Our fascination with Ancient Egypt keeps growing as new discoveries are made that change what we know about it. Among the recent stories to catch our eye, recent discoveries linked to their use of art have thrown new light on different aspects of life in Egypt.
They Knew About the Milky Way and Used It on Coffins
Astrophysicist Or Graur from the UK’s University of Portsmouth has been studying the art on hundreds of ancient coffins. The result is that he believes that they often used images of the Milky Way in their art. This iconic part of our galaxy contains billions of stars, but from Earth it looks like a faint band of light where individual stars can’t be made out.
However, the Egyptian Goddess of the Sky, Nut, is shown on many of those coffins included in the study. These pieces of art contain images that Graur believes are stylized yet detailed depictions of the Milky Way. His theory was originally published last year, fitting the views held by some academics that the Egyptians possibly viewed the Milky Way as being some sort of physical manifestation of Nut.
By looking more closely at a variety of funerary art in digitized collections, the astrophysicist found several images that could be viewed as a thick band of light woven between stars. This suggests that Nut could be adorned with the Milky Way, but probably wasn’t seen as being a physical representation of this area of the galaxy.
The Earliest Pharaohs Used Art to Establish Their Authority
Classic Egyptian symbols like scarab beetles and ankh crosses are now easily found in many parts of popular culture, from movies like The Mummy and Gods of Egypt to pieces of modern jewelry. Reign of Anubis and Area Link Scarab Riches are among the themed games in this online slots UK site. Cleopatra is also featured in a slot bearing her name, with the last pharaoh playing the part of the most valuable symbol. These games often include bonus features that are triggered by images of classic characters such as the Gods Horus or Anubis.
Our knowledge of the early days of the pharaohs has been expanded thanks to the discovery of rock carvings and other types of art in the country’s Eastern Desert. The latest findings made near Aswan date back some 5,000 years and provide a fascinating glimpse at how the earliest rulers imposed their authority on the land while creating a new state.
Egyptologist Prof. Dr. Ludwig Morenz from Germany’s University of Bonn has been leading the research, looking at petroglyphs and hieroglyphic inscriptions found in parts of Egypt that hadn’t been fully investigated before now. He discovered rudimentary art linked to early rulers, such as King Scorpion and King Bull, with several of the images showing how the kings used violence to maintain control over their subjects.
As research like this continues to reveal more about Egyptian art from the past, we can enjoy studying their images while finding out more about their customs and way of life.
