Archaeology Magazine - May/June 1982 - 61

Gold bowl bestowed upon the general
Djehuty by Thutmose III as a reward
for his exploits . Diameter, 18
centimeters.
with blue glass and red jasper. Egyptians
seem to have worn flies as apotropaic
talismans, and venerated them for their
regenerative aspects. Medals in the form
of flies in fact were presented to soldiers
as rewards for valor and tenacity.
Both men and women wore earrings
in the New Kingdom, and favored an
assortment of types including hoops, ear
studs, ear plugs, and penannular rings,
slitted rings that could be slipped over
ear lobes. One ear plug exceeds six
centimeters in diameter; mummies with
ear Jobes stretched to that size indicate
that such pieces were actually worn.
Rings are rarely represented in Egyptian
art, but their presence in multiples on
the hands of mummies testifies to their
popularity. Mold-made rings in faience,
by far the most popular type, were
distributed by the king in great numbers
on state occasions or public festivals.
Beaded or bangle bracelets adorned
Egyptians' wrists.
Cosmetics played a necessary role in
the daily toilette. Creams and salves,
applied to the skin and hair to counteract
the drying effect of the sun, were stored
in a variety of fancifully shaped containers, such as the vessel borne on the
back of a young servant girl. This sensitive sculpture elegantly reflects the
heaviness of the jar in the posture of the
girl.
The ancient Egyptians used kohl, a
black powder made by grinding galena,

a lead ore, to outline their eyes, both for
beauty and for protection against the
glare of the sun. Squat jars made of a
variety of stones were used as early as
the Middle Kingdom (2040-1633B.c.) to
store kohl and continue to be found in
the New Kingdom. Hollowed-out reeds,
either singly or in multiples, also served
as kohl containers early in the New
Kingdom; these were later imitated in
glass, faience, ebony, ivory, and other
materials. Egypt 's Golden Age displays
27 different kohl pots and tubes. Some
may have contained red ocher, used to
redden the cheeks and possibly the lips
as well.
Both men and women cut their hair
short and wore wigs of human hair,
carefully crimped and arranged with
combs and hairpins. One hairpin has an
ivory shaft surmounted by a head of
ebony, on which an ibex suckling her
young is sculpted in only a centimeter of
space. Mirrors of bronze or copper polished to a high gloss reflected an image
almost as clearly as modern examples.
A circular or oval disk, symbolic of the
sun or moon, fit into a decorative handle.
One unusual mirror shows a squatting
figure of the god Bes, protector of the
household and particularly of pregnant
women and children, atop an abstract
papyrus stalk.
The game of life and death
Egypt's Golden Age does not neglect
the leisure activities of ancient Egyptian
life. A variety of board games survive,
testifying to the Egyptian's love of that
diversion. Most popular was senet ,
judging from the number of examples of

the game and the number of gaming
scenes that have been found. The attainment of life after death, the objective
of every Egyptian, could be played out
on the senet board, with its allegorical
references to the journey of the deceased
through the netherworld. "Twenty
squares" on the reverse of the senet board
was probably played much like modern
pachisi. A toss of an astragal, or knucklebone, or a set of marked sticks determined the number of squares moved in
both games.
Music also provided leisure and
amusement for the New Kingdom Egyptian. No notation system has survived,
but acoustical studies provide information on musical range and tone quality
of Egyptian instruments. Small orchestras made up of harps, tambourines,
double oboes, lyres, lutes, and clappers,
often accompanied by female dancers,
entertained at banquets. One unusual
instrument was the shoulder harp, which
was played with the sound box resting
on the shoulder; its 16 strings were
strummed at head level. Another instrument was the double oboe or pipes, made
from reeds pierced with equidistant
holes.
When sickness interrupted the good
life, a variety of remedies were available.
Their administration was usually accompanied by the recitation of incantations
and prayers to the gods. Papyri provide
an insight into Egyptian medical philosophy and list appropriate treatment
for various diseases and problems. These
treatments combined remedies of scientifically proven value with substances
such as fly dung or pelican excrement,
which were believed to be repulsive to
the disease-causing elements. Mothers'
milk, a component of many prescriptions,
probably once filled one pottery vessel
in the shape of a woman holding a child
on her lap.
The recitation of spells accompanying
the administration of medical cures
emphasizes the connection between religion and health in ancient Egyptian life.
In reality, religion was intertwined with
nearly all aspects of daily life. In addition to the great formal state gods, more
approachable local gods presided over
each city and region, and nearly every
activity was under the guardianship of
its own deity. These gods were often
endowed with both human and animal
characteristics.
All of the objects in Egyps Golden
Age were once used by Egyps non-royal
citizens during their lifetimes. Nothing
royal or exclusively funerary is included.
The exhibition has been designed to give
a complete idea of life in the New Kingdom. A wealth of material has been
preserved from this period, more so than
from any other. The carefully selected
objects- basic utilitarian items as well
as those more decorative than practicalprovide a realistic insight into the ancient
Egyptian art of living.
1982
May/June

Archaeology Magazine - May/June 1982

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Archaeology Magazine - May/June 1982