- Archaeology, Egyptology, Ancient Egyptian Art and Archaeology, Ancient Egyptian Iconography, Early Dynastic Egypt, Egyptian Archaeology, and 54 moreAncient History, Near Eastern Archaeology, Classical Archaeology, Quaderni di Vicino Oriente, Hierakonpolis, Cultural Memory, Ritual, Egyptian language, Ritual and Performance (Egyptology), Early Dynastic (Egyptian History), Ritual Theory, Abydos, Social Archaeology, State Formation, Funerary Archaeology, Urbanism (Archaeology), Settlement Patterns, Landscape Archaeology, Ancient Egyptian Literature, Old Kingdom (Egyptology), Anthropology, Predynastic and Early Dynastic Egypt, Social History (Ancient Egypt), Predynastic (Egyptology), Ancient Egyptian History, Egyptian Art and Archaeology, Ancient Egyptian Religion, Giza, Giza Archives Project, Peter Der Manuelian, Museum of Fine Arts, George Reisner, Harvard University Boston Museum of Fine Arts Expedition, Collective Memory, Egyptian Ritual Texts, Egyptian Afterlife, Egyptian Lexicography, Social History, Manifestations of Authority and Power, Archaeology of Societal Collapse, Archaeological Method & Theory, Saqqara, Abusir, Early Dynastic Chronology, Cultural Memory, Social and Collective Memory, Ancient Egyptian social history, Social history and collective memory in art, Ritual Practices, Ritual theory and practice (Archaeology), Ancient Ritual Practice, Naqada culture, state formation period, Egyptian Dynasty 0 presence in Southern Levant, Ancient Egyptian kingship, and Ancient Egyptian Architectureedit
- Academic Visitor at University of Oxford, Faculty of Oriental Studies - Egyptology and Ancient Near East (The Queen's... moreAcademic Visitor at University of Oxford, Faculty of Oriental Studies - Egyptology and Ancient Near East (The Queen's College MCR Fellow)
http://www.orinst.ox.ac.uk/people/angelo-colonnaedit
Religious Practice and Cultural Construction of Animal Worship in Egypt from the Early Dynastic to the New Kingdom presents an articulated historical interpretation of Egyptian ‘animal worship’ – intended as a segment of religious... more
Religious Practice and Cultural Construction of Animal Worship in Egypt from the Early Dynastic to the New Kingdom presents an articulated historical interpretation of Egyptian ‘animal worship’ – intended as a segment of religious practice focused on the mobilisation of selected animals within strategically designed ritual contexts – from the Early Dynastic to the New Kingdom, and offers a new understanding of its chronological development through a fresh review of pertinent archaeological and textual data. The goal is twofold: (1) to re-conceptualise the notion of ‘animal worship’ on firm theoretical and material bases, reassessing its heuristic value as a
tool for analysis; (2) to demonstrate, accordingly, that ‘animal worship’ did not represent a late degeneration of traditional religion, socially (popular cult) and thematically (animal mummies and burials) restricted, but a complex domain of religious practice with a longer history and a larger variety of configurations than usually assumed.
tool for analysis; (2) to demonstrate, accordingly, that ‘animal worship’ did not represent a late degeneration of traditional religion, socially (popular cult) and thematically (animal mummies and burials) restricted, but a complex domain of religious practice with a longer history and a larger variety of configurations than usually assumed.
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Il volume non propone una tradizionale storia della letteratura né tantomeno una classica antologia, ma piuttosto una guida ragionata alla comprensione dei fenomeni peculiari della produzione letteraria dell’Egitto antico e, al tempo... more
Il volume non propone una tradizionale storia della letteratura né tantomeno una classica antologia, ma piuttosto una guida ragionata alla comprensione dei fenomeni peculiari della produzione letteraria dell’Egitto antico e, al tempo stesso, un’analisi problematico-critica delle opere, composte tra l’Antico Regno e il periodo tolemaico-romano, e dei loro contesti di ideazione e ricezione. Oltre al cosa (i testi), si indaga il perché (per quale fine siano stati scritti), il per chi (chi ne fosse il destinatario) e il come (per mezzo di quali supporti scrittorî e canali culturali abbiano circolato). Attraverso un sistematico studio diacronico dei testi che ci sono giunti e delle forme artistico-espressive (i “generi letterari”) a cui appartengono e l’ampio ricorso a passi scelti, il lettore è accompagnato nella comprensione dell’evoluzione culturale, artistica e linguistica della letteratura egiziana antica.
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The Stela of Neferhotep I from Abydos offers a unique way of access to ancient Egyptian discourses and practices on the production, manipulation, and mobilisation of the divine statue. The episode of the fabrication of the divine image... more
The Stela of Neferhotep I from Abydos offers a unique way of access to ancient Egyptian discourses and practices on the production, manipulation, and mobilisation of the divine statue. The episode of the fabrication of the divine image for the Osiris mysteries sheds light on the complexity and significance of the process, highlighting the interplay of multiple levels (intellectual, material, social, ideological).
The paper engages in a focussed analysis of the stela, situating the interpretation of the episode narrated in the theoretical framework of agency, materiality, and relationality of gods as physical objects, and assessing the value of the image as a focal point of conceptualisation, action, and movement within the sacred landscape of Abydos.
The paper engages in a focussed analysis of the stela, situating the interpretation of the episode narrated in the theoretical framework of agency, materiality, and relationality of gods as physical objects, and assessing the value of the image as a focal point of conceptualisation, action, and movement within the sacred landscape of Abydos.
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The introduction of writing, the development of a prestigious decorative system, and the centralisation of both by the royal court reveal that the decisive process of state formation resulted in the definition of a new meaningful system... more
The introduction of writing, the development of a prestigious decorative system, and the centralisation of both by the royal court reveal that the decisive process of state formation resulted in the definition of a new meaningful system of values and cultural models. In this regard, the world of the deities represents one of the central fields for high-cultural production, reception and circulation of visual and written items. While the social setting for religious display and performances are difficult to reconstruct in detail, artistic and symbolic forms remain crucial for understanding early configurations of values and beliefs. The artefacts and media through which such ideas are distributed bring material culture into discussion and allow the significance of religion’s entangled relationship with objects and the material world to be addressed. This article sets a short review of Early Dynastic evidence against a discussion on the meaning and position of gods within Egyptian society. Three aspects are discussed to explain such points and emphasise the theoretical value in modelling configurations and gaps in the archaeological record: 1) patterns of depiction; 2) patterns of (inter)action; 3) patterns of aggregation.
They are intended to show how sophisticated the manipulation and exploitation of symbolic structures were, and how consciously relations with the divine were built and expressed, though with different levels of restriction.
They are intended to show how sophisticated the manipulation and exploitation of symbolic structures were, and how consciously relations with the divine were built and expressed, though with different levels of restriction.
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The history of the archaeological expeditions conducted in Sudan by Sapienza University of Rome – until the early 1980s, simply called University of Rome, being at that time the only university in the capital of Italy – represents an... more
The history of the archaeological expeditions conducted in Sudan by Sapienza University of Rome – until the early 1980s, simply called University of Rome, being at that time the only university in the capital of Italy – represents an important part of the history of the Italian commitment to the safeguarding of the Sudanese archaeological heritage and it is closely connected to the well-known rescue campaign of Nubian monuments promoted by UNESCO on the occasion of the construction of the “Great Dam” of Aswan, which determined the formation of Lake Nasser and the consequent submerging of monuments that were not, at that time being, moved elsewhere.
This brief virtual (permanent) exhibition, of archival inspiration, makes use, among the other resources, of documentary materials collected by the protagonists of the expeditions and deposited in part at the Museum of the Near East, Egypt and the Mediterranean (MVOEM) of Sapienza University. It aims to illustrate the results of the “historical” missions of Sapienza to Sudan – in Tamit (1964), Sonqi Tino (1967-1970) and Jebel Barkal (1973-2004), in addition to various other explorations carried out in those same years between the second and fourth cataracts of the Nile –, but at the same time looks to the future of the relations between Sapienza and the National Corporation for Antiquities and Museums (NCAM), two institutions which together, through a joint mission, will work at the Meroitic temple of Hugair Gubli and in the area of Magal (fourth cataract).
This brief virtual (permanent) exhibition, of archival inspiration, makes use, among the other resources, of documentary materials collected by the protagonists of the expeditions and deposited in part at the Museum of the Near East, Egypt and the Mediterranean (MVOEM) of Sapienza University. It aims to illustrate the results of the “historical” missions of Sapienza to Sudan – in Tamit (1964), Sonqi Tino (1967-1970) and Jebel Barkal (1973-2004), in addition to various other explorations carried out in those same years between the second and fourth cataracts of the Nile –, but at the same time looks to the future of the relations between Sapienza and the National Corporation for Antiquities and Museums (NCAM), two institutions which together, through a joint mission, will work at the Meroitic temple of Hugair Gubli and in the area of Magal (fourth cataract).
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La figura del bambino in Egitto e la sua posizione all’interno della società sono oggetto di pratiche discorsive, tecniche e modalità d’interazione complesse che inevitabilmente finiscono con l’intersecare la sfera religiosa. Questo... more
La figura del bambino in Egitto e la sua posizione all’interno della società sono oggetto di pratiche discorsive, tecniche e modalità d’interazione complesse che inevitabilmente finiscono con l’intersecare la sfera religiosa.
