A Semester Abroad: Perspectives of a Université de Lille Student at Swansea University

The blog post for this week has been written by Hugo Rault-Marical, who arrived to Swansea University in January on a six-month exchange programme. Hugo is a Master’s student specialising in Egyptology at the Université de Lille, under the supervision of Dr Ghislaine Widmer and Dr Didier Devauchelle. His dissertation focusses on the syncretism of the Great Sphinx that occurred during the New Kingdom, particularly with the deities Hauron and Horemakhet. He was fortunate to have visited Egypt in 2020, shortly before the COVID-19 lockdown was implemented.

The collaboration between Swansea University and the University of Lille offered me the chance—beyond the COVID-19 Pandemic and Brexit—to come and study in Swansea this semester as an exchange student. Coming from an Egyptology background and wishing to take the French exam to become a curator, Swansea University proved to be an obvious choice, even more than I had initially hoped. This post will briefly outline some of the excellent opportunities I have had over the past few months.

Dr Christian Knoblauch’s module on Ancient Egypt Art and Architecture, which included object handling sessions with Dr Ken Griffin at the Egypt Centre, brought me closer than ever to ancient Egypt. This was my first experience handling Egyptian antiquities and I discovered a completely new way of learning and understanding Egyptian history (fig. 1). Indeed, it is a real bonus for Swansea University students to have this university museum, something that does not exist at the University of Lille; although we are lucky to have the Jacques Vandier library, which specialised in Egyptology.

Fig. 1: Hugo examining the Egypt Centre's soldier stela (W1366)

The module called Reaching the Public: Museums and Object Handling was a very good introduction to museum issues in the UK, which are slightly different from those in France. We discussed with the professionals at the Egypt Centre (Dr Ken Griffin, Dr Carolyn Graves-Brown, and Wendy Goodridge) some important aspects of the management of a collection. This included ethics, object-based learning (OBL), education in museums, preventive conservation, and museum interpretation and communication. It was also an opportunity for me to handle more Egyptian antiquities, which was particularly welcome (fig. 2).

Fig. 2: Practicing object condition reports

 

The Swansea University Pottery Project (SUPP), organised by Ken Griffin and Christian Knoblauch as a joint Egypt Centre and OLCAP (Object and Landscape Centred Approaches to the Past) collaboration, was an additional experience in handling objects. Each week, a group of eleven students received training in the documentation of Egyptian pottery, which included updating Egypt Centre’s online catalogue entries (fig. 3). Over the nine weeks, I studied eighteen objects, which can be viewed as a trail via the following link. I learned a lot from this experience and I recommend it to any student interested in the ancient world to be part of it.

Fig. 3: Discussing a vessel from Esna with Christian

Finally, Ken Griffin invited us to Cardiff University to see the work being undertaken on the Egypt Centre’s objects by Phil Parkes and the Conservation Department. This included the impressive plaster cast of Djedhor (fig. 4). We used this opportunity to discuss key skills for curatorial roles, which was particularly interesting for many of us.

Fig. 4: Listening to Phil and Ken discuss the conservation of an ancient textile

 

In brief, this semester at Swansea University offered me a way to improve my language skills and experience different methods of teaching under the supervision of professors like Ken Griffin and Christian Knoblauch. I thank them again for their warm welcome and their advice throughout this semester. Moreover, it was a big step forward in the museum world and the curatorial profession. I hope that in the future, the relationship between French universities and Swansea University can be maintained so that other students can benefit from similar enriching experiences.

New Course: The Ancient Egyptian Books of the Afterlife

It’s now almost two years since the Egypt Centre hosted its first online course during the COVID-19 Pandemic. During this time, eleven courses have taken place, attracting a combined audience of over 1,500 people. The income generated has been immensely helped in offsetting the losses encountered by the closure of the museum from March 2020 to September 2021. Although the museum is now open again, the demand for these courses among our supporters, particularly internationally, means that they will continue. Income generated from courses this year will be used to purchase a new display case for our writing and maths exhibit, which we hope to have installed this summer. We are grateful to all those who have attended these courses and supported the Egypt Centre over the past two years.

