Episodes

  • 196: The Golden Path

    196: The Golden Path
    Nov 15 2024
    The plan of an honest ruler. Around 1300 BCE, as today, gold was big business. King Sety I personally led an expedition into the eastern desert, to establish a new mining operation. Back in the Nile Valley, high-ranking officials leave monuments testifying to their work delivering, securing, and recording that gold. And thanks to art and artefacts, we can reconstruct the items these gold-workers produced. From the Red Sea Mountains to the Temple of Abydos, we follow the paths of gold… Logo image: Silver and gold statuette of a New Kingdom pharaoh, possibly Sety I (Louvre). For records of Sety and his contemporaries, see Kenneth Kitchen. Ramesside Inscriptions, Volume I. Versions: Hieroglyphs; English translations; References and Commentary. Photos of Sety’s Temple at Kanais in the Wadi Barramiya. Sety’s monuments including the Abydos and Kanais temples, in P. J. Brand, The Monuments of Seti I: Epigraphic, Historical and Art Historical Analysis (2000). Available free online at Academia.edu. Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments. Music and interludes by Keith Zizza www.keithzizza.net. Music and interludes by Luke Chaos www.chaosmusick.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    52 mins
  • 195: A Quest for Gold

    195: A Quest for Gold
    Nov 8 2024
    Sety in the Desert. Around 1300 BCE, King Sety led an expedition into the Red Sea hills. His purpose? Gold. The King brought soldiers and charioteers out to mine precious metals for his treasuries. The journey was difficult, traversing a dry and rocky landscape far from the comforts of home. Fortunately, Sety left detailed descriptions of the event; and art and artefacts from this era allow us to reconstruct the journey... Episode details: Logo image: Soldiers make camp, setting up tents for commanders. Tomb of Horemheb at Saqqara (Martin 2016). Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments. Music and interludes by Keith Zizza www.keithzizza.net. Music and interludes by Luke Chaos www.chaosmusick.com. The Wadi Barramiya, in which Sety’s expedition travelled, by Hakatani Tenfu at Flickr.com. The Kanais Temple of Sety I, in the Wadi Barramiya, by Mutnedjmet at Flickr.com. Select bibliography: A. Dodson, Sethy I King of Egypt: His Life and Afterlife (Cairo, 2019). H. Gauthier, ‘Le temple de l’Ouâdi Mîyah (el Knaïs)’, Bulletin de l’Institut Français d’Archéologie Orientale 17 (1920), 1--38. Available online. K. A. Kitchen, Ramesside Inscriptions Historical and Biographical, I (Oxford, 1975). R. Klemm and D. Klemm, Gold and Gold Mining in Ancient Egypt and Nubia: Geoarchaeology of the Ancient Gold Mining Sites in the Egyptian and Sudanese Eastern Deserts (Berlin, 2013). G. T. Martin, Tutankhamun’s Regent: Scenes and Texts from the Memphite Tomb of Horemheb (EES Excavation Memoir 111; London, 2016). C. D. Reader, A Gift of Geology: Ancient Egyptian Landscapes and Monuments (Cairo, 2022). R. D. Rothe et al., Pharaonic Inscriptions from the Southern Eastern Desert of Egypt (Winona Lake, 2008). B. M. Sampsell, The Geology of Egypt: A Traveler’s Handbook (Cairo, 2014). See website for complete listing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    37 mins
  • 194: A Prince of Egypt (feat. Prof. Peter Brand)

    194: A Prince of Egypt (feat. Prof. Peter Brand)
    Oct 25 2024
    Ramesses Rising. Traditionally, Egyptian princes are almost invisible. The pharaohs downplayed the presence of their sons, to reduce political competition and maintain religious order. Sety I (c.1300 BCE) changed this habit. In art and monuments, he promoted young Ramesses II to a position of prominence and power. The exact nature of this promotion is slightly controversial among Egyptologists. In this episode, we explore Ramesses’ rise and some of the thorny issues. Additionally, Prof. Peter Brand joins us to discuss some of the harder questions on these period. Peter Brand, The Monuments of Sety I (2000), available free at Academia.edu. Peter Brand, Ramesses II: Egypt’s Ultimate Pharaoh (2023) available from Lockwood Press. Music and interludes by Keith Zizza www.keithzizza.net. Music and interludes by Luke Chaos www.chaosmusick.com. Outro music: “River Lullaby” from The Prince of Egypt (1998) – Harp cover by The Knitting Harpist (YouTube). 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. Music and interludes by Keith Zizza www.keithzizza.net. Music and interludes by Luke Chaos www.chaosmusick.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 13 mins
  • 193: Slaying the Bull of Seth (Ramesses’ First Rodeo)

