Papers by Miriam Bueno Guardia
Telestes, 2024
This paper focuses on different dance representations found in tombs and temples of Thebes, that ... more This paper focuses on different dance representations found in tombs and temples of Thebes, that are related to the Beautiful Feast of the Valley and the Opet Festival. These dance scenes belong to the New Kingdom art (1550-1070 BCE) and provide us with important information about dance, and religious processions and celebrations in ancient Egypt. However, despite following the typical canon of Egyptian art, we can see through these images how the artist or group of artists who created these scenes do not limit themselves to a simple copy, but rather introduce certain variations or innovations, creating a reinterpretation of the same movements and
celebrations. This artistic analysis is also important to see how the ancient Egyptians represented movement in two-dimensional art. In this paper I will analyse the iconography of this acrobatic dance, its name and origin, the artistic style of the three representations, the possible movement
represented, and its symbolism. The musical instruments and their importance in these scenes will also be explained.
Journal of Egyptian Archaeology, 2024
T. Christiansen, K. Autere, M. B. Guardia, E. Salmenkivi, H. Sola, L. Tambs and M. Wasmuth
This... more T. Christiansen, K. Autere, M. B. Guardia, E. Salmenkivi, H. Sola, L. Tambs and M. Wasmuth
This short article is the publication of a hieratic ostracon (O. SES 23) from the Ramesside Period in the collection of the Finnish Egyptological Society that preserves parts of the title, the exordium, and the first paragraph of The Instruction of a Man for His Son. The provenance and the exact acquisition history of the ostracon are unknown, but indirect evidence suggests that it derives from Deir el-Medina and was acquired in Luxor by the late Professor of Egyptology in Finland, Rostislav Holthoer, in the early 1970s. A textual variant in line three, also attested in another ostracon from Deir el-Medina, suggests that the first paragraph of the composition does not juxtapose the life of a scribe with that of a farmer, as is commonly believed, but instead with that of a soldier.
Journal of Ancient Egyptian Interconnections, 2023
New Kingdom private Theban tombs are funerary monuments understood as houses of eternity, where t... more New Kingdom private Theban tombs are funerary monuments understood as houses of eternity, where the deceased could live forever after his death. But these tombs are also liminal spaces where the borders of the realm of the living and that of the dead could be erased so the dead, the living, and the gods could get into contact. This happened during some special events when tombs were opened to visits, and during the funerary procession itself. But this contact also took place through the texts and scenes that decorated these tombs. This article aims to analyze these elements and occasions, as well as their depiction in New Kingdom private tombs, to establish the most important moments of communication and interaction between the living, the dead, and the gods within the private Theban tombs.
Estudios sobre Orientalística y Egiptología. Nuevas aportaciones de la investigación española, 2022
En el antiguo Egipto la danza era una importante actividad realizada en reuniones como distintas ... more En el antiguo Egipto la danza era una importante actividad realizada en reuniones como distintas festividades que tenía un significado simbólico y que, generalmente, iba acompañada de música. Ésta es analizada a través de las representaciones que de ella encontramos en el arte y de los textos que las acompañan.
Dentro de los distintos tipos de danza que encontramos representados en los relieves y pinturas del Reino Nuevo (1550-1070 a.C.) se encuentra la danza acrobática o khéby, una danza realizada por mujeres y relacionada con el culto religioso.
En esta comunicación, que es parte de una investigación doctoral sobre la re- presentación de la danza en el Reino Nuevo egipcio, se realiza una aproximación al término con el que se define esta danza acrobática, se explican sus principales características y se analizan a nivel estilístico, iconográfico y simbólico las representaciones que de ella se han encontrado en las paredes de tumbas y templos del Reino Nuevo, así como en otros objetos como el famoso ostracón de la bailarina del Museo de Turín.
Eikon / Imago
Muu dancers are one of the most common elements in the funerary processions represented in the pr... more Muu dancers are one of the most common elements in the funerary processions represented in the private Theban tombs of the New Kingdom, especially in the 18th dynasty. This paper aims to analyse the main characteristics of the representation of these male individuals that appear only on private tombs located in different necropolises. It will also try to understand the ritual meaning of these dancers through the attested images, an enigmatic procedure that has been interpreted in different ways by several authors. In addition, the distribution of these scenes both inside and outside the Theban necropolis will be analysed to understand the diffusion of this type of representations during the Egyptian New Kingdom. Thus, firstly I will make a description of the funerary processions painted or engraved on the walls of the private tombs. Secondly, I will describe the muu dancers following Brunner-Traut’s classification and include the representations attested, comparing them to analyse t...
