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Resented By: Transforming Transactions Into Relationships
Resented By: Transforming Transactions Into Relationships
Transforming Transactions
into Relationships
PYRAMIDION OF AMENHOTEP-HUY, Nineteenth Dynasty, reign of Ramesses II, 1279-1213 BCE; grandiorite. The Egyptian Museum, Cairo.
This resource packet is provided to science, social studies, and fine view of the Great Pyramid,
support the exhibition, The Quest arts. Words in bold print are accompanied by an audio
for Immortality: Treasures of defined in the glossary at the end description and braille text, will
Ancient Egypt, presented by NCR of this section. You will also find a assist blind visitors and those with
Corporation, on view at The bibliography that includes low vision. In addition, several
Dayton Art Institute, September 1, resources for teachers and activities will make direct
2005-January 3, 2006. students. We hope that this packet connections to ancient Egyptian
will assist you in preparing your objects from the museum’s
The packet includes general back- students for their visit to the permanent collection. Inside
ground information about ancient exhibition. Egypt is on view May 21, 2005
Egypt, the culture, the people, and through April, 2006. The
their religious beliefs. It is intend- You may also want to visit Inside Experiencenter is open every day
ed for teachers of all grade levels Egypt, an exciting new addition to and is free to the public.
but requires adaptation for specific the Experiencenter, The Dayton
learning levels. Art Institute's interactive gallery. Inside Egypt is sponsored by
Through hands-on activities, George and Pam Houk, The Iams
students will learn about the Company, Iddings Foundation,
In addition, the packet focuses on
building of the Great Pyramids at Levin Family Foundation,
six specific works providing
Giza, write coded messages in Reynolds & Reynolds Company
information about the objects and
hieroglyphs, and make drawings Foundation, and the Frank M. Tait
suggesting activities that relate
like the ancient Egyptians. A Foundation
directly to math, language arts,
tactile diagram of a cross-section
TABLE OF CONTENTS
4
ABOUT THE EXHIBITION
5
MAP OF ANCIENT EGYPT
6
FACTS ABOUT ANCIENT EGYPT
7
EGYPTIAN SOCIETY
9
GODS AND GODDESSES
11
HIEROGLYPHS
13
EGYPTIAN TOMBS
14
MUMMIFICATION
15
THUTMOSE III
I6
JOURNEY TO THE AFTERLIFE
21
GLOSSARY
23
COFFIN OF ISIS-EM-AKHBIT,
BIBLIOGRAPHY Twenty-first Dynasty, reign of
Psusennes II, 959-945 BCE;
painted wood, gold. The
THIS EDUCATOR RESOURCE PACKET Egyptian Museum, Cairo.
IS SPONSORED BY BANK ONE.
ABOUT THE EXHIBITION
The Quest for Immortality: Most of the objects in this collection were created a thousand years after the
Treasures of Ancient Egypt, pyramids. By this time the use of pyramids had been abandoned for a new and
presented by NCR Corporation, different style of funerary architecture– tombs that were carved into the lime-
represents the largest collection of stone cliffs across from Thebes on the west bank of the Nile River.
ancient artifacts to ever travel
outside Egypt. It consists of more Highlighted in this exhibition is a very important, though perhaps less well
than one hundred objects known pharaoh, Thutmose III. Thutmose III was the sixth pharaoh of the
specifically chosen to illustrate the Eighteenth Dynasty in the New Kingdom, an eventful period in Egyptian
afterlife beliefs of the ancient history. Fourteen pharaohs fall under the Eighteenth Dynasty, some of whom
Egyptians, a culture that existed have very familiar names: Akhenaten, Hatshepsut, and of course,
more than 3500 years ago. Tutankhamun, better known as King Tut. An exhibition highlight is the
full-scale reconstruction of Thutmose III’s burial chamber. Inside, visitors can
The objects–sculpture, jewelry and view the earliest known complete painting of the Amduat, the great text
numerous funerary artifacts– describing the sun god’s journey through the underworld.
