Survey of Art I
History of Art
Chapter One
• Prehistoric Art
• The Stone Age
• Paleolithic Period
Paleolithic Period
• Paleolithic cave paintings of Europe
The Paleolithic Cave Temple is a testament to a
sophisticated philosophical view of the world.
Leroi-Gourhan discovered that there were
altogether six distinct zones to the prehistoric
Cavern Temple: the entrance, ambulatory,
central chamber, passages, side chambers, and
end chamber, each with their own distinct animal
types and sex signs, grouped in a complex
system of order and arrangement.
Paleolithic Period
•
Joseph Robert Jochmans writes that Cro-Magnons may
have spent time first in complete darkness, then gazed
upon the painted images in the continually flickering
flame of a candle or lamp burning animal fat. "Suddenly
it would have been as if the animal figures had come
alive, looking like they are actually breathing, and their
hearts beating. Above in the light of the glowing, pulsing
wall glimmerings a whole herd of ancient bison appears
to move silently together deeper into the cavern,
becoming guides directing the Initiate onwards. It seems
clear, what was portrayed here was not the picture of the
animals themselves, but the spiritual power of the
animals as they are a part of the Spirit of All Things
mirroring the One Spirit and the cosmic pattern of
nature."
Ancient cave paintings from Zimbabwe done in
the blood of animals killed for food on a ledge
above the caves
Lascaux
• Mark-making was part of the Homo toolkit even
as far back as the Lower Paleolithic, continuing
through the Middle Paleolithic, and on to the
Upper Paleolithic. The Upper Paleolithic, roughly
35,000 to 11,000 years ago, is the period from
which the great bulk of Paleolithic artworks are
known. Paleolithic art is a worldwide
phenomenon, but at this point, the most
extensively publicized Upper Paleolithic art is
found in Europe, the most renowned of which
are cave paintings like this horse from Lascaux,
France
Cave painting of a bull and a horse; in
Lascaux Grotto, near Montignac,
France.
The reason for the paintings remains unknown. Sometimes representing
animals that might have been hunted, but perhaps being animals that were
considered sacred for some reason, we can now only speculate what
prompted man 30,000 years ago to take a small candle to the deep recesses
of a cave and paint on the walls.
Timeline of Prehistoric Man in France
Approximate Date
Stage of development of man
950,000-80,000 BC
Homo Erectus, earliest man found
in France
...400,000 BC
80,000-30,000 BC
Discovery of Fire
Neanderthal Man
33,000-10,000 BC
Homo Sapiens - Cro Magnon Man,
found in Dordogne
4,000-2,500 BC
Neolithic revolution - settled
locations, grew crops, kept
animals
Auk. Casquer cave, Cap Morgiou, France. C.
16,500 BC. Charcoal and manganese dioxide on
limestone
Paintings in Lascaux cave,
France
ca. 15,000-13,000 B.C.
Hall of the Bulls
Exhibit of
Paintings in
Lascaux cave
Terms
Relief Sculpture - the surrounding material is
carved away forming a background that
sets off the figure.
Sculpture in the Round – a sculpture that
can be viewed from every side.
Lamp with ibex
desighn, from La
Mouthe,
Dordogne,
France. 15,00013,000 bce.
Engraved stone, 6
3/4 x 4 3/4"
Lion-Human, from
Hohlenstein-Stadel,
Germany. C. 30,00026,000 bce. Mammothe
ivory, height 11 5/8
Inches.
“Venus” of
Willendorf,
Austria
ca. 22,00021,000
B.C.E.
Woman from
Ostrava Petrkovice,
Czech Republic
ca. 23,000 B.C.E.
Woman from Brassempouy, France
ca. 22,000 B.C.E.
Bison from Le Tuc d’Audoubert Cave, France
ca. 13,000 B.C.E.
Terms
• Twisted Perspective – Horns, eyes, and
hooves are shown as seen from the front,
yet heads and bodies are rendered in
profile.
