Tag Archives: Egypt

1481: Astrolabe

Posted on September 7, 2017 by corvusfugit

The only surviving spherical astrolabe was purchased at auction in 1962 by the Oxford Museum of the History of Science. It is signed by its maker, Mūsa (the Arabic equivalent of Moses), who is otherwise unknown—but the particular style of  … Continue reading →

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2140 BC: Head

Posted on September 4, 2017 by corvusfugit

Head of an Egyptian statuette in the Penn University artifact lab (2374-2140 BC) (source)

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5th Century BC: Zeus Ammon

Posted on September 3, 2017 by corvusfugit

After the Greeks colonized Cyrenaica—now part of Lybia—and established settlements in the lower Nile Delta, they came to associate Zeus with the Egyptian supreme god Amun-Ra, who was often depicted with the head of a ram. The features of both … Continue reading →

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664 BC: Amulet

Posted on September 2, 2017 by corvusfugit

Egyptian Ram’s-head Amulet, Kushite Period (ca. 712–664 B.C.) “This amulet was probably made for a necklace worn by one of the Kushite kings. Representations show these pharaohs wearing a ram’s-head amulet tied around the neck on a thick cord, the … Continue reading →

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945 BC: Shine Thou with Thy Beams of Light

Posted on August 13, 2017 by corvusfugit

A HYMN OF PRAISE TO RĀ WHEN HE RISETH IN THE EASTERN PART OF HEAVEN. Those who are in his train rejoice, and lo! Osiris Aāi victorious, saith: “Hail, thou Disk, thou lord of rays, who risest on the horizon … Continue reading →

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1878: The Great Physician

Posted on July 25, 2017 by corvusfugit

It is to the Nilometer [a submerged building built to measure and predict the Nile’s clarity and water level] that the island of Rods [Rhoda/Rawdah] owes its fame, and there is little else that the visitor will find worth seeing … Continue reading →

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2012: Nefertiti in the Streets

Posted on July 2, 2017 by corvusfugit

Graffiti in Cairo by El Zeft

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5th Century AD: Wings of Parchment

Posted on May 22, 2017 by corvusfugit

Two pages from the Cologne Mani Codex, “a lump of parchment fragments the size of a matchbox,” that tells the story of the early life of Mani, the Persian prophet and the founder of Manichaeism. The work—made in 5th century … Continue reading →

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