7 Rare Artifacts from the Ancient Egyptian Era
The Ancient Egyptian era was established in 3150 BC and was a civilization in Northeast Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River. Even though it’s been decades since its reign, there are several artifacts from the Ancient Egyptian era that are still being unearthed and discovered today.
During its era, Egypt was invaded or conquered by several foreign powers including the Kyksos, the Nubians, and the Macedonians under Alexander the Great. It was disestablished in 30 BC when it fell to the Roman Empire, becoming a Roman province. Let’s jump into some of the most interesting artifacts from the Ancient Egyptian era and what historians and archeologists have discovered about them.
7. The Dendra Zodiac
The Dendera Zodiac is a widely known Egyptian bas-relief that was located on the chapel of Osiris (the god of fertility, agriculture, the afterlife, the dead, and vegetation during the Ancient Egyptian period) at the temple of Hathor at the Dendera complex. The artifact contains images of Taurus and the Libra, the zodiacs. The Denera Zodiac is a map of the stars on plane projects that shows the 12 constellations of the zodiacal band forming 36 decans (or subdivisions of the zodiac signs) of ten days each and the planets. In 1820, the artifact was removed from the chapel and moved to Paris, where it can be seen at the Louvre.
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6. The Nefertiti Bust
Another one of the most impressive artifacts from the Ancient Egyptian era is the Nefertiti Bust. The bust is of Akhenaten’s (an Egyptian pharaoh reigning from 1352 to 1336 BC) wife, Nefertiti, and is considered one of the finest examples of Ancient Egyptian sculptures. The name means the beautiful has come, and she has a major influence on religion and culture. The bust is made out of limestone and is identified as a pure depiction of enchanting beauty due to the unique crown she wears. The bust is currently on display at the Berlin Museum.
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5. The Statue of Anubis
One of the best artifacts from the Ancient Egyptian era is the Statue of Anubis. Anubis is the god of the afterlife and is often depicted as a jackal or dog-headed figure. Statues of him were commonly placed in Egyptian tombs to protect the deceased and guide their souls in the afterlife. Often made of wood, stone, and bronze, the Anubis played a vital role in the mummification process and dates back throughout Ancient Egyptian history.
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4. The Narmer Palette
The Palette of Narmer is one of the first historical documents in the world and one of the most significant artifacts from the Ancient Egyptian era. It’s a 23-inch small dark green schist stone carved into a shield-shaped ceremonial tablet depicting King Narmer’s rise to power. It contained some of the earliest hieroglyphic inscriptions ever found and is thought to depict the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under his rule. It currently is located in the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, Canada.
3. King Tutankhamun’s Death Mask
The golden mask of Tutankhamun is one of the most famous and admired artifacts from the Ancient Egyptian era. It’s the funerary death mask of the Egyptian pharaoh King Tutankhamun, or King Tut, of the 18th dynasty (from 1332 to 1323 BC). The mask is made of 11kg of solid gold and is inlaid with blue glass, lapis lazuli, and various semiprecious stones. The mask was discovered in 1922 and is located in the Egypt Museum.
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2. Book of the Dead
Also known as The Coming Forth by Day, the Book of the Dead is a collection of funerary texts originating from the New Kingdom, which was between 1550 to 1070 BC. The texts were on papyrus scrolls and placed in tombs to guide the deceased through the afterlife. They often contain spells, incantations, and instructions to help souls overcome various challenges in the realm of the dead. This is one of the best artifacts from the Ancient Egyptian era that shows Egypt’s profound spirituality and quest for eternal life. The oldest copy of them is the Pyramid Texts, which is in the tomb of the 6th Dynasty Pharaoh, Unas. These texts can be found housed in the British Museum.
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1. The Rosetta Stone
The finest example of artifacts from the Ancient Egyptian era is the Rosetta Stone. The artifact dates to the time of Pharaoh Ptolemy V which showcases the law that confers the right of kingship. The top and middle texts are in Ancient Egyptian using hieroglyphic and Demotic scripts, while the bottom is in Ancient Greek. The stone was carved during the Hellenistic period and is believed to have originally been displayed within a temple. Since 1802, it has been on public display at the British Museum and is one of the most visited objects there.
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