Chauvet Cave
The earliest known site of prehistoric cave
painting today, Discovered in December
1994. Southern France.
Footprints in the cave left in the soft clay still
exists from a small boy.
The charcoal used to draw the rhinos has
been radiocarbon dated to 32,410 years
ago plus or minus 720 years.
Lascaux
Dating of Art and Artifacts
Relative dating – chronological relationships
among objects.
Absolute dating – determines a precise span
of calendar years when artifact was
created
Radiometric dating – measures the degree
to which radioactive materials have
disintegrated over time.
Dating of Art and Artifacts
Potassium-argon dating – measures the decay of
a radioactive potassium isotope into a stable
isotope of argon, an inert gas.
Thermo-luminescence dating – measures
irradiation of the crystal structure of a material
subjected to fire, such as pottery.
Electro spin resonance – technique that involves
using magnetic field and microwave irradiation
to date a material such as tooth enamel.
Materials used for Cave
Paintings
• Brushes made from animal hair, crushed twigs
or pads of fur or moss (this is all based on pure
speculation and modern experiments, since
none of these tools have survived)
• Spray painting techniques even appear to have
been used in some cases, by mixing pigment
with water and spraying it either directly from
their mouths or through tubes made out of
animal bones, bamboo or reeds (Australian
aboriginals still use this method today).
Materials
• Prehistoric painters used the pigments
available in the vicinity. These pigments
were the so-called earth pigments,
(minerals limonite and hematite, red ochre,
yellow ochre and umber), charcoal from
the fire (carbon black), burnt bones (bone
black) and white from grounded calcite
(lime white).
• Historians believe that the lumps were
ground into a fine powder on the cave’s
natural stone hollows, where stains have
been observed. Shoulder and other bones
of large animals, stained with color, have
been discovered in the caves and
presumed to have been used as mortars
for pigment grinding. The pigment was
made into a paste with various binders,
including water, vegetable juices, urine,
animal fat, bone marrow, blood, and
albumen.
Neolithic Architecture
Skara Brae
Skara Brae
The Neolithic settlement known as Skara
Brae came to light after heavy storms in
1850 washed away part of the dunes that
had been protecting the remains for around
5000 years. What the waves revealed was
the best preserved prehistoric village in
northern Europe. The village was in
continuous use for 600 years between 3100
BC and 2500 BC
Skara Brae - Mainland, Orkney
Prehistoric Settlement
Terms
Ridgepole – center support pole of prehistoric
architecture
Wattle and Daub – branches woven in a basketlike
pattern for wall structures
Thatch – plant material used to roof prehistoric
structures
Corbeling – layering of stone that slants slightly
inward.
Corbel vault – walls that are corbeled that intersect
at the top to create a room.
Stonehenge
Stonehenge
• In its first phase, Stonehenge was a large
earthwork; a bank and ditch arrangement
called a henge, constructed approximately
5,000 years ago. It is believed that the
ditch was dug with tools made from the
antlers of red deer and, possibly, wood.
The underlying chalk was loosened with
picks and shoveled with the shoulder
blades of cattle. It was then loaded into
baskets and carried away.
Stonehenge: Phase I (2950-2900 BCE)
Phase II (c. 2900-2400 BCE)
• After 2900 BCE and for approximately the next
500 years (until 2400 BCE), post holes indicate
timber settings in the centre of the monument
and at the north-eastern entrance. The Aubrey
Holes no longer held posts but were partially
filled, some with cremation deposits added to the
fill. The numerous post holes indicate timber
structures but no clear patterns or configurations
are discernible that would suggest their shape,
form, or function.
Stonehenge
• The Bluestones
About 2,000 BC, the first stone circle (which is
now the inner circle), comprised of small
bluestones, was set up, but abandoned before
completion. The stones used in that first circle
are believed to be from the Prescelly Mountains,
located roughly 150-240 miles away, at the
southwestern tip of Wales. The bluestones
weigh up to 4 tons each and about 80 stones
were used, in all. Given the distance they had to
travel, this presented quite a transportation
problem.