Questo contributo intende approfondire la concettualizzazione ideologica della classe “dèi-bambini” nella tradizione mitologica egiziana esplorando, in modo particolare, due elaborazioni culturali che fungono da modello per l’intera categoria: il dio-sole bambino e Horus bambino.
In ancient Egypt the role of children and their position within society are an important focus of a variety of discourses, practices, and modes of interaction that concern both the human and divine sphere.
The paper aims to investigate the ideological conceptualisation of the class of child deities within the ancient Egyptian mythological tradition, addressing the two specific cultural models upon which that category is built: the solar-child and the Horus child.
Questo contributo intende approfondire la concettualizzazione ideologica della classe “dèi-bambini” nella tradizione mitologica egiziana esplorando, in modo particolare, due elaborazioni culturali che fungono da modello per l’intera categoria: il dio-sole bambino e Horus bambino.
In ancient Egypt the role of children and their position within society are an important focus of a variety of discourses, practices, and modes of interaction that concern both the human and divine sphere.
The paper aims to investigate the ideological conceptualisation of the class of child deities within the ancient Egyptian mythological tradition, addressing the two specific cultural models upon which that category is built: the solar-child and the Horus child.
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After a brief theoretical introduction on the notion of ‘place’ developed by the ‘PAThs’ project and its implications for the geographical representation of the contexts of Coptic manuscripts, the article focuses on the north-western... more
After a brief theoretical introduction on the notion of ‘place’ developed by the ‘PAThs’ project and its implications for the geographical representation of the contexts of Coptic manuscripts, the article focuses on the north-western Delta, and discusses a group of important sites (Buto, Koprithis, Sais, and Xois) as case-studies to test that notion and to explore the impact of the archaeological investigation of the area on our understanding of Late Antique and Medieval Egypt. Insisting on the urban character of those sites, as well as on their apparent integration into a dynamic regional system, it is suggested that Delta archaeology can positively contribute: (1) to redress the imbalance towards the Valley and the monastic contexts, emphasising the role of the cities as intellectually active milieus; (2) to stimulate a more critical sensibility towards archaeological evidence, material culture, and survey data as instrumental in building an integrated, holistic, and well-balanced approach that complements textual information and allows us to reconstruct a detailed picture of the historical and cultural landscape of Christian Egypt.
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The Egyptological research of Sapienza Università di Roma includes a variety of activities and fieldworks: from the archaeological expedition at Bakchias (26th dynasty-Late Antiquity), a settlement located in the Fayyum region, to the... more
The Egyptological research of Sapienza Università di Roma includes a variety of activities and fieldworks: from the archaeological expedition at Bakchias (26th dynasty-Late Antiquity), a settlement located in the Fayyum region, to the study of the transformation of religious space from pharaonic to Christian period, to the realization of a digital archaeological atlas of Coptic literature that aims at exploring and representing the process of production, copying, usage, dissemination,
and storage of Coptic works in relation to the geo-archaeological contexts of origin of both the texts themselves and their related writing supports. This article summarizes the main goals of all these projects and the main scientific results achieved until now.
and storage of Coptic works in relation to the geo-archaeological contexts of origin of both the texts themselves and their related writing supports. This article summarizes the main goals of all these projects and the main scientific results achieved until now.
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In a seminal work, Jan Assmann strongly remarks how «the great achievement of polytheism is the articulation of a common semantic universe» that, in turn, makes the names of deities translatable (J. Assmann, Moses the Egyptian, p. 45).... more
In a seminal work, Jan Assmann strongly remarks how «the great achievement of polytheism is the articulation of a common semantic universe» that, in turn, makes the names of deities translatable (J. Assmann, Moses the Egyptian, p. 45). The paper aims at discussing and developing the notion of translatability of gods, addressing, as a case study, a unique Byblite seal, the so-called “cylindre Montet” where the names of three local deities are inscribed in Egyptian hieroglyphs. After a preliminary description of the object and its main features, a morphological analysis of the three divine figures will be put forward, with an attempt to circumscribe their identities and consider the implications of the various possibilities in terms of cross-cultural relationships.
Finally, the object will be contextualised in the framework of the Old Kingdom élite interactions between Egypt and the Levant and conclusive remarks will be proposed about the transcultural value of these names.
Finally, the object will be contextualised in the framework of the Old Kingdom élite interactions between Egypt and the Levant and conclusive remarks will be proposed about the transcultural value of these names.
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All’interno del sistema religioso egiziano, l’associazione animale-dio costituisce un aspetto marcatamente distintivo e strutturalmente efficace sia sul piano del reèl che dell’imaginaire (secondo la formula proposta da Ph. Derchain):... more
All’interno del sistema religioso egiziano, l’associazione animale-dio costituisce un aspetto marcatamente distintivo e strutturalmente efficace sia sul piano del reèl che dell’imaginaire (secondo la formula proposta da Ph. Derchain): questa “animalité des dieux” (Meeks, Zoomorphie, 171) incide sulla pratica religiosa non meno profondamente che sulla configurazione di un pantheon articolato e sulla elaborazione di un discorso teologico raffinato e complesso. Nella ricerca egittologica, tuttavia, mentre teriomorfismo e ricchezza iconografica del bestiario divino rappresentano un ambito di studio importante e privilegiato, il cosiddetto “culto degli animali” – l’inserimento di animali viventi nella pratica rituale – rivela criticità sostanziali sul piano della comprensione storica e dei metodi d’indagine: difficilmente riconducibile all’orientamento teologico-discorsivo dominante, esso viene ridotto a un fatto marginale sia dal punto di vista cronologico (fase tarda della civiltà egiziana) che del significato religioso (degenerazione delle forme tradizionali). Il progetto di ricerca “Il culto degli animali in Egitto (3000 a.C. – 300 d.C.): elementi per un’analisi storico-religiosa”, sostenuto dall’Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei e attualmente in corso, mira a correggere questa percezione, individuando nel metodo storico-religioso della Scuola romana un rinnovamento di prospettiva in grado di superare vecchie argomentazioni e reimpostare lo studio della questione entro parametri metodologicamente fondati. Il contributo intende presentare alcuni risultati preliminari della ricerca, focalizzando la discussione su tre punti chiave: (1) il valore euristico della nozione di “culto degli animali” come categoria analitica; (2) l’importanza della dimensione pratica (Praxis) nel processo interpretativo del fenomeno; (3) la possibilità di offrirne una lettura ampia, organica e cronologicamente articolata, rilevandone discontinuità e sviluppi nel corso del tempo. Il riferimento a casi di studio e a classi di dati (testuali e materiali) specifici permetterà di testare la validità degli strumenti concettuali e dell’approccio indicati e di proporre, in conclusione, un nuovo modello interpretativo.
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The chief purpose of this paper is to discuss the possibility to recognize an Egyptian terminology or categorization about the so called "sacred animals", paying particular attention to the two main classes the texts allow us to identify... more
The chief purpose of this paper is to discuss the possibility to recognize an Egyptian terminology or categorization about the so called "sacred animals", paying particular attention to the two main classes the texts allow us to identify and trying to ascertain the specific devices and the lexical choices by means of which such a distinction was communicated. In this perspective, the reference to written evidence will stand out as an approach as necessary as fruitful and rich of hints, even more taking into debt account the relative abundance the documentation shows both in terms of quantity and text types (stelae, ostraca and papyri); furthermore, these primary sources can be added to the secondary ones consisting of pieces of classical authors which, if treated with due caution, will give us precious information to complement and explicate the often laconic indications of the Egyptian texts.
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Secondo la tradizione, la morte violenta di Osiride si sarebbe consumata presso la “sponda di Nedit” e il corpo del dio sarebbe andato alla deriva lungo il Nilo prima di essere recuperato, ricomposto e seppellito. Le fonti letterarie... more
Secondo la tradizione, la morte violenta di Osiride si sarebbe consumata presso la “sponda di Nedit” e il corpo del dio sarebbe andato alla deriva lungo il Nilo prima di essere recuperato, ricomposto e seppellito.
Le fonti letterarie contengono scarse indicazioni sul luogo e sull’aspetto della sepoltura ma alcune interessanti evidenze iconografiche ci consentono di comprendere, con maggior precisione, come la mente egiziana immaginasse la tomba del grande dio dell’Aldilà. Descritto nei testi come “Collina di Osiride” e rappresentato secondo una specifica connotazione
paesaggistica (una collina alberata circondata dalle acque), questo spazio mitico rivela anche una struttura complessa e articolata, che gli deriva dalla combinazione e integrazione reciproca di tre principali elementi semantici (collina; acqua; alberi).
Forma e struttura sono dunque i due livelli d’indagine su cui si focalizzerà l’analisi iconografica della tomba divina: da un lato, il corpus documentario discusso consentirà di seguirne lo sviluppo storico attraverso l’elaborazione artistica e monumentale; dall’altro, la scomposizione dell’immagine nelle sue unità iconiche contribuirà a mettere in luce la polisemia di ciascuna di esse e permetterà di individuare la rete di connessioni (mitiche e simboliche) soggiacente alla percezione e costruzione culturale di un tale spazio sacro dell’immaginario religioso egiziano.
