Ptolemaic

Statue of Cleopatra VII Philopator

Statue of Cleopatra VII Philopator

Black basalt statue of Cleopatra VII Philopator, last active ruler of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt, 1st century BC. Cleopatra VII Philopator is one of the most mesmerizing women in all of history. Born of a Ptolemy, she became queen at the early age of 17. Cleopatra was highly educated in the full laws and...

A mummified ram's head uncovered during excavation work by an American mission from New York University

Mummified Ram Heads uncovered at Abydos

More than 2,000 mummified ram heads and a palatial Old Kingdom structure have been uncovered by archaeologists at the Temple of Ramesses II of Abydos. The finds, located roughly 270 miles (435 kilometers) south of Cairo, come from a period of over 1,000 years, from the 6th Dynasty to the Heroic Age, making some of...

First Full-Color Portraits of Egyptian Mummies

First Full-Color Portraits of Egyptian Mummies

Archaeologists have unearthed the first full-color portraits of Egyptian mummies in more than a century. The excavation at Gerzeh archaeological site in Faiyum revealed a huge funerary building, also turned up papyri, pottery, and coffins from the Ptolemaic and Roman periods Egyptian archaeologists completing their 10th season of excavations at Gerzeh, 75 miles southwest of...

Inner Coffin of Meret-it-es

Inner Coffin of Meret-it-es

Except for her missing mummy, almost everything buried with the noblewoman Meret-it-es, this inner coffin, the outer coffin that contained it, the gold that lay over the mummy and 305 statuettes. Although little is known about Meret-it-es, her funerary equipment reveals much about Egyptian religion. Remarkably thick and weighing 400 pounds, this coffin was meant...

Ptolemaic Mummy Mask

Ptolemaic Mummy Mask

In the Ptolemaic period, the mummy was not enclosed by a complete mummy case, but only by individual pieces of covering, including a mummy mask. Before placing the mummy in its coffin, a number of decorations could be applied. The outer mummy bandages could be painted, the mummy could receive a net of beads with...

Sarcophagus of Pa-nehem-isis

Sarcophagus of Pa-nehem-isis

The sarcophagus of the priest Pa-nehem-isis [Pnehmêse] is a remarkable example from the Ptolemaic Period, with its large face and its profusion of inscriptions and images, covering the whole surface. The figures have been carved in the hard stone with great precision. The deceased is wearing the tripartite wig and a broad collar. No other...

Two Fingers Amulet

Two Fingers Amulet

A black glass obsidian amulet in the form of two fingers of the right hand. The finger joints are indicated as well as the cuticles. Traces of yellowish dirt at separation of fingers. A detailed likeness of the index and second fingers of the right hand was one of the many amulets placed on the...

Silver Statuette of a Kneeling Ptolemaic King

Statuette of a Kneeling Ptolemaic King

As the chief intermediary between gods and men, the Egyptian king is often shown kneeling in adoration. This silver statuette was undoubtedly part of a group composition in which the king faced a larger figure of a god. Temple inscriptions suggest that for much of Egypt’s history, silver was valued more highly than gold. However,...

Gold Snake Bracelet

Gold Snake Bracelet

Ancient Egyptian hollow and smooth gold snake bracelet. The scales and details of the snakes’ head were chased after casting. Snake bracelets were very popular in antiquity. This type of bracelet was worn coiled around the wearer’s arm, the continuation of a fashion known earlier in the Greek world in the Classical and Hellenistic periods....

Relief Plaque of Cobra on a Neb Basket

Relief Plaque of Cobra on a Neb Basket

This relief depicts the cobra on a neb basket from the king’s Two Ladies name. Small Late Period and Ptolemaic reliefs or sculptures that depict a subject in a partial or unfinished way but are themselves finished objects constitute a special class of object. Guidelines like those for artists are often prominently exhibited as part...