The “living” statues of Rahotep and Nofret
In 1871, during excavations carried out by Auguste Mariette in the Meidum necropolis, the tomb of one of Pharaoh Khufu‘s brothers and his wife came to light. Although the mastaba had already been looted in ancient times, it retained an impressive treasure that...Read more
The magnificent Pharaonic tomb of Hesy-Ra, the first dentist
In 1860, Auguste Mariette, then director of the Egyptian Antiquities Service, was working in the Saqqara necropolis, some twenty kilometers from Cairo, a site that had been his new center of operations for some years. There he had discovered a decade ago the serapeum,...Read more
The riddle of the Scorpion King
A striking piece of limestone dating back five thousand years, discovered at the ancient Egyptian site of Nekhen (Hierakonpolis), already reveals the imminence of the birth of an organized state and the existence of an all-powerful monarch. But who was this character?...Read more
Companion animals in ancient Egypt
Dogs, cats and monkeys were so prized by the Egyptians that upon their death they were mummified and buried with their masters. The ancient Egyptians stood out for having numerous pets and for the particular affection they felt for them. The famous Greek historian...Read more
The Battle of Megiddo
Introduction The Battle of Megiddo was a war that pitted the army of the Egyptian pharaoh Thutmose III (1479 – 1425 BC) with a military coalition of city-states from the Syrian fringe led by Qadesh and supported by the kingdom of Mittani in mid – 1457 BC....Read more
The Jeneret House, the life of the pharaoh’s women
The pharaohs had dozens of wives and concubines. These lived together with other women of the royal family in the so-called Jeneret House, an exclusive institution of ancient Egypt that is very different from the image commonly associated with harems. Pharaonic Egypt...Read more
The Pyramid Texts: Guide to the Afterlife
Introduction When it comes to talking about the writings of antiquity, a Greco-Roman author immediately comes to mind. However, the truth is that the production of texts in ancient Egypt is not only much older than Greek or Roman, but it is surprisingly abundant. In...Read more
The Amarna letters
Introduction The Amarna period (1347 – 1336 BC) was undoubtedly one of the most unique stages in the history of ancient Egypt. The establishment of the Egyptian capital in a totally virgin territory so far, the artistic revolution in the representations of the...Read more