Stonehenge: Phase III, (c. 2550-1600 BCE)
Construction
• Modern theories speculate that the stones were dragged
by roller and sledge from the inland mountains to the
headwaters of Milford Haven. There they were loaded
onto rafts, barges or boats and sailed along the south
coast of Wales, then up the Rivers Avon and Frome to a
point near present-day Frome in Somerset. From this
point, so the theory goes, the stones were hauled
overland, again, to a place near Warminster in Wiltshire,
approximately 6 miles away. From there, it's back into
the pool for a slow float down the River Wylye to
Salisbury, then up the Salisbury Avon to West
Amesbury, leaving only a short 2 mile drag from West
Amesbury to the Stonehenge site.
• Construction of the Outer Ring
The giant sarsen stones (which form the outer
circle), weigh as much as 50 tons each. To
transport them from the Marlborough Downs,
roughly 20 miles to the north, is a problem of
even greater magnitude than that of moving the
bluestones. Most of the way, the going is
relatively easy, but at the steepest part of the
route, at Redhorn Hill, modern work studies
estimate that at least 600 men would have been
needed just to get each stone past this obstacle.
• Once on site, a sarsen stone was
prepared to accommodate stone lintels
along its top surface. It was then dragged
until the end was over the opening of the
hole. Great levers were inserted under the
stone and it was raised until gravity made
it slide into the hole.
• At this point, the stone stood on about a 30°
angle from the ground. Ropes were attached to
the top and teams of men pulled from the other
side to raise it into the full upright position. It was
secured by filling the hole at its base with small,
round packing stones. At this point, the lintels
were lowered into place and secured vertically
by mortice and tenon joints and horizontally by
tongue and groove joints. Stonehenge was
probably finally completed around 1500 BC.
Who Built Stonehenge?
• The question of who built Stonehenge is
largely unanswered, even today. The
monument's construction has been
attributed to many ancient peoples
throughout the years, but the most
captivating and enduring attribution has
been to the Druids.
• This erroneous connection was first made
around 3 centuries ago by the antiquary, John
Aubrey. Julius Caesar and other Roman writers
told of a Celtic priesthood who flourished around
the time of their first conquest (55 BC). By this
time, though, the stones had been standing for
2,000 years, and were, perhaps, already in a
ruined condition. Besides, the Druids
worshipped in forest temples and had no need
for stone structures.
• The best guess seems to be that the Stonehenge site
was begun by the people of the late Neolithic period
(around 3000 BC) and carried forward by people from a
new economy which was arising at this time. These
"new" people, called Beaker Folk because of their use of
pottery drinking vessels, began to use metal implements
and to live in a more communal fashion than their
ancestors. Some think that they may have been
immigrants from the continent, but that contention is not
supported by archaeological evidence. It is likely that
they were indigenous people doing the same old things
in new ways.
As Legend Has It
• The legend of King Arthur provides another story
of the construction of Stonehenge. It is told that
Merlin brought the stones to the Salisbury Plain
from Ireland. Sometime in the fifth century, there
had been a massacre of 300 British noblemen
by the treacherous Saxon leader, Hengest. the
high king, Aurelius Ambrosius, wanted to create
a fitting memorial to the slain men. Merlin
suggested an expedition to Ireland for the
purpose of transplanting the Giant's Ring stone
circle to Britain.
• The stones were located on "Mount Killaraus"
and were used as a site for performing rituals
and for healing. Led by King Uther and Merlin,
the expedition arrived at the spot in Ireland.
They were dismantled and shipped back to
Britain where they were set up around the mass
grave of the murdered noblemen. The story
goes on to tell that Aurelius, Uther and Arthur's
successor, Constantine were also buried there
in their time.