Eikón / Imago, 2022
Muu dancers are one of the most common elements in the funerary processions represented in the pr... more Muu dancers are one of the most common elements in the funerary processions represented in the private Theban tombs of the New Kingdom, especially in the 18 th dynasty. This paper aims to analyse the main characteristics of the representation of these male individuals that appear only on private tombs located in different necropolises. It will also try to understand the ritual meaning of these dancers through the attested images, an enigmatic procedure that has been interpreted in different ways by several authors. In addition, the distribution of these scenes both inside and outside the Theban necropolis will be analysed to understand the diffusion of this type of representations during the Egyptian New Kingdom. Thus, firstly I will make a description of the funerary processions painted or engraved on the walls of the private tombs. Secondly, I will describe the muu dancers following Brunner-Traut's classification and include the representations attested, comparing them to analyse the common features of these male dancers. It should be noted that this topic is of great importance because of its symbolic role in the decorative program of private tombs, mainly those of the 18 th dynasty.
Journal of Eastern Mediterranean Archaeology & Heritage Studies, 2021
Libraries represent an essential component of Greco-Roman culture's expansion across the Mediterr... more Libraries represent an essential component of Greco-Roman culture's expansion across the Mediterranean. The first public library in Rome was the Atrium Libertatis, founded in the first century BC, an institution that was probably influenced by the tradition of the eastern Mediterranean as seen in the royal libraries of the Hellenistic kingdoms and the Greek gymnasia. The literary sources and the archaeological record reveal that all the public libraries so far discovered had multiple purposes that mingled the essential tasks of this type of institution. This multifunctional architectural style expanded outward from Rome back into the eastern Mediterranean, particularly during the second century AD, integrating new functions and influenced by local traditions. This article examines the historical development of the most representative features of Roman libraries and proposes new insights into the multifunctionality of these complex spaces.
Trabajos de Egiptología, 2020
Las representaciones de danza en las tumbas tebanas privadas del Reino Nuevo (1550-1070 a. C.) se... more Las representaciones de danza en las tumbas tebanas privadas del Reino Nuevo (1550-1070 a. C.) se pueden categorizar en tres grupos: el primero sería el de la danza en las escenas de banquete; el segundo, el de las representaciones de danza dentro de las procesiones funerarias; y el tercero englobaría otras representaciones de danza encontradas que no pueden ser clasificadas dentro de los grupos anteriores. Tanto el primero como el segundo grupo tienen unas características propias muy definidas que se han podido extraer gracias a la comparación de las escenas. Sin embargo, el tercer grupo no es homogéneo, aunque sí se pueden relacionar ciertas representaciones entre sí, con las de los otros grupos o con escenas encontradas en otros lugares como los templos. Este artículo pretende hacer un compendio de estas representaciones y analizar sus características generales mediante su comparación para conocer su identificación y simbología –relacionada con el pensamiento religioso y funerario egipcio– y comprender así el importante papel de la danza en el Reino Nuevo egipcio.
Birmingham Egyptology Journal, 2020
The Theban private tombs dated to the New Kingdom (c.1550-1070 BC) are monuments full of symbolis... more The Theban private tombs dated to the New Kingdom (c.1550-1070 BC) are monuments full of symbolism. They belonged to elite officials that wanted to preserve their memory and identity for eternity and ensure their rebirth in the afterlife. Among the functions of these tombs are the protection of the body of the deceased, the preservation of his memory and identity not only among the living but also among the dead, and to act as an instrument for their transformation in the hereafter. Through the building and decoration of these tombs, we can discern several details of the life of the deceased, his achievements and role in society, and also about Egyptian religious beliefs, their rites and gods, and about many other social, economic and artistic realities of his time.
We cannot forget that these tombs have a magical function related to the mortuary cult, and the interaction between the living and the dead inside of the tombs, which were visited during some festivals celebrated in the necropolis.