According to the tradition, the murderous death of Osiris took place on the “bank of Nedit” and the disiecta membra of the divine body went floating along the Nile before being found, reassembled and buried. Literary sources contain just few allusions to the location and the aspect of the burial but some interesting iconographic evidence help us to more precisely understand how the Egyptian mind visualized the tomb of the great god of the afterworld. Labeled in the texts as “Mound of Osiris”, and illustrated according to a specific landscape connotation (a hill surmounted by trees and surrounded by waters), such a mythical place also shows a
multilayered and articulated structure, resulting from the combination and mutual integration of three main semantic features (hill; water; trees).
Iconic form and symbolic structure will be, therefore, the two focal points discussed in the present analysis on the representation tomb of Osiris: on the one hand, the corpus of documents considered will enable us to follow its historical development through artistic and monumental
elaboration; on the other, by breaking the whole icon down in its elementary units, it will be possible to elucidate the polysemy of each of them and to highlight the network of mythical and symbolic references underlying the perception and cultural construction of such a sacred space of the
Egyptian religious imaginary.
Le fonti letterarie contengono scarse indicazioni sul luogo e sull’aspetto della sepoltura ma alcune interessanti evidenze iconografiche ci consentono di comprendere, con maggior precisione, come la mente egiziana immaginasse la tomba del grande dio dell’Aldilà. Descritto nei testi come “Collina di Osiride” e rappresentato secondo una specifica connotazione
paesaggistica (una collina alberata circondata dalle acque), questo spazio mitico rivela anche una struttura complessa e articolata, che gli deriva dalla combinazione e integrazione reciproca di tre principali elementi semantici (collina; acqua; alberi).
Forma e struttura sono dunque i due livelli d’indagine su cui si focalizzerà l’analisi iconografica della tomba divina: da un lato, il corpus documentario discusso consentirà di seguirne lo sviluppo storico attraverso l’elaborazione artistica e monumentale; dall’altro, la scomposizione dell’immagine nelle sue unità iconiche contribuirà a mettere in luce la polisemia di ciascuna di esse e permetterà di individuare la rete di connessioni (mitiche e simboliche) soggiacente alla percezione e costruzione culturale di un tale spazio sacro dell’immaginario religioso egiziano.
According to the tradition, the murderous death of Osiris took place on the “bank of Nedit” and the disiecta membra of the divine body went floating along the Nile before being found, reassembled and buried. Literary sources contain just few allusions to the location and the aspect of the burial but some interesting iconographic evidence help us to more precisely understand how the Egyptian mind visualized the tomb of the great god of the afterworld. Labeled in the texts as “Mound of Osiris”, and illustrated according to a specific landscape connotation (a hill surmounted by trees and surrounded by waters), such a mythical place also shows a
multilayered and articulated structure, resulting from the combination and mutual integration of three main semantic features (hill; water; trees).
Iconic form and symbolic structure will be, therefore, the two focal points discussed in the present analysis on the representation tomb of Osiris: on the one hand, the corpus of documents considered will enable us to follow its historical development through artistic and monumental
elaboration; on the other, by breaking the whole icon down in its elementary units, it will be possible to elucidate the polysemy of each of them and to highlight the network of mythical and symbolic references underlying the perception and cultural construction of such a sacred space of the
Egyptian religious imaginary.
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The Unification of ancient Egypt con be approached from a double perspective: on the one hand, the dynamics and processes can be outlined according to which the great Formal tradition was codified and imposed to the expense of the local... more
The Unification of ancient Egypt con be approached from a double perspective: on the one hand, the dynamics and processes can be outlined according to which the great Formal tradition was codified and imposed to the expense of the local ones; on the other, the self-referenced model of unified Egypt, expressed in the visual and written form of the Sema Tawy and in the later narrative of the myth of the contending between Horus and Seth, can usefully be explored in its retrospective and prospective value as a powerful ideological medium apt to produce, communicate and reinforce the consciousness of collective identity.
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Tra le diverse figure di geni funerari dipinte all’interno delle due fiancate dell’alveo del sarcofago V.O. 1000, conservato nella sezione egiziana del Museo del Vicino Oriente dell’università “La Sapienza” di Roma, quella occupante la... more
Tra le diverse figure di geni funerari dipinte all’interno delle due fiancate dell’alveo del sarcofago V.O. 1000, conservato nella sezione egiziana del Museo del Vicino Oriente dell’università “La Sapienza” di Roma, quella occupante la terza posizione della sequenza divina che si snoda sulla parete di sinistra colpisce sia per la peculiarità della caratterizzazione iconografica (una tartaruga al posto del capo) che per la vivida crudezza dell’appellativo che essa porta: [wnm]HwAAt “il divoratore di escrementi/putrefazione”. Si tratta di una creatura che
ci è nota dai Testi dei Sarcofagi e soprattutto dal Libro dei Morti (Cap. 144 e 147), dove ricorre in qualità di guardiano di uno dei portali che il defunto è tenuto ad attraversare nell’Aldilà. Se il nome ne rende esplicito il carattere terrificante, minaccioso ed ostile (la fagocitazione, e la scatofagia in particolare, sono comportamenti tipici e ricorrenti tra i demoni che popolano l’Oltretomba), risulta altresì interessante notare come una simile
designazione del mostruoso sia veicolata iconograficamente dall’immagine di una tartaruga; l’animale stesso, infatti, sembra aver ricevuto, all’interno del pensiero magico-religioso egiziano, una forte connotazione infera e negativa, segnatamente in qualità di avversario del dio sole, come risulta soprattutto dalla letteratura funeraria. D’altra parte, la presenza del demone all’interno del nostro sarcofago, testimonierebbe un lento e progressivo mutamento della funzione ad esso attribuita, da aggressiva e potenzialmente dannosa per l’integrità del defunto a favorevole e protettiva nei suoi confronti; un’analoga ambivalenza si può riscontrare anche per la tartaruga, cui esso deve la propria fisionomia, la quale acquisisce in Epoca Tarda un’assai più positiva connotazione di tipo cosmico.
Un’attenta rassegna della documentazione testuale ed archeologica disponibile fornirà ampio materiale per approfondire questo aspetto e per meglio inquadrare i processi e le modalità culturali attraverso cui è stata costruita ed elaborata una così particolare figura mostruosa.
ci è nota dai Testi dei Sarcofagi e soprattutto dal Libro dei Morti (Cap. 144 e 147), dove ricorre in qualità di guardiano di uno dei portali che il defunto è tenuto ad attraversare nell’Aldilà. Se il nome ne rende esplicito il carattere terrificante, minaccioso ed ostile (la fagocitazione, e la scatofagia in particolare, sono comportamenti tipici e ricorrenti tra i demoni che popolano l’Oltretomba), risulta altresì interessante notare come una simile
designazione del mostruoso sia veicolata iconograficamente dall’immagine di una tartaruga; l’animale stesso, infatti, sembra aver ricevuto, all’interno del pensiero magico-religioso egiziano, una forte connotazione infera e negativa, segnatamente in qualità di avversario del dio sole, come risulta soprattutto dalla letteratura funeraria. D’altra parte, la presenza del demone all’interno del nostro sarcofago, testimonierebbe un lento e progressivo mutamento della funzione ad esso attribuita, da aggressiva e potenzialmente dannosa per l’integrità del defunto a favorevole e protettiva nei suoi confronti; un’analoga ambivalenza si può riscontrare anche per la tartaruga, cui esso deve la propria fisionomia, la quale acquisisce in Epoca Tarda un’assai più positiva connotazione di tipo cosmico.
Un’attenta rassegna della documentazione testuale ed archeologica disponibile fornirà ampio materiale per approfondire questo aspetto e per meglio inquadrare i processi e le modalità culturali attraverso cui è stata costruita ed elaborata una così particolare figura mostruosa.
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The myth of Osiris holds a position of great preeminence, high antiquity and deep rooting within the system of beliefs of ancient Egypt and no other myth was equally pervasive, widespread and woven into the cultural life of pharaonic... more
The myth of Osiris holds a position of great preeminence, high antiquity and deep rooting within the system of beliefs of ancient Egypt and no other myth was equally pervasive, widespread and woven into the cultural life of pharaonic civilization. While the murderous death of the god at the hand of his brother Seth stands out as the most distinctive episode, a tradition dating back to the Pyramid Texts sets the incident on the “bank of Nedit” and has it that the disiecta membra of the divine body went floating along the Nile before being found, reassembled and buried. Several documents provide us with interesting suggestions to more precisely understand how the Egyptian mind visualized the tomb of the great god of the afterworld; labeled as “Mound of Osiris”, such a mythical place was illustrated according to a specific landscape connotation: a hill surmounted by trees and surrounded by waters. The present paper will try to reconstruct ancient Egyptian perceptions and ways of representation of the Osiris burial place on the basis of textual and visual media, following a twofold analytical perspective: 1) a “morphological” one, addressed to the examination of the modes of construction, elaboration and iconic visualization of the divine tomb as well as of the dialectic of its transmission in the artistic tradition. The aim is to investigate how the sacred space was imagined; to demonstrate its impact on the Egyptian collective imaginary; to explore specific ways of development and transformation of the concept of the Osiris grave in texts and iconography as a result of chronological shifts; 2) a “topographical” one, related to the actualization of the iconic model into real place(s), both in terms of monumentalization and localization. Therefore, attention will be focused on how the morphological elements of the tomb were adopted, integrated and replicated in architectural programs; how the mythical site was situated in actual landscapes; how ideas about the former could be effective in molding and structuring perceptions and uses of the latter.
The two approaches are strictly interwoven and must be considered as correlated aspects of one major historical issue: the development and consolidation of the concept of the “Osiris grave” as the core of a long-lasting tradition.