In just under two weeks, I’ll be starting the latest Egypt Centre course, which was chosen by participants at the end of the last one. The ancient Egyptians held a rich and complex vision of the afterlife and codified their beliefs in “books” that were to be discovered more than several millennia later in tombs. The contents of the texts range from the collection of spells in the Book of the Dead (fig. 1), which was intended to offer practical assistance on the journey to the afterlife, to the detailed accounts of the hereafter provided in the so-called Books of the Netherworld. This course looks closely at these works, including the Pyramid Texts, Coffin Texts, Book of the Dead, Amduat, Book of Gates, Book of Caverns, Book of the Earth, and several others.

Fig. 1: Book of the Dead papyrus of Hapiankh

In order to be as accessible as possible, this 5-week course will be run twice, with sessions taking place via Zoom:

- Sunday evenings 6–8pm (UK time) - Starting Sunday 01 May

- Wednesday mornings 10am–noon (UK time) - Starting Wednesday 04 May

A week before the course starts, you will be emailed the Zoom link, which can be used for both sessions. Therefore, participants will have the option of attending either day, or both!

Schedule

Week 1: (Sunday 01 May or Wednesday 04 May): The Pyramid Texts and the Coffin Texts

Week 2: (Sunday 08 May or Wednesday 11 May): The Book of the Dead

Week 3: (Sunday 15 May or Wednesday 18 May): The Amduat and the Book of Gates

Week 4: (Sunday 22 May or Wednesday 25 May): The Book of Caverns and the Book of the Earth

Week 5: (Sunday 29 May or Wednesday 01 June): The Litany of Re and the Books of the Sky

Cost

This course costs £40, with fees going directly to supporting the Egypt Centre. Additionally, participants have the option of adding an extra donation if they wish. Donations, of course, are greatly appreciated! Tickets can be purchased via the following link. Once you have booked, you will automatically receive a confirmation email from Eventbrite. If you haven’t received anything within 24 hours, please contact me at k.griffin@swansea.ac.uk

Readers to this post may also be interested in a virtual tour of the Egypt Centre and storeroom that I’ll be leading on the 28 April. In this virtual session, I’ll give an overview of the highlights of the two galleries, the House of Death and the House of Life, as well as a look behind the scenes at some of the treasures still in storage (fig 2). I’m happy to take requests for specific objects people are interested in viewing, so please check out the Egypt Centre’s online catalogue https://egyptcentre.abasetcollections.com/to prepare!

Fig. 2: Virtual tour poster

The tour will be moderated by Birmingham Egyptology, a society that brings current postgraduates together with alumni, other students and academics associated with the University of Birmingham, and members of the public to work on a variety of projects. Further details can be found at https://more.bham.ac.uk/birminghamegyptology

This event is free of charge, but donations to the Egypt Centre can be made while booking your ticket. Alternatively, you can use the Egypt Centre's donation page (https://www.egypt.swan.ac.uk/donate-to-the-egypt-centre/), where you can add an additional 25% through Gift Aid if you are a UK taxpayer. All donations are greatly appreciated and will also be used for purchasing a new display case!

Work Begins on the Plaster Cast of the Djedhor the Saviour Statue Base

The blog post for this week has been written by Micah Ellis, a second year at Cardiff University studying Conservation of Objects in Museums and Archaeology.

The statue base plaster cast (fig. 1) previously seen during the visit to Cardiff University Conservation Department (W302) is now undergoing the first steps in the conservation process. Before it can be reunited with the statue (currently in the Petrie Museum in London) for display at the Egypt Centre, the base will first need to be cleaned and have the surface chips treated. Work on the plaster cast is being carried out by Cardiff University conservation students.

Fig. 1: Plaster cast of the Djedhor the Saviour statue base

The plaster cast was made from the original at the Cairo Museum in 1933 and over time has acquired surface damage and a build-up of dust and dirt. An initial inspection of the condition also revealed several small paint splatters and staining in some areas of exposed plaster, as well as some places where air pockets within the plaster had collapsed. These contained some small, loose pieces of plaster as well as a more significant amount of dust and dirt that has accumulated inside. Further caution will have to be taken when cleaning these areas due to the potential for losing plaster or causing more breaks in these weaker areas (fig. 2).