This paper aims to analyse these private burials in New Kingdom Thebes and their symbolism, focusing on the buildings themselves, their decoration and the activities that took place inside them. Within the decoration of these tombs, this paper will focus on the ‘scenes of daily life’, and mainly on the banquet scenes of the Eighteenth Dynasty, because their symbolism is strongly connected to the idea of rebirth, and to Egyptian religious belief.
Kirjuri (Revista de la Sociedad Finlandesa de Egiptología), 2019
Panta Rei, 2019
El presente artículo es fruto de una investigación sobre la representación de la danza en las tum... more El presente artículo es fruto de una investigación sobre la representación de la danza en las tumbas tebanas privadas del Reino Nuevo (1550-1070 a.C.). En él se pretende poner en contexto la representación de la danza dentro de las conocidas escenas de banquete de la XVIII dinastía (1550-1295 a.C.), así como analizar, mediante el estudio de todas las escenas encontradas, sus características principales y su simbología. Por último, se intentará explicar su posible interpretación, basada en el contexto en el que aparecen, y las convenciones utilizadas para su representación. Por lo tanto, se resaltarán los elementos comunes de estas escenas (ubicación, iconografía…) que son los que nos ayudan a entender su significado e importancia.
Se trata de un tema relevante, ya que estas escenas de banquete en las que aparecen bailarinas estaban cargadas de contenido simbólico y estético, y servían de nexo entre el difunto y los visitantes de la tumba. Tenían así, por lo tanto, una gran importancia para el pensamiento religioso egipcio, pues ayudaban a la supervivencia del difunto en el Más Allá.
Un repaso a la filosofía alemana en la primera mitad del siglo XX y los años posteriores a la Seg... more Un repaso a la filosofía alemana en la primera mitad del siglo XX y los años posteriores a la Segunda Guerra Mundial.
Master's Thesis by Miriam Bueno Guardia
El objetivo del presente trabajo es, en primer lugar, realizar un compendio de las representacion... more El objetivo del presente trabajo es, en primer lugar, realizar un compendio de las representaciones de danza en las tumbas tebanas del Reino Nuevo egipcio. Partiendo de ese análisis inicial de escenas, se pretende estudiar su estética y significado y comparar las representaciones para extraer de ello posibles convenciones o innovaciones.
Conference Presentations by Miriam Bueno Guardia
47th Annual Scholars’ Colloquium & Symposium - The Society for the Study of Egyptian Antiquities (SSEA), 2023
Frontality in Egyptian art is presented as an exception. When this frontal perspective appears in... more Frontality in Egyptian art is presented as an exception. When this frontal perspective appears in dance and music scenes, it has been traditionally understood as a way of expression of the movement of the figures. However, after an extensive study of New Kingdom dance scenes, we can see that it is, as in the rest of artistic themes, something exceptional: only 2.54% of the scenes include a figure with a face represented frontally. Furthermore, if we analyse these figures, we can discard the idea of transmission of dynamism because of their poses.
The three scenes found and analysed in this paper belong to the decoration of private Theban tombs dating from between the reigns of Amenhotep II and Amenhotep III, but they could also have other common characteristics that will be analysed here.
On the one hand, I will analyse the dance scenes that include frontal representations at an iconographic level and in the context of the decoration of the tomb. On the other hand, I will extract their common characteristics, and I will explain the possible role of this innovative artistic resource in New Kingdom Egyptian art, linked more to the message and symbolism that these scenes want to convey than to the idea of movement.
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Papers by Miriam Bueno Guardia
celebrations. This artistic analysis is also important to see how the ancient Egyptians represented movement in two-dimensional art. In this paper I will analyse the iconography of this acrobatic dance, its name and origin, the artistic style of the three representations, the possible movement
represented, and its symbolism. The musical instruments and their importance in these scenes will also be explained.
This short article is the publication of a hieratic ostracon (O. SES 23) from the Ramesside Period in the collection of the Finnish Egyptological Society that preserves parts of the title, the exordium, and the first paragraph of The Instruction of a Man for His Son. The provenance and the exact acquisition history of the ostracon are unknown, but indirect evidence suggests that it derives from Deir el-Medina and was acquired in Luxor by the late Professor of Egyptology in Finland, Rostislav Holthoer, in the early 1970s. A textual variant in line three, also attested in another ostracon from Deir el-Medina, suggests that the first paragraph of the composition does not juxtapose the life of a scribe with that of a farmer, as is commonly believed, but instead with that of a soldier.
