Mary Ann Bernal: pyramid

Showing posts with label pyramid. Show all posts

Tuesday, July 25, 2017

Tomb Could Be That of Tutankhamun’s Wife and Egyptian Leading Lady Ankhesenamun

Egyptologists believe they may be on the verge of a major discovery related to a leading lady of ancient Egypt. A new tomb found in the Valley of the Kings may have been created as the final resting place for the famous Egyptian queen Ankhesenamun – wife of Tutankhamun.

Live Science reports that the researchers were tipped off to the tomb’s existence by the discovery of four foundation deposits which Zahi Hawass described as “caches or holes in the ground that were filled with votive objects such as pottery vessels, food remains and other tools as a sign that a tomb construction is being initiated.”

According to a National Geographic interview, the researchers were examining the site between February and May. Hawass said a follow-up examination using radar showed “a substructure that could be the entrance of a tomb.”

Valley of the Kings, Luxor, Egypt. (Wouter Hagens/CC BY SA 3.0)

Although nothing has been confirmed yet, Hawass proposes that the tomb’s owner could have been Ankhesenamun. This idea is based on the location near Pharaoh Ay’s tomb.

Ankhesenamun was a longstanding member of ancient Egyptian royalty. Her story begins as the third of six daughters to Pharaoh Akhenaten and his Great Royal Wife Nefertiti. Ankhesenamun married her half-brother Tutankhamun when he was just 8 to 10 years old and she was 13. It is said the couple had stillborn twins. She may have also been briefly married to Tutankhamun's successor, Ay, (believed by many to be her maternal grandfather). There have also been suggestions that Ankhesenamun may have been married to her father for a time as well.

Detail; gold plate depicting Pharaoh Tutankhamun and consort, Ankhesenamun. (CC BY SA 3.0)

This may be shocking for people today, but it was a rather common practice for the royals of ancient Egypt. As April Holloway explains:

“Marriage within family was not uncommon in ancient Egypt and was practiced among royalty as a means of perpetuating the royal lineage. The pharaohs believed they were descended from the gods and incest was seen as acceptable so as to retain the sacred bloodline. However, what they were unaware of at the time was the severe consequences of family inbreeding.”

Detail; Tutankhamun receives flowers from Ankhesenamun as a sign of love. (Public Domain)

Proof for Ay and Ankhesenamun’s marriage has been offered in the form of a finger-ring that was found by Professor Percy Newberry in an antique shop in Cairo in the spring of 1931. It had cartouches of Ay and Ankhesenamun inscribed side by side―which many scholars say is proof of wedlock.

Although the possibility of finding Ankhesenamun’s lost tomb is exciting, it is also worth noting that there is an argument against a marriage between Ay and Ankhesenamun. “Her name never appeared within his tomb and it is believed that she may have died during or shortly after Ay’s reign, as she disappears from history shortly after his period.” If this is true, the tomb near KV23 may have nothing to do with Ankhesenamun.

Portrait study thought to be of Ay from the studio of the sculptor Thutmose. (CC BY SA 3.0)

To date, it is not known where exactly Ankhesenamun was buried and no funerary objects with her name are known to exist. However, back in 2010 it was proposed that a mummy found in KV21A was Ankhesenamun. As Ancient Origins reported “Although her remains are headless and mostly destroyed, it was possible to use her DNA to confirm that this woman is the mother of two of Tutankhamun’s children.” These results have been debated, but do not discount her as the new tomb’s owner either. Moving mummies was another common practice by ancient priests looking to save them from looters.

It seems that you’ll have to wait to discover who the tomb’s owner is until a much later date. Hawass, who is currently the Director of the Italian expedition in the Valley of the Kings, told Live Science he will oversee future excavations at the site; but no expected start date has been provided for the dig.