Fig. 2: The plaster cast in the Cardiff University conservation labs

For the cleaning process, the main techniques considered included brush and vacuum cleaning, and using Groomstick and smoke sponges (effective at removing soot and smoke and often used on paintings) to remove surface dirt. We are considering dry-cleaning methods to begin with, as we don’t have information about the paint used or how the plaster was sealed, and the use of water or solvents over the entire surface has the potential to cause damage, which may not be necessary after the dry-cleaning is complete. The end of the vacuum was covered by a piece of mesh to prevent the loss of any plaster if loose pieces were disturbed while cleaning (fig. 3). After tests were carried out on small areas, it was determined that the most effective technique to begin with would be to brush and vacuum loose dirt before using the Groomstick to remove what the vacuum was unable to. Groomstick is a dry-cleaning putty that can remove dirt and grease without leaving detectable residue on many surfaces (best suited for smooth surfaces) when fresh and stored at room temperature.

Fig. 3: Beginning the brushing and vacuuming of the surface

Throughout our testing, there was no visible residue from the Groomstick, and only the surface dust was removed. During the cleaning, it will be important to be mindful of any other air bubbles within the plaster and to not apply too much pressure. The preliminary cleaning also revealed an as-yet-unidentified stain in the well where the statue would usually sit. The next step in the cleaning process will be to identify methods for removing the paint splatters and this newly revealed stain. 

For cleaning plaster, cotton swabs with a small amount of water and detergent can be used with caution, but we will first have to test on a small unobtrusive spot to ensure that none of the original paint is removed by this method. The paint splatters may have to be removed mechanically using a scalpel as any solvent that could effectively remove them could also impact the original paint. Once clean, the chips on the surface will need to be addressed. In some cases, particularly where the surface paint has been scraped away, only inpainting will be required. In some areas of greater loss, gap-filling with mixed adhesive may be required first to create an even surface for the inpainting. In these cases, it will be important to consult images, if available, of the original statue base or the plaster cast before damage for any original detailing that may have been lost. 

Bibliography

Jelínkova-Reymond, E. 1956. Les inscriptions de la statue guérisseuse de Djed-ḥer-le-Sauveur. Bibliothèque d’étude 23. Cairo: Institut français d’Archéologie orientale.

Moy, Sara A. 2004. Groomstick: A study to determine its potential to deposit residues. Objects Specialty Group Postprints 11, 29–42.

Sherman, Elizabeth J. 1981. Djedḥor the Saviour statue base OI 10589. Journal of Egyptian Archaeology 67, 82–102.

Treasures for the Dead

The blog post for this week is written by Jeanne Whitehurst, who has completed her Certificate of Egyptology from the University of Manchester. She moved to Egypt over ten years ago, just before the revolution. Initially, she lived in Luxor, overlooking Karnak Temple, but now she lives in Aswan overlooking the First Cataract. She was extremely fortunate to have worked with Ted Brock on the sarcophagus of Merenptah (KV 8) as a volunteer.

As most of the objects from ancient Egypt found in museums around the world come from tombs, it is appropriate that we investigate the legacy that the Egyptians left us to gain more understanding of life in Pharaonic Egypt. We need to consider that most of these objects came from the top 20% of the population. They wanted to take personal belongings or substitutes with them into the afterlife, and we are fortunate that we have such a variety of objects surviving besides depictions on the walls in many tombs. The walls of tombs are decorated with funerary processions with servants carrying many objects such as furniture, jewellery, cosmetics, games, and clothes (fig. 1). Family scenes show chairs with favourite objects under them, such as wigs, mirrors, and scribal cases. In discussing all of the “treasures” in this blog, we cannot be sure whether the objects were used in everyday life or specifically made for the afterlife. Clothing is the main exception as we can see signs of wear.

Fig. 1: Funeral procession in the tomb of Ramose

Cosmetics

For the ancient Egyptians, personal hygiene was important, which is why they regularly used cosmetics, perfumes, and oils. From Predynastic times, stone cosmetic palettes, most often made from mudstone, were used to grind green malachite (an oxide of copper), red ochre, and kohl, which is mostly made of the mineral galena (a dark mineral compound mainly consisting of lead sulfide). These were then mixed with resins, oils, or fats to form a paste that could be applied to the face as eye makeup. The process of grinding also left circular indentations in the stone, which today can often retain traces of ancient pigments. After the end of the Old Kingdom, kohl or soot was the preferred pigment. The cosmetics were kept in beautifully decorated containers, individually for kohl with round-headed applicators made of wood, bronze, haematite, obsidian, or glass. Wooden cosmetic containers are among my favourite objects, especially those in the shape of swimming girls, ducks, or servant girls (fig. 2).

