ebbing and flooding of the Nile, she is also protective Function: ceremonial make-up palette, indentation created in the center between the intertwining trunks of the beasts, this is where make up would have been ground up Mud stone or slate from Upper Egypt, made of materials of the region in which it was found Scenes are divided into registers (different rows and levels, clearly identified ground line on which the figures are standing) Images tell us a story, narrative function as well Reading the iconography - who are the characters, what is going on and how do we know this? |
| Palette of Narmer, from Hierakonpolis Early Dynastic Period - Dynasty 1 c. 3200 BC Slate | Military victory of Narmer depicted on both sides, much of the space is devoted to a picture of the King striking his enemy Hieratic scale - most important are larger and situated higher, central, dominant and physical position Placement of figures within the work - composition Shown on a level with the bird, representing the God Horus (king of the earth) Narmer wears the white crown of Upper Egypt and the Red Crown of Lower Egypt on the reverse side - represents the unification of Upper and Low Egypt by having both these two crowns on the same monument, this is accomplished under Narmer's authority Narmer is wearing a ceremonial bull's tail (represents strength and authority), attendant in the background (left) is holding Narmer's sandals (shoes being removed is a common theme, he is standing on holy ground and we know this because he is in the presence of Horus and Narmer himself is attributed a divine status because he is the physical embodiment of the God in human form) Horus - hawk with a human hand, holding a rope that is around the neck of man's head, he standing on stocks of papyrus, which symbolized Lower Egypt, serves as a re-iteration of the human drama (war, Narmer killing) by saying that Lower Egypt has been tamed Once they pass on, they are under the god Osiris, who is the God of the underworld. |
| Palette of Narmer, from Hierakonpolis Early Dynastic Period - Dynasty 1 c. 3200 BC Slate | Lowest register has two humans who are fleeing or are already dead. The man being killed by Narmer was the king of Lower Egypt. On the reverse: Narmer is again followed by his sandal bearer as he is still walking on holy ground, but Narmer wears the crown of Lower Egypt (shows he now rules over both lands), his name is again shown by his head, hieratic scale is present but has a more linear and narrative aspect. Minister of the state and 4 men carrying standards (may correspond with regions of the country) are in front of Narmer, and then men who have been decapitated and their heads are between their legs (the defeated enemy) Central register - intertwining necks of feline necks, may be symbols of the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt, two attendants to the animals Bottom register - bull imagery, bull is a symbol only of royalty (generally male), bull threatens a fallen foe by a fortress wall Style: important because of the way he uses pictographs and tells us much about Egypt, pictographs are very stylized, heads of important people show in profile but eyes are shown front, torso is shown with shoulders front but waist is profile, legs and feet are shown in profile; figures are also very rigid, one foot is always shown walking forward especially when standing; figures may be shown in this way as sympathetic magic so they will still have all their bits when they pass to the afterlife |
| Stepped pyramid, palace, and sham buildings of funerary complex of Zoser, Saqqara. Brick faced with Limestone Early Dynastic Period Third Dynastyc. 2770 BC | Based on the older Mastaba Only true purpose was to show where the body was buried below ground, also as a link between the heaven and the earth Repeating elements, putting a mastaba on top of another, which created the earliest version of the ziggurats, but was just for one person, creating a more marked/established monument Created by Imhotep, who was the architect, he is the first architect in history known by name, he was later deified in Egypt tradition Created at a quarry, cut stone was more expensive than limestone because it took skill to cut the stone Surrounded by the most elaborate funerary district, created a replica of his palace around the monument The funerary temple was a separate and adjacent, which was different that most mastabas. |
| Sphinx and Great Pyramids, Giza Dynasty 4, c. 2601-2515 BC. Menkaura (Mycerinus), Khafra, and Khufu Granite and limestone | Erected by Greek rulers Menkaura has the smallest, Khafra is the middle and Khufu is the largest Only surviving monuments of the Seven Wonders of the World The pyramids were constructed with a square base and the sides are oriented with the cardinal directions (the corners of ziggurats were oriented) Cut stone blocks were used, very expensive and heavy, 2 - 2.5 tons each, all were originally faced with limestone and only one has remnants of that left Sphinx has Khafra's face on it, infront of his pyramid The deceased was first taken to a mortuary temple (separate temple, on the banks of the Nile, but connected and linked by a causeway or procession) where the body was embalmed, brain was removed through the nose and the body cavity was emptied of its organs The bodies were taken down the Nile to a valley temple, taken up the causeway to the funerary temple and the chapel where food is put into the deceased person's mouth, and then is taken into to pyramid Sphinx is a mythical creature, body of lion and head of a man (pharaoh), largest and most notably sphinx in Egypt, as there are many others Carved out of the 'living rock', sandstone |
| Khafre, from Giza Valley Temple of Khafra Dynasty 4 c. 2500 BC Diorite | Ka statue - intended to hold his soul and spirit in the case that his body disintegrated Carved in the round, high relief, ideal viewpoint is frontal but there are other carvings around Canon of proportions was followed in creating this figures, the figures is smooth, muscles and unblemished, it is a strong and youthful depiction Falcon or hawk situated behind his head, represented Horus, the wings enfold the pharaoh's head, he would have been the physical embodiment of that god in human form Lion's on the corners of the throne arms, lotus and papyrus plants on the side of the throne (represents the pharaoh's power over Upper and Lower Egypt) Wears traditional royal garb: short kilt, linen head-dress with cobra (symbol of the sun god Ra), wears the false beard which is the symbol of royalty Monuments of this size were never attempted again after the 4th Dynasty |
