Medinet Habu Research Articles

Papyrus PM 49.11.1, Dating the Great Tomb Robberies, and the Chronology of the Late 20th Dynasty

Summary The Great Tomb Robbery papyri are a major source of information on the end of the 20th Dynasty. Questioned in year 1 of the Renaissance thieves mention the taking of Medinet Habu by foreign troops, an attack of Hardai in Middle Egypt by the Viceroy of Kush Panehsi, and a temporary destitution of the High Priest of Amun (HPA), that are unfortunately not dated. The way forward to resolve this uncertainty is to date the thefts themselves since they were contemporaneous. For this we systematically reviewed what we know of the prosopography of the people involved in the thefts and their investigation. The result shows that tombs and temples robberies mostly occurred between the end of the reign of Ramesses IX and the early years of Ramesses XI. In addition, P. PM 49.11.1 mentions an otherwise unattested HPA Nesmut. The consequences of these results on the history of this period are discussed.

Unpublished Demotic NHb and Poll Tax Receipts from Medinet Habu

Unpublished Demotic NHb and Poll Tax Receipts from Medinet Habu

Conservation and Restoration of the House of Butehamon 21st Dynasty 1054 BC - The Medinet Habu Temple Precinct

“Understanding the original materials and techniques used in objects not only provides insights into its history of construction but may also shed light on the nature of past and current deterioration problems”. The royal scribe and overseer of the royal treasury in Theban necropolis. Butehamon held office during the reign of Pinudjem I in the 21st Dynasty 1054 BC. Butehamun had long lived in the village of Deir el-Medina working on the tombs in the Valley of Kings, Butehamun’s coming of age saw invasion and civil war in Thebes, and the end to the making of new tombs in the Valley, as the New Kingdom came to an end. Instead, he was given the task by the High Priests of Amun to remove and rewrap royal mummies and rebury them in secret caches, while plundering them of their gold and other valuables for the coffers of the priestly rulers of Thebes. That project seems to have been successful: The mummy of every single king from the 18th through 21st Dynasties that has been identified and was found in a tomb was found in the two caches KV 35 or TT 320 (with the sole exception of Tutankhamun).

From the Editors

From the Editors

Analytical Study of Mural Painting and the Deterioration Problems of the Temple of Medinet Habu

Analytical Study of Mural Painting and the Deterioration Problems of the Temple of Medinet Habu

Why Were the Leaders of the Sea Peoples Called ʿȝ.w and Not wr.w? On the Size and Raiding Character of the Sea Peoples’ Groups

This paper discusses the use of the terms ʿȝ and wr for the designation of enemy leaders in ancient Egyptian texts of the Ramesside period. Focus is placed on the choice of the term for leaders of the various Sea Peoples’ groups in the texts of the Medinet Habu temple of Ramesses III. The leaders of the Sea Peoples and Shasu are referred to as ʿȝ.w, whereas the leaders of other groups are referred to as wr.w. The terms used for different enemy leaders are indicative of the ancient Egyptian perception of the social organization of the enemy. Focusing on their social organization can provide us with a more stable ground for understanding the Sea Peoples. Several features indicate that they were warrior groups similar to pirates or mercenaries conducting raids, rather than large groups of migrants: 1) the choice of the term for their leaders during the reign of Ramesses III, 2) the relatively small numbers of their captives in the lists of spoils of war of Merneptah, and 3) the fact that no women and children are ever mentioned in these lists, although they are accompanying one of the Sea Peoples’ groups in a single scene from Medinet Habu.