The two approaches are strictly interwoven and must be considered as correlated aspects of one major historical issue: the development and consolidation of the concept of the “Osiris grave” as the core of a long-lasting tradition.
Research Interests: Ancient Egyptian Religion, Sacred Landscape (Archaeology), Ancient Egyptian Iconography, Ancient Egyptian Literature, Ancient Egyptian Art and Archaeology, and 7 moreSacred Space, Osiris, Ancient Egyptian Funerary Literature, Ancient Egyptian Myth, Osiris cult, Mythical Landscapes, and Osiris Burial
As Meeks (1986, iii) remarks “l’animalité…forme une des trames essentielles du polithéisme égypthien”. However, while the variety of animal imagery in iconography/literature is acknowledged as a visual metaphor, animal worship – the... more
As Meeks (1986, iii) remarks “l’animalité…forme une des trames essentielles du polithéisme égypthien”. However, while the variety of animal imagery in iconography/literature is acknowledged as a visual metaphor, animal worship – the actual involvement of living creatures in ritual practice – still confronts us with a curious contradiction: commonly perceived as one of the most qualifying features of Egyptian religion, since Herodotus it has strongly impressed our Western kulturelle Gedächtnis; on the other hand, it is (dis)regarded as a marginal phenomenon both on historical and interpretative ground. Such a contradiction arises from two structural deficits: lack of a theoretical framework, resulting in an anachronistic repetition of paradigms of classical/biblical derivation; lack of a historical perspective, producing drastic simplifications in the evaluation of the phenomenon and its articulation. The present paper will try to explore new approaches, detailing their potentialities in relation to specific sets of textual and material data. The goal is threefold: to prove that ritual practices focused around the involvement of specific individuals or groups of animals occurred along all the pharaonic period; to show how their integration into the formal culture, i.e. their elaboration in the monumental discourse according to the rules of decorum allows to sketch important historical caesuras; to outline a historical-religious synthesis of the phenomenon, emphasizing continuities and changes over time.
Research Interests: Ancient Egyptian Religion, Egyptian Art and Archaeology, Religious Practice, Ritual and Performance (Egyptology), Animals in Culture, and 8 morePredynastic and Early Dynastic Egypt, New Kingdom (Egyptology), Middle Kingdom (Egyptology), Late Period in ancient Egypt, Old Kingdom Egypt, Decorum, Egyptian animal cults, and Animal Worship
L’assenza, nella più antica documentazione testuale egiziana disponibile, di ampie narrazioni continue e coerenti è stata a lungo oggetto di discussione privilegiato in merito alla definizione del ruolo e delle funzioni del mito nel... more
L’assenza, nella più antica documentazione testuale egiziana disponibile, di ampie narrazioni continue e coerenti è stata a lungo oggetto di discussione privilegiato in merito alla definizione del ruolo e delle funzioni del mito nel sistema di credenze dell’antico Egitto. La specificità e la problematicità del caso egiziano sono da individuare, nelle parole di Baines (Eg. Myth and Discourse, 81), in “the divergence between the ample attestation of many Egyptian deities and groupings of deities, and, on the other hand, the near absence of narratives about the gods that can easily termed myths”.
Rispetto alla straordinaria ricchezza affabulatoria della tradizione mitologica classica (ma anche ad es. mesopotamica), la qualità e quantità delle fonti egiziane - raramente esplicite e spesso straordinariamente frammentarie, oltre che distribuite su un ampio arco cronologico - ostacolano un approccio unitario alla definizione del fenomeno. In particolare, la scarsità di testimonianze per il III e II millennio a.C. ha fortemente condizionato la prospettiva egittologica in termini di messa in discussione dei modi e tempi del primo emergere del mito in Egitto.
Il presente contributo intende discutere il ruolo del mito nel panorama religioso egiziano più antico, in quanto parte di un più ampio discorso culturale; riprendere in considerazione il criterio della narratività come elemento qualificante il mito tout court; valutare i modi, le dinamiche e le strategie di costruzione ed elaborazione del discorso mitico nelle testimonianze artistiche e testuali del III millennio a.C. con particolare riferimento alla presenza, la funzione e il significato di elementi mitici nei Testi delle Piramidi.
In questa prospettiva, se da un lato l’assenza di narrazioni testuali continue e coerentemente strutturate non costituisce una negazione della possibilità che esse esistessero e circolassero in forma e contesti prevalentemente orali – la cui ricostruzione pertanto resta largamente al di fuori della nostra portata conoscitiva –, dall’altro monumentalità e performatività emergeranno chiaramente come parametri specifici entro cui si articola il discorso mitico egiziano ed elementi irrinunciabili per una più attenta e misurata lettura storica del fenomeno.
Rispetto alla straordinaria ricchezza affabulatoria della tradizione mitologica classica (ma anche ad es. mesopotamica), la qualità e quantità delle fonti egiziane - raramente esplicite e spesso straordinariamente frammentarie, oltre che distribuite su un ampio arco cronologico - ostacolano un approccio unitario alla definizione del fenomeno. In particolare, la scarsità di testimonianze per il III e II millennio a.C. ha fortemente condizionato la prospettiva egittologica in termini di messa in discussione dei modi e tempi del primo emergere del mito in Egitto.
Il presente contributo intende discutere il ruolo del mito nel panorama religioso egiziano più antico, in quanto parte di un più ampio discorso culturale; riprendere in considerazione il criterio della narratività come elemento qualificante il mito tout court; valutare i modi, le dinamiche e le strategie di costruzione ed elaborazione del discorso mitico nelle testimonianze artistiche e testuali del III millennio a.C. con particolare riferimento alla presenza, la funzione e il significato di elementi mitici nei Testi delle Piramidi.
In questa prospettiva, se da un lato l’assenza di narrazioni testuali continue e coerentemente strutturate non costituisce una negazione della possibilità che esse esistessero e circolassero in forma e contesti prevalentemente orali – la cui ricostruzione pertanto resta largamente al di fuori della nostra portata conoscitiva –, dall’altro monumentalità e performatività emergeranno chiaramente come parametri specifici entro cui si articola il discorso mitico egiziano ed elementi irrinunciabili per una più attenta e misurata lettura storica del fenomeno.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
The Unification of ancient Egypt con be approached from a double perspective: on the one hand, the dynamics and processes can be outlined according to which the great Formal tradition was codified and imposed to the expense of the local... more
The Unification of ancient Egypt con be approached from a double perspective: on the one hand, the dynamics and processes can be outlined according to which the great Formal tradition was codified and imposed to the expense of the local ones; on the other, the self-referenced model of unified Egypt, expressed in the visual and written form of the Sema Tawy and in the later narrative of the myth of the contending between Horus and Seth, can usefully be explored in its retrospective and prospective value as a powerful ideological medium apt to produce, communicate and reinforce the consciousness of collective identity.
Research Interests:
"All’interno della vicenda mitica osiriana, la morte di Osiride per causa del fratello Seth costituisce un momento di assoluta centralità tanto per il carattere drammatico quanto per le implicazioni ideologiche che l’episodio comporta in... more
"All’interno della vicenda mitica osiriana, la morte di Osiride per causa del fratello Seth costituisce un momento di assoluta centralità tanto per il carattere drammatico quanto per le implicazioni ideologiche che l’episodio comporta in merito alla connotazione del dio stesso e del suo ruolo. Pur in assenza di una compiuta narrazione unitaria, i testi egiziani contengono allusioni alle particolari circostanze di questo evento: secondo una tradizione risalente già ai Testi delle Piramidi, il delitto avrebbe avuto luogo presso “la sponda/acqua di Nedit” mentre il corpo divino sarebbe andato alla deriva lungo il Nilo prima di essere ritrovato, ricomposto e quindi seppellito. Purtroppo, nelle fonti letterarie, mancano riferimenti puntuali al luogo e alle caratteristiche di tale sepoltura, ma alcune interessanti evidenze iconografiche ed epigrafiche intervengono a chiarire, con maggiore precisione, come la mente egiziana antica si figurasse la tomba del grande dio dell’Aldilà e quale significato le attribuisse. Mentre le iscrizioni la qualificano esplicitamente come iAt (Wsir), “Collina (di Osiride)”, risulta altresì interessante notare come questo spazio sacro fosse visualizzato: un tumulo alberato circondato dall’acqua. La sepoltura divina, con i suoi specifici tratti paesaggistici (collina, acqua, alberi), si configura dunque come un’isola, luogo mitico e primordiale in cui si compie il mistero della rigenerazione di Osiride.
Attraverso un’attenta disamina della documentazione testuale e figurativa ci si propone di individuare le direttrici culturali e le suggestioni mitologiche sottese alla costruzione di un simile spazio sacro; di mostrarne l’incidenza e la persistenza nell’immaginario collettivo egiziano, verificandone i modi di ricezione e sviluppo nella tradizione artistica; di spiegarne infine il valore religioso, all’interno dell’ideologia funeraria. Rappresentata, imitata, cercata (e trovata), la tomba osiriaca costituisce un modello ideale, il prototipo mitico/fondante di ogni sepoltura, atto a soddisfare una precisa aspettativa oltremondana: assicurare al defunto la partecipazione a quel medesimo destino di rigenerazione e trasfigurazione che il dio ha incarnato nella propria vicenda personale."
