84: The Bald Falcon

Beer, Bread and Pharaoh's Power. Recorded 2019. My guest today is Prof. Leslie Anne Warden, Associate Professor of art history and archaeology at Roanoke College in Virginia, USA. An insightful scholar, Prof. Warden is here to share her investigations into the world of ancient economics, particularly how beer and bread can reveal the inner-workings of Egyptian society. From ceramics to experiments in brewing, Prof. Warden provides a detailed and thoughtful view on the world of the Nile Valley. Look: Pottery and Economy in Old Kingdom Egypt, 2013; University profile, Academia.edu. Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.  Follow the show on social media www.facebook.com/egyptpodcast and www.twitter.com/egyptianpodcast. Music by Keith Zizza www.keithzizza.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

12 Elo 201353min

What’s the deal? We explore the Pyramid Texts’ meaning, as well as their origins and scholarship. The Osiris achieves his apotheosis. Having awakened from death and received his offerings (or taken them by force), Unas now prepares to enter the sky at last. We add more protections and defeat more enemies (including a dramatic appearance from the fearsome Mafdet). Then, Unas meets the oldest of primeval gods, sails the milky way, and hears the lamentations of his enemies’ women… Episode topics: Meaning 01:15. Rituals 03:54 Afterlife geography 17:05. Origins 20:16. Arrangement / Structure 29:00. Conclusion 37:25 Includes passages in English translation and ancient Egyptian. Date: c.2320 BCE. The History of Egypt Podcast Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.  Intro music by Jeffrey Goodman, “Lament of Isis and Nephthys,” Ancient Egyptian Music II. Interludes by Keith Zizza, Children of the Nile. Select Bibliography: Pyramid Texts in translation: https://pyramidtextsonline.com/translation.html. J. P. Allen, The Ancient Egyptian Pyramid Texts (2nd edn, 2015). First edition (2005) available in Open Access via Archive.org. J. P. Allen, A Grammar of the Ancient Egyptian Pyramid Texts Volume I: Unis (2017). Available via the publisher, and major online retailers. R. Bertrand, Las Textes de la Pyramid d’Ounas (2004). Available via the publisher. W. M. Davis, ‘The Ascension-Myth in the Pyramid Texts’, Journal of Near Eastern Studies 36 (1977), 161—179. JSTOR. J. Hellum, ‘The Presence of Myth in the Pyramid Texts’, Unpublished PhD. Thesis, University of Toronto (2001). Online. J. Hellum, ‘Toward an Understanding of the Use of Myth in the Pyramid Texts’, Studien zur Altägyptischen Kultur 43 (2014), 123—142. Academia.edu. H.-J. Klimkeit, ‘Spatial Orientation in Mythical Thinking as Exemplified in Ancient Egypt: Considerations toward a Geography of Religions’, History of Religions 14 (1975), 266—281. JSTOR. A. J. Morales, ‘The Transmission of the Pyramid Texts into the Middle Kingdom: Philological Aspects of a Continuous Tradition in Egyptian Mortuary Literature’, Unpublished PhD. Thesis, University of Pennsylvania (2013). Academia.edu. D. Stewart, ‘The Myth of Osiris in the Ancient Egyptian Pyramid Texts’, Unpublished PhD. Thesis, Monash University (2014). Online. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

10 Elo 201341min

The Osiris achieves his apotheosis. Having awakened from death and received his offerings (or taken them by force), Unas now prepares to enter the sky at last. We add more protections and defeat more enemies (including a dramatic appearance from the fearsome Mafdet). Then, Unas meets the oldest of primeval gods, sails the milky way, and hears the lamentations of his enemies’ women… Includes passages in English translation and ancient Egyptian. Date: c.2320 BCE. The History of Egypt Podcast Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.  Pyramid Texts in translation: https://pyramidtextsonline.com/translation.html. Intro music by Jeffrey Goodman, “Lament of Isis and Nephthys,” Ancient Egyptian Music II. Interludes by Keith Zizza, Children of the Nile. The Pyramid Texts publications: J. P. Allen, The Ancient Egyptian Pyramid Texts (2nd edn, 2015). First edition (2005) available in Open Access via Archive.org. J. P. Allen, A Grammar of the Ancient Egyptian Pyramid Texts Volume I: Unis (2017). Available via the publisher, and major online retailers. R. Bertrand, Las Textes de la Pyramid d’Ounas (2004). Available via the publisher. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