Fig. 2: Wooden "swimming girl"

Besides having beautiful containers, these cosmetics not only had a cosmetic element but also a health benefit. Spell 125 from the Book of the Dead prohibits one from speaking unless they “clean, dressed in fresh clothes, shod in white sandals, painted with eye-paint, anointed with the finest oil of myrrh.” The gods are regularly depicted wearing eye make-up, as are the souls in the afterlife. Cosmetics are among the most common items placed in tombs as grave goods.

Jewellery

Most people admire jewellery from ancient Egypt, not only for aesthetic reasons but the intricate workmanship. From Predynastic times through to the Roman era, Egyptians adorned themselves in a variety of embellishments including rings, earrings, bracelets, pectorals, necklaces, crowns, girdles, and amulets. Most Egyptians wore some type of jewellery during their lifetimes, and almost every Egyptian was buried with some form of adornment. The materials chosen and the quality of workmanship often marked the status of the owner or wearer. The elaborate gold masks and inlaid pectorals of the Twenty-first and Twenty-second Dynasty kings of Tanis (ca. 1069–945 BC) and the intricate Middle Kingdom girdles and bracelets from the burials of princesses at Lahun and Dahshur were of far different quality than a simple strung clay bead found in a poor individual’s burial. Some simpler objects such as single strung barrel-shaped carnelian swrt beads were also common in elite burials. The jewellery was commonly made from gold and semi-precious stones, such as carnelian, lapis lazuli, and turquoise. The Egypt Centre has four beautiful, beaded collars, which are potentially from the Royal tombs at Amarna (fig. 3).

Fig. 3: Amarna collar with central heart amulet

Mirrors

In ancient Egypt, mirrors were highly polished discs of copper, bronze, or gold to represent the sun with handles in the form of a papyrus stem or the figure of Hathor, an Egyptian goddess associated with beauty and rebirth. It was thought that looking into a mirror gave you a glimpse into the afterlife and conversely from the afterlife you could see everyday life.

Wigs and hairpieces

The elite had elaborate wigs and extensions usually made of human hair. Women’s wigs were adorned with braids and gold, hair-rings, and ivory ornaments making them more stylish than men’s wigs (fig. 4). Ultimately, the more elaborate and involved the wig was, the higher the social rank. Not many wigs have been found in tombs.

Fig. 4: Jasper hair ring from Riqqeh

Furniture

Early stools for ceremonial purposes were just squared blocks of stone. Later stools of the wealthy often had seats made from animal skins, woven leather strips, or plant materials. Some were painted and featured carved animal legs. They were commonly decorated with household gods such as Bes and Taweret, who it was thought would protect them when sleeping (fig. 5). The ancient Egyptians also used folding stools; one of the most stunning examples of a folding stool is the one found in Tutankhamun’s tomb. In time, the stool developed with the addition of a back and arms into chairs. Footstools were of wood. The royal footstool was painted with the figures of traditional enemies of Egypt so that the pharaoh might symbolically tread his enemies under his feet. Carvings of animal feet on straight chair legs were common, as were legs shaped like those of animals. Once again, Tutankhamun’s throne and footstool show not only high craftmanship but that it had been used in life as it had his initial throne name, Tutankhaten, instead of his later name, Tutankhamun, inscribed on it!

Fig. 5: Furniture leg with a depiction of Taweret

Wooden bed frames were rectangular and slanted downwards, with footboards. Often the legs of the bed were carved into lions or bulls. At the head of the bed was a headrest consisting of a semicircular upper piece supported by columns fixed to a base (fig. 6). The base of the skull rested on the headrest. These headrests were made of wood, ivory, or even stone. Leather and fabrics were often used to upholster the bed. Materials were woven through the open part of the frame to support mattresses. The beds of some pharaohs were made of gold and the footboards were richly decorated. Couches were very similar to beds except they did not have footboards and were shorter. The great beds found in the tomb of Tutankhamen were put together with bronze hooks and staples so that they could be dismantled or folded to facilitate storage and transportation; there was also a folding wooden bed with bronze hinges. Furniture existed in small quantities and when the pharaohs toured their lands, they took their beds with them.

