The Seated Egyptian Scribe from the Louvre Museum
This small, realistic limestone statue is over 4,000 years old and depicts an Egyptian scribe about to write on a sheet of papyrus. It was discovered under mysterious circumstances by Auguste Mariette in 1850. “My God, he seems to be alive!” the head of...Read more
Two Twin Statues of Tutankhamun. Chicago / Cairo
At the Oriental Institute of Chicago, the nearly 75,000 annual visitors have the opportunity to marvel at the sight of the colossal statue of King Tutankhamun. This fantastic sculptural work from the 18th dynasty shows a colossal statue of Tutankhamun (usurped...Read more
Pharaohs’ private letters reveal what politics was like 3,300 years ago
The Amarna Letters give us the details of ancient Egyptian diplomacy and expose how power was built, alliances were forged, and pharaohs were flattered. Often, archaeologists are lucky enough to come across a whole collection of documents that completely transform...Read more
The ostraca of Deir el-Medina
Ostraca These were fragments of limestone or ceramics extracted from quarries or tombs during excavation. This was the case in Deir el-Medina (Thebes), where discarded pieces of limestone, which were not necessary to treat previously, were laminated to make them...Read more
Prince Khaemweset, the first Egyptologist
Who was the first Egyptologist? The answers to this question can be found in Pharaonic Egypt itself, in the thirteenth century BC, where a character named Khaemweset lived. Khaemweset was the fourth son of Pharaoh Ramses II and Queen Isetnofret, who lived during the...Read more
What does the Palette of Narmer reveal?
The Palette of King Narmer is one of the oldest and most important testimonies of the Predynastic Period of Ancient Egypt. The Narmer one is made of schist, almost triangular in shape, 64 x 42 cm, and is dated around 3000 BC. It was found in 1898 among the relics of...Read more
Twosret, the “powerful lady” who reigned among chaos
Twosret (1194-1186 BC, according to Diodorus of Sicily) was the second wife of Pharaoh Seti II. However, she held the title of the Great Royal Wife, which was highly unusual in a second royal wife. Putting ourselves in context, Twosret lived in a time marked by...Read more
Mentuhotep II, the founder of the Middle Kingdom
Nebhepetre Mentuhotep II (2055-2004 BC) was the pharaoh of the eleventh dynasty of ancient Egypt who inaugurated the period of the Middle Kingdom (2055-1650 BC) by reunifying the country after the division that the First Intermediate Period (2160-2055 BC) had...Read more