Revisiting 1177 BCE and the Late Bronze Age Collapse

Revisiting 1177 BCE and the Late Bronze Age Collapse

Thoughts on the Collapse: The Perspective of a Philistine

Thoughts on the Collapse: The Perspective of a Philistine

Excavations in Western Thebes, 2021


 
 
 In 2021, working from the outer wall of Medinet Habu north about 100 meters, west of the road that leads to the Valley of the Queens, and east to the temples of Thutmose III, Ramesses IV and Amunhotep Son of Hapu, the Egyptian Expedition discovered three districts of a city with well-preserved architecture. The borders of the districts have serpentine walls. The artifacts from the main district indicated the manufacture of faience and stone jewelry industry, textiles, and leatherwork. The second shows grinding of grain, baking, and processing meat. Sealings and jar labels show that the name of the city was THn Itn, “The Dazzling Aten” and so it was part of the support city for Malkata and perhaps Amunhotep’s memorial temple. A cemetery dated to Dynasties 25–27 (yet to be fully investigated), was found to the west of the city.
 
 

A New Demotic Horoscope from Medinet Habu

The relatively small set of Demotic astrological texts from Medinet Habu may be increased by a newly identified horoscope recorded on an ostracon held at the Cairo Museum. Despite the lack of pertinent data in the official records, the origin of this sherd seems to be certain thanks to some telling palaeographical and textual indications. The date recorded on this potsherd indicates the late first century AD and refers explicitly to the Alexandrian calendar. With regard to the content, it preserves the general format and layout of the Demotic horoscopes on ostraca from Medinet Habu, albeit with some small differences in the type and arrangement of the data. This horoscope leaves out some astronomical data common to other Medinet Habu horoscopes which, along with some other Theban horoscopic ostraca, might confirm a trend among Theban astrologers going from more detailed and complicated compositions to less elaborate and more simplified ones.

Die Festung mit Palast von Ramses III. in Tell el-Qolzum (Suez)

Even the scarce information hitherto known suggested that the excavations carried out by Shafik Farid from 1960 to 1962 in Tell el- Qolzum had uncovered an exceptionally well-preserved fortress of the New Kingdom. Unfortunately, the results of the excavations have never been published. It is therefore a fortunate coincidence that two photographs of the plans were recently discovered in the archives of the Schweizer Institut für ägyptische Bauforschung und Altertumskunde in Kairo, which show the building remains from the Byzantine period and from the New Kingdom that were uncovered under Farid’s supervision. Farid had apparently made the plans available to the then director of the Swiss Institute, Herbert Ricke, for a book project that was never completed. The plans are now presented in the following article, accompanied by some introductory remarks. While the younger building layer provides additions to older excavations by B. Bruyère, the plan of the New Kingdom layer reveals the most completely excavated fortification complex in Egypt to date. Particularly remarkable is a royal palace in the centre of the fortress and the uniformly planned, almost model-like overall structure of the fortress, which reveals a great structural similarity to the temple town of Medinet Habu. The construction of the fortress is probably to be seen in connection with Ramesses III’s interest in raw materials from the Sinai and the regions further east attested by Papyrus Harris I.

Scenes of slaughter in the sacrificial house at Medinet Habu temple

The aim of studying the Slaughter house, chapels no. (5 -6) in Ramses III temple at Medinate Habu in the hall pillars is to know the actual function of the slaughter house. Was the place actually used for sacrificial slaughter or was it a symbolic building for sacred rituals and rituals as a place for offer offerings, through the architectural elements that it includes, as well as studying the inscriptions and deities that are offered to them.

Scenes of Goddess Amaunet in the temple of Medinet Habu

The temple of (Medinet Habu) had no identical meaning for the word Habu, it may had been derived from the name of Amunhotep II the son of Habu, who was minister, medical scientist, built the palace of amonhotepIII, and he had been adored in Greco-roman period.the temple of medinet-Habu is situated on the western bank of the river Nile in Luxor, and it is considered not only one of the most important temples in Luxor, but also all over Egypt, it consists of several small shrines and halls, it had representations for all the most important gods and goddesses in Ancient Egypt, and also it was a central place for adoring the Ogdoad of Hermopolis, particularly goddess Amaunet , as a main member in the Ogdoad and also a counterpart for the great god Amun, and she had several priests in the temple.