Fig. 6: Wooden headrest

Games

The four games most commonly found in ancient Egypt were Mehen, Senet, Twenty Squares, and Hounds and Jackals, which were sometimes closely associated and played on opposite sides of the same boards. Mehen, meaning “the coiled one,” was played during the Predynastic Period and the Old Kingdom (ca. 3100–2130 BC). Its board depicts a coiled snake divided into segments, which refers to a protective deity who wrapped around the sun god Re during his journey through the night. The spiral imitates the natural posture of the snake protecting its (or her) eggs. The best description of the game appears in a picture in the tomb of Hesre at Saqqara (ca. 2700 BC). Senet is the most famous game from ancient Egypt, where it was in favour from the Predynastic Period to at least the Late Period (ca. 3100–332 BC). Its board is characterized by a pattern of three rows of ten squares, with the last five squares consistently decorated (fig. 7). The players moved their pieces in a boustrophedon (S-shaped) direction. In the New Kingdom (ca. 1550–1070 BC), Senet, which means “passing,” became associated with the journey to the afterlife. Scenes of Senet-playing are included among the vignettes of Chapter 17 of the Book of the Dead and are magnified on the walls of tombs.

Fig. 7: Tutankhamun's senet board

The Metropolitan Museum in New York Accession Number: 26.7.1287a–kk has an exquisite box of Hounds and Jackals (fig. 8). The board rests on the four legs of a bull; one is completely restored and another only partially. There is a drawer with a bolt to store the playing pieces: five pins with the heads of hounds, and five with the heads of jackals. The board is shaped like an axe-blade, and there are fifty-eight holes in the upper surface with an incised palm tree topped by a shen-sign in the centre.

Fig. 8: Hounds and jackals game (Metropolitan Museum of Art)

Clothes

Strangely, not many have been found in tombs, but when they are they were usually made of linen and turned inside out. Perhaps clothes were cut up for mummy bandages or as there were many depictions of clothes on the walls of the tombs, it was thought unnecessary.

 

One of my personal treasures is “The Swansea Egypt Centre”, the privilege of looking at their artefacts with such insights into their history, and the delivery of highly informative courses in such a friendly manner. Thank you very much to all the staff who have given me so much pleasure in learning about ancient Egypt!

Magic and Amulets in Ancient Egypt

The blog post for this week is written by Linda Kimmel, from Ann Arbor, Michigan, in the United States. When she retired from full-time work as a data research manager in late 2020, she began studying about the ancient world, and serving as a docent at the University of Michigan’s Kelsey Museum of Archaeology. Linda had never heard of the Egypt Centre before the pandemic but has taken every course offered since she first noticed a tweet about the Centre in the fall of 2020 and hopes to visit Swansea in late 2022 or 2023.

The latest Egypt Centre course, The Funerary Artefacts of the Ancient Egyptians has been a fascinating look at all things related to burials in ancient Egypt. In our fourth session, Ken Griffin focused on Magic and Ritual. We learned that magic—the rough translation for the Egyptian word heka—played an important role in ancient Egypt, both in life and in the afterlife.  Heka was a creative power possessed by the gods and the pharaohs. But when ordinary people died, they could also have access to heka. The Egyptians even had a deity called Heka, who is commonly represented as a child at Esna (fig. 1). The two hours flew by as Ken discussed such topics as magic wands, magic bricks, the Opening of the Mouth ceremony, Ptah-Sokar-Osiris figures, the Pyramid Texts, the Coffin Texts, and the Book of the Dead. But my favorite part was the discussion of amulets, and that is what I will focus on here.

Fig. 1: Heka the Child at Esna

Like many museum visitors, I used to be attracted to large artifacts; coffins, large statues, reliefs, and the like. But over the last two years, after attending hundreds of online lectures, classes, and training sessions, I have learned about the wonders of the tiny artifacts that are too often overlooked by museum visitors. In particular, I have become fascinated by amulets. Amulets are items worn to protect their wearer through their religious associations, or as Ken noted, a type of “religious equivalent to armor”. Amulets for daily life and the afterlife were common in all periods of Egyptian history. For the afterlife, amulets could be inserted within the mummy wrappings, or simply placed above the mummy. An inscription from the Temple of Dendera lists 104 amulets that could be set within the wrappings (fig. 2).

