The Scepter of Egypt: A Background for the Study of the Egyptian Antiquities in The Metropolitan Museum of Art From the Earliest Times to the End of the Middle Kingdom

418 Pages·1978·42.53 MB·English

by  William C. Hayes

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William C. Hayes
THE SCEPTER OF EGYPT PART I
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Preface
AFindingList,or placecatalogue,of all theobjectsmentionedin the
book has been prepared by Charlotte R. Clark, Assistant Curator of
theEgyptianDepartment,andwillappearinPartII.With thislistthe
visitorand student willbeable to find in thecurrent arrangement of
the Egyptian rooms theobjects described and starred in the text.
INTHE YEARS which have elapsed since the pub¬ ate the settings in which these works of art
lication, in 1911, of the first edition of the and craftsmanship were made and to chronicle,
Handbook of the Egyptian Rooms, the collec¬ however cursorily, theevents which determined
tion of Egyptian antiquities in the Metropoli¬ the nature of these settings. Conversely, by tak¬
tan Museum has been more than doubled in ing time to interpret, explain, and interrelate
size and, thanks largely to the work of the Mu¬ themeaningsand purposesof theindividualob¬
seum’s Egyptian Expedition, has gained im¬ jects, we have attempted todraw from them the
measurably in quality and historical impor¬ story which they themselves have to tell us of
tance. Today it comprises some thirty-five thou¬ life in ancient Egypt. In the picture presented
sand objects, representing more than thirteen the emphasis, naturally, is on those periods and
millenniums of human development and over phases which are illustrated by, or have a di¬
thirty centuries of recorded history. rect bearing on, the pieces in the Metropolitan
The vast majority of these objects have come Museum. Since, however, our collection is not
to the Museum,notasstray piecesof bric-a-brac onlylargebut also,on thewhole, well balanced,
picked up here and there, but as well docu¬ this picture is reasonably complete and undis¬
mented and closely integrated testimonials of torted.
the life, tastes, and thought processes of one The approach to Egyptian art employed here
of the most interesting and attractive peoples is a historical one. Armed with a knowledge of
of the ancient world. Since to treat them from the background and purpose of the objects, the
any other point of view would detract immense¬ visitor or reader will inevitably discover for
ly from our understanding and enjoyment of himself the true, the good, and the beautiful in
them, they are presented in this publication, what he sees. This is as it should be; it is the
notaccording to the temporary positionswhich, only honest and enduring basis for the enjoy¬
as exhibits, they occupy in our galleries and ment of a collection such as ours, wherein we
study rooms, but according to their permanent find,in addition to piecesinstantly recognizable
places in the cultural and historical develop¬ as works of art, many others of a preponderant¬
ment of the people who produced them. The ly utilitarian or ritual nature, the artistic merit
rather bleak brevity appropriate to books of of which must always remain a matter of in¬
thisclasshasbeensacrificed in an effort torecre¬ dividual opinion.
vi
THE SCEPTER OF EGYPT
Most of the material in every Egyptian col¬ To expedite the publication of this book and
lection has survived to the present day because to facilitate its use the material is dealt with in
it happened to be buried in the tombs of the two parts.The present volume takesusfrom the
dead. In the past, needless accent has been origins of Egyptian culture in the Old Stone
placed on the funereal circumstances in which Age to the collapse of the Middle Kingdom in
objects have been found and on such lugubri¬ theeighteenth century B.C.Thesecond partwill
ous exhibits as mummies, mummy wrappings, be devoted to the rise and development of the
coffins, and the like. The natural result has New Kingdom and to thelater periods of Egyp¬
been that many people have come to regard a tian history. The division is not an arbitrary
collection of Egyptian antiquities with either one,for during thelastseventeen hundred years
the morbid curiosity or the instinctive distaste preceding the Christian era Egypt was con¬
normally reserved for the contents of a morgue fronted with problems and subjected to influ¬
and the Egyptians themselves as an essentially ences undreamed of in the Old and Middle
gloomy race of people, obsessed with thoughts Kingdoms, and the kaleidoscopic picture which
of death. Actually, in spite of the fact that they emerges during these centuries is markedly dif¬
come from tombs, over ninety per cent of the ferent from that which went before.
works of art and fine craftsmanship in the Mu¬ Every memberof theDepartment of Egyptian
seum’s Egyptian Department reflect no such Art from its creation in 1906 to the present day
preoccupation with death, but only the intense has had a hand, knowingly or unknowingly, in
interest in life characteristic of an industrious the compilation of this work and in the classifi¬
and cheerful peoplemostof whose wakinghours cation of the collection which it describes.
