Time Period 3 - Egyptian Art

Ancient Egypt Egypt - First Intermediate Period Historical & Cultural 2254 - 1991 B.C. - Dynasties VII - XI

Go to the Glossary for Ancient Egypt....review and take the matching quiz.

After fewer than 50 years of weak rule by the kings of the VII and VIII dynasties during a period of confusion, control was seized by the princes of Heracleopolis, who formed the IX and X dynasties. During these years, authority was in the hands of regional overlords and no longer was dominated by the pharaohs. These overlords were often in conflict with lands, both to the north and to the south. Dynasties followed in rapid succession; it was a time of many changes. A Theban king, Mentuhotep II, finally gained control, uniting the Egyptian Empire again in the XI Dynasty. The First Intermediate Period saw a disastrous decline in art, but the production of some of the best Egyptian literary works. It saw the triumph of the cult of Osiris, god of the dead. According to the artifacts found in cemeteries, there seemed to be a high level of material prosperity and wealth.

Take a side trip to visit the god, Osiris.

Osiris was the Egyptian god of the dead. He was the oldest son of Geb, the earth, and Nut, the sky. His wife, and sister, was Isis. He is usually depicted as a mummy wearing a tall crown flanked by two feathers. He holds a crook and a flail, the emblems of kingship. His face and hands are usually green, because he has been mummified.

Ancient Egypt Egypt - Middle Kingdom Historical & Cultural 1991 - 1778 B.C. - XII Dynasty

During the Eleventh and Twelfth Dynasties - 2134 - 1785 B.C., rulers managed to reassert themselves against provincial nobility. However, the divine authority of the Old Kingdom was never regained. In 1991 B.C., the throne was seized by Amenemhet I, formerly chief minister of Mentuhotep IV. For 200 years, Egypt was ruled by an energetic and remarkable line of kings who formed the XII Dynasty and raised Egypt to its second period of greatness. The authority of the Middle Kingdom was concentrated on internal affairs and reform. Vast irrigation plans were carried out and the country saw growth and prosperity. Art, especially jewelry and statuary, flourished. The Middle Kingdom is considered the classical period in Egyptian language and literature.

• Collar of Neferoptah
• Pectoral of Tutankhamon
• Corslet of Tutankhamon

Architecture

The Temple of Narmuthis is located in the Oasis of Fayoum. It was built by Menemhet IV and dedicated to the gods Sobek, Ernutet and Horus. The path to the temple is lined with sphinxes and lions. Its interior walls are lined with hieroglyphics and reliefs. It is considered the most interesting in Fayoum.

The belief that Egyptians had life after death means that a great deal of attention was paid to the preserving of the dead. This face was part of a man's wooden coffin. Egyptians often beautified the eyes and brows of their masks with wood, plaster or glass. Why do you think the Egyptians drew attention to their eyes? The path to the inner soul (ka) were considered to be found through the windows of the eyes.

Take a side trip to the Egyptian Galleries at the University of Pennsylvania Museum.....

Scroll down to "Get the full story about Museum mummies...." and click on the link to The Egyptian Mummy: Secrets and Science. Use your excursion to complete the ....... Mummy Exam.

Take another side trip to the The Clickable Mummy......

See how body parts were preserved. Explore the body parts by clicking on different areas of the mummy image to complete the Clickable Mummy Exam.

Glass Bottles

Glass was also an important technological discovery and was considered very precious. Many colored glass bottles, in the shape of fish, were found. They were thought to be for perfume.

Sculpture

The Statue of Amenemhat III is an excellent larger statue from the late Middle Kingdom. Most of the sculpture from this period were funeral relics, stelae (inscripted block of stone), and small statuary of wood or stones.

Ancient Egypt Egypt - Second Intermediate Period Historical & Cultural 1778 - 1573 B.C. - Dynasties XIII-XVII

For about 100 years following the end of the XII Dynasty, relative peace and prosperity were maintained in Upper Egypt, lasting into the XIII Dynasty. The region was weakened around 1786 B.C. by Semite invaders called Hyksos. Nubia, however, asserted its independence and the princes of Thebes, in the XVII Dynasty, began a long and eventually successful war of independence. During the reign of the Hyksos, the chariot and the composite bow were introduced to the country.

Painting showing surveyor with measuring rope.
	Stone giving an account of the expedition of Amenhotep III in 1450 B.C.

Continue on to Dynasties XVIII-XX (1573 - 1085 B.C.) - New Kingdom.