Fig. 2: A list of amulets at Dendera

The Egyptians had at least four different words for amulets, all related to meanings such as “to guard,” “to protect,” and “well-being.” Based on the work of Carol Andrews, we covered five different types of amulets: (1) deities and sacred animals; (2) protection; (3) assimilation; (4) power; and (5) possession/property.

Amulets of deities and sacred animals. With over 1,000 deities in ancient Egypt, not all were represented in amuletic form. Amulets of deities were worn primarily to evoke the protection of the deity, or to gain access to a power of the deity. While most of the deities represented in amulets are easy for us to identify, some are much more difficult. The problem is, there were only so many animals to go around for all the many gods and goddesses. Thus, any given animal could be represented in animal form by numerous deities. For example, we can tell that the amulet at the Egypt Centre shown in Figure 3 has the head of a lioness. The deities Sekhmet, Tefnut, Mehyt, Pakhet, Bastet, Wadjet, and others all had the head of a lioness, making this amulet impossible to identify. Without an inscription, we cannot be certain which goddess is represented. Many of the animal amulets we saw—such as the baboon, sow, crocodile, and cat—are also associated with gods or goddesses.

Fig. 3: Lioness-headed amulet

Amulets of protection. These amulets were worn to offer the wearer protection and good luck both in life and death. This is a large group, and includes the most popular of all amulets, the scarab. It is estimated that hundreds of thousands of scarab amulets were produced throughout Egyptian history. The scarab beetle was a symbol of resurrection for the ancient Egyptians (fig. 4). This group of amulets also includes one I had never heard of before, the Girdle of Isis (Tyet). It was believed that this amulet, through the power of Isis, would protect the deceased (fig. 5). I have since discovered the University of Michigan’s Kelsey Museum has one of these amulets, and plan to use it in one of my next virtual tours.

Fig. 4: Heart scarab of Padiamun

Fig. 5: The "girdle of Isis"

Amulets of assimilation. This group includes the earliest forms of amulets, which represent parts of human or animal bodies. These amulets were thought to give the wearer the powers represented by the body part, or at times, the entire animal. They could also serve as substitutes in case the body part was destroyed. We saw examples of a spare hand, a foot, a face, and other body parts. Most important, was the heart amulet. The ancient Egyptians believed that the heart stored a person’s thoughts, feelings, actions, and memories. Heart amulets like the one in Figure 6 from the Egypt Centre were placed on the neck, breast, or upper torso of the deceased to ensure that they had a heart, should theirs be destroyed.

Fig. 6: Heart amulet

Amulets of power. There are many symbols of royal authority and power in ancient Egypt, including the djed-pillar, the uraeus serpent, and the red crown. This group of amulets includes those symbols. It has been suggested that the appearance of these amulets represents the democratization of funerary religion in Egypt; what was once exclusively for royalty, was now available for everyone (fig. 7).

Fig. 7: Djed-pillar amulet

Amulets of possession and property. These amulets represent all the possessions used during life that would be needed in the tomb for the Afterlife. It did not matter how small they were, they would still serve as representations of the real thing. We saw amulets representing such possessions as a writing tablet, tiny vessels, and a fish. The situla amulet in Figure 8 was a new form to me. It was used in ritual practices in temples, with the liquid in it having healing properties. The amuletic version of the situla was placed at the deceased’s throat and was assumed to have the same powers.

Fig. 8: Model situla amulet

This class left me wanting to learn more about magic in ancient Egypt. I could easily imagine a full course devoted to the topic. Fortunately, as always, Ken sent us a series of articles that we can read for more information. I intend to start digging into that literature as soon as the course is over!

 

Bibliography:

Andrews, Carol 1994. Amulets of ancient Egypt. London: The British Museum Press.

Colazilli, Alessandra 2012. Reproducing human limbs: prosthesis, amulets and votive objects in ancient Egypt. Res Antiquitatis: Journal of Ancient History 3, 147–174.

Germond, Philippe 2005. The symbolic world of Egyptian amulets: from the Jacques-Édouard Berger collection. Photographs by Truus Salomon de Jong and Philippe Salomon de Jong. Milano: 5 Continents.

Győry, Hedvig 2001. The history of early amulets. Journal of the Society for the Study of Egyptian Antiquities 28, 99–110.