reflect the Egyptian burial
rituals, religious beliefs about gods This exhibition provides an opportunity for our visitors to learn about the
and goddesses, concepts of the many facets of Egyptian funerary rites, religious beliefs, and the quest for
afterlife, and the pursuit of eternal life. The ancient Egyptians viewed the afterlife as a place to pass into
immortality. Much of the where an individual’s spirit would continue to live on. It was viewed as an
exhibition dates to the New extension of this world. Therefore, processes such as mummification and
Kingdom period (c.1569-1081 supplies of food and objects used in daily life were important in this passage.
BCE) and the life of a particular Although most of these objects were made to be placed in the tomb of the
pharaoh, Thutmose III. However, deceased and must now be viewed out of their original context, these ancient
objects dating through the Late objects give us a glimpse into an ancient civilization’s quest for the eternal.
Period (c.724-333 BCE) are
also included.
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5
FACTS ABOUT ANCIENT EGYPT
Egypt is located in Northern Egypt’s rulers were believed to be Mummification was the first step
Africa, bordering the Middle East divine kings, sons of the solar god taken to prepare for immortality.
and the Mediterranean Sea. Re. The term “pharaoh” means Occurring over a seventy day
“great house” and was first used period, mummification was a
The Nile, the longest river in the by the New Kingdom ruler, process for preserving the body.
world, divides the length of Egypt. Thutmose III. Important internal organs, the
Beginning at its source in central lungs, liver, stomach, and intes-
Africa, the Nile River winds north- Thirty-one dynasties of pharaohs tines were removed, dried in salts,
ward for over 4,000 miles to the ruled for over 2500 years in Egypt. and placed in canopic jars. The
Mediterranean Sea. body was also dried with salts and
The ancient Egyptians believed in wrapped in multiple layers of fine
Miles of desert protected Egypt polytheism, the worship of many linen. Bodies were often adorned
over the centuries from invaders, gods. Different gods and with jewelry, protective amulets
allowing the ancient Egyptian goddesses, including those (small magical charms) and
civilization to develop isolated representing the sun and the Nile funerary masks before being
artistic traditions, as well as River, played a role in explaining placed in decorated coffins.
advanced political, religious and natural occurrences.
agricultural systems.
Ancient Egyptians believed that
Egyptian culture was primarily after death, they could be reborn
agricultural relying on the annual into a new life in the underworld
flooding of the Nile River that ruled by the god Osiris.
brought fresh water and fertilized
silt to renew the soil for crops. Funerary texts helped the deceased
Agricultural themes emerge achieve immortality. The Amduat
repeatedly in Egyptian art. (“that which is in the nether-
world”) was a text reserved for
Although located in southern royalty which traced the twelve-
Egypt, the area is referred to as hour journey through the under-
Upper Egypt because of its high world.
elevation. Lower Egypt is in the
north and includes the low In preparation for the afterlife,
floodplains of the Nile. pharaohs built elaborate tombs for
themselves. In the Old Kingdom,
Ancient Egyptian society was the pharaohs built pyramids to
organized as a hierarchy, with the house their remains. Later, tombs
pharaoh at the top and farmers and were carved into the sides of cliffs.
laborers at the bottom. One famous area now referred to
as the Valley of the Kings is
The earliest Egyptian writing located on the west bank of the
system consisted of picture Nile across from Thebes.
symbols called hieroglyphs.
8
GODS AND GODDESSES
Ancient Egyptians believed that With regard to the afterlife,
their gods inhabited every part of Egyptians were careful to equip
the natural world. Their compre- their dead with detailed
hension of life and the afterlife instructions for safe passage
was intimately linked to and through the perils of the
guided by the many gods and underworld (netherworld), a
goddesses they worshiped. In this journey that was required in order
complex family of gods and god- to achieve immortality. Sacred
desses, some have multiple names, objects were also placed in the
many have legends associated with tombs, including images of
them, and some take on multiple protective deities that were first
forms. Some were regional or dedicated in temples. Those gods
served various elements of one and goddesses that were connected
concept, such as Kephri, the rising to the netherworld, regeneration
sun, and Atum, the setting and the solar cycle of rebirth took
sun—both aspects of the sun god precedence.