Attraverso un’attenta disamina della documentazione testuale e figurativa ci si propone di individuare le direttrici culturali e le suggestioni mitologiche sottese alla costruzione di un simile spazio sacro; di mostrarne l’incidenza e la persistenza nell’immaginario collettivo egiziano, verificandone i modi di ricezione e sviluppo nella tradizione artistica; di spiegarne infine il valore religioso, all’interno dell’ideologia funeraria. Rappresentata, imitata, cercata (e trovata), la tomba osiriaca costituisce un modello ideale, il prototipo mitico/fondante di ogni sepoltura, atto a soddisfare una precisa aspettativa oltremondana: assicurare al defunto la partecipazione a quel medesimo destino di rigenerazione e trasfigurazione che il dio ha incarnato nella propria vicenda personale."
Research Interests:
"Tra le diverse figure di geni funerari dipinte all’interno delle due fiancate dell’alveo del sarcofago V.O. 1000, conservato nella sezione egiziana del Museo del Vicino Oriente dell’università “La Sapienza” di Roma, quella occupante la... more
"Tra le diverse figure di geni funerari dipinte all’interno delle due fiancate dell’alveo del sarcofago V.O. 1000, conservato nella sezione egiziana del Museo del Vicino Oriente dell’università “La Sapienza” di Roma, quella occupante la terza posizione della sequenza divina che si snoda sulla parete di sinistra colpisce sia per la peculiarità della caratterizzazione iconografica (una tartaruga al posto del capo) che per la vivida crudezza dell’appellativo che essa porta: [wnm]HwAAt “il divoratore di escrementi/putrefazione”. Si tratta di una creatura che
ci è nota dai Testi dei Sarcofagi e soprattutto dal Libro dei Morti (Cap. 144 e 147), dove ricorre in qualità di guardiano di uno dei portali che il defunto è tenuto ad attraversare nell’Aldilà. Se il nome ne rende esplicito il carattere terrificante, minaccioso ed ostile (la fagocitazione, e la scatofagia in particolare, sono comportamenti tipici e ricorrenti tra i demoni che popolano l’Oltretomba), risulta altresì interessante notare come una simile
designazione del mostruoso sia veicolata iconograficamente dall’immagine di una tartaruga; l’animale stesso, infatti, sembra aver ricevuto, all’interno del pensiero magico-religioso egiziano, una forte connotazione infera e negativa, segnatamente in qualità di avversario del dio sole, come risulta soprattutto dalla letteratura funeraria. D’altra parte, la presenza del demone all’interno del nostro sarcofago, testimonierebbe un lento e progressivo mutamento della funzione ad esso attribuita, da aggressiva e potenzialmente dannosa per l’integrità del defunto a favorevole e protettiva nei suoi confronti; un’analoga ambivalenza si può riscontrare anche per la tartaruga, cui esso deve la propria fisionomia, la quale acquisisce in Epoca Tarda un’assai più positiva connotazione di tipo cosmico.
Un’attenta rassegna della documentazione testuale ed archeologica disponibile fornirà ampio materiale per approfondire questo aspetto e per meglio inquadrare i processi e le modalità
culturali attraverso cui è stata costruita ed elaborata una così particolare figura mostruosa."
ci è nota dai Testi dei Sarcofagi e soprattutto dal Libro dei Morti (Cap. 144 e 147), dove ricorre in qualità di guardiano di uno dei portali che il defunto è tenuto ad attraversare nell’Aldilà. Se il nome ne rende esplicito il carattere terrificante, minaccioso ed ostile (la fagocitazione, e la scatofagia in particolare, sono comportamenti tipici e ricorrenti tra i demoni che popolano l’Oltretomba), risulta altresì interessante notare come una simile
designazione del mostruoso sia veicolata iconograficamente dall’immagine di una tartaruga; l’animale stesso, infatti, sembra aver ricevuto, all’interno del pensiero magico-religioso egiziano, una forte connotazione infera e negativa, segnatamente in qualità di avversario del dio sole, come risulta soprattutto dalla letteratura funeraria. D’altra parte, la presenza del demone all’interno del nostro sarcofago, testimonierebbe un lento e progressivo mutamento della funzione ad esso attribuita, da aggressiva e potenzialmente dannosa per l’integrità del defunto a favorevole e protettiva nei suoi confronti; un’analoga ambivalenza si può riscontrare anche per la tartaruga, cui esso deve la propria fisionomia, la quale acquisisce in Epoca Tarda un’assai più positiva connotazione di tipo cosmico.
Un’attenta rassegna della documentazione testuale ed archeologica disponibile fornirà ampio materiale per approfondire questo aspetto e per meglio inquadrare i processi e le modalità
culturali attraverso cui è stata costruita ed elaborata una così particolare figura mostruosa."
Research Interests:
This brief virtual exhibition, of archival inspiration, makes use, among other resources, of documentary materials collected by the protagonists of the expeditions and deposited in part at the Museum of the Near East, Egypt and the... more
This brief virtual exhibition, of archival inspiration, makes use, among other resources, of documentary materials collected by the protagonists of the expeditions and deposited in part at the Museum of the Near East, Egypt and the Mediterranean (MVOEM) of Sapienza University. It aims to illustrate the results of the “historical” missions of Sapienza to Sudan – in Tamit (1964), Sonqi Tino (1967-1970) and Jebel Barkal (1973-2004), in addition to various other explorations carried out in those same years between the second and fourth cataracts of the Nile –, but at the same time looks to the future of the relations between Sapienza and the National Corporation for Antiquities and Museums (NCAM), two institutions which together, through a joint mission, will work at the Meroitic temple of Hugair Gubli and in the area of Magal (fourth cataract).
The exhibition can be visited at the link: http://mostrasapienzainsudan.saras.uniroma1.it/en/
The exhibition can be visited at the link: http://mostrasapienzainsudan.saras.uniroma1.it/en/
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
The Higher Education Course in Egyptology aims at equipping the students with the appropriate tools, competences, and skills in order to carry on an independent Egyptological research, preparing them to the writing of doctoral as well as... more
The Higher Education Course in Egyptology aims at equipping the students with the appropriate tools, competences, and skills in order to carry on an independent Egyptological research, preparing them to the writing of doctoral as well as of nationally/internationally founded research proposals, or of any other scientific products.
The final goal is to develop a critical methodology and a practical approach to scientific research in the field of Egyptology.
Specific Goal of the Edition 2019-2020 ("La pratica della scrittura in Egitto: form, funzioni, contesti")
This year, the course will propose an in-depth analysis of the forms and uses of ancient Egyptian writing through a diachronic perspective (from the origins to the later contaminations/rielaborations of the system) and a number of integrated approaches (philological, archaeological, cultural-historical). The main goal is to illustrate the variety of forms, the multiplicity of functions, the complexity of contexts of use of the system, providing the student
scripts (hieroglyphs, hieratic, demotic, Ptolemaic hieroglyphs) in relation to the main textual categories, the material supports, and the social-cultural contexts of writing practice.
The wide chronological range will allow the student to appreciate the synchronic specificities and the diachronic transformation of the script(s), refining her/his historical sensibility and critical skills in examination of the texts. The practical sessions will allow her/him to directly approach original objects and documents, learning to assess their manifest material dimension. Finally, the frontal classes will guide her/him in framing the sources in their historical and cultural background.
The final goal is to make the student independent before the issues raised by the different Egyptian
writing forms, rigorous in the methodological choices, critical in the interpretation of the data.
For the provisional programme please see: https://www.lettere.uniroma1.it/users/paola-buzi
The final goal is to develop a critical methodology and a practical approach to scientific research in the field of Egyptology.
Specific Goal of the Edition 2019-2020 ("La pratica della scrittura in Egitto: form, funzioni, contesti")
This year, the course will propose an in-depth analysis of the forms and uses of ancient Egyptian writing through a diachronic perspective (from the origins to the later contaminations/rielaborations of the system) and a number of integrated approaches (philological, archaeological, cultural-historical). The main goal is to illustrate the variety of forms, the multiplicity of functions, the complexity of contexts of use of the system, providing the student
scripts (hieroglyphs, hieratic, demotic, Ptolemaic hieroglyphs) in relation to the main textual categories, the material supports, and the social-cultural contexts of writing practice.
The wide chronological range will allow the student to appreciate the synchronic specificities and the diachronic transformation of the script(s), refining her/his historical sensibility and critical skills in examination of the texts. The practical sessions will allow her/him to directly approach original objects and documents, learning to assess their manifest material dimension. Finally, the frontal classes will guide her/him in framing the sources in their historical and cultural background.
The final goal is to make the student independent before the issues raised by the different Egyptian
writing forms, rigorous in the methodological choices, critical in the interpretation of the data.
