Third Intermediate Period

Lion-headed Bastet

Standing 24.3 cm tall, the figure depicts the goddess with arms dangling, wearing a long robe and holding an ankh, the symbol of life. The eyes, once inlaid, hint at the statuette’s original vivid detail. The statuette is crafted from stone, though the specific type is not identified in available records. Hieroglyphic inscriptions name king...

Tamutmutef

The coffin of Tamutmutef, “Chantress of Amun”, is an exquisite example of funerary craftsmanship from the Third Intermediate Period, dating approximately between 1076 and 746 B.C. This period, following the decline of the New Kingdom, was marked by political fragmentation and a shift in religious power, particularly toward the priesthood of Amun at Thebes. Within...

Tamit

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...

King before Thoth

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...

Butehamun’s Letter to Ikhtay

Butehamun was a distinguished scribe who was born and raised in the Deir el-Medina region, and resided in Medinet Habu, living during the 29 year reign of Ramesses XI, he died in early stages of the Third Intermediate Period. Born into a lineage of scribes, he followed in the footsteps of his father, Thutmose, embracing...

Coffins of Butehamun

Butehamun was a distinguished scribe who was born and raised in the Deir el-Medina region, and resided in Medinet Habu, living during the reign of Ramesses XI, he died in Third Intermediate Period. Born into a lineage of scribes, he followed in the footsteps of his father, Thutmose, embracing a life devoted to the written...

The Silver Pharaoh

Amid the chaos and turmoil of World War II, as the world was gripped by conflict and uncertainty, a dazzling revelation emerged from the sands of antiquity—a discovery that would captivate archaeologists and historians alike. In 1940, in the remnants of Tanis, an ancient city shrouded in mystery within Egypt’s Nile Delta, French archaeologist Pierre...

Statue of Ankhemtenenet

Statue of Ankhemtenenet

The statue of Ankhemtenenet is a fascinating piece of Egyptian art from the Third Intermediate Period (around 743-656 BC). It was crafted from red quartzite, a stone prized for its durability and deep red hue, which likely helped preserve its features over millennia. Ankhemtenenet was likely a high-ranking official or a priest, though details about...

Maatkare Mutemhat: The High Priestess of Amun

Maatkare Mutemhat was the daughter of Pinedjem I, the de facto ruler of Upper Egypt as the High Priest of Amun at Thebes, and his wife, Duathathor-Henuttawy, who carried the blood of kings, being the daughter of Ramesses XI—the final sovereign of Egypt’s 20th Dynasty. It is thought that Maatkare Mutemhat ascended to a sacred...

Wig of Nauny

This wig was found lying behind the head of Nauny’s mummy in her inner coffin. From Egypt, Upper Egypt, Thebes, Deir el-Bahari, Tomb of Meritamun (TT 358, MMA 65), inside coffin, MMA excavations, 1928–29. The wig is made from plaits of human hair, which were fastened at the top with a cord. The hair was...