Re. Although they were visualized
in human or animal form, or as Re – A major god in the Egyptian
animal-headed humans, the world, the sun god, Re, formed the
Egyptians did not worship the link between earthly life and STATUE OF OSIRIS, Twenty-sixth Dynasty, reign of Psamtik I,
images themselves, but rather the eternal life. When darkness fell 664-610 BCE; graywacke.The Egyptian Museum, Cairo.
13
MUMMIFICATION
Egyptians believed that everyone’s
spirit had two aspects, the ba, or
soul, and the ka, an invisible twin
of the person. When a person died
the ba and ka were released from
the body and lived on in the tomb.
The ba could fly out of the tomb
and maintain contact with living
family members of the deceased.
The ka traveled back and forth
TOE STALLS WITH RINGS, Twenty-first Dynasty,
from the body to the underworld. reign of Psusennes I, 1039-991 BCE; gold.
In order to achieve immortality The Egyptian Museum, Cairo.
15
THE JOURNEY TO THE AFTERLIFE
During the time of the New In each hour, the text and illustra- hours are not illustrated in consec-
Kingdom (c.1550-1069 BCE) tions form a unit starting with an utive order. That’s because the
there was a resurgence of religious introduction in vertical columns. story begins in the west where the
activity that resulted in the devel- Then each hour is divided into sun sets and ends in the east with
opment of numerous funerary texts three horizontal bars, called regis- the sunrise. Ideally, hours 1-4 are
designed to assist the deceased in ters. Generally, the middle register on the west wall, 5 and 6 on the
attaining immortality. The shows the solar boat, a key com- south, 7 and 8 on the north, and
Amduat, a text that was reserved ponent in the Amduat. The text 9-12 on the east wall. However,
for royalty, describes the deceased that tells the story of the Amduat because of the orientation of
king’s union with Re, the sun god is read from top to bottom. In Thutmose’s tomb, some of the
who descends on a solar boat into addition to the illustrated long registers had to be rearranged and
the dangerous realm of the under- version of the text, there is also a the prescribed order was not
world where he brings eternal life short version included that repre- followed exactly.
to the dead. Guided by magical sents a summary of the book.
knowledge and assisted by numer-
ous gods, the king travels through The following is a synopsis of the
the underworld on a twelve-hour twelve-hour journey described in
journey, at the end of which he is the images and text on the tomb
reborn as the sun god and meets walls of Thutmose III. This tomb
the day. In some cases the Amduat with its Amduat text is recreated
was written on papyrus scrolls, in its entirety as part of the
but in the case of Thutmose III, exhibition. When you walk
the entire book is painted on the through the tomb and study the
walls of his tomb. walls you will notice that the
Hour 1
The life of Thutmose III has
ended. The day ends and he is
greeted by the sun god Re who
appears in his nocturnal form with
the head of a ram. Re invites the
pharaoh to join him on his boat
along with other gods and
goddesses. There is another boat
containing a scarab beetle
representing the sun god’s form in
the morning and pointing to the
The first hour of the Amduat
ultimate purpose of this journey, in the tomb of Thutmose III,
the renewed life of the king detail. Eighteenth Dynasty,
1479-1425 BCE; painted
after death. plaster. Valley of the Kings
tomb no. KV 34.
16
Hour 2
The boat is guided along a zigzag
pattern that probably represents an
underworld Nile River. The guide
is the sun god’s daughter, Hathor.
