How was the first pyramid in history built?
The restoration work carried out on the Djoser pyramid to prevent its collapse has led to new theories about the construction of the great pyramids. The famous stepped pyramid of Saqqara, which was originally a mastaba, was built during the Third Dynasty of Egypt to...Read more
Pharaoh’s architects, the builders of Egypt
Pyramids, tombs and majestic temples for kings and gods are the great legacy left by the architects and builders of ancient Egypt. In ancient Egypt, architecture could not be conceived except in the service of religion . Architects, such as scribes, painters,...Read more
The chancellor in ancient Egypt: The rise and fall of an Egyptian office
The Egyptian pharaoh, ruler of Upper and Lower Egypt, owned all of the land, made offerings to the gods and maintained ma’at. But surrounding the king were his officials – and it is these powerful men who ran the palace and the country. These officials are...Read more
Dream Stele: What did the Sphinx promise Thutmose in his dream?
During the New Kingdom (1570-1070 BC) the Giza plateau was a place that had lost some of its fabulous splendor. The pyramids of Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure were already about a thousand years old, the sand covered many of the buildings, the ruin took over others and in...Read more
Akhenaten: Magic at Amarna
Magic is one of the most intriguing subjects from ancient Egypt but also one of the most difficult subjects to understand. Egyptian magic was dependent on traditional Egyptian myths and gods for its existence, but what happened to that magic when those myths and gods...Read more
Queens of the Middle Kingdom: The Hidden Queens
With Egypt re-united after the disruption of the First Intermediate Period, royal life resumed. Superficially, little had changed, and slender, beautiful queens continued to support their powerful husbands. But a closer look shows that the role of the royal women had...Read more
Ancient Egypt: The power of images
One of the most persistent fantasies about ancient Egyptian sculpture is that it presented people as they actually appeared. There are various sinister theories—related to eugenicist comparison of ‘races’—that underlie this assumption; these require separate...Read more
Ancient Egyptian Jewelry
Ancient Egyptian treasures from the Worcester Art Museum. The Worcester, Massachusetts Art Museum has among its many masterpieces, a collection of ancient Egyptian jewelry and artefacts that for the most part, haven’t been displayed in almost a century. The material...Read more