What would you be scared of haunting your dreams or what creature from the depths of the underworld could cause you a headache? For the last of my blogs in October and in keeping with the spooky season, I have chosen to have a look at demons in ancient Egypt. The ancient Egyptians considered there… Continue reading Demons in Ancient Egpyt
What fantastical secrets could your heart spill if it was compelled to in the great hall of judgment would you become true of voice and pass on to afterlife successfully or would your heart be consumed by the terrifying Ammit who lurks nearby like a spectre? Well, that was a major source of concern for… Continue reading Heart Scarabs- an afterlife fail safe
It is now October which means that mummy costumes, pumpkins and the rustling of corn mazes might be out to calling you? Last October I explored curses. So, I thought I would combine two autumnal themes into this week’s blog and a look at corn mummies and Osiris beds. It might not sound like these… Continue reading Corn Mummies
It is still warm for being September where I am. So, as people fill pub gardens, they are more than likely drinking a beer and that is what this week blog is all about the drink of choice for the ancient Egyptians, beer. Beer or Henket was the most common alcoholic beverage and formed an… Continue reading Beer in Ancient Egypt
In wondering what topic to cover in this week’s blog I decided to have a random flick through a trusty book on Ancient Egyptian Gods and Goddess. I have had this book for years and used it a lot when I was studying but this time, I decided to just have a random flick through… Continue reading Ruty – Protectors of the Horizons
What animal do you often associate with ancient Egypt? Cats, Crocodiles or even Cobras? I bet that it isn’t dogs. But the ancient Egyptians were also dog lovers. As it was recently International Dog day it seemed like it was time I covered our four legged friends. One of the words used for dog in… Continue reading Dogs in Ancient Egypt
Inspired by last week’s object that I added to my cabinet of curiosities on Instagram I thought I would explore the Kites of Nephthys and the role that these women played in the funeral processions of both gods and mortals. In order to figure out where these individual roles come from, we have to take… Continue reading The Kites of Nephthys
As I currently swelter in a heatwave, I began to daydream about being on a boat with a nice breeze cooling me down. And that got me thinking about boats and ships sailing up and down the river Nile with a gentle river breeze – yes, I know very romanticised but just give me this… Continue reading Ships and Boats in Ancient Egypt
Figure 1: Inherkha surrounded by his naked children from the tomb of Inherkha Deir el-Medina 18th Dynasty Strouhal, E. (1992) Life of the Ancient Egyptians. Oklahoma: University of Oklahoma Press Page 25 This week I had a little bit of fun with this week’s topic. With fun being the operative word as I decided to explore toys… Continue reading Toys in Ancient Egypt
Figure 1: A block of Lapis Lazuli named "The Owl" because of its distinctive shape from Afghanistan. (1 kg) https://www.gia.edu/lapis-lazuli-history-lore This week’s blog topic is Lapis lazuli, a semi-precious stone that the ancient Egyptians prized and used in various ways, including jewellery, bowls, and funerary provisions. It really is a brilliant looking gemstone so I… Continue reading Lapis Lazuli – prized gemstone and hair of the Gods
The Curious Egyptologist 