Thutmose III and Re see the
abundant and well-watered
wheat fields of Osiris along
the riverbanks. The second hour of the Amduat
in the tomb of Thutmose III,
detail. Eighteenth Dynasty,
1479-1425 BCE; painted
plaster. Valley of the Kings
tomb no. KV 34.
Hour 3
Thutmose, Re and Hathor meet
Osiris, the god who rules the
underworld. Surrounding Osiris
are several bird-headed gods with
knives in their hands, ready to
protect Thutmose and Re from
all enemies. The third hour of the Amduat
in the tomb of Thutmose III,
detail. Eighteenth Dynasty,
1479-1425 BCE; painted
plaster. Valley of the Kings
tomb no. KV 34.
Hour 4
Suddenly the journey becomes
dangerous. The travelers have
reached the land of Sokar, a
falcon-headed god of the under-
world and an aspect of Osiris.
The land is populated by monster
snakes, some with several heads or
with legs and wings. Complete
darkness surrounds them, a zigzag
path blocks their way, and the
river dries up. Four figures tow
the boat across the desert, but
The zigzag path in the fourth
magically the boat turns itself into hour of the Amduat in the
tomb of Thutmose III, detail.
a double-headed serpent whose Eighteenth Dynasty, 1479-
fiery breath pierces the darkness 1425 BCE; painted plaster.
Valley of the Kings tomb no.
and they are transported safely KV 34.
across the sands.
17
Hour 5
The travelers continue through the
land of Sokar with several figures
joining in the effort of pulling the
solar boat safely through a danger-
ous narrow pass. Eventually they
reach the secret cave of Sokar
which is guarded by a two-headed
The fifth hour of the Amduat
sphinx. Sokar grasps the wings of in the tomb of Thutmose III,
a multi-headed serpent represent- detail. Eighteenth Dynasty,
1479-1425 BCE; painted
ing the sun god Re and the two are plaster. Valley of the Kings
tomb no. KV 34.
united in the underworld.
Hour 6
As midnight approaches, the
journey continues into the darkest
parts of the underworld. The
travelers find themselves in a
place dominated by the presence
of Sobek, the crocodile god, and
Nun, the god who represents the
world before creation, out of
which the sun god emerged at the
beginning of time and is now
renewed again. Also, in this place The sixth hour of the Amduat
a five-headed snake protects the in the tomb of Thutmose III,
detail. Eighteenth Dynasty,
corpse of Re’s earth body. 1479-1425 BCE; painted
plaster. Valley of the Kings
tomb no. KV 34.
Hour 7
At this point, the sun god Re
meets his archenemy, a magical
snake called Apophis. It was
Apophis who swallowed the river
that had carried the sun boat. But
the goddess Isis comes to rescue
them. She stands in front of the
boat, raises her arms and hurls
strong spells, destroying the
snake’s power while other gods
decapitate more of Re’s enemies.
The seventh hour of the Amduat in the tomb of Thutmose
III, detail. Eighteenth Dynasty, 1479-1425 BCE; painted
plaster. Valley of the Kings tomb no. KV 34.
18
Hour 8
The worst is now over, but the
solar boat continues to be towed,
this time by eight gods (according
to the number of the hour). Almost
all the figures represented in this
hour are enthroned on the
hieroglyph for “cloth.” New The eigth hour of the Amduat
in the tomb of Thutmose III,
clothes are part of the general detail. Eighteenth Dynasty,
renewal of well-being, another 1479-1425 BCE; painted
plaster. Valley of the Kings
feature of rebirth. tomb no. KV 34.
Hour 9
Three idols appear who are in
charge of providing bread, beer
and other essential foods for the
pharaoh so that he is fully
prepared for his life in the
netherworld.
Hour 10
A large body of regenerating water
appears in front of the solar boat.
In it are those who died by drown-
ing. In ancient Egypt, the drowned
were of special concern because
they couldn’t have a proper burial,
and therefore, no chance for The tenth hour of the Amduat
depicting the deified drowned
immortality. But Thutmose sees in the lower register, in the
Horus, the falcon-headed god, tomb of Amenhotep II, detail.