Dentro de los distintos tipos de danza que encontramos representados en los relieves y pinturas del Reino Nuevo (1550-1070 a.C.) se encuentra la danza acrobática o khéby, una danza realizada por mujeres y relacionada con el culto religioso.
En esta comunicación, que es parte de una investigación doctoral sobre la re- presentación de la danza en el Reino Nuevo egipcio, se realiza una aproximación al término con el que se define esta danza acrobática, se explican sus principales características y se analizan a nivel estilístico, iconográfico y simbólico las representaciones que de ella se han encontrado en las paredes de tumbas y templos del Reino Nuevo, así como en otros objetos como el famoso ostracón de la bailarina del Museo de Turín.
We cannot forget that these tombs have a magical function related to the mortuary cult, and the interaction between the living and the dead inside of the tombs, which were visited during some festivals celebrated in the necropolis.
This paper aims to analyse these private burials in New Kingdom Thebes and their symbolism, focusing on the buildings themselves, their decoration and the activities that took place inside them. Within the decoration of these tombs, this paper will focus on the ‘scenes of daily life’, and mainly on the banquet scenes of the Eighteenth Dynasty, because their symbolism is strongly connected to the idea of rebirth, and to Egyptian religious belief.
Se trata de un tema relevante, ya que estas escenas de banquete en las que aparecen bailarinas estaban cargadas de contenido simbólico y estético, y servían de nexo entre el difunto y los visitantes de la tumba. Tenían así, por lo tanto, una gran importancia para el pensamiento religioso egipcio, pues ayudaban a la supervivencia del difunto en el Más Allá.
Master's Thesis by Miriam Bueno Guardia
Conference Presentations by Miriam Bueno Guardia
The three scenes found and analysed in this paper belong to the decoration of private Theban tombs dating from between the reigns of Amenhotep II and Amenhotep III, but they could also have other common characteristics that will be analysed here.
On the one hand, I will analyse the dance scenes that include frontal representations at an iconographic level and in the context of the decoration of the tomb. On the other hand, I will extract their common characteristics, and I will explain the possible role of this innovative artistic resource in New Kingdom Egyptian art, linked more to the message and symbolism that these scenes want to convey than to the idea of movement.
celebrations. This artistic analysis is also important to see how the ancient Egyptians represented movement in two-dimensional art. In this paper I will analyse the iconography of this acrobatic dance, its name and origin, the artistic style of the three representations, the possible movement
represented, and its symbolism. The musical instruments and their importance in these scenes will also be explained.
This short article is the publication of a hieratic ostracon (O. SES 23) from the Ramesside Period in the collection of the Finnish Egyptological Society that preserves parts of the title, the exordium, and the first paragraph of The Instruction of a Man for His Son. The provenance and the exact acquisition history of the ostracon are unknown, but indirect evidence suggests that it derives from Deir el-Medina and was acquired in Luxor by the late Professor of Egyptology in Finland, Rostislav Holthoer, in the early 1970s. A textual variant in line three, also attested in another ostracon from Deir el-Medina, suggests that the first paragraph of the composition does not juxtapose the life of a scribe with that of a farmer, as is commonly believed, but instead with that of a soldier.
Dentro de los distintos tipos de danza que encontramos representados en los relieves y pinturas del Reino Nuevo (1550-1070 a.C.) se encuentra la danza acrobática o khéby, una danza realizada por mujeres y relacionada con el culto religioso.
En esta comunicación, que es parte de una investigación doctoral sobre la re- presentación de la danza en el Reino Nuevo egipcio, se realiza una aproximación al término con el que se define esta danza acrobática, se explican sus principales características y se analizan a nivel estilístico, iconográfico y simbólico las representaciones que de ella se han encontrado en las paredes de tumbas y templos del Reino Nuevo, así como en otros objetos como el famoso ostracón de la bailarina del Museo de Turín.
We cannot forget that these tombs have a magical function related to the mortuary cult, and the interaction between the living and the dead inside of the tombs, which were visited during some festivals celebrated in the necropolis.