| Rahotep and Nofret, from Medum c. 2580 BC Painted limestone | Ka statues, provide the difference in example of upper class people in iconography Darker coloring of Rahotep is indicative of males, Nofret has a lighter complexion and is clothed (separates her from lower class or slaves, who are depicted as slaves) Nofret's garments show the outline of her body (this is a change from earlier figures) Facial features are idealized, but specific to the individual Higher degree of verism in the statues |
| Seated Scribe, from the tomb of Kai, Saqqara Dynasty 5 c. 2600 BC. Painted limestone with inlaid eyes of rock crystal, calcite, and magnesite mounted in copper | Don't have royalty depicted, but he is still of higher esteem Eyes would have glimmered like real eyes Life-like figure, probably important in the royal household, very well respected Statues of servants were often put in tombs, to avoid human sacrifice, so they could help the deceased in the afterlife May be a portrait of Kai himself, but not sure Softness of the body, evidence of the sedentary lifestyle (they lived a good life, he has a belly, didn't have to labor like other peoples did), this is the ideal for a scribe |
| Menkaure (Mycerinus) and his Queen Giza Dynasty 4, c. 2600 BC Greywacke with traces of red and black paint | Originally would have been painted, no Ka statue (which are usually seated) Made according to the canon of proportions, his body is similar to all other idealized bodies Carved from a single block of stone, carved in the round but ideal to be view from the front, they are not free standing statues and are connected to the statues Menkaure is holding something in his hand, not sure what though, may have been representing vile with scrolls inside, he also wears the kilt, head-dress and false beard. Queen in a tight fitting sheer garment that shows the curve of her body Still, highly stylized, one body is the same as another (good foil for later Greek or Roman statues) King's arms are straight whereas the Queen has a more tenured gesture with one arm around him and the other touching his arm |
| Temple of Amun-Re Luxor, New Kingdom c. 1417-1379 BC | Re is the creator God, also represents Helios, who is the sun God Amun - creator God, statue was the main statue of the being because it was treated as a human (washed, fed and clothed), main site of worship was at Karnak, statue would go from Karnak to Luxor once a year Atun - potter who shaped man Access to centre, has to pass gates and 'pylons' which opens onto a hypostyle hall (columns spaced closely together), large space within the temple where there were rooms that only certain people had access to (the priests of the God) Built under AmenHotep III (1417-1379 BC) Stepped flat stone roof supported by the columns, every inch of the columns and beams of the roof were covered with carving and painted relief Clerestory - upper level with windows, allowed sunlight and air into the building, above the columns and roof Capitals decorated as lotus flowers or buds The inner parts of the sanctuary could only be accessed by the king/pharaoh Statue of Amun was treated as a human being The spirit would eat part of the food and the priests of the God would have the rest Obelisk - in front of the temple, side of the obelisk is carved with details of military king's exploits |
| Hatshepsut Enthroned Dynasty 18, c. 1480 BC Sunken relief on fallen obelisk Karnak | Pyramidian from an obelisk One of the few females who ruled as pharaoh and was the living embodiment of a God Daughter of Thutmose I and married her half-brother and he reined as Thutmose II for 14 years. Hatshepsut became regent for her husband's son who was underage son (Thutmose III), who was actually the son of one of her husband's concubines. She had herself declared King by the priests of Amun (important for ruler-ship) and reigned successfully for 20 years Represented in art, similar to her male counterparts - made her hard to establish historically, someone tried to erase her memory from the history books and from the afterlife (likely her stepson, Thutmose III) Depicted in throne as a pharaoh, with the kilt, head-dress and false beard Not necessarily depicted with the physique, evidence of female body Her name is in the cartouche, image of the ankh |
| Funerary temple of Hatshepsut Deir el-Bahari Dynasty 18, c. 1480 BC | She was not buried here, because of all the grave goods that would have accompanied her, this was her tribute to the afterlife, she was buried in the necropolis (Valley of the Kings, west side of the Nile), nearby - likely buried here because she reigned as was addressed as a king not a queen Carved from the living rock of the rocky cliffs (in situ) of Deir el-Bahari Dedicated to Amun and several other deities Court advisor to Hatshepsut, Senenmut, carried out her requests Depicts Hatshepsut's famous journey to Punt, where they imported myrrh She claimed descent from her earthly mother, Queen Ahmose, from whom royal blood was traced, and the God Amun (her celestial father) Natural elements (sanctuary made of the rocks of the cliff and echoing the rocks of the cliff, imported myrrh trees, pools of water) and impression of the structure - would have been visually substantial |
| Funerary temple of Hatshepsut Deir el-Bahari Dynasty 18, c. 1480 BC | Mortuary temple, to valley temple, to funerary temple, then to her tomb in the Valley of the Kings Lane leading up to the temple was lined with sphinxes' with her face on it Axial plain Commemorated herself, her father and several important Gods Worshipped led upward past 3 large courts on ascending levels toward an inner sanctuary Every level is faced with a row of columns - colonnade The ramps and colonnade echo the shape/strata of the cliff face Ramps led up past pools up water to the second level, the upper most level had a colonnade with great statues and behind this colonnade was the hypostyle hall (large closely spaced columns) with chapels dedicated to gods Amun, Ra-Horakhty and Hatshepsut's earthly father Thutmose I The chapels and the inner sanctuary were carved into the cliff similar to the middle kingdom rock cut tomb |
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