The story of the Ramesside family is one of remarkable social ascent, a lineage that began with distinguished military service and culminated in some of the most celebrated reigns in Ancient Egyptian history. Unlike many royal houses before them, the Ramessides did not inherit the throne through divine birthright or ancient bloodlines. Instead, they rose...
The tomb of Nefermaat and his wife Itet, located at Meidum, stands as one of the most significant examples of early Old Kingdom funerary art. Nefermaat, son of Sneferu and a powerful figure in his own right, held numerous prestigious titles, including Overseer of Works and Vizier. His tomb, known to Egyptologists as Mastaba 16,...
In a remarkable discovery that bridges the ancient lands of the Nile and the Levant, archaeologists in southern Jordan have uncovered a hieroglyphic inscription bearing the royal cartouche of Pharaoh Ramesses III, who reigned from 1186-1155 B.C. This is the first known instance of Ramesses III’s cartouche being found within the borders of modern Jordan,...
Sham Ennessim (Sham El-Nassim) (شم النسيم), celebrated each year in Egypt on the Monday following Coptic Easter, is a vibrant springtime festival that unites Egyptians of all faiths in a joyful celebration of nature’s renewal. Though today it is observed as a national holiday, its origins stretch far deeper, reaching back into the fertile soil...
The Egyptian military estimated the number of those killed in front of the king soon after combat ended by displaying the severed hands of the deceased enemy. This was all but a theory based upon ancient reliefs until 2012 when archaeologists excavating at the modern site of Avaris, Tell el-Daba, unearthed 16 human right hands...
Tamit is an Ancient Egyptian mummy housed in the Egyptian Museum of Turin (inv. no. Cat. 2218/02, CGT 13003), dating to the Twenty-fifth Dynasty, c.722–664 B.C. Her provenance is likely Thebes, in modern-day Luxor, a major religious centre of Ancient Egypt. Examination of her remains reveals that she died at a young age and was...
In Ancient Egyptian art, when a king is depicted touching the Was sceptre, it is a symbolic gesture signifying his divine authority and legitimate rule. The Was sceptre, often held by gods such as Thoth or Osiris, represents power, dominion, and the control of chaos. By touching it, the king affirms his connection to the...
Fashioned from thin, pliable gold, most likely hammered and cut with extraordinary care; this diadem features a tender procession of gazelle heads flanking a stag, all elegantly placed amid a rhythmic pattern of starbursts or stylised flowers. The design is simultaneously minimal and symbolic, capturing the Ancient Egyptian delight in naturalistic beauty and the divine...
High upon the upper terrace of Hatshepsut’s magnificent mortuary temple at Deir el-Bahari lies the central sanctuary, consecrated to the mighty god Amun-Re. His principal cult centre stood grandly across the shimmering Nile at Karnak, on the sun-drenched eastern bank. Each year, in a spectacle both sacred and splendid, Amun-Re’s divine image would make a...
In 2016, in the heart of Melbourne, Australia, a remarkable project breathed new life into the visage of an Ancient Egyptian woman. Known to us now as Meritamun, her mummified head, believed to be at least over 2,000 years old, has undergone a transformation from the remnants of a long-lost ancient woman to a testament...