Hays, Harold M. 2011. The death of the democratisation of the afterlife. In Strudwick, Nigel and Helen Strudwick (eds), Old Kingdom, new perspectives: Egyptian art and archaeology 2750–2150 BC, 115–130. Oxford: Oxbow Books.

Pinch, Geraldine 2006. Magic in ancient Egypt, 2nd ed. London: British Museum Press.

Priskin, Gyula 2021. The 104 amulets of Osiris at Dendera. In Franci, Massimiliano, Salima Ikram, and Irene Morfini (eds), Rethinking Osiris: proceedings of the international conference, Florence, Italy 26–27 March 2019, 147–152. Roma: Arbor Sapientiae.

Smith, Mark 2009. Democratization of the afterlife. Edited by Jacco Dieleman and Willeke Wendrich. UCLA Encyclopedia of Egyptology 2009 (June).

Sousa, Rogério 2011. The heart of wisdom: studies on the heart amulet in ancient Egypt. BAR International Series 2211. Oxford: Archaeopress.

Marking 25 Years of the Aberystwyth Collection in Swansea

Today marks 25 years since a group of 139 objects arrived at Swansea University from the School of Art at Aberystwyth University. Among the objects are shabtis, amulets, jewellery, copper alloy Osiris figures, pottery, stone vessels, mummified remains, and three coffins. The majority of the objects were donated to Aberystwyth by John Bancrot Willans (1881–1957), country landowner, antiquarian, and philanthropist (fig. 1). Willans was a subscriber of the Egyptian Research Account (later the British School of Archaeology in Egypt), which was headed by the famed archaeologist Sir William Matthew Flinders Petrie (1853–1942). As a subscriber, Willans received objects from Abydos in 1903, and from Tarkhan and Riqqeh during the 1912–13 seasons. This blog post will highlight some of the objects the Egypt Centre received from Aberystwyth. Several have already been highlighted in previous blog posts, including a wooden headrest (AB80), a Predynastic palette (AB79), and a group of objects from grave 993 at Tarkhan. A recent blog also highlighted our Late Period coffin (AB118), which is currently at Cardiff University undergoing conservation.

Fig. 1: John Bancrot Willans (https://www.peoplescollection.wales/items/32251)

Among the objects from material sent to Willans in 1903, said to be from Abydos, is a limestone fragment of an ꜣḫ i͗ḳr n Rꜥ stela (AB129). On the left, the dedicatee is seated on a high-backed chair wearing a wig with fillet and a wesekh-collar (fig. 2). He has a short beard and wears a short wig with a fillet band tied around it. The curved end of the top of the chair can be seen just above the collar. In his left hand he holds a lotus-flower, which sinuously curls away from his body with its blossom looping back towards his face, giving the impression that he is sniffing its pleasing fragrance. In his right hand the dedicatee appears to be holding a bouquet of flowers, the remains of which can be seen just in front of him. Traces of brown and white paint on the surface. In the lunette above the scene is a text, written in a number of vertical lines. The text, which is incomplete, can be tentatively reconstructed based on other examples of this type. Ancestor stelae were common during the Ramesside Period. This stela was published as part of the Festschrift presented to Prof. Alan Lloyd in 2007 (Griffin 2007). Thanks to the help of Lee Robert McStein, of Monument Men, a 3D model of the stela was created this week and is now available on the museum’s Sketchfab page.

Fig: Ancestor stela

Among the objects are numerous amulets, including wadjet eyes, scarabs, djed-pillars, and deities. Most of these are on display in our amulet case and are regularly used in our mummification activity with school parties. AB5 is a small inscribed faience scarab, the underside of which features a winged serpent to the left of the cartouche of Thutmose III (Mn-ḫpr-Rꜥ). AB6 is a faience uraeus serpent, which rests is upon a rectangular base, with a loop on the back for suspension. The uraeus was the emblem of royalty. AB7 is a red jasper heart amulet, which appears to be a cornice heart amulet (Sousa 2011, 17–20). This type dates to the Twenty-first Dynasty, at the earliest, though most are Late Period (fig. 3).

Fig. 3: Heart amulet

AB106 is copper alloy votive statue of Amun with a plaited beard. The figure is much corroded with one leg missing above the knee (fig. 4). The double-plumed headdress is also missing. Votive statues of Amun (or Amun-Re) were common from the Third Intermediate Period through the Ptolemaic Period. There are also four copper alloy Osiris figures, including one with a suspension loop on the back.