were spent in their fertile fields or charming Our principal debt is to Albert M. Lythgoe,
gardensor on the placid watersof their beloved Herbert E. Winlock, and Ambrose Lansing,
river. who, as successive Directors of the Egyptian Ex¬
—
A further tendency fostered chiefly by pedition and Curators of the Department, not
barnstorming, archaeological charlatans, mem¬ only have built up the collection by their bril¬
bers of various “oriental” cults, and journalists liantly conductedexcavations and carefully con¬
with a flair for sensationalism—to attribute to sidered purchases but also have supervised its
the farmer people of ancient Egypt mysterious cataloguing and installation and published
and sinister funds of hidden lore and all man¬ much of it in an interestingseries of books and
ner of supernatural powers has led to the articles.1
growth of a series of absurd superstitions re¬ Lnder the direction of Arthur C. Mace the
garding them, their possessions, and the excava¬ Museum’s excavations at el Lisht were inaugu¬
tors of their tombs and temples. That no repu¬ rated and carried on for many years—to the en¬
table Egyptologist nor any intelligent, well-in¬ richment of the collection and our knowledge
formed person subscribes to thesegrotesque the¬ of ancient Egypt during the Middle Kingdom.
ories hardly needs saying. The answer to such To Norman and Nina de Garis Davies and
nonsense lies squarely in the collection before Charles K. Wilkinson we owe a splendid series
us and in the many other fine collections of of lineand color copiesof Egyptian tomb paint¬
Egyptian antiquities in America, Europe, and ings and to Mr. Davies many fine books and
Egypt itself. Let us therefore embark upon our treatises on the tombs and their decoration.
study of the ancient Egyptians with no precon¬ Walter Hauser’s surveys, plans, and architectu¬
ceived notions regarding them, allowing the ral drawings are invaluable to an understand¬
works which their hands and minds created to ing of' the Theban necropolis and other sites
speak for themselves.
1See the Bibliography, pp. 355 If.
vii PREFACE
explored by the Museum in Upper Egypt and the Finding List, has given me the benefit of
the oasis of el Khargeh. The work of H. G. her long and intimate acquaintance with the
EvelynWhitein themonasteriesof theWady’n collection. Nora E.Scott hasgenerously allowed
Natrrin will long be remembered by students of me to consult her valuable notebooks on the
Christian Egypt. For many years the Egyptian daily life of the ancient Egyptians and her in¬
Expedition was fortunate in having as its pho¬ dices of our thousands of scarabs and seals.
tographer Harry Burton, and our great file of Dorothy W. Phillips not only has prepared
Expedition negatives is a monument to his out¬ muchof thefinal typescriptbut alsohaschecked
standing ability in the field of archaeological the whole publication for errors and drawn up
photography.Others,includingJames Brewster, lists of proper names which have formed the
HenryA.Carey, H. R.Hopgood, George Howe, basis of its indices.Sally Mather Gibson has un¬
and Gouverneur M. Peek, have contributed selfishlydevoted muchof her time tothe tedious
their talents to the Museum’s work in Egypt, job of making clean copies of many of the
and no small portion of the success of the Ex¬ chapters.
pedition isattributable to theskilland devotion The line drawings in the text are by Lindsley
of our Egyptian foremen, Hamed Mohammed F. Hall, Senior Research Fellow in Egyptian
and Gilani Suleyman. Art and a former member of the Egyptian Ex¬
In the Museum, Caroline Ransom Williams pedition. In addition to hismeticulousaccuracy
has left in the Department’s catalogue and in a and outstanding ability as a draughtsman, Mr.
number of its publications themarkof her great Hall brings to his work a familiarity with the
knowledge and impeccable scholarship. A sub¬ subject matter which is the result of more than
ject index of the collection, painstakingly com¬ thirty years’ experience in the field of Egyptian
piled by Marjorie Haff, has proved of inestima¬ art. An adaptation by Lawrence Longley from
ble assistance in the preparation of the present theeye panel of a coffin of theTwelfth Dynasty2
work.Special studies on Egyptian costumes and has been used for the jacket and the cover.
kindred subjects by Bernice M. Cartland have To theskill and unfailingpatienceof Edward
been frequently consulted and found to be both J. Milla, Museum Photographer, and his col¬
interesting and useful. league Thomas McAdams weowe the great ma¬
All the current staff of the Egyptian Depart¬ jority of the photographic illustrations. Those
ment has helped directly in the production of taken in Egypt are from Expedition negatives
the book. It owes its present form to careful made chiefly by Harry Burton.
supervision and editing by Ambrose Lansing, The final editing of the book has been in the
Curator of Egyptian Art, and Ludlow Bull, capable hands of Agnes Peters of the Museum’s
Associate Curator and editor of all the Muse¬ Publications Department.
um's Expedition publications. I have especially Much of the historical material contained in
to thankDr. Bullfor many valuablesuggestions Chapters IX-XI and XVI was submitted in its
on the writings of the Egyptian and Arabic present form for the projected new edition of
proper names occurring throughout the book. volumesI and II of theCambridgeAncientHis¬
Charlotte R. Clark, in addition to preparing tory, and is reproduced here by generous per¬
2Thecoffinof theCount’sDaughter Nebet-hat,from mission of the Syndics of the Cambridge Uni¬
Mir (acc. no. 11.150.15 A). See page 315. versity Press.