How Stonehenge may have looked originally
Inigo Jones,
'Stonehenge
Restored' (1655)
Druidic Festival at Stonehenge (colored Italian engraving, 1820)
Sculptures and ceramics
Figures of a woman and man
Cernovoda, Romania c. 3500 BC
Height 4 ½ “
Chariot of the Sun (ca. 1400 BC), recovered in 1902
from Trundholm Marsh in Denmark. The Sun is a
bronze disk covered with gold leaf, drawn on wheels by
a horse.
Sun chariot
One of the most famous Bronze Age artifacts
from Denmark. The sun chariot depicts a horsedrawn, six-wheeled wagon in cast bronze with a
gold-covered sun disk that displays a spiral
motif. This is a small-scale model of a vehicle
that was presumably used for ceremonial
purposes. Full-size artifacts of similar vehicles
have been found. The artifact is about 50 cm
long. It dates from the older Bronze Age, about
3000-3800 years ago.
Chapter Two
Art of the Ancient Near East
Assyrian Empire
• From the ninth to the seventh century B.C., the
Assyrian empire dominated the Near East. The
Assyrian empire reached from Mesopotamia to
the Mediterranean Sea and into Egypt. Parts of
Iran and Anatolia were also subject to this vast
region and the major routes of trade and
communication with the Mediterranean
seacoast.
• Chief among the cities of Assyria were Ashur, the
ancient and religious capital, named after the principal
Assyrian god; Nimrud (ancient Kalhu), chosen as the
capital by Ashurnasirpal II (r. 883–859 B.C.); Khorsabad
(ancient Dur Sharrukin), founded by Sargon II (r. 721–
705 B.C.); and Nineveh, the chief administrative center
in the seventh century B.C. Ashur lies on the west bank
of the Tigris River, south of present-day Mosul, Iraq. The
other three cities are situated to the north of Ashur,
between the Tigris and Greater Zab Rivers.
• At the end of the seventh century, the
Assyrian empire collapsed under the
assault of Babylonians from southern
Mesopotamia and Medes, Kalhu was
destroyed twice, first in 614 and again in
612 B.C. In that final year, Ashur and
Nineveh also fell, and Assyrian rule in the
Near East came to an end.
Human-Headed Winged
Lion(lamassu); Neo-Assyrian
period, reign of Ashurnasirpal II
(r. 883–859 B.C.) 10’ 3.5”
Mesopotamia; excavated at
Nimrud (ancient Kalhu)
Alabaster (gypsum)
Lamassi
• Lamassi were guardian beings that combined
the powerful aspects of humans, birds of prey,
and bulls or lions. Pairs of lamassi—either
human-headed winged bulls or lions—protected
and supported important doorways in Assyrian
palaces. The horned headdress attests to their
divinity, and the belt signifies their power.
Assyrian sculptors gave these guardian figures
five legs so that the animal stands firmly in place
when viewed from the front, but appears to
stride forward when seen from the side.
Reconstruction of an Assyrian Throne Room, 1849
Jericho
One of the earliest known
stone fortifications
discovered to date (8000 BC)
Fortifications of Jericho
• Huge brick wall 5 feet thick and 20 feet tall
• Circular stone tower 28 feet high and 33
feet in diameter
• Stair in tower required sophisticated
masonry skills and was remarkable for this
time period
• 7500 bc. About 2000 population
Other Fortified cities
• Ain Ghazal – (Spring of Gazelle) site of
present-day Amman, Jordan around
7200 – 5000 BC.
• Chatal Huyuk - part of present-day Turkey
with a population of 5000 around 6500 –
5500 BC.
• Susa – occupied space between Tigris
river and Zagros Mountains in present-day
Iraq around 4200 BC.
Art of Near East
Among the arts that flourished in this
region in the early cities were sculpture,
painting, textiles, and pottery.
Figure, from Ain
Ghazal, Jordan.
