Ancient Egypt 3 500 500 BCE Giza Sphinx

Ancient Egypt 3, 500 - 500 BCE Giza Sphinx (Old Kingdom) King Tut Tomb (New Kingdom)

Maps of Egypt

Egyptian Art n. Recorded roughly between 3, 500 and 500 BCE n. Egypt’s history is divided into periods –Pre-Dynastic (3500 -3000 BCE) Egypt was not yet unified –Old Kingdom (2700 -2280 BCE) –Middle Kingdom (2050 -1800 BCE) –New Kingdom (1550 -1200 BCE) –Late Period (After 1080 BCE)

n Artistic ideas all through this time were the same: Rigid and conservative n The 3 most important things to Egyptians: (1) their king, (2) the Next World, (3) the Nile - this is reflected in their art n Tomb paintings, sculptures, pyramids, and pottery were the art forms of ancient Egypt. http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=r. OUj. DIX 37 o 4

The Art of Ancient Egypt n Sculptures and Pyramids (tombs) – Huge to show power – Contained art showing pharaoh's daily life believing this made their spirit (Ka) enjoy a happy afterlife. – Some burial chambers were deep underground/some built in center of pyramid

n Paintings and Drawings – Head, pelvis, legs, feet in profile but eye and shoulders in front view. – Pharaohs appear stiff and formal – Peasants/workers are shown farming, building

The Artists n No independent artists, instead skilled craftsman who supervised making sculptures, pyramids, paintings, and drawings n Bound to king, therefore, guaranteed economic security n Historic record shows they were not slaves

Egyptian Social Pyramid 1. Pharaoh 2. The Royal Family 3. Scribes, Architects 4. Craftspeople, Slaves __1__ ____2_______3_______4 _____

Art and Kingdoms n Pre-Dynastic (3500 -3000 BCE) Pottery from Hierakonpolis tomb (Hierakonpolis was palace city of upper Egypt. )

n The Old Kingdom (2700 -2200 BCE) – Rapid development of the qualities that make Egyptian art (flat paintings, stiff sculptures) – Age of the pyramids Palette of Narmer (Narmer was the king) Nofret and Prince Rahotep

Palette of King Narmer from Hierakonpolis, Egypt 3, 000 -2, 920 B. C. E. slate approximately 25 in. high

• Every image on the palette conveys Narmer’s might and importance. • He is protected by Gods: Hathor (protective goddess) Horus (falcon god of the sky and kingship) • Narmer’s name appears in a pictograph in a small square at the top • He wears the white crown of Upper Egypt, and from his waistband hangs a ceremonial bull’s tail, signifying strength. • • Holding a mace (a club), Narmer bashes his enemy. Two more dead enemies below his feet. • The papyrus (a plant from Lower Egypt) and man’s head represent that Lower Egypt has been tamed. He is taller, more central and more powerful. He destroys his enemies and their cities. The Palette is a statement of his power for it celebrates the king’s divine right to rule and illustrates his ability to do so.

• Narmer is shown in the top register wearing a Red Crown of Lower Egypt, making it clear that he now rules both lands. • Decapitated bodies have been placed in rows with their heads between their feet. (looking from above) • The intertwining necks of the two feline creatures is possibly another reference to the union of the Two lands. • The bull in the bottom register menaces a fallen foe outside the walls of a fortress. The bull, an animal of strength may symbolize the king. These images affirm the absolute power of the ruler over the entire country of Egypt. http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=Mvg. Zi. O 3 Jf. Xk

Giza and Saqqara burial sites

Great Pyramids of Giza Dynasty 4 2601 -2515 BCE • The pyramids were built by kings Khufu, Khafra, and Menkaura • The oldest and largest pyramid is that of Khufu standing 450’ tall and covering 13 acres. It was finished with a polished limestone. • Khafra’s pyamid is slightly smaller than Khufu’s and Menkaura’s is considerably smaller with a polished red granite base. • Each cut stone block weighed on an average of 2. 5 tons. • These immense monuments reflect not only the desire of kings to attain immortality but also the strength of the Egyptains’ belief that a deceased ruler continued to affect the well-being of the state and his people from beyond the grave.

Great Sphinx Old Kingdom cont. Giza, Egypt 2520 -2494 B. C. E. sandstone approximately 65 ft. high The Great Sphinx combines the pharaoh’s head with a crouching lion.

Great Sphinx Giza, Egypt

The figure conveys dignity, calm, and above all permanence with the body firmly anchored in the block it ensured a lasting presence. The statue was carved of anorthosite gneiss an unusual stone from Nubia. When the stone is out in the sunlight it glows a deep blue. Symbolism Khafra sits erect with falcon god Horus on the back of his throne. Lion paws form the thrones legs - a symbol of regal authority Lotus and papyrus plants symbolize the king’s power over Upper and Lower Egypt. A linen headdress with a cobra symbolize Ra and the false beard is symbolic of royalty. Khafra , approximately 5’ 6” tall from Giza, Egypt 2500 BCE anorthosite gneiss

Menkaura and Khamerenebty Giza, Egypt 2500 BCE graywacke Approximately 54 ½ in. high • Menkaura is Khafra’s son who has been sculpted with his queen, Khamerenebty. • This statue was discovered in Menkaura’s valley temple – close by Menkaura’s pyramid • Menkaura is depicted as a Egyptian ideal – athletic and youthful with a balanced pose of one foot forward. • The queen is equally youthful wearing a sheer, loose fitting garment which reveals the curves of her body. She also strides forward but with a smaller step. • The couple ‘s separate figures, close in size, form a single unit, tied together by the stone. They are further united by the queen’s symbolic gesture of embrace.

