Ancient Egypt Manetho’s History of Egyptian Greek 31 dynasties / 4 groups: Old Kingdom (2700 B.C.E.) Middle Kingdom (1990 B.C.E.) New Kingdom (1570 B.C.E.) Late Period (1185-500 B.C.E.)

Ancient Egyptian Culture Unified and consistent Resistant to change Worldview affected by external events

Political Structure Pharaoh Priests Head of the central government Regarded as a living god Exercised absolute power Ordered and controlled visible world Priests Preservation of religious beliefs Divine kingship of Pharaohs

Egyptian Religion Obsession with immortality / life after death Book of the Dead Osiris, Isis, Horus Deities, subdeities, nature spirits Responsible for all aspects of existence

Egyptian Art Principal function of artists: to produce images of deities Form of worship Standards set forth by Pharaoh Artists also provided temples and shrines for honoring deities

The Old Kingdom Imhotep Pyramids Mummification First architect known to history Pyramids Funerary monuments for pharaohs, upper class Mummification Preservation of the body was necessary for the survival of the soul

Great Age of the Pyramid Pyramids at Giza (Dynasty IV) Cheops Chefren Mycerinus Who built the pyramids? Farmers Slaves

Pyramids Constructed of limestone blocks Quarried, ferried, cut, dragged into place Center chamber contained mummified body of pharaoh surrounded by treasures Plundered by robbers

Chefren’s Sphinx Created as the guardian for Chefren’s tomb at Giza Adopted as a divine symbol of the mysterious and enigmatic (Greeks)

1.13 The Great Sphinx, c. 2575–2525 bce. At Gizeh, Egypt. Sandstone, c. 65´ (19.8 m) high, 240´ (73.2 m) long. © Steve Vidler/SuperStock

Art of the Old Kingdom Reflects confidence and certainty Idealized realism Conceptual, symbolic

Art of the Middle Kingdom Loss of trust in divine providence Artists attempted to recapture lofty serenity of Old Kingdom Troubled spirit captured in weight and somber expressions

The New Kingdom Artistic traditions continued Conceptual Pharaoh Amenhotep IV/ “Akhenaton” Massive religious/political reform Tel el-Amarna Art Tutankhamen Howard Carter (1922-1923)

1. 16 Akhenaton, Nefertiti, and Three of Their Children, c 1.16 Akhenaton, Nefertiti, and Three of Their Children, c. 1370–1350 bce. From Amarna, Egypt. Limestone relief, 17˝ (43 cm) high. Ägyptisches Museum, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany//© Bildarchiv Preussischer Kulturbesitz/Art Resource, NY

1. 17 Queen Nefertiti, c. 1355–1335 bce. From Tel el-Amarna, Egypt 1.17 Queen Nefertiti, c. 1355–1335 bce. From Tel el-Amarna, Egypt. Painted limestone, 20˝ (50.8 cm) high. Ägyptisches Museum, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany//© Bildarchiv Preussischer Kulturbesitz (Margarete Büsing)/Art Resource, NY

1. 19 Death Mask of Tutankhamen, c. 1323 bce. From Thebes, Egypt 1.19 Death Mask of Tutankhamen, c. 1323 bce. From Thebes, Egypt. Gold with inlay of semiprecious stones, 1´91⁄4˝ (54 cm) high. Egyptian Museum, Cairo, Egypt//© François Guenet/Art Resource, NY

1. 20 Temple of Ramses II, c. 1275–1225 bce 1.20 Temple of Ramses II, c. 1275–1225 bce. At Abu Simbel (now relocated), Egypt. Colossi c. 65´ (19.8 m) high. © Vanni/Art Resource, NY

The Late Period Artists revisited earlier period styles Recapture realism, volume Return to pyramid-shaped tombs Egypt invaded by Nubians (the Cush) 750-720 B.C.E. Nubians and Nobatae preserved ancient culture

Tomb Reliefs Senefer’s Tomb Relief

Rules of Art in Ancient Egypt Size of figures commensurate with their social standing Gods were always depicted with their symbols Male statues were darker than female statues

Symbolism of Colors Egyptians used six basic colors Red = power (life and victory) Green = new life and fertility Blue = creation and rebirth Yellow= the eternal (Ra & Pharoahs) White = purity Black = death

Book of the Dead papyrus

Aegean Culture Crete Cyclades Islands King Minos / Knossos Bronze tools Imaginative/humorous pottery Marble statues/idols

1.22 Cycladic idol, c. 2500 bce. From Cyclades, Greece. Marble, 191⁄4˝ (50 cm) high. British Museum, London, UK//© British Museum/Art Resource, NY

The Bronze Age in Crete Arthur Evans, 1894-1900 Early Minoan Increasing growth Contacts with Egypt and Mesopotamia Scattered Towns

Middle Minoan Evolution of large urban centers Art = lively and colorful Little interest in monumental art Writing system of hieroglyphic signs

[Image 1.22] Palace of Minos at Knossos 1.23 Ruins of the Palace of Minos, Knossos (Crete), Greece, c. 1600–1400 bce. Note the Minoan columns tapering downward and on the wall below, the faint remains of a fresco of a giant, charging bull. This image would have been the first impression of Knossos for many visitors because the walkway (on the right) led to this main north entrance of the palace. {© Gail Mooney/CORBIS}

[Image 1.25] Wasp Pendant 1.26 Wasp Pendant, c. 1700 bce. From Mallia (Crete), Greece. Gold, 17⁄8˝ (5 cm) wide. Heraklion Museum, Crete, Greece/The Art Archive//Gianni Dagli Orti

[Image 1.27] Snake Goddess 1.26 Wasp Pendant, c. 1700 bce. From Mallia (Crete), Greece. Gold, 17⁄8˝ (5 cm) wide. Heraklion Museum, Crete, Greece/The Art Archive//Gianni Dagli Orti

Late Minoan Period of rebuilding after earthquakes High point of Minoan culture Wall paintings Religion centered upon mother goddess connected with fertility

[Image 1.28] Funerary Mask 1.29 Funerary mask, c. 1600–1500 bce. From Grave Circle A, Shaft Grave V, Mycenae, Greece. Beaten gold, 101⁄8˝ (26 cm) high. National Archaeological Museum, Athens, Greece// © Nimatallah/Art Resource, NY

Mycenaean Culture Heinrich Schliemann, 1870-1873 The Trojan War (1250 B.C.E.) Strongly influenced by Minoan Culture Art = preoccupied with death and war Fall of the Mycenaean empire (1200 B.C.E.)

Chapter 1: Discussion Questions What can be determined about the roles of women in early civilizations based on their artistic depictions? Explain, citing examples from each culture. Based on the universal questions evoked in the Epic of Gilgamesh, what can we assume about the Sumerian people and their lifestyles? In what ways are their concerns shared by people of our culture and generation? Explain. What role did geography play in the development and preservation of Ancient Egyptian culture? In what fundamental ways was Egyptian culture different from the Mesopotamian and Aegean cultures? Discuss the role of the archeologist. What impact do the discoveries of ancient cultures have on us today? Explain.