C. 7000-6000
BC. Plaster with
cowrie shell,
bitumen, and
paint, height
approx. 35”
Face of a woman,
from Uruk (modern
Warka, Iraq). C.
3500-3000 BC.
Marble, height
approx. 8”
Carved vase (both
sides), from Uruk.
(modern Warka, Iraq).
C. 3500-3000 BC.
Alabaster, height 36”
Votive statues from the Square Temple, Eshnunna
(modern Tell Asmar, Iraq). c. 2900 - 2600 BC.
Limestone, alabaster, and gypsum.
Nanna Ziggurat – Ur (present-day
Muqaiyir, Iraq c. 2100 – 2050 BC.
Bull lyre , from the
tomb of King Abargi,
Ur (modern Muqaiyir,
Iraq). c. 2685 BC.
Wood with gold, lapis
lazuli, bitumen, and
shell, reassembled in
modern wood
support.
Bull lyre
(detail).
Cylinder Seals
Spoils of War
• During uprisings within Iraq after the first
Gulf War, nine of 13 regional museums, in
Dohuk and elsewhere, were systematically
looted. Many of these artifacts appeared
on the international black market.
• Among the important pieces of art missing
is a 4,300-year-old bronze mask of an
Akkadian king that is featured in most
books of ancient art history.
Bronze Mask
Effigy of an Akkadian King
Circa 2000 BC
Stele of Naram-Sin ,
c. 2254 - 2218 BC.
Limestone, height 6'6"
(1.98 m).
Votive statue of
Gudea from
Lagash
(modern Telloh,
Iraq). c. 2120
BC. Diorite,
height 29 "
(73.7 cm).
Stele of
Hammurabi,
from Susa
(modern Shush,
Iran). c. 1792 1750 BC.
Basalt, height of
stele approx. 7'
(2.13m), height
of relief 28"
(71.1 cm).
Stele of
Hammurabi
(detail).
Lion Gate , Hattushash (near modern Boghazkeui,
Turkey). c. 1400 BC. Limestone.
Assurnasirpal II Killing Lions . From
Palace Complex of Assurnasirpal II,
Nimrud, Iraq. c. 850 BC. Alabaster,
height approx. 39" (99.1 cm).
Reconstruction drawing of the citadel and palace
complex of Sargon II , Dur Sharrukin (modern
Khorsabad, Iraq). c. 721 - 706 BC.
Assurbanipal and His Queen in the Garden , from the
palace at Nineveh (modern Kuyunjik, Iraq). c. 647 BC.
Alabaster, height approx. 21" (53.3 cm).
Reconstruction
drawing of
Babylon in the 6th
century BC.
Ishtar Gate and
throne room wall,
from Babylon (Iraq).
c. 575 BC. Glazed
brick.
Woman Spinning , from Susa (modern Shush, Iran). c.
8th - 7th century BCE. Bitumen compound, 3 5/8 x 5 1/8"
(9.2 x 13 cm).
Apadana (audience hall) of Darius and Xerxes ,
ceremonial complex, Persepolis, Iran. c.518 - 460 BC.
Chapter 3
Art of Ancient Egypt
Funerary Mask of
King Tutankhamun –
ruled Egypt 1332 –
1322 BC.
(Eighteenth Dynasty)
Manetho’s List
In the third century BC., an Egyptian priest
and historian named Manetho used temple
records to compile a chronological list of
Egypt’s rulers since ancient times. He
grouped them into dynasties and included
the length of each king’s reign. He listed
thirty dynasties that ruled between about
3000 and 332 BC.
Map of Ancient
Egypt with
modern cities
Palette of King Narmer from Hierakonpolis
ca. 2950-2775 BC.
This palette may be commemorating the unification of Egypt;
Narmer may in fact be Menes, the legendary unifier of Egypt.
