Pharonic Fandango: Amarna

September 30, 2012

Siva Nefertiti Hotel

Minya, Egypt

Agenda

Tour of Amarna with Barry Kemp

Southern Tomb #25 – Ay

The Small Aten Temple

Mud Brick House # 244-1

The King's House

The Royal Tomb

Boundary Stela U

Tombs of Meryra and Pahesy

The Northern Palace

Hee hee hee. We got a tour of Amarna with Professor Barry Kemp today, and you didn't. Unless you were in the same group as me, and in that case: virtual high-five.

It's hard to know what to talk about for today. The day was very full, but it seemed to pass in less than an hour. We started in the Tomb of Ay. Not the one in the Valley of the Kings, which I was able to visit in 2010, but his one here at Amarna. I think the most noteworthy part of that tomb was a small portion of a wall relief showing Akhenaten and Nefertiti at a window of appearances, bestowing gifts on Ay. In this scene, the royal couple are shown surrounded by minions who busy themselves by bowing and scraping. However, in this version of the scene, there is a group of 4 men who are clearly dancing – hopping and gyrating in a way that rather closely resembles the pedestrian crossing sign used in modern Minya. It is the only thing I have ever seen in Amarnan art which suggests that anyone was happy.

Also of note concerning this scene: Akhenaten and Nefertiti are obviously nude. As are their daughters, but since they are children, that's neither here nor there.

At the Small Aten Temple, Professor Kemp told us how the axis of the temple is aligned with the entrance to the wadi which holds the Royal Tomb, about 4 km away at the edge of the desert plain. He also mentioned that while a great ceremony is made around plotting an astronomical/geophysical line for the temple axis, it is purely ceremonial, and that the temple is aligned to the location of the Nile.

I could spend a long time telling you what we did and what we saw, but it's already 10:30 pm and maybe some pics would be better at this point.