For the provisional programme please see: https://www.lettere.uniroma1.it/users/paola-buzi
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests: Egyptology, Near Eastern Archaeology, Islamic Archaeology, Egyptian Art and Archaeology, Mesopotamian Archaeology, and 10 moreLate Antique Art and Archaeology, Visual and Cultural Studies, Hittite archaeology, Iconography and Iconology, Byzantine art, Art and Archaeology Pre-islamic Central Asia, Prehistory of the Near East, Royal ideology in the ancient Near East, Egyptian Royal Ideology, and Preislamic archaeology of Central Asia
20 aprile, 9.30
Sapienza Università di Roma, Sala degli Organi Collegiali
Sapienza Università di Roma, Sala degli Organi Collegiali
Research Interests:
2 febbraio ore 17.00
Aula Partenone, Facoltà di Lettere e Filosofia
Sapienza Università di Roma - Ciclo di conferenze del Corso di Alta Formazione in Egittologia
Aula Partenone, Facoltà di Lettere e Filosofia
Sapienza Università di Roma - Ciclo di conferenze del Corso di Alta Formazione in Egittologia
Research Interests:
15 febbraio ore 17.00
Odeion, Facoltà di Lettere e Filosofia
Sapienza Università di Roma
- Ciclo di conferenze del Corso di Alta Formazione in Egittologia
Odeion, Facoltà di Lettere e Filosofia
Sapienza Università di Roma
- Ciclo di conferenze del Corso di Alta Formazione in Egittologia
Research Interests:
7 febbraio ore 17.00
Odeion, Facoltà di Lettere e Filosofia
Sapienza Università di Roma - Ciclo di conferenze del Corso di Alta Formazione in Egittologia
Odeion, Facoltà di Lettere e Filosofia
Sapienza Università di Roma - Ciclo di conferenze del Corso di Alta Formazione in Egittologia
Research Interests:
Sapienza Università di Roma
Facoltà di Lettere e Filosofia
Aula Partenone
venerdì 15 dicembre, ore 17.00
Facoltà di Lettere e Filosofia
Aula Partenone
venerdì 15 dicembre, ore 17.00
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Otherness – just as Identity, its polar counterpart – is an essential feature in the process of appropriation, categorization and semiotization of reality. As such it is more a cultural product than a self-evident fact: each culture sets... more
Otherness – just as Identity, its polar counterpart – is an essential feature in the process of appropriation, categorization and semiotization of reality. As such it is more a cultural product than a self-evident fact: each culture sets up the criteria for its own distinction (Bordieu), developing specific mechanisms and strategies by which roles and hierarchies can be established between “us” and “them”, while ideology plays a crucial part in the process.
In pharaonic Egypt such a phenomenon takes the form of a “cosmographic presentation” (Baines), according to which anything not included within the normative of centre is pushed away to the borders of cosmos as a chaotic and perturbing force.
While being widely exploited in the characterization of human relations with foreigners outside Egypt, the concept of the Other also affects the domain of deities. Also in this second case, acknowledgment of the Other means the recognition of difference and implies its thematization and communication according to modes which are the result of historical and cultural dynamics: the implantation of foreign gods in Egyptian pantheon, as well as the demonization of Seth, represent just two – although outstanding and manifest – of these solutions.
The relationship with the Other, indeed, is always relative and constructed: it pertains to the definition of a border which marks a difference but at the same time is an interface which allows contact; separating (therefore producing a duality between center and periphery, inside and outside) but possibly also implying crossed influences.
The conference aims to explore how the notion of the Other inscribed within the polytheism of pharaonic Egypt, focusing on both the sphere of “imaginaire” and of “réel” (Derchain). The Other(s) and the gods will be thus the two main axis of reflection and their mutual relationship could be examined on different levels, i.e. foreign gods in the Egyptian pantheon, Egyptian deities operating in or moving across “other” spaces and times, the liminal character of specific gods and related peculiarities in cult, etc.
The major aim of the conference will be to attempt to single out how the Other was integrated into the religious system and it functioned in shaping personalities and structuring (dis)connections between them, as well as between the related societies.
The Other, in this perspective, reflects less a geographical feature than a wider cultural dynamic, while the world of gods represents the appropriate stage, both regarding the differences and the connections it manifests, and also the aggregations, exchanges and negotiation which occur.
In pharaonic Egypt such a phenomenon takes the form of a “cosmographic presentation” (Baines), according to which anything not included within the normative of centre is pushed away to the borders of cosmos as a chaotic and perturbing force.
While being widely exploited in the characterization of human relations with foreigners outside Egypt, the concept of the Other also affects the domain of deities. Also in this second case, acknowledgment of the Other means the recognition of difference and implies its thematization and communication according to modes which are the result of historical and cultural dynamics: the implantation of foreign gods in Egyptian pantheon, as well as the demonization of Seth, represent just two – although outstanding and manifest – of these solutions.
The relationship with the Other, indeed, is always relative and constructed: it pertains to the definition of a border which marks a difference but at the same time is an interface which allows contact; separating (therefore producing a duality between center and periphery, inside and outside) but possibly also implying crossed influences.
The conference aims to explore how the notion of the Other inscribed within the polytheism of pharaonic Egypt, focusing on both the sphere of “imaginaire” and of “réel” (Derchain). The Other(s) and the gods will be thus the two main axis of reflection and their mutual relationship could be examined on different levels, i.e. foreign gods in the Egyptian pantheon, Egyptian deities operating in or moving across “other” spaces and times, the liminal character of specific gods and related peculiarities in cult, etc.
The major aim of the conference will be to attempt to single out how the Other was integrated into the religious system and it functioned in shaping personalities and structuring (dis)connections between them, as well as between the related societies.
The Other, in this perspective, reflects less a geographical feature than a wider cultural dynamic, while the world of gods represents the appropriate stage, both regarding the differences and the connections it manifests, and also the aggregations, exchanges and negotiation which occur.
Research Interests:
Otherness – just as Identity, its polar counterpart – is an essential feature in the process of appropriation, categorization and semiotization of reality. As such it is more a cultural product than a self-evident fact: each culture sets... more
Otherness – just as Identity, its polar counterpart – is an essential feature in the process of appropriation, categorization and semiotization of reality. As such it is more a cultural product than a self-evident fact: each culture sets up the criteria for its own distinction (Bordieu), developing specific mechanisms and strategies by which roles and hierarchies can be established between “us” and “them”, while ideology plays a crucial part in the process.
In pharaonic Egypt such a phenomenon takes the form of a “cosmographic presentation” (Baines), according to which anything not included within the normative of centre is pushed away to the borders of cosmos as a chaotic and perturbing force.
While being widely exploited in the characterization of human relations with foreigners outside Egypt, the concept of the Other also affects the domain of deities. Also in this second case, acknowledgment of the Other means the recognition of difference and implies its thematization and communication according to modes which are the result of historical and cultural dynamics: the implantation of foreign gods in Egyptian pantheon, as well as the demonization of Seth, represent just two – although outstanding and manifest – of these solutions.
The relationship with the Other, indeed, is always relative and constructed: it pertains to the definition of a border which marks a difference but at the same time is an interface which allows contact; separating (therefore producing a duality between center and periphery, inside and outside) but possibly also implying crossed influences.
The conference aims to explore how the notion of the Other inscribed within the polytheism of pharaonic Egypt, focusing on both the sphere of “imaginaire” and of “réel” (Derchain). The Other(s) and the gods will be thus the two main axis of reflection and their mutual relationship could be examined on different levels, i.e. foreign gods in the Egyptian pantheon, Egyptian deities operating in or moving across “other” spaces and times, the liminal character of specific gods and related peculiarities in cult, etc.
The major aim of the conference will be to attempt to single out how the Other was integrated into the religious system and it functioned in shaping personalities and structuring (dis)connections between them, as well as between the related societies.
The Other, in this perspective, reflects less a geographical feature than a wider cultural dynamic, while the world of gods represents the appropriate stage, both regarding the differences and the connections it manifests, and also the aggregations, exchanges and negotiation which occur.
In pharaonic Egypt such a phenomenon takes the form of a “cosmographic presentation” (Baines), according to which anything not included within the normative of centre is pushed away to the borders of cosmos as a chaotic and perturbing force.
While being widely exploited in the characterization of human relations with foreigners outside Egypt, the concept of the Other also affects the domain of deities. Also in this second case, acknowledgment of the Other means the recognition of difference and implies its thematization and communication according to modes which are the result of historical and cultural dynamics: the implantation of foreign gods in Egyptian pantheon, as well as the demonization of Seth, represent just two – although outstanding and manifest – of these solutions.
The relationship with the Other, indeed, is always relative and constructed: it pertains to the definition of a border which marks a difference but at the same time is an interface which allows contact; separating (therefore producing a duality between center and periphery, inside and outside) but possibly also implying crossed influences.
The conference aims to explore how the notion of the Other inscribed within the polytheism of pharaonic Egypt, focusing on both the sphere of “imaginaire” and of “réel” (Derchain). The Other(s) and the gods will be thus the two main axis of reflection and their mutual relationship could be examined on different levels, i.e. foreign gods in the Egyptian pantheon, Egyptian deities operating in or moving across “other” spaces and times, the liminal character of specific gods and related peculiarities in cult, etc.
The major aim of the conference will be to attempt to single out how the Other was integrated into the religious system and it functioned in shaping personalities and structuring (dis)connections between them, as well as between the related societies.
The Other, in this perspective, reflects less a geographical feature than a wider cultural dynamic, while the world of gods represents the appropriate stage, both regarding the differences and the connections it manifests, and also the aggregations, exchanges and negotiation which occur.
Research Interests:
A partire dalla rappresentazione degli dèi Sobek (coccodrillo) e Khepri (scarabeo), la conferenza intende illustrare i molteplici aspetti del ruolo degli animali nella religione dell’antico Egitto. Oltre a caratterizzare l’aspetto... more
A partire dalla rappresentazione degli dèi Sobek (coccodrillo) e Khepri (scarabeo), la conferenza intende illustrare i molteplici aspetti del ruolo degli animali nella religione dell’antico Egitto. Oltre a caratterizzare l’aspetto attribuito a numerosi dèi, diversi animali ne erano considerati come una forma privilegiata di manifestazione e, in numerosi casi, erano ritenuti a loro volta sacri e pertanto erano oggetto di specifici culti e rituali.