Top Image: Ankhesenamun Hands Tutankhamun an Arrow. Source: Asaf Braverman/CC BY NC SA 2.0

By Alicia McDermott

Tuesday, November 22, 2016

Extensive Engraved Ramp Discovered Connecting an Elite Tomb to the Bank of the Nile

Ancient Origins

A decorated causeway leading to the tomb of a Middle Kingdom Elephantine Island provincial governor has been unearthed at Aswan, Egypt. The causeway is said to be the longest found to date on the western bank of the Nile in Aswan. It is also believed that the discovery may change the history of the Qubbet El-Hawa area. The discovery of the tomb was announced by Mahmoud Afifi, head of the Ancient Egyptian Antiquities Department at the Ministry of Antiquities. He explained to Ahram Online that the recently discovered causeway is 133 meters (436.35 ft.) long and connects the tomb of Sarenput I to the Nile bank.

The Nile river at Aswan, Egypt. (Citadelite/CC BY SA 3.0) While examining the causeway, researchers found beautiful engravings decorating the walls. Afifi explained that one of the most interesting images the team found is a decoration depicting a group of men pulling a bull on the eastern part of the ramp's northern wall. It portrays an offering to Sarenput I after his death. The archaeological mission has also discovered a collection of clay containers in a pit located within the causeway. The researchers believe that they are canopic jars that were used during mummification. Organic materials were found inside the containers and the artifacts will be further studied to better understand the mummification process during the Middle Kingdom period (c. 2055 BC – 1650 BC).

Example of a Middle Kingdom canopic jar from Harageh, tomb 92. (CC BY SA 3.0) This container belonged to Lady Senebtisi who lived sometime during the 12th Dynasty, (c. 1938-1759). The tomb’s first two chambers have colonnades and the burial chamber has a niche that housed a statue of Sarenput I. The reliefs which decorate the tomb show Sarenput with his family and beloved dogs. There is also a scene showing the owner of the tomb with the god Khnum. Sarenput I was an Elephantine ruler during the reign of King Senusret I (1971 BC - 1926 BC). He held a few titles, including ‘the overseer of foreign lands’ and ‘the overseer of the priests of Satet.’ Sarenput I was also responsible for the pharaoh’s trade with Nubia.

Bust of Senusret I in the Neues Museum, Berlin. (Keith Schengili-Roberts/CC BY SA 3.0) Research on the ramp is being led by archaeologist Martin Yumath, who is excited about the discovery. He believes that his team’s work may change what we currently think about the history of this area. As Ahram Online reports, “Yumath asserted that the mission will start a comprehensive study on the ramp in order to reveal more of its secrets, which may open up the opportunity to comprehensively explore the Qubbet El-Hawa area, which houses a collection of tombs of high officials from the Old Kingdom and nomarchs [provincial governors] from the Middle Kingdom.”

The causeway. (Ahram Online) Another headline in archaeology news regarding the ancient Egyptian 12th dynasty was reported by Natalia Klimczak on Ancient Origins in May 2016. That discovery was the tomb of a prominent lady called Sattjeni. Her tomb was found by Spanish Egyptologists in the necropolis of Qubbet el-Hawa (West Aswan), Egypt as well. The team of researchers from Jaén University in Spain has been working in West Aswan since 2008 and, since that year, they have discovered several intact burials from different time periods. A group led by Alejandro Jiménez-Serrano discovered the tomb of Sattjeni, who appears to have been one of the most important women of her time. According to El Confidencial, inside the tomb the researchers discovered the remains of a woman who was buried in two wooden coffins. The inscription allowed them to discover her name.

The newly-discovered coffin of the Egyptian noblewoman called Sattjeni. (Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities) Sattjeni was the mother, daughter, and a wife to important governors. Her family worked mostly in the service of pharaoh Amenemhat III (1800-1775 BC). She was the daughter of Prince Sarnbhut II, and the mother of Heqa-Ib III and Amaeny-Senb (two of the highest Elephantine authorities under the reign of this pharaoh). Her body was discovered wrapped in linen and deposited in two coffins made of cedar from Lebanon. Her face was still covered by a cartonnage mask. The inner coffin was very well preserved, enabling the accurate dating of the year in which the tree was cut to make the coffin.

Top Image: The engraved wall of the causeway discovered during excavations at Aswan's Qubbet El-Hawa necropolis.