The Narmer Palette
• The Narmer Palette is notable for being
one of the earliest depictions of the
standard elements of canonical art
including a smiting scene, the use of
registers to organize the picture, a
depiction of both the red and white
crowns, the use of hieroglyphic writing –
including the use of the serekh to write the
king’s name – and the use of the bull as a
symbol of kingly power.
AN EGYPTIAN CANON OF
PROPORTIONS FOR
REPRESENTING THE
HUMAN BODY.
Before the reign of Akhenaten
in Dynasty 18, royal
personages were stylized and
idealized. They were shown in
their prime and with a
sameness of form. To achieve
this, they used a grid, where
each unit was a square and
the width of a fist.
SLIDE EVOLUTION OF TOMB
STRUCTURE: MASTABA TO PYRAMIDS
Death in ancient Egypt was considered the
beginning of a new life in another world.
This life, assuming certain precautions
were taken, would last forever. Because
life on earth was short, they built their
houses of mud, but they built their tombs
to last an eternity. Some tombs actually
had toilets!
Egyptian Afterlife
The Egyptians believed that besides the physical body,
everyone had a triple concept of the spirit: the BA, KA
and AKH. The soul was called the ba and had mobility in
and out of the deceased body. The ba is depicted as a
bird with a human head. The ka is born with the infant
and is represented by a pair of upraised arms. The ka
was the life force that continued after death and
permitted the deceased to eat and drink offerings
provided by priests and relatives. The akh resided in
heaven and enabled the dead person to live in the
afterlife with the gods.
Mastaba tombs
Tomb building began with the mastaba ( Arabic
for "bench") and had an internal serdab or room
for the ka. By the third dynasty, the mastaba
grew into the stepped pyramid, and refined into
the pyramid. All three had burial chambers
underground. In the construction of the Khufu
pyramid, the sarcophagus of the pharaoh was
too large for the descending corridor. They had
to modify the design and put the burial chamber
above ground.
Mastaba tombs
Mastaba tombs surround the pyramids of
the Old Kingdom. Courtiers and families of
the monarch were buried in these low
rectangular brick or stone structures. Like
the pyramids, they were built on the west
side of the Nile (symbol of death, where
the sun falls into the underworld).
The mastaba tombs beside the Pyramids
were laid out on a grid, providing
laneways for access to the tombs. Each
mastaba tomb had at least one shaft for
burial. The mummys in their mummy
cases were lowered into the shaft and
grave goods were placed around them.
Then the shaft was filled with stones to
prevent looting and vandalism.
The tombs also had other functions in addition to burial. It was a privilege to be
buried near the Pharaoh. Tombs were probably given as rewards by the Pharaoh.
A small village of mastaba tombs was created beside the Pyramid of Cheops /
Khufu. The tombs also had a chapel that was accessed from the outside. These
were often decorated. Offerings to the spirit of the deceased were left by their
decendants. An additional feature was a Serdab room and statue. This room was
created inside the tomb and was completely enclosed. Inside was a statue of the
deceased. The statue was lined up to be opposite a small opening in the wall
between the room and the chapel. In that way the spirit of the deceased could see
the activities in the chapel and presumably the decendents could peek into the
room and see the statue of their ancestor by flickering torchlight.
Statuettes called shabti or shawabti, (slaves for the
soul) were also placed in the tombs to perform work
on behalf of the deceased in the afterlife.
Necropolis
• Pilgrim, priest, or pharaoh, each made the
same sacred journey. Starting at dawn
from the sprawling capital of Memphis
along the west bank of the Nile River, they
first crossed a shallow lake by boat to
reach the great necropolis--a symbolic
journey to the land of death.
The Royal Bark of
Khufu (Pharaoh
known to ancient
Greeks as Cheops).
The boat was actually
used by the Pharaoh
before becoming
funerary equipment to
symbolize the journey
of the Pharaoh to join
his divine father, the
sun god Re. It was
found intact after 4500
years (in 1954).