This paper aims to analyse these private burials in New Kingdom Thebes and their symbolism, focusing on the buildings themselves, their decoration and the activities that took place inside them. Within the decoration of these tombs, this paper will focus on the ‘scenes of daily life’, and mainly on the banquet scenes of the Eighteenth Dynasty, because their symbolism is strongly connected to the idea of rebirth, and to Egyptian religious belief.
Se trata de un tema relevante, ya que estas escenas de banquete en las que aparecen bailarinas estaban cargadas de contenido simbólico y estético, y servían de nexo entre el difunto y los visitantes de la tumba. Tenían así, por lo tanto, una gran importancia para el pensamiento religioso egipcio, pues ayudaban a la supervivencia del difunto en el Más Allá.
The three scenes found and analysed in this paper belong to the decoration of private Theban tombs dating from between the reigns of Amenhotep II and Amenhotep III, but they could also have other common characteristics that will be analysed here.
On the one hand, I will analyse the dance scenes that include frontal representations at an iconographic level and in the context of the decoration of the tomb. On the other hand, I will extract their common characteristics, and I will explain the possible role of this innovative artistic resource in New Kingdom Egyptian art, linked more to the message and symbolism that these scenes want to convey than to the idea of movement.
Esta comunicación presenta un breve estudio sobre la arquitectura y decoración de estas tumbas y se centrará en el estudio de las diferentes escenas de danza encontradas en ellas. Estas representaciones, protagonizadas tanto por hombres como por mujeres, pueden dividirse en diferentes grupos según su tipología: orquestas femeninas, danzas pantomímicas y escenas de danza dentro del harén real. Cada grupo tiene sus características propias, tanto iconográficas como de significado. Además, se diferencian claramente de las escenas de danza encontradas en otras necrópolis usadas durante el Reino Nuevo (como Tebas o el-Kab), por lo que es necesaria una comparación entre ellas para entender los cambios religiosos y artísticos que se producen durante el reinado del faraón Akenatón.
Por lo tanto, el estudio de la iconografía de la danza acrobática en el Reino Nuevo egipcio aporta importante información acerca del papel del artista y del arte en este periodo histórico, pudiendo analizar su creatividad y libertad artística, la pervivencia de ciertos cánones o modelos, las fuentes de inspiración para la creación de este motivo iconográfico (ya que sus orígenes se encuentran en el Reino Medio), los recursos utilizados para la captación del movimiento o incluso la utilización de una iconografía determinada para la transmisión de un mensaje simbólico relacionado con el pensamiento religioso egipcio.
This paper focuses on three dance representations found in the temples of Karnak and Luxor, that are related to the Opet festival. During this celebration, a procession with the sacred boat of the god Amun travelled from the Karnak temple to the Luxor temple. Women who performed a very characteristic acrobatic dance participated in it.
These three dance scenes belong to the New Kingdom art (1550-1070 BC) and provide us important information about dance, and religious processions and celebrations in ancient Egypt. However, despite following the typical canon of Egyptian art, we can see through these images how the artist or group of artists who created these scenes do not limit themselves to a simple copy, but rather introduce certain variations or innovations, creating a reinterpretation of the same movements and celebrations. This artistic analysis is also important to see how the ancient Egyptians represented movement in two-dimensional art.
In this paper I will analyse the iconography of this acrobatic dance, its name and origin, the artistic style of the three representations, the possible movement represented, and its symbolism. The musical instruments and their importance in these scenes will also be explained. My communication will also connect these representations with other similar ones dated from the same historical period and found in other places and contexts, such as tombs or its representation within other Egyptian festivals depicted in other temples.
Therefore, through these banquet scenes dating from the XVIIIth dynasty we can witness the growing musical contact between the Ancient West Asia and Egypt in this early part of the New Kingdom.
This happened during some special events, such us the celebration of banquets during the Beautiful Feast of the Valley, when tombs were open to visits. Within the banquet scenes painted on the tombs we can see some symbols, as the unguent cone, or figures, such as dancers or musicians, that would make this communication between the different realms easier.
But this contact also took place through the texts and scenes that decorated these tombs, for example through the Appeal to the Living, and through the offerings or the Letters to the Dead. Another moment of interaction between the living, the dead and the gods in the necropolis is the funeral itself. During this ritual the muu dancers acted as some kind of demi-gods and contacted with the gods and the world of the dead to approve the burial in the world of the living. But also the mourners depicted in these processions communicated with the dead through their laments.