Eighteenth Dynasty, 1427-
gesturing toward the drowned, 1400 BCE; painted plaster.
assuring them eternal life. Valley of the Kings tomb no.
KV 35.
19
Hour 11
The new day will begin soon. Re’s
boat now has a solar disk at the
front. Thutmose can see the snake
of time about to eat ten stars in the
dark sky, one star for each hour
that the pharaoh has been on his
The eleventh hour of the
journey through the underworld. Amduat in the burial chamber
of the tomb of Thutmose III,
detail. Eighteenth Dynasty,
1479-1425 BCE; painted
plaster. Valley of the Kings
tomb no. KV
Hour 12
The last hour of the night has
arrived. Thutmose has been trans-
formed and will be reborn as the
sun god Re. There is a long snake,
followed by the triumphant Re in
his boat. The boat is being pulled
by a towline that passes through
the snake’s head indicating that the
sun god will be pulled through the
snake’s body, emerging from its
mouth, reborn and triumphant at
sunrise. Re will first appear in his
daytime form as a scarab beetle
and will rise to begin the new day.
As he rises into the sky the gods
rejoice that the sun, a brilliant disk
of gold, will travel across the sky
to sink below the horizon at dusk The twelfth hour of the Amduat in the tomb of Thutmose
III, detail. Eighteenth Dynasty, 1479-1425 BCE; painted
and continue its journey through plaster. Valley of the Kings tomb no. KV 34.
the underworld once again. The
mummiform figure of Osiris also
appears in the twelfth hour. He
will remain in the underworld as
its king.
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GLOSSARY
Amduat
a burial text that traces the cartouche hieroglyphs
twelve-hour journey through the oval ring that picture writing of ancient Egypt
underworld represents a that represented sounds and/or
rope with the entire words and ideas
amulet ends
a magical charm worn as a overlapped; it ibis
protection against evil, usually encircles the Egyptian wading bird with a
placed in mummy wrappings name of the curved bill and long legs
pharaoh associated with the moon
ankh god, Thoth
the sign of life crook and flail
the crook is a curved scepter and ka
the flail may represent a fly whisk; life force of a person, represented
pharaohs and the god Osiris are as a twin that could live on after a
often shown holding these two person’s death if provided with
atef crown symbols crossed over their chests food and an image of the person to
a tall white crown with plumes on use as a resting place
either side and worn by kings and djed pillar
the god Osiris symbol of stability, Lower Egypt
associated with the northern part of Egypt that
ba backbone of the god includes the low floodplains
a name for the Osiris
individual mummification
personality of dynasty the process of drying and
a person, the succession of rulers embalming the dead body of a
represented as a bird with a belonging to related families; person or an animal in order to
human head ancient Egyptian history includes preserve it
31 dynasties
BCE natron
the abbreviation for Before the faience a natural salt from the desert that
Common Era; can be used in a glass-like material pressed into a was used in the mummification
place of BC mold, covered with glaze, and process
fired; often used to decorate
canopic jars jewelry and small statues nemes
four specially designed funerary linen headdress worn by pharaohs
jars that held the mummified feather of Maat
internal organs of the deceased: feather of truth that is used when obelisk
the lungs, intestines, stomach, the heart of a deceased person is a tapering four-sided stone
and liver weighed against a feather monument topped by a pyramid
associated with the goddess Maat shape (pyramidion)
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papyrus sphinx
the pith of the papyrus reed was the combination of the body of a
used to make a surface on which lion and a human head; pharaohs
to write and paint; the reed itself often combined their image with
was used for products such as the lion’s body in order to take on
ropes, sandals and baskets the power and strength associated
with the lion
pharaoh
title given to rulers of ancient underworld
Egypt land of the dead, also called the
netherworld
Rosetta Stone
stone fragment containing a decree Upper Egypt
written in hieroglyphs, demotic southern part of Egypt, with a
and Greek; its discovery led to the high elevation
ability to read ancient Egyptian
hieroglyphs uraeus
sacred cobra shown
sarcophagus on the
the outer container for a coffin, headdress of
often carved from stone pharaohs and gods
scribe
person trained to read and write
who worked in the service of the
pharaoh and the government
shabti
a small funerary statue intended to
stand in for the deceased in the
afterlife and perform manual tasks
(also spelled ushebti or shawabti)
22
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Suggested readings for teachers: Lurker, Manfred. An Illustrated Macaulay, David. Pyramid.