Djoser's Funerary Complex
at Saqqara
Mastaba to Pyramid – elements of architecture
Mastaba
Stepped Pyramid
Pyramid
Plan of Djoser's Funerary Complex at Saqqara
Great Pyramids, at Giza,
c. 2613-2494 BC.
Khafre, from
Giza, c. 25702544 BC.
Diorite, 5' 6
1/8" high
Menkaure and
His Wife, Queen
Khamerernebty,
from Giza, c.
2515 BC. Slate,
54 1/2" high
Ankhnesmerire II
holds the infant
Pepi II
Seated Scribe,
from Saqqara c.
2510-2460 BC.
Painted
limestone, 21"
high.
Tomb Decoration
•
•
•
•
•
•
Decorations for the KA to provide pleasure
Symbolic
Religious
Wealthy (Especially Royal Tombs)
Everyday events
Scenes of momentous events in the life of
the deceased
Reliefs from the
Tomb of Ti,
Saqqara
Ti watching a
hippopotamus
hunt
ca. 2494—2345
B.C.
Seated statue of the pharaoh Khafra, from Giza
ca. 2500 B.C.
The hypostyle
(pillared) hall in
the Great Temple
of Amon at
Karnak in
Thebes, Egypt,
was decorated
by Seti I and
Ramses II. The
hall was one of
the wonders of
antiquity,
covering an area
of some 54,000
square feet
(5,000 square
metres).
Temple of Amun,
Karnak
ca. 1295-1186 B.C.
pylon, court,
hypostyle court,
clerestory level
Pectoral of Princess Sit-hathor-yunet
Statuette of a Hippopotamus, ca. 1991�1783 B.C.; Dynasty
12; Middle Kingdom
Egyptian; Middle Egypt, Meir
Faience; H. 4 3/8 in.
Stele showing Amenhotep I with his mother
This original fish-shaped bottle comes from Amarna
(Akhetaten), the capital of Amenophis IV-Akhenaten
(reigned c. -1355 - c. -1337 B.C.)
Hatshepsut as “King”
Early 18th Dynasty,
joint reign of
Hatshepsut
and Thutmose III
(1479-1458 B.C.)
Western Thebes, Deir
el-Bahri
Crystalline (indurated)
limestone, painted
H. 195 cm (76 3/4 in.),
W. 49 cm (19 1/2 in.),
D. 114 cm (44 7/8 in.)
Hatshepsut as King
• First female Pharaoh of Egypt
• Married her half Brother, Thutmose II who
reigned for 14 years
• When he died she became regent for his
under-aged son born to one of his
concubines
• Priests declared her “King” a maneuver to
prevent Thutmose III from assuming
throne for 20 years
The temples of
Mentuhotep II
and Hatshepsut
at Deir el-Bahri
in 1953, before
restoration.
The temple of
Thutmose III
lies between
them,
unexcavated.
Colossus of
Akhenaten from
Amarna - New
Kingdom - 18th
Dynasty - circa 1353
BC
Aten the sun god, represented by the disk, extends his armlike rays down to Akenaten and Nefretiti
The Religion
• It was a time of religious controversy when
the traditional gods of Egypt were more or
less abandoned at least by the royal family
in favor of a single god, the sun disk
named Aten.
Head of Queen Tiye
(Tiy), 18th dynasty,
ca. 1350 B.C. Tiy
was the daughter of
Yaya and Tuya, a
family from Akhmim
in Upper Kemet
which gained
prominence when
Tiy became the
principal wife of
King Amenhotep III
http://bellsou
thpwp.net/k/
e/ken5sar/pg
.16.html
Nefertiti (the name is
an Egyptian phrase
meaning "the beautiful
one who has come")
was the Great Wife of
Akhenaten.
Tutankhamun
The massive gilded
canopic shrine which was
found in the treasury room
of Tutankhamun's tomb
held an alabaster canopic
chest (with alabaster
stoppers) which contained
four gold coffinettes. These
canopic containers were
used to store
Tutankhamun's viscera,
removed during the
mummification process.