This paper aims to analyse these elements and occasions, as well as their presence and depiction in New Kingdom private tombs, to establish the most important moments of communication and interaction between the living, the dead, and the gods within the private Theban tombs.
Dentro de los distintos tipos de danza que encontramos representados en los relieves y pinturas del Reino Nuevo (1550-1070 a.C.) se encuentra la danza acrobática o khéby, una danza realizada por mujeres que tiene su origen en el Reino Medio (2050-1750 a.C.) y que está relacionada con el culto religioso.
En esta comunicación, que es parte de una investigación doctoral en curso sobre la representación de la danza en el Reino Nuevo egipcio, se realizará una aproximación al término con el que se define esta danza acrobática, se explicarán sus principales características y se analizarán a nivel estilístico, iconográfico y simbólico las representaciones que de ella se han encontrado en las paredes de tumbas y templos del Reino Nuevo (como el templo de Hatshepsut en Deir el-Bahari o los de Karnak y Luxor), así como en otros objetos como el famoso ostracón de la bailarina del Museo de Turín.
Through the building and decoration of these tombs we can know several details of the life of the deceased, his achievements and role in the society, about the Egyptian religious belief, their rites and gods, and about many other social and artistic realities.
We cannot forget that these tombs have a magical function too related to the mortuary cult and the interaction between the living and the dead inside of the tomb, that were visited during some festivals celebrated in the necropolis.
My paper pretends to analyse these private burials in New Kingdom Thebes and their symbolism, focusing on the buildings themselves, their decoration and the activities that took place inside them.
Tanto el primero (formado por representaciones de bailarinas y orquestas femeninas) como el segundo grupo (formado por representaciones de los bailarines muu) tienen unas características propias muy definidas que se han podido extraer gracias a la comparación de las escenas. Sin embargo, el tercer grupo no es homogéneo, pero sí se pueden relacionar ciertas representaciones entre sí, con las de los otros grupos o con escenas encontradas en otros lugares como los templos.
Mi póster pretende, por tanto, analizar las características generales de estas representaciones para conocer su identificación y simbología.
Pero no son sólo lugares de enterramiento, sino que las tumbas privadas seguían siendo visitadas por distintos personajes tras la muerte del propietario que incluso realizaban banquetes en ellas. Estos banquetes, representados en las propias tumbas, se encuentran dentro de las denominadas “escenas de la vida cotidiana”, pero realmente tenían un doble sentido y formaban parte también de las creencias funerarias de los egipcios. Se trata de una forma de borrar los límites entre el mundo de los vivos y el de los muertos para que entraran en contacto los unos con los otros. Además, es probable que estas escenas de banquete estén relacionadas con la conocida como “Bella Fiesta del Valle”, que se celebraba en verano y que probablemente fuera la celebración más importante realizada en la necrópolis tebana. También son consideradas como escenas de renacimiento del difunto.
Mi comunicación se centra tanto en los aspectos ya mencionados de las tumbas privadas como en el análisis y la simbología de las escenas de banquete, muy relacionadas con la religión del antiguo Egipto y las ideas de renacimiento, memoria y pervivencia de los difuntos.
Así, el objetivo último ha sido extraer conclusiones sobre toda la representación de la danza en el Reino Nuevo egipcio (1550-1070 a.C.), algo inédito hasta la fecha no por falta de material, sino por falta de investigaciones exhaustivas sobre el tema.
Podemos encontrar escenas de danza en distintos ámbitos de la vida social egipcia, desde festivales religiosos a procesiones funerarias pasando por diferentes celebraciones civiles.
A lo largo de este curso se estudiarán los distintos tipos de danza encontrados en el arte del Reino Nuevo egipcio, atendiendo tanto a sus características artísticas como a su significado simbólico. Se comenzará con una aproximación a la música y a la danza en el periodo faraónico, viendo además la importancia de los personajes que realizan ambas actividades. En cada clase se analizará un tipo de danza distinto según el contexto en el que aparece y se explicarán dichos contextos para una comprensión total de las escenas. Así, al finalizar el curso se tendrá una visión completa del papel que tenía esta actividad en un periodo de gran esplendor como es el Reino Nuevo.