Ancient Egypt

Religious Syncretisms in the Ancient Mediterranean Region

Military conquests and economic exchanges have been a catalyser in the diversification of the religious landscape of the Ancient Mediterranean region. Indeed, as cultures and religions met and travelled, they gave birth to new divinities, according to the phenomenon of syncretisation. These new divinities were a form of hybrids between already established gods and goddesses [...]

Egyptian Amulets and their Meanings

Amulets in Ancient Egypt were both decorative and practical, as they were considered as having apotropaic powers to protect or bestow power upon the wearer. Not only worn by the living, amulets have been found inside the wrappings of mummies, as they were used to prepare the deceased for the afterlife. Amulets held different meanings, [...]

Coptic Textiles

Textiles in Antiquity Compared with their counterparts in ceramics and metal, textiles from the ancient world are often hard to come by. The conditions required to preserve textiles are often very specific; amongst the few parts of the world that meet the requirements is Egypt. A hotspot of archaeological interest, Egypt’s hot, dry climate is [...]

Egyptian Amulets and their Meanings: Ancient Egyptian Gods

Amulets in Ancient Egypt were both decorative and practical, as they were considered as having apotropaic powers to protect or bestow power upon the wearer. Not only worn by the living, amulets have been found inside the wrappings of mummies, as they were used to prepare the deceased for the afterlife. Amulets held different meanings, [...]

Hieroglyphs: An Introduction to the Ancient Egyptian Writing System

A Brief History of Hieroglyphs We owe the decipherment of Egyptian hieroglyphs to the French scholar and founding figure of Egyptology, Jean-François Champollion, and his decoding of the Rosetta stone, in the 1820s. Featuring both hieroglyphs and demotic (as well as Greek), the stone depicts two stages in Egypt’s written and spoken history. The Ancient [...]

What is Egyptian Faience?

Faience in Ancient Egypt Faience, also known as glazed composition, is the oldest glazed ceramic in existence. It was created over 6000 years ago and widely used by the Ancient Egyptians. It is mainly composed of silica and mineral based colourants, and is a precursor to glass, which was invented around 2500 years ago. Faience [...]

The History and Mythology of Gemstones in Ancient Jewellery

Jewellery in Ancient Egypt Jewellery has been worn by ancient cultures around the world for thousands of years. In ancient Egypt both men and women were great lovers of jewellery and adorned themselves with a profusion of charms and amulets. Jewellery also showed wealth and status and offered protection from evil. Although the Egyptians had [...]

Apotropaic Art: Amulets and Phallic Pendants in Ancient Cultures

Across the ancient world, we find a number of pieces that would have been worn by their owners for the sake of protection – primarily amulets. Jewellery of this apotropaic nature most often takes shape in the form of pendants, and we find them in abundance from a number of civilisations, especially Egypt and Ancient [...]

The Significance of Carnelian in Ancient Egyptian Culture

Carnelian and its Frequent Use Carnelian is a semi-precious stone that was used frequently by the Egyptians of all social classes, through Dynastic Egypt till the Roman period. Sources mention of one mine, found in Egypt, which would have supplied carnelian from the Middle Kingdom. However, the source of the gemstone before this is relatively [...]

The Significance of Carnelian in Ancient Egyptian Culture

Carnelian and its Frequent Use Carnelian is a semi-precious stone that was used frequently by the Egyptians of all social classes, through Dynastic Egypt till the Roman period. Sources mention of one mine, found in Egypt, which would have supplied carnelian from the Middle Kingdom. However, the source of the gemstone before this is relatively [...]