The gold coffinettes are
inlaid with colored glass
(Egyptian blue) and semiprecious stones.
The cartouche just above the figure's feet is
Tutankhamun's throne name Nebkheperure,
however, when the container was opened it
was discovered that it had originally been made
for someone else (probably Smenkhare) and
that cartouche inside was reworked to show
Tutankhamun's name.
This golden diadem was
found around the head of
Tutankhamun's mummy
when it was unwrapped by
Howard Carter and his
team. It features the 'Two
Ladies', nebty, who
represent the duality of the
ancient Egyptian world –
the living and the dead, the
struggle between the gods
Horus and seth, and most
particularly the differences
between Upper and Lower
Egypt.
Rameses II
• One of Egypt’s most lauded
kings, Rameses II ruled
longer than any pharaoh
except Pepy II (who is said
to have reigned for ninetyfour years). Rameses II
ascended to the throne
when he was twenty years
old and ruled for the next
sixty-seven years.
limestone colossus of Ramses II now rests in a Memphis museum, stretching more
than 40 feet (12 meters) long even without its missing legs. Larger than life as a
ruler, builder, and sire, the pharaoh spread his likeness across Egypt during an epic
reign.
Ramses the Great ruled for more than 60 years (circa 1279 to 1213 B.C.), fathered
at least 90 children, and is credited with bringing his empire prosperity and peace.
The huge rock statues of Rameses II. In 1964 a
dramatic race against time began with the US$40
million rescue operation by UNESCO as Lake
Nasser filled with water. The temples were
dismantled and cut up into manageable-sized
blocks, then painstakingly reconstructed 65m
higher than the original site. Inside a specially
constructed mountain, two gigantic reinforced
concrete domes protect the rebuilt temples.
The second rock-cut temple was built in honour of Rameses II's
wife Nefertari. This smaller monument is dedicated to the
goddess Hathor. The facade of the temple shows Nefertari on
each side of the entrance standing between two colossal 10m
statues of Rameses.
The mummy of Rameses II was found in the Dayr al
Bahri cache in 1881. Today, it is on display in the
Egyptian Museum, Cairo.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/mummy/making.html
Canopic Jars
There were four canopic jars found with mummies in ancient Egyptian tombs. In
practice, the Canopic jars are Egyptian funerary furniture made of a variety of
materials, including alabaster, bronze, wood, and pottery. Each of the 4 Canopic
jars in a set is different, containing only the prescribed organ and dedicated to a
specific son of Horus:
• dedicated to human-headed Imsety (the liver)
• dedicated to baboon-headed Hapy (the lungs)
• dedicated to jackal-headed Duamutef (the stomach)
• dedicated to falcon-headed Qebhsenuef (intestines)
The god could be represented on the jar or the god's head could form the jar's lid.
The heart was kept within the body and the brain wasn't considered important
enough to be preserved, so there were no canopic jars for these two organs.
Queen Nefertari Making an offering to Isis, wall
painting in the tomb of Nefertari, 1290-1224 B.C.
The Rosetta
Stone
The Rosetta Stone
Jean- Francois Champollion was born in Figeac,
south France on December 23, 1790. At the age
of 18, Champollion was well-versed in Arabic,
Calidonian, Syrianic and Coptic languages.
Following in-depth examination of the Rosetta
Stone, Champollion came to the conclusion that
he had at hand one single text in three
languages. Based on his profound knowledge of
Coptic language, Champollion found out that
there was one text , written once in
hieroglyphics, a second time in demotic, and a
third time in Greek.
On March 3, 1832, Champollion died,
leaving behind a substantial dictionary of
ancient Egyptian together with a grammar
of the language. As a result of his work
and continuing research, trained scholars
can now read with ease hieroglyphic texts,
that were before him , a closed mystery.