Fig. 4: Copper alloy statue of Amun

Several of the objects date to the Coptic era, including a metal earring with a mother of pearl Coptic cross (AB31). The early cross was similar in shape to the Egyptian ankh. Additionally, the radial lines at the base suggest the hieroglyph for a woman giving birth. This is very similar to two earrings featured in Petrie (1927, pl. 10). Woolley (1907) saw some similarities between Coptic crosses and Coptic fertility figurines. AB71 is a copper alloy square pendant with blue enamel depicting three unlabelled figures. Iconographically, they likely represent one of the saints flanked by Jesus (left) and Mary (right). The saint is shown holding a copy of the Bible, which suggests he represents one of the Four Evangelists (Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John). Since he is also shown quite bald, this can perhaps be narrowed down to John, the most common of the four to be depicted in this way (fig. 5).

Fig. 5: Coptic pendant

As noted previously, Willans received material from Petrie’s excavations at Tarkhan in 1912–1913. These are always interesting since they commonly have grave numbers written on them. So far, we have been able to identify objects from graves 7, 9, 27, 217, 261, 993, 1348, 1621, and 1622. This consists mainly of pottery, stone vessels, and palettes. AB22 is a turtle-shaped stone palette, manufactured from fine-grained greywacke sandstone found in the Wadi Hammamat in Egypt’s Eastern Desert (fig. 6). The animal-shaped (zoomorphic) palettes are from the Naqada II Period, with turtles being one of the rarer shapes and much less common than fish-shaped or bird-shaped palettes. Whilst not unprecedented in its lack of detail, this example is more stylised than other turtles and doesn’t feature eyes, limbs, or a suspension hole.

Fig. 6: Turtle-shaped palette

Most of the pottery from Tarkhan in the Egypt Centre has been studied by Swansea University students as part of our weekly pottery project taking place this semester. Most are cylindrical jars, with a full sequence of these wavy handled vessels seemingly being sent to Willans in 1913. Particularly noteworthy is AB90, which still contains the original contents, which has resulted in the vessel splitting (fig. 7). It is hoped that the contents of this vessel will be analysed at some point, as is currently being undertaken on another vessel from Tarkhan (AB98) by Alice Law at Cardiff University Conservation Department. Previous analysis on AB98 indicated that it was potentially pig fat (Hardy & Finch (2017).

Fig. 7: Cylindrical vessel with contents

We are immensely grateful to Aberystwyth University and the School of Art for gifting these objects to the Egypt Centre. They represent a major component of the collection, which has been used to educate school children, students, and researchers over the past 25 years!

All the objects from the Aberystwyth collection can be viewed on our online catalogue via the following link. Additionally, throughout the day, I’ll be posting highlights of the collection on Twitter!

Bibliography:

Griffin, K. 2007. An ꜣḫ i͗ḳr n Rꜥ stela from the collection of the Egypt Centre, Swansea. In Schneider, Thomas and Kasia Szpakowska (eds), Egyptian stories: a British Egyptological tribute to Alan B. Lloyd on the occasion of his retirement, 137–147. Münster: Ugarit-Verlag.

Hardy, Andrew & Paul Finch 2017. A chemical study of the contents of an Early Dynastic Egyptian storage jar. Pharmaceutical Historian 47 (1), 2–7.

Petrie, W. M. Flinders, G. A. Wainwright, and A. H. Gardiner 1913. Tarkhan I and Memphis V. British School of Archaeology in Egypt and Egyptian Research Account [23] (19th year). London, Aylesbury: Hazell, Watson and Viney, Ld. [pl. XLIX]

Petrie, W. M. Flinders 1927. Objects of daily use: with over 1800 figures from University College, London. British School of Archaeology in Egypt and Egyptian Research Account [42]. London: British School of Archaeology in Egypt; Bernard Quaritch.

Sousa, Rogério 2011. The heart of wisdom: studies on the heart amulet in ancient Egypt. BAR International Series 2211. Oxford: Archaeopress.

Woolley, C. Leonard 1907. Coptic bone figures. Proceedings of the Society of Biblical Archaeology Proceedings 29, 218–220.