9 Elo 201344min

We leave the Duat and enter the horizon. On the walls of the antechamber, Unas’ Pyramid Texts describe the king’s entry to the sky. The ruler establishes and affirms his power. And, in a famous passage, Unas engages in some ritual cannibalism… Includes passages in English translation and ancient Egyptian. Date: c.2320 BCE. The History of Egypt Podcast Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.  Pyramid Texts in translation: https://pyramidtextsonline.com/translation.html. Intro music by Jeffrey Goodman, “Lament of Isis and Nephthys,” Ancient Egyptian Music II. Interludes by Keith Zizza, Children of the Nile. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

8 Elo 20131h

We travel deeper into the stars. Unas’ Pyramid Texts, on the walls of his burial chamber, lay out protections against serpents and dangers. They also introduce offerings, to sustain the King’s soul and nourish the gods. Includes passages in English translation and ancient Egyptian. Date: c.2320 BCE. The History of Egypt Podcast Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.  Pyramid Texts in translation: https://pyramidtextsonline.com/translation.html. Intro music by Jeffrey Goodman, “Lament of Isis and Nephthys,” Ancient Egyptian Music II. Interludes by Keith Zizza, Children of the Nile. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

7 Elo 201354min

Unas in the sky with deities. Around 2320 BCE, King Unas did something interesting. His pyramid, at Saqqraa, is the first (surviving) monument to feature the Pyramid Texts. These elaborate hieroglyph texts reveal the religious rituals, references, and philosophy of the Old Kingdom Egyptians. In this episode, we begin a journey deep into the night and up to the sky, as King Unas travels to his immortality… Date: c.2320 BCE. The History of Egypt Podcast Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.  Pyramid Texts in translation: https://pyramidtextsonline.com/translation.html. The "Imperishable " or Circumpolar Stars https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Indestructibles. The Egyptian gods family tree: https://veritablehokum.com/comic/the-egyptian-god-family-tree/. Intro music by Jeffrey Goodman, “Lament of Isis and Nephthys,” Ancient Egyptian Music II. Interludes by Keith Zizza. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

6 Elo 201344min

The Pyramid Texts appear. Around 2410 BCE, a new trend began in royal pyramid building. King Unas initiated something unusual when he introduced hieroglyph texts to the burial chamber of his pyramid. These "Pyramid Texts" are a vast and fascinating body of work. In this episode, we dip our toes into this material, and even see evidence for divine cannibalism... The Cannibal Hymn: Spoken reconstruction by Orlando Mezzabotta on YouTube. The Pyramid Texts of Unas in English translation and hieroglyph transcription via Pyramid Texts Online. Date c.2410 - 2380 BCE Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.  Music by Keith Zizza www.keithzizza.com. Select Bibliography: Miriam Lichtheim, Ancient Egyptian Literature Volume I: The Old and Middle Kingdoms, 1973 (2006 paperback edition). Nigel Strudwick, Texts from the Pyramid Age, 2005 (Google Books). Vincent Brown – Pyramid Texts Online. Gaston Maspero, The History of Egypt (Gutenberg.org). Ancient Egypt Online – Unas. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

5 Elo 201335min

Interview recorded 2021. Dr. Martin Odler is a researcher at the Czech Institute of Egyptology, at Charles University in Prague. He studies the tools and objects that Egyptians used to build their famous monuments. Martin has worked on many excavations, and his research has added greatly to our knowledge of technology. He sat down with me to discuss this work, and the insights we can gain from ancient tools and metals. Learn more about Dr. Odler on Academia.edu, on Twitter, and buy his book Old Kingdom Copper Tools and Model Tools (2016) available from Archaeopress and all good booksellers. Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

29 Heinä 201346min