Source: Egypt’s Ministry of Antiquities By Natalia Klimczak

Wednesday, February 10, 2016

2,000-Year-Old Pyramid in Rome Gets a Facelift

Ancient Origins

Few are aware that in the heart of Rome there sits a 2,000-year-old pyramid constructed as the burial tomb for a Roman praetor named Caius Cestius. It is Rome’s only surviving pyramid from ancient times, however, decades of neglect left the white marble exterior covered in grime and corroded by pollution. Thanks to a wealthy Japanese clothing magnate, the Pyramid of Cestius has just received a facelift and is now open for exclusive tours.
Associated Press reports that Yuzo Yagi, who heads a clothing and textile company, provided 2 million euros toward the restoration of the pyramid, and it is now back to its shiny white marble exterior. Furthermore, the pyramid is being maintained and cleaned every few months by a team of free-climbers, eliminating the need for costly scaffolding.

The tip of the Pyramid of Cestius, now back to its shiny white surface

The tip of the Pyramid of Cestius, now back to its shiny white surface (public domain)

Egyptian Influence on the Roman Empire

The Great Pyramid of Giza is undoubtedly one of the most well-known icons of ancient Egypt. Nevertheless, similar pyramids are found scattered all throughout Egypt and beyond. For example, Egyptian-style pyramids have been found south of the border in modern day Sudan. These pyramids were built by the rulers of the Kingdom of Kush.
In 30 BC, Egypt became a province in the Roman Empire, and the Romans even launched a military expedition into Kushite territory in 23 BC. It is possible that the encounter with the Egyptian pyramids, or the Kushite ones, or both, influenced the construction of the Pyramid of Cestius in one of the most unlikely of places, Rome.

It should first be pointed out that the Pyramid of Cestius was not the only Egyptian-style pyramid in Rome. There was also another pyramid, known as the ‘Pyramid of Romulus’. Incidentally, during the Middle Ages, the Pyramid of Cestius was known as the ‘Pyramid of Remus’, and it was believed that these two pyramids were the tombs of the legendary founders of Rome. The larger ‘Pyramid of Romulus’, located between the Vatican and Hadrian’s Mausoleum (known also as the Castel Sant’Angelo), was dismantled sometime during the 16th century so that its marble could be used in the construction of St. Peter’s Basilica.

The ‘Vision of the Cross’ by Raphael (Public Domain). The Pyramid of Romulus is depicted in the background.

The Construction of the Pyramid of Cestius

The Pyramid of Cestius was built along the Via Ostiensis sometime between 18 and 12 BC. The pyramid has a nucleus of concrete with a curtain of brick, and its exterior is covered with Luni marble. The base of the structure is a square measuring 29.5 m (96.58 ft.) on each side, whist its height is measured at 36.4 m (119.4 ft.)
Within, the pyramid is a barrel-vaulted burial chamber measuring about 23 square metres (247.6 sq. ft.), and it was walled up in accordance with Egyptian custom at the time of entombment. During the 3rd century AD, the pyramid was incorporated into the circuit of walls known as the Aurelian Walls. One of the southern gates, the Porta San Paolo, is just a stone’s throw away from this monument.

The Pyramid of Cestius incorporated into the Aurelian Walls

The Pyramid of Cestius incorporated into the Aurelian Walls (Public Domain)

Ancient Inscriptions

The identity of the pyramid was later forgotten, and was only rediscovered sometime in the 1600s. During this time, the pyramid was being restored, and the inscriptions on its faces were uncovered. According to the inscriptions on the east and the west flanks of the pyramid, the structure was built as a tomb for a man called Gaius Cestius Epulo, the son of Lucius, of the tribe of Pobilia. The inscription also mentions that Cestius was a praetor, a tribune of the plebs, and a septemvir of the Epulones (a college of priests responsible for preparing the feasts in honor of the gods). A second inscription announces that the building of this monument was completed in 330 days.

Inscription on the Pyramid of Cestius (Giovanni Dall'Orto/CC.0)

Restoration of the Pyramid

Over the centuries, the Pyramid of Cestius has been battered by the elements. The first major restoration was undertaken in the 1600s, and the restoration of the burial chamber was carried out in 2001. In 2011, Yuzo Yagi announced his intention to provided funding for further restoration.
Archaeologist Leonardo Guarnieri told reporters on Wednesday that tours, including of the frescoed burial chamber, are now being given twice a month by reservation. Visits can be booked at www.coopculture.it