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A survey conducted in January 2020 in the area of the Fourth Nile Cataract, under the auspices of the Sudanese National Corporation for Antiquities and Museums (NCAM), was aimed at identifying a potential site for an archaeological... more
A survey conducted in January 2020 in the area of the Fourth Nile Cataract, under the auspices of the Sudanese National Corporation for Antiquities and Museums (NCAM), was aimed at identifying a potential site for an archaeological project. The mission was set within the framework of a new programme of fieldwork that found, in the recovery of operations in Sudan, an extraordinary opportunity to give continuity to the ‘historical’ presence of Sapienza in this country as much as to develop a fruitful research agenda. Despite the unexpected difficulties raised by the spread of the Covid pandemic, the planned renewal of activities in Sudan has been moving along two interlaced tracks: first, the organisation of a virtual exhibition was aimed at reconstructing, illustrating, and disseminating the most salient aspects of the long history of Sapienza commitment to the safeguarding of the Sudanese archaeological heritage, and second, providing a relevant background for the upcoming joint mission of NCAM and Sapienza, which will work at Hujair Gubli and the area of Magal. First identified by a Polish mission in the early 2000s, the temple site was never investigated on a larger scale. In this perspective, the research project aims at a qualified understanding of the site within its local context, regional landscape, and diachronic transformation, thus addressing multiple issues and combining different strategies of investigation (archaeology, topography and historical geography, conservation and musealisation). While the virtual exhibition was successfully inaugurated in May 2021 and is permanently available online (http://mostrasapienzainsudan.saras.uniroma1.it/en/)—it was also physically displayed in Khartoum as part of the Integration Promotion Project funded by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (Italy)—the first season of fieldwork is expected to start in autumn 2022. The present paper will present these two recent lines of investigation and cooperation, discussing both preliminary results and perspectives of research.
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Research Interests:
Animal symbolism is a prominent feature of ancient Egyptian cultural production, one that is largely exploited in visual and textual media. On the other hand, animal presence also receives a distinctive concrete articulation within... more
Animal symbolism is a prominent feature of ancient Egyptian cultural production, one that is largely exploited in visual and textual media. On the other hand, animal presence also receives a distinctive concrete articulation within religious experience in what is traditionally labelled as “animal worship”. The latter, however, does not represent a major focus in the usual narrative on ancient Egyptian religion, being (dis)regarded as a minor product of popular misconception as well as a marker of cultural-religious deterioration in the latest stage of the pharaonic civilisation. While reflecting a typical Western intellectual strategy of understanding religion in terms of set of beliefs and theological discourse, such an approach is also affected by a strictly philological and literary perspective, in which textual analysis provide the main context for discussion, as well as by the lack of a critical reflection on the terminology adopted and the related conceptual problems. As a consequence, current explanations sound rather descriptive and inaccurate, while the chronological variability is also neglected or distorted by theological/teleological orientations.
The paper aims to suggest a different line of investigation, by introducing a theoretical framework that draws on the concepts of agency and ritual practice (Praxis) as potentially effective heuristic tools to address how the selection, inclusion and manipulation of specific animals was elaborated and imbued with meaning for the ancient actors. While having a well established tradition in the field of religious, social and anthropological studies, these notion have rarely been integrated into the study of Egyptian “animal worship”. Thus, by reference to such a conceptual pattern, it is expected to allow deeper insights into a domain which, otherwise, would remain very difficult to access with a standard philological method, namely the ritual construction of animals as sacr(alis)ed objects endowed with religious efficacy.
The paper aims to suggest a different line of investigation, by introducing a theoretical framework that draws on the concepts of agency and ritual practice (Praxis) as potentially effective heuristic tools to address how the selection, inclusion and manipulation of specific animals was elaborated and imbued with meaning for the ancient actors. While having a well established tradition in the field of religious, social and anthropological studies, these notion have rarely been integrated into the study of Egyptian “animal worship”. Thus, by reference to such a conceptual pattern, it is expected to allow deeper insights into a domain which, otherwise, would remain very difficult to access with a standard philological method, namely the ritual construction of animals as sacr(alis)ed objects endowed with religious efficacy.
Research Interests:
Traditionally, animal worship is not associated with the reconstructed religious panorama of Old Kingdom Egypt; on the other hand, the decorative cycle from the Room of Seasons in the solar temple of Niuserra at Abu Ghurob provides – with... more
Traditionally, animal worship is not associated with the reconstructed religious panorama of Old Kingdom Egypt; on the other hand, the decorative cycle from the Room of Seasons in the solar temple of Niuserra at Abu Ghurob provides – with its impressive set of royal reliefs – a rare insight into the contemporary domain of official ideology and cult, one that is visually articulated and thematically centred on what Jan Assmann (The Search for God, 56) has aptly described as its “fundamental semantic framework: the sun god”.
The present paper will argue that these two apparently unrelated contexts of religious action (animal worship and OK solar cult) can actually be connected, focusing discussion on a peculiar scene – the so called Pelikanszene – whose curious representation and enigmatic inscription have aroused interest and stimulated debate. The careful examination of such a unique relief will allow three major points to be highlighted: (1) through contextual arguments and a specific heuristic pattern, a cultural-religious setting for the ritual episode displayed will be suggested; (2) the latter will serve as an exemplary case study for reassessing the methodological premises, conceptual schemes, and narrative strategies related with the interpretation of the whole “animal worship” issue; (3) all this will led to the conclusion that animal cult(s) must be reconceptualised as an articulated field of religious practice with a wider chronological range of expressions than usually admitted.
Ultimately, the case discussed has to be framed within a broad project, actually supported by the National Academy of Lincei, that represents an attempt of renewal in this field of studies, and aims to analyse, reconstruct and model the Egyptian animal worship as a dynamic historical process by charting significant patterns in the distribution of the monumental (visual, textual, archaeological) sources.
The present paper will argue that these two apparently unrelated contexts of religious action (animal worship and OK solar cult) can actually be connected, focusing discussion on a peculiar scene – the so called Pelikanszene – whose curious representation and enigmatic inscription have aroused interest and stimulated debate. The careful examination of such a unique relief will allow three major points to be highlighted: (1) through contextual arguments and a specific heuristic pattern, a cultural-religious setting for the ritual episode displayed will be suggested; (2) the latter will serve as an exemplary case study for reassessing the methodological premises, conceptual schemes, and narrative strategies related with the interpretation of the whole “animal worship” issue; (3) all this will led to the conclusion that animal cult(s) must be reconceptualised as an articulated field of religious practice with a wider chronological range of expressions than usually admitted.
Ultimately, the case discussed has to be framed within a broad project, actually supported by the National Academy of Lincei, that represents an attempt of renewal in this field of studies, and aims to analyse, reconstruct and model the Egyptian animal worship as a dynamic historical process by charting significant patterns in the distribution of the monumental (visual, textual, archaeological) sources.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
The Rosetta Stone and the Obelisk of Philae tell us a unique and highly evocative story that is usually – as briefly as successfully – summarised under the idea of “translation”. Indeed, such a notion may well be explored on and... more
The Rosetta Stone and the Obelisk of Philae tell us a unique and highly evocative story that is usually – as briefly as successfully – summarised under the idea of “translation”. Indeed, such a notion may well be explored on and articulated in different levels: the context where these monuments were originally placed and subsequently displaced from; the key role they had in the struggle towards the decipherment of the ancient Egyptian language as well as in the foundation of a new discipline; the symbolic status they have acquired since then, as iconic objects (especially the Rosetta Stone), carriers of wider cultural meaning that goes well beyond Egyptology.
Movement, meaning and metaphor, therefore, will be the main aspects the paper will focus on, addressing the two monuments as cultural products that not only must be framed within the proper historical milieu of the civilisation that produced and erected them, but could also be appreciated as meaningful for the modern society that has succeeded in recover, translate, and reshape them as “an emblem of our identity” (after Ray, The Rosetta Stone, p. 6).
In this perspective, the choice of the names “Rosetta” and “Philae” by the ESA’s comet mission, while reflecting the very hopes and achievements that the two monuments aroused and triggered in the understanding of the ancient Egyptian culture, has in turn provided them with a further step in their long history of movement and transformation.
Movement, meaning and metaphor, therefore, will be the main aspects the paper will focus on, addressing the two monuments as cultural products that not only must be framed within the proper historical milieu of the civilisation that produced and erected them, but could also be appreciated as meaningful for the modern society that has succeeded in recover, translate, and reshape them as “an emblem of our identity” (after Ray, The Rosetta Stone, p. 6).
In this perspective, the choice of the names “Rosetta” and “Philae” by the ESA’s comet mission, while reflecting the very hopes and achievements that the two monuments aroused and triggered in the understanding of the ancient Egyptian culture, has in turn provided them with a further step in their long history of movement and transformation.
Research Interests:
All’interno del sistema religioso egiziano, l’associazione animale-dio costituisce un aspetto marcatamente distintivo e strutturalmente efficace sia sul piano del reèl che dell’imaginaire (secondo la formula proposta da Ph. Derchain):... more
All’interno del sistema religioso egiziano, l’associazione animale-dio costituisce un aspetto marcatamente distintivo e strutturalmente efficace sia sul piano del reèl che dell’imaginaire (secondo la formula proposta da Ph. Derchain): questa “animalité des dieux” (Meeks, Zoomorphie, 171) incide sulla pratica religiosa non meno profondamente che sulla configurazione di un pantheon articolato e sulla elaborazione di un discorso teologico raffinato e complesso.