Seated Scribe Saqqara, Egypt Dynasty 5 2494 -2345 BCE Painted limestone, 21 “ high • The seated scribe is from the tomb of Kai • Kai was a vizier (like a prime minister) who advised the king • This statue could be a representation of Kai • His statue appears more lively and less formal than the royal portraits. • His pupils are slightly off-center – giving the illusion of being in motion

Like other Egyptians, most scribes came to their occupation by following their fathers’ footsteps. Training began at age five for boys. (And they were always boys; girls usually didn’t learn to read and write. ) They mixed pigments for ink, rubbed rough papyrus with a stone to create a writing surface, and made brushes from reeds. They mastered practical math for accounting. Most important, they memorized the Egyptians’ 700 -plus formal hieroglyphic symbols, as well as hieratic script. They learned by copying selected texts: sample correspondence, instructions on proper morals and behavior, and eventually manuals on government administration. As an educated class in a largely illiterate society, scribes also performed very personal services for their fellow villagers. When a peasant needed to compose a letter, formally petition for redress, or even offer a specific prayer to the gods, he went to a scribe to write it down.

n The Middle Kingdom (2050 -1800 BCE) – Same style but higher quality craftsmanship – Rules for artists were reduced somewhat and more naturalism was permitted Rock-cut tombs Bani Hasan, Egypt ca. 1, 950 -1, 900 B. C. E. Bani Hasan - Bani Hasan is a small village and an important archaeological locality in Middle Egypt. There are 39 ancient tombs here of Middle Kingdom

Interior hall of rock-cut tomb of Amenemhet (Ruler of the 12 dynasty)

Tomb art included wall paintings, reliefs, and small figurines. Model showing brewing, baking and butchery (other figurines from Middle Kingdom tombs) http: //www. flickr. com/photos/mharrsch/1312007949/in/photostream/

Middle Kingdom cont. • Reflects the new sensibility – shows the monarch is preoccupied and emotionally drained. He is wise in the ways of he world but lonely, saddened and burdened by responsibility. • Sesostris was a dynamic king and a successful general. Portrait of Sesostris III Dynasty 12, 1836 -1818 BCE Yellow quartzite, height 17 3/4” • He maintained armies to patrol the country’s borders and constructed large-scale channel connecting to the Nile.

n The New Kingdom (1550 -1080 BCE) – Combo of Old (huge scale) and Middle (craftsmanship/quality) but reached a peak and then began to decline Portrait of Tutankhamun Four Colossi of Ramses II

Akhenaten - Egyptian Pharaoh 1369 -1332 BC n Queen Nefertiti Akhenaten's Great Royal Wife The religious ideas of King Akhenaten radically changed Ancient Egypt from a polytheistic religion, worshipping many gods, to monotheism which was the worship of one god. Aten, the life-giving sun deity (depicted as the sun disc) became the single supreme god. He abandoned Thebes, capital of Egypt, and built a new capital calling it Akhetaten (“Horizon of the Aten”)

Akhenaten and His Family, 1348 -1336 BCE Limestone relief Akhenaten, Queen Nefertiti, and three daughters exemplifies the new openness and a new figural style. The outlines of the figures have been carved into the surface of the stone instead of being formed by cutting away the background – the king and queen sit on cushioned thrones playing with their children. The artist has conveyed the engaging behavior of the children and the loving concern of their parents in a way not even hinted at in earlier royal portraiture in Egypt.

King Tutankhamun ruled 1336 -1327 BCE n n Tutankhamun returned to the religious beliefs of Amun and moved his court to Thebes. (turning his back on Akhenaten’s city, Amarna) Tutankhamun died quite young and was buried in the Valley of the Kings. King Tut's Tomb lay undisturbed for roughly 3, 300 years until English archaeologist Howard Carter discovered it Nov. 1, 1922. Carter and his team happened upon it as they dug near a spot where the tomb of Ramses VI had been found years earlier. Digging thirteen feet below the Ramses tomb they discovered a staircase that led to King Tut's Tomb. The tomb room contained more than five thousand objects, many of which were covered with gold and beautifully carved. The most famous of these objects is probably the lifelike gold mask that covered the face of Tutankhamun's mummy. Also uncovered were military items, clothing, jewelry, and many statues of Tutankhamun and Egyptian gods.

King Tut’s body lay inside three nested coffins. The innermost coffin in the Shape of a mummy made of several hundred pounds of solid gold decorated With colored glass and semiprecious gemstones. The ruler holds a crook and flail – an implement used in threshing grain. The flail symbolizes the Pharaoh's role as provider of food for his people and the crook symbolizes his role as the shepherd of his people. King Tut’s mummy http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=eu. EZk. UILBj. M&feature=related

Temple of Ramses II from Abu Simbel, Egypt ca. 1290 -1224 B. C. E. colossi approximately 65 ft. high King Ramses is often regarded as the greatest, most celebrated, and most powerful pharaoh of the Egyptian Empire.

The facade of the Great Temple of Ramses is about 38 meters long and 31 meters high. The temple is dedicated to the most important gods of the New Kingdom, Ptah (the creator god of Memphis), Amun-Re (the great god of Thebes) and Re-Harakhte (sun god of Heliopolis), as well as to the Pharaoh Ramses II himself. The four colossi, statues of Ramses II (c. 1290 -1224 BCE), are more than 20 meters high and about 4 meters from ear to ear.