WILLIAM C. HAYES
New York, N. Y. October 19, 1946

Table of Contents
PREFACE V
ix
TABLE OF CONTENTS
xiii
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE 2
I. The Land of Egypt 3
II. Prehistoric Egypt
PERIODS, CULTURES, AND PRINCIPAL SITES
OF EGYPTIAN PREHISTORY 8
i. Palaeolithic Man in the NileValley 9
2. TheMesolithicPeriod,or MiddleStoneAge 11
3. The NeolithicPeriod,orLateStoneAge 11
4. TheCulturesof theChalcolithicPeriod 14
5. TheBadarianCivilization 14
6. ThePredynasticCultureof UpperEgypt 16
7. ThePredynasticCultureof LowerEgypt 20
8. The Cultural Domination of the North during the Middle
Predynastic Period 25
9. The Political and Religious Development of Egypt in the
Predynastic Period 26
10. The Late Predynastic Period 27
111. The Early Dynastic Period
KINGS OF THE EARLY DYNASTIC PERIOD 34
1. Sources,Chronology,and Periodsof Ancient Egyptian History 35
2. TheWrittenLanguage of Ancient Egypt 36
3. Inscribed Monumentsof the EarlyDynasticPeriod 37
4. SealsandSeal Impressions 38
5. TheCalendars and the Methodsof Dating 39
6. Artsand Crafts under the Early Dynasties 41
THE SCEPTER OF EGYPT X
IV. The Architecture of Ancient Egypt:
Its Origins and Early Developments
i. Dwellings 49
2. Temples 5i
3. Tombs 52
4. Military Architecture 55
V. The Old Kingdom
KINGS OF THE OLD KINGDOM 58
1. KingDjoser, theSage I-em-hotep,and theThird Dynasty 59
2. TheFourth Dynasty 61
3. The Pyramid Builders 62
4. Royal Monuments of the Fourth Dynasty 63
5. TheFifth Dynasty 66
VI. The Religion and Funerary Beliefs of Ancient Egypt
1. Religion 75
2. Funerary Beliefs and Funerary Literature 79
VII. Courtiers, Officials, and Priests of the Old Kingdom
1. Their Tombsand Tomb Reliefs 87
2. The Priestessof Hat-Hor Ny-conekhy-Udot 88
3. TheChamberlain Pery-neb 9°
4. Prince Rec-em-kuy 94
5. The Judge Ny-ku-Hor and His Wife, Sekhem-Hat-Hor 102
6. TheOverseer of the Granary Kuy-em-snewy and the Judge
Wer-djed-Ptah 103
7. Upper Egyptian Notables: Provincial Tomb Reliefs of the
Late Old Kingdom 106
8. TombStatues and Statuettes 107
9. Tomb and Household Equipment 116
10. Biographical Inscriptions and DidacticTreatises 121
VIII. The Sixth Dynasty and the End of the Old Kingdom !25
IX. The First Intermediate Period
KINGS OF THE FIRST INTERMEDIATE PERIOD 134
1. TheStateof theLand 135
2. TheDynastiesof Memphis 136
3. SealsandSeal Amuletsof the First Intermediate Period 141
xi TABLE OF CONTENTS
4. Scarab Seals 142
5. The Dynastiesof Herakleopolis i43
6. Tomb Reliefs and Pottery Vessels of the Herakleopolitan Period i45
7. The Nomarchs of Thebes 147
X. The Middle Kingdom: I. The Eleventh Dynasty
KINGS OF THE MIDDLE KINGDOM: I 150
1. The Early Kings 151
2. Montu-hotpeII and the Supremacy of Thebes 152
3. TheTomb and Mortuary Templeof the King 155
4. The Harim of King Neb-hepet-Rec Montu-hotpe 158
5. The Court of King Neb-hepet-Rec Montu-hotpe 162
6. King Secankh-ku-Rec Montu-hotpe III and His Chancellor,
Meket-Rec 166
7. The End of the Eleventh Dynasty 167
XI. The Middle Kingdom: II. The Twelfth Dynasty
KINGS OF THE MIDDLE KINGDOM: II 170
1. KingSehetep-yeb-Rec Amun-em-het I 171
2. King Kheper-ku-Rec Se’n-Wosret I 179
3. The Pyramid and Funerary Enclosureof Se’n-Wosret I at el Lisht 182
4. TheSuccessors of Se’n-Wosret I 196
5. Thebes during the Twelfth Dynasty 201
XII. The People of the Middle Kingdom and Their Personal
Possessions
1. The Natureof the Material 205
2. Men and Women of the Middle Kingdom: Statues and Statuettes 205
3. Concubines, Dwarfs, Peasants, Servants, and Animals: Small Figures
of Wood,Faience, Ivory,Stone, and Other Materials 218
4. Jewelry 228
5. Dress,Coiffure, and Make-Up 240
6. Musical Instrumentsof the Middle Kingdom 247
7. Knife-Shaped Amuletsof Ivory 248
8. Games
249
XIII. The Home, the Farm, and the River
1. The House and Its Furnishings 255
2. The Country Estate and ItsActivities 262
3. Boating on the Nile and on the Riversof the Hereafter 267