A Possible Location in Northwest Sinai for the Sea and Land Battles between the Sea Peoples and Ramesses III

The naval invasion of Egypt during the reign of Ramesses III by the Sea Peoples, coupled with the land invasion, represent critical events in ancient Egyptian history. This study explores a location for the maritime conflict, based on recent archaeological and palaeo-environmental investigations of the northwestern Sinai. Where the land battle occurred is hotly debated in light of new, putative evidence that the Philistines originated from northern Syria. Based on a careful reading of the Medinet Habu Sea Peoples' reliefs, their accompanying texts, and the emerging picture of Egypt's eastern frontier defense network in Ramesside times, it is posited that the ground attack also occurred in the northwestern Sinai, not far from the location of the naval encounter.

Zu einer Innerdemotischen Parallele für die Übertragene Verwendung von Mèdr „Ohr = Henkel“ In P.Berlin 6848, 1/21

Abstract In this contribution, a new approach to interpreting the semantic shift of the word mÈDr from „ear‟ to „handle“ in P.Berlin 6848 1/21 is undertaken. The main focus is on a comparison in Medinet Habu Ostrrakon 4038 A (14-17) which shows the same development in the word „on.t‟ „claw“.

Sailing and Sailing Rigs in the Ancient Mediterranean: implications of continuity, variation and change in propulsion technology

Ships and boats form the foundations of the maritime connectivity that is a central part of our understanding of the ancient Mediterranean. While the general chronological sequence of sail and sailing-rig development is well established, the implications are less-well discussed. This article sets out how sails and sailing rigs developed in antiquity, with emphasis on the Greco-Roman world. Subsequently, instances of innovation are defined. Why specific pieces of maritime technology were, or were not, widely adopted is considered. Long-term technological continuity can be comprehended, and a shared maritime culture of sailing in the ancient Mediterranean is suggested.

Monitoring the Environmental Risks Around Medinet Habu and Ramesseum Temple at West Luxor, Egypt, Using Remote Sensing and GIS Techniques

Today, the preservation of cultural heritage is a pressing issue especially for territories subjected to a long period of human action that could adversely influence environment and heritage properties, thus producing a deterioration of archaeological features and alteration of historical landscape. In this paper, the environmental risks and their effects on preservation issues are investigated for the archaeological area of the Luxor city (south of Egypt) where the most famous Temples in Egypt are located. A comprehensive analysis has been conducted for the Ramesseum and Medinet Habu temples considering their building material and characteristics, environmental (geological and hydrological) setting, and past and ongoing changes around the monument areas. Satellite multitemporal images have been used to detect all the changes mainly linked to the expansion of urban and agriculture areas. Results from the analysis conducted along with in situ investigations have suggested that many of the environmental problems around the archaeological areas are coming as a result of urban and agriculture sprawling. Both of them strongly influence the distribution in the levels of groundwater which along with temperature are considered as the main causes of the deterioration process affecting the Medinet Habu and Ramesseum temple. The degree of weathering damage appears to be much more dependent on exposure characteristics of the investigation areas, especially as related to salt weathering processes. Innovative solutions to support the preservation of these temples are herein presented and discussed.