Nella ricerca egittologica, tuttavia, mentre teriomorfismo e ricchezza iconografica del bestiario divino rappresentano un ambito di studio importante e privilegiato, il cosiddetto “culto degli animali” – l’inserimento di animali viventi nella pratica rituale – rivela criticità sostanziali sul piano della comprensione storica e dei metodi d’indagine: difficilmente riconducibile all’orientamento teologico-discorsivo dominante, esso viene ridotto a un fatto marginale sia dal punto di vista cronologico (fase tarda della civiltà egiziana) che del significato religioso (degenerazione delle forme tradizionali).
Il progetto di ricerca “Il culto degli animali in Egitto (3000 a.C. – 300 d.C.): elementi per un’analisi storico-religiosa”, sostenuto dall’Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei e attualmente in corso, mira a correggere questa percezione, individuando nel metodo storico-religioso della Scuola romana un rinnovamento di prospettiva in grado di superare vecchie argomentazioni e reimpostare lo studio della questione entro parametri metodologicamente fondati.
Il contributo intende presentare alcuni risultati preliminari della ricerca, focalizzando la discussione su tre punti chiave: (1) il valore euristico della nozione di “culto degli animali” come categoria analitica; (2) l’importanza della dimensione pratica (Praxis) nel processo interpretativo del fenomeno; (3) la possibilità di offrirne una lettura ampia, organica e cronologicamente articolata, rilevandone discontinuità e sviluppi nel corso del tempo.
Il riferimento a casi di studio e a classi di dati (testuali e materiali) specifici permetterà di testare la validità degli strumenti concettuali e dell’approccio indicati e di proporre, in conclusione, un nuovo modello interpretativo.
Nella ricerca egittologica, tuttavia, mentre teriomorfismo e ricchezza iconografica del bestiario divino rappresentano un ambito di studio importante e privilegiato, il cosiddetto “culto degli animali” – l’inserimento di animali viventi nella pratica rituale – rivela criticità sostanziali sul piano della comprensione storica e dei metodi d’indagine: difficilmente riconducibile all’orientamento teologico-discorsivo dominante, esso viene ridotto a un fatto marginale sia dal punto di vista cronologico (fase tarda della civiltà egiziana) che del significato religioso (degenerazione delle forme tradizionali).
Il progetto di ricerca “Il culto degli animali in Egitto (3000 a.C. – 300 d.C.): elementi per un’analisi storico-religiosa”, sostenuto dall’Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei e attualmente in corso, mira a correggere questa percezione, individuando nel metodo storico-religioso della Scuola romana un rinnovamento di prospettiva in grado di superare vecchie argomentazioni e reimpostare lo studio della questione entro parametri metodologicamente fondati.
Il contributo intende presentare alcuni risultati preliminari della ricerca, focalizzando la discussione su tre punti chiave: (1) il valore euristico della nozione di “culto degli animali” come categoria analitica; (2) l’importanza della dimensione pratica (Praxis) nel processo interpretativo del fenomeno; (3) la possibilità di offrirne una lettura ampia, organica e cronologicamente articolata, rilevandone discontinuità e sviluppi nel corso del tempo.
Il riferimento a casi di studio e a classi di dati (testuali e materiali) specifici permetterà di testare la validità degli strumenti concettuali e dell’approccio indicati e di proporre, in conclusione, un nuovo modello interpretativo.
Research Interests:
Fostered by the preeminent role they play within the anthropological debate, Egyptology has started to devote a more critical attention to the problems and issues involved in studying ancient conceptions of “self” and “other”, questioning... more
Fostered by the preeminent role they play within the anthropological debate, Egyptology has started to devote a more critical attention to the problems and issues involved in studying ancient conceptions of “self” and “other”, questioning the traditional image of Egypt as a sort of monolithic cultural block, rather static and fixed in its own splendid isolation. While, this is the very message that the Egyptian sources – ideologically biased – convey, beneath such strict constraints, a cultural scenario appears where experience of (and interaction with) the Other occurs and is defined in a much more complex and articulated way. As a highly structured cultural and social field, religion plays a pivotal role in the process; practices of perception, reception and circulation of deities fit such a context, and could therefore be investigated in order to reconsider (and model) mechanisms of contacts and cultural exchanges between Egypt and the outside world from a richer and more nuanced perspective.
The present paper will try to address these issues from the standpoint of transculturality, focusing discussion on a specific historical context – Old Kingdom Egypt and its connections with Byblos – and using, as a case study and point of departure for the analysis, a peculiar artefact – the so called “cylindre Montet” – where three (apparently) local deities are mentioned and their names inscribed in Egyptian hieroglyph. The goal is threefold: (1) to frame the object and its content in the milieu of contemporary relations affecting Egypt, Byblos and the Levantine area; (2) to explore how (religious) concepts and ideas were mediated, translated, re-shaped as they moved between different contexts; (3) to show how, for the actors involved, the domain of gods could function as a discursive and integrating tool, the appropriate locus for contacts and interactions to be both conceptualised and promoted.
The present paper will try to address these issues from the standpoint of transculturality, focusing discussion on a specific historical context – Old Kingdom Egypt and its connections with Byblos – and using, as a case study and point of departure for the analysis, a peculiar artefact – the so called “cylindre Montet” – where three (apparently) local deities are mentioned and their names inscribed in Egyptian hieroglyph. The goal is threefold: (1) to frame the object and its content in the milieu of contemporary relations affecting Egypt, Byblos and the Levantine area; (2) to explore how (religious) concepts and ideas were mediated, translated, re-shaped as they moved between different contexts; (3) to show how, for the actors involved, the domain of gods could function as a discursive and integrating tool, the appropriate locus for contacts and interactions to be both conceptualised and promoted.
Research Interests:
The status of early Egyptian temples (architectural form, scale and uniformity) confronts us with specific sets of problems – both methodological and historical – which are strictly related to the kind of sources available. Indeed,... more
The status of early Egyptian temples (architectural form, scale and uniformity) confronts us with specific sets of problems – both methodological and historical – which are strictly related to the kind of sources available. Indeed, besides having a confirmed – although modest – archaeological reality, early religious architecture also received very distinctive visual form(s) in contemporary pictorial and epigraphic evidence (seals, tags, ceremonial artifacts), being elaborated according to specific conventions which resulted from a careful process of intellectual and aesthetical canonization.
The paper will investigate modes of conceptualization and visual codification of sacred buildings on the basis of textual and visual media, following a twofold perspective: 1) a typological analysis of temple images and related scenes, in order to recognize different iconic models; 2) a historical synthesis of the data assembled, so as to articulate them in a chronological framework. The major goal of the study is: 1) to question the documentary value of temple representations as reliable sources both for reconstruction of this category of buildings and possibly for interpretation of their role in society; 2) to consider how such architectural spaces were illustrated and formalized in the monumental discourse promoted by the court, becoming the visual prototypes of later artistic symbols and traditions.
The paper will investigate modes of conceptualization and visual codification of sacred buildings on the basis of textual and visual media, following a twofold perspective: 1) a typological analysis of temple images and related scenes, in order to recognize different iconic models; 2) a historical synthesis of the data assembled, so as to articulate them in a chronological framework. The major goal of the study is: 1) to question the documentary value of temple representations as reliable sources both for reconstruction of this category of buildings and possibly for interpretation of their role in society; 2) to consider how such architectural spaces were illustrated and formalized in the monumental discourse promoted by the court, becoming the visual prototypes of later artistic symbols and traditions.
Research Interests:
Nell'ambito del progetto europeo PAThs (http://paths.uniroma1.it/) si propongono le seguenti attività di laboratorio, valide per il conseguimento di CFU: 1. Scansione, elaborazione digitale e catalogazione di piante e immagini pertinenti... more
Nell'ambito del progetto europeo PAThs (http://paths.uniroma1.it/) si propongono le seguenti attività di laboratorio, valide per il conseguimento di CFU:
1. Scansione, elaborazione digitale e catalogazione di piante e immagini pertinenti allo studio di siti faraonici sottoposti a processi di rioccupazione, riuso e trasformazione in età tardo-antica (caso studio: Tebe Ovest)
2. Elaborazione digitale e archiviazione del materiale fotografico relativo alle missioni di ricognizione topografica di siti archeologici dell'Egitto tardo-antico condotte dal gruppo di ricerca PAThs (aree indagate: Tebe Ovest; Delta)
1. Scansione, elaborazione digitale e catalogazione di piante e immagini pertinenti allo studio di siti faraonici sottoposti a processi di rioccupazione, riuso e trasformazione in età tardo-antica (caso studio: Tebe Ovest)
2. Elaborazione digitale e archiviazione del materiale fotografico relativo alle missioni di ricognizione topografica di siti archeologici dell'Egitto tardo-antico condotte dal gruppo di ricerca PAThs (aree indagate: Tebe Ovest; Delta)
Research Interests:
Bandito il secondo ciclo del Corso di Alta Formazione in Egittologia, che si svolgerà tra maggio e luglio 2017 (scadenza per la presentazione delle domande: 20 gennaio 2017).