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In this lecture, Khaled Ismail will discuss the nude female figurines of the Greco-Roman Period, focussing on an unpublished collection of figurines which were recently moved to the Grand Egypt Museum at Giza. Some of these figurines resemble the Egyptian traditional types of figurines, while most of them are made from terracotta and unfired clay and are formed in the Hellenistic style. This collection of figurines has been found in various contexts. Most of them were discovered in temples and domestic buildings, whereas some others were buried in tombs. A few examples were even found in military camps and forts.

The largely unknown afterlife concepts in the transitional phase from the Amarna to the post-Amarna period can be grasped because of some artefacts from the tomb of Tutankhamun (KV 62). In the immediately preceding epoch, Akhenaten takes over in a certain sense the task of a god of the dead. Osiris himself is largely ignored during the Amarna period, since his responsibilities were completely transferred to the figure of the king. Based on the objects placed on Tutankhamun’s mummy this circumstance and the under this king even more strengthened embedding of Osiris in the solar course can be demonstrated. In addition, some artefacts show a combination between Amarna style, pictorial language and an innovative pictorial statement, which unites the previous with the new. It is to be explained in how far the Osiris cult in the immediate post-Amarna period under Tutankhamun was already authoritatively re-established and can be proved in the same way up to the Ramesside period.

Grafisch vormgever Gerton Hermers zal vertellen over de opvallende stijlverandering in de Amarna-periode onder farao Achnaton. De starre oud-Egyptische vormconventies bleken voor een paar jaar even iets vloeibaarder. Hoe zit dat? Na een introductie met uitleg over en voorbeelden van de ‘nieuwe kunst’, gaan we al tekenend in het museum op zoek naar de Amarna-stijl. Je hoeft zelf geen kunstenaar te zijn om met deze workshop mee te doen.

Speciaal voor Huis van Horus: eenmalige vertoning van Philip Glass’ opera Akhnaten met Anthony Roth Costanzo als farao Achnaton/Akhnaten.

During the early part of his reign, the New Kingdom pharaoh Akhenaten founded a new capital city at Amarna (ancient Akhetaten). In addition to creating a sprawling city with palaces, workshops, and vast temple complexes, the king also established a new necropolis for members of the royal family, today known as the Royal Wadi. Over the course of four days, the author spent time conducting a preliminary survey of the greater necropolis area in order to establish what archaeological remains survive, how the landscape affected the development of this necropolis, and the possible ways that the workforce utilized local resources in order to facilitate their work. Ultimately, the evidence that remains suggests that Akhenaten intended to recreate the Valley of the Kings at Amarna, and that much of the same systems and protocols that were first established in ancient Thebes were transferred directly up to Amarna.

In de collectie van het Rijksmuseum van Oudheden in Leiden bevinden zich verscheidene voorwerpen uit de Amarnatijd en de perioden die er direct aan voorafgingen en er op volgden. Deze rondleiding door conservator Daniel Soliman voert langs de voorwerpen die in de zalen van het museum zijn opgesteld. Hij geeft een kunsthistorische uitleg bij een aantal objecten, waaronder een vaas met de namen van Achnaton en Nefertiti, de reliëfs uit het graf van Horemheb en de deurposten uit het graf van Hatiay.

In het voorjaar van 1887 vond een lokale vrouw tussen het zand van de ruïnes van Amarna enkele kleitabletten waar ‘afdrukken van vogelpootjes’ in stonden. Zij besefte zich niet wat de impact was van haar vondst: Zij had het archief gevonden van het ministerie van Buitenlandse Zaken onder het bewind van farao Achnaton (ca. 1340 v.Chr.). De brieven vormen een uniek inkijkje in de buitenlandse politiek van de 14e eeuw v. Chr, zowel op internationaal als nationaal niveau.

In deze lezing zal Joost Golverdingen ingaan op verschillende aspecten van de Amarnabrieven, waaronder de vondst, de manier waarop de tabletten kunnen worden ingedeeld en hun chronologische indeling.

Iconoclasm has been traditionally understood as the phenomenon of breaking images within religious and political contexts. Notoriously, the term came to be associated with the defacement of sacred icons in the Byzantine period and during the Protestant Reformation. However, in the last two decades, the use of the term iconoclasm underwent a re-evaluation, as it slowly came to signify more complex acts of image defacement in various socio-political frames.

By showcasing examples from the Memphite necropolises in Egypt, we intend to demonstrate how iconoclasm, analysed within its archaeological context, may reveal compelling details not only on the diverse socio-funerary practices, but also on the conception and use of images as vehicles of meaning in ancient Egypt and beyond.

Ella Karev, PhD

How can we define slavery? What makes someone a slave?

These were the questions that formed the basis of her dissertation, Slavery and Servitude in Late Period Egypt (2022). In this talk, she presents the findings of her scholarship regarding slavery of this understudied period in Egyptian history, but also speaks to the deeper issues: was a slave considered chattel? What rights did slaves—or their owners—claim and exercise? Could they have children, get married, or own property in their own name?

The Roman conquest brought about a new phase of foreign domination in Egypt. This talk will explore the multifaceted responses of the inhabitants of Egypt to the figure of the emperor, highlighting the cultural vitality of one of the most important regions of the Roman world.