Three Demotic Ostraca from Medinet Habu

يتناول هذا البحث نشر ودراسة ثلاث قطع من الأوستراكا المكتوبة بالخط الديموطيقي من مدينة هابو، وهي تحمل أرقام M.H. 4078 و M.H. 2915 و M.H. 4043 ومحفوظة تحت رقم سجل خاص 18952 بالمتحف المصري بالقاهرة. هذه النصوص إيصالات دفع لضرائب؛ فالنص الأول متعلق بضريبة رئيس الجبانة، والنص الثاني مهشم من أعلى، ولكن يتضح من محتوى النص أنه يمثل إيصال دفع لضريبة؛ أما النص الثالث فهو متعلق بضريبة Antwg. بالنسبة إلى تأريخ هذه النصوص فهي تعود إلى العصر الروماني؛ فالنصان الأول والثاني يؤرخان لعهد الإمبراطور أغسطس من العام الثاني قبل الميلاد إلى العام الخامس الميلادي؛ أما التاريخ في النص الثالث فهو مفقود. ومن الملاحظ أن الإيصال الأول والثالث قد تم دفع قيمتهما بالنقود، وكان هذا النوع من الدفع يتم في بنك البيوت الشمالية؛ وهو البنك المعروف في تلك المنطقة من مدينة هابو. يسبق كل نص المقاييس ووصف القطعة والتاريخ، ثم يلي ذلك القيمة الصوتية، ثم الترجمة، ثم أهم الملاحظات، ثم بعد ذلك الفاكسيملي والصور.

Ramesses III as Guarantor of Maat: the Iconographic Evidence at Medinet Habu

espanolEntre las escenas que decoran el templo de Millones de Anos de Rameses III en Medinet Habu, hay dos grupos de representaciones donde el rey aparece realizando dos rituales que garantizan el orden cosmico establecido desde el principio de los tiempos. Ambos rituales se complementan, como podemos observar en las dos estelas fechadas en el ano 12 y en la decoracion de la sala 32 del mismo templo. En esta ultima estancia, con los dos rituales, Rameses III pretendia asegurar la llegada de la inundacion, que procuraba la renovacion y la prosperidad de la tierra gracias a la fuerza vivificadora de las aguas portadoras de sedimentos. EnglishAmong the scenes depicted on the walls of the Temple of Millions of Years of Ramesses III at Medinet Habu there are two set of representations which portray the king performing two rituals whose purpose was to assure the cosmic order established from the beginning of times. Both rituals complement each other, as we can notice analyzing the depictions both on the stelae erected by Ramesses III in his 12th regnal year at the entrance of the main pylon, and on the walls of Room 32 inside the temple. Specifically, the rituals performed by Ramesses III inside Room 32 intended to ensure the annual advent of the Nile flood, which granted the renewal and prosperity of the earth thanks to the life-giving force of its waters filled of sediments.

<i>Bos primigenius</i> in Ancient Egyptian art – historical evidence for the continuity of occurrence and ecology of an extinct key species

Knowledge of the habitat requirements and temporal stability of populations of extinct aurochs (Bos primigenius) is surprisingly scarce. Reliable reports of this species, which by its domestication remains tremendously important for humans, are rare. As the species became extinct about 400 years ago and regionally disappeared much earlier, its behaviour and morphology are also under debate. Aurochs is also a crucial component of the mega-herbivore theory in nature conservation, but in fact its natural habitat and behaviour are unknown. Here, I report records of aurochs for the time period of Ancient Egypt. They are found in archaeological sites and literature, and in collections. Records of the species continue through all the periods of Ancient Egypt. In particular, hunting scenes illustrating the merits of high-ranking persons, in their graves (mastabas) and temples, provide insights into the behaviour and ecology of the depicted game. Here, special attention is given to one outstanding hunting scene that is documented in a relief at the mortuary temple of Ramesses III (1175 BC, Medinet Habu, Egypt). Assisted by a group of hunters, the pharaoh kills three specimens of aurochs. The whole scene is stunningly realistic.  The adult specimen is fleeing towards the reed belt of the River Nile, suggesting that the species’ habitat was probably in large valley bottoms, where open grassland is regularly created by flooding. Endemic species of fish and game confirm that this scene took place in Lower Egypt. The regional populations of the North-African subspecies of aurochs probably went extinct shortly after this piece of art was produced. Records of species in ancient art can be very informative in terms of ecology and behaviour of species, especially when extinct species are addressed. In addition, the dating of old pieces of art containing biological information can be very precise, for instance when these refer to a historic personage.&nbsp