Dictionary of the Gods and Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1975.
Abt, Theodore and Eric Hornung. Symbols of Ancient Egypt. New
Knowledge for the Afterlife: The York: Thames and Hudson, 1996. McDonald, Angela. Ancient
Egyptian Amduat – A Quest for Egyptian Animals. London: The
Immortality. Zurich: Living *O’Halloran, Kate. Hands-on British Museum Press, 2004.
Human Heritage Publications, Culture of Ancient Egypt. Portland,
2003. Maine: J. Weston Walch, Mellett, Peter. Learn About
Publisher, 1997. (curriculum Pyramids. London: Anness
*Baker, Elaine. Art of Ancient resource grades 4-8) Publishing Ltd., 2003.
Civilizations. Dunstable, England:
Folens Publishers, 1992. Reeves, Nicholas, and Richard H. Morley, Jacqueline. How Would
(curriculum resource grades K-3) Wilkinson. The Complete Valley of You Survive as an Ancient
the Kings: Tombs and Treasures of Egyptian? New York: Franklin
*Broida, Marian. Ancient Egypt’s Greatest pharaohs. New Watts, 1995.
Egyptians and Their Neighbors: York: Thames and Hudson, 1996.
An Activity Guide. Chicago: Suggested videos:
Chicago Review Press, 1999. Serino, Franco. The Monuments of
(curriculum resource grades 4-8) Egypt and Nubia by Ippolito *Egypt. Image Videos. 55 minutes
Rosellini. Cairo: The American
*Bryan, Betsy and Eric Hornung, University in Cairo, 2003. *This Old Pyramid. Nova.
ed. The Quest for Immortality: 90 minutes
Treasures of Ancient Egypt. *What Life Was Like on the Banks
Washington: National Gallery of of the Nile. Alexandria, Virginia: *Secrets of Lost Empires: Obelisk.
Art and United Exhibits Group, Time-Life Books, 1997. Nova. 60 minutes.
Copenhagen: in association with
Prestel Publishers, 2001. Suggested readings for students: *Secrets of Lost Empires:
Pyramid. Nova. 60 minutes.
*Chertok, Bobbi, Goody Hirshfeld Aliki. Mummies Made in Egypt.
and Marilyn Rosh. Learning About New York: Harper Collins, *Books and videos that are
Ancient Civilizations Through Art. Publishers, 1979. available in the Educator
New York: Scholastic Professional Resource Center of The Dayton
Books, 1993. (curriculum resource Hart, Avery and Paul Mantell. Art Institute.
grades 3-6) Pyramids: 50 Hands-on Activities
to Experience Ancient Egypt.
Grimal, Nicolas. A History of Charlotte, Vermont: Williamson
Ancient Egypt. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing, 1997.
Publishers, 1992.
*Hart, George. Ancient Egypt.
*Honan, Linda. Spend a Day in New York: Alfred A. Knopf
Ancient Egypt. New York: John (Eyewitness Books), 1990.
Wiley and Sons, Inc., 1999.
(curriculum resource grades 4-8)
23
Suggested websites:
http://www.britishmuseum.org
http://www.guardians.net/egypt
http://www.iwebquest.com/egypt/ancientegypt
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/pyramids
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/egyptians
http://www.pbs.org/empires/egypt/education
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