    193: Slaying the Bull of Seth (Ramesses’ First Rodeo)
    Oct 18 2024
    In the Temple of Sety I at Abydos, an out-of-the-way corridor preserves a unique image. The King of Egypt, and his eldest son, wrangle and subdue a bull. This scene appears simple, at first glance. But it has a wealth of deeper symbolism and meanings. In this episode, we explore the idea of Bulls as images of power and violence, and their relationship with gods like Osiris and Seth… Episode logo: Ramesses and the Bull, by artist Brenna Baines (commissioned by The History of Egypt Podcast). Full version available on my Patreon (link below). The Bull Hall photos by Heidi Kontkanen at Flickr.com. The Bull Hall in Peter Brand, Monuments of Sety I (2000) available free online. 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. Music and interludes by Keith Zizza www.keithzizza.net. Sound effects purchased from Pond5. Select Bibliography: M. Abuel-Yazid, ‘Architecture of the Slaughterhouse of the Seti Temple at Abydos’, in I. Regulski (ed.), Abydos: The Sacred Land at the Western Horizon (2019), 7—24. L. Baqué, ‘“On that Day When the Long-Horned Bull was Lassoed...” (PT [254] 286). A Scene in the “Corridor of the Bull” of the Cenotaph of Sethos I in Abydos: An Iconologic Approach’, Studien zur Altägyptischen Kultur 30 (2002), 43—51. P. J. Brand, The Monuments of Seti I: Epigraphic, Historical and Art Historical Analysis (2000). Available free online. R. H. Wilkinson, The Complete Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt (2003). J. M. Galán, ‘Bullfight Scenes in Ancient Egyptian Tombs’, Journal of Egyptian Archaeology 80 (1994), 81—96. See website for complete reference list. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    45 mins
  • Interlude: Sety I Phase One (Summary)

    Interlude: Sety I Phase One (Summary)
    Oct 11 2024
    Sety I reigned (approx.) 1303--1292 BCE. In the first half of his reign, the King's followers achieved significant and splendid deeds. We explore these achievements in aggregate, and what they all mean for the Egyptian people. Plus, what 19th Dynasty "expansion" means for our story of pharaohs, ordinary people, and the gods... Logo image: Sety I, a painted panel from his tomb (Louvre Museum). Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments. Music by Jeffrey Goodman www.jeffreygoodman.com. Interludes by Keith Zizza www.keithzizza.net. Interludes by Luke Chaos www.chaosmusick.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    23 mins
  • The Sword of Ramesses (News from the Field)

    The Sword of Ramesses (News from the Field)
    Oct 4 2024
    Blade of Frontiers (not Wyll). In September 2024, the Ministry of Tourism & Antiquities announced new discoveries including a sword inscribed with the names of Ramesses II, King of Egypt. In this episode, we discuss the weapon and its origins, as well as the larger significance of the fortress in which this discovery occurred. Who did the sword belong to? What was this fortress guarding against? Egyptian swords in museum collections: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/545558 https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/Y_EA5425 https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/Y_EA52850 https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/Y_EA36769 The Egyptian army and fortifications: Video lecture series, "Perspectives on the Ramesside Military System" on YouTube. The Old Kingdom (c.2500—2200 BCE): Spotify and Website. Grave of the Unknown Warriors (c.2000 BCE): Spotify. The Army of Sety I (c.1300 BCE), Part 1: Spotify. The Army of Sety I (c.1300 BCE), Part 2: Spotify. The New Kingdom (c.1500—1150 BCE): Spotify and YouTube. Ian Shaw, Ancient Egyptian Warfare (Oxford, 2019). C. Vogel, The Fortifications of Ancient Egypt 3000-1780 BC (Botley, 2010). E. F. Morris, The Architecture of Imperialism: Military Bases and the Evolution of Foreign Policy in Egypt’s New Kingdom (Leiden, 2005). B. McDermott, Warfare in Ancient Egypt (Stroud, 2004). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    20 mins
  • Some upcoming things: Livestream, Return to New Kingdom, and the 2025 Tour

    Some upcoming things: Livestream, Return to New Kingdom, and the 2025 Tour
    Sep 26 2024
    Return to the New Kingdom. Livestream of First Intermediate Period history. Update on the 2025 Tour. Quick update on Egyptology news and what's coming up on the podcast. Mini episode about "the sword of Ramesses II" coming in a few days. Livestream on First Intermediate Period monuments/tombs/stories this weekend, see blog post on Patreon. Update for people interested in the 2025 (February) Tour to Egypt with Ancient World Tours. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    4 mins
  • The Age of Montu (First Intermediate Period Finale)

    The Age of Montu (First Intermediate Period Finale)
    Sep 20 2024
    These violent delights have violent ends. Between 1992 BCE and 1941 BCE, King Montu-Hotep (“Montu is Content”) ruled the southern kingdom. And he led efforts to expand Theban power, and ultimately reunify the Two Lands… Logo image: Montu, in a chapel of Ramesses III at Karnak (Kairoinfo4u). Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments. Music and interludes by Keith Zizza www.keithzizza.net. Music and interludes by Luke Chaos www.chaosmusick.com. Montuhotep’s Expansion into Wawat / Nubia and the records of the wars: Darnell, ‘The Route of the Eleventh Dynasty Expansion into Nubia: An Interpretation Based on the Rock Inscriptions of Tjehemau at Abisko’, Zeitschrift für Ägyptische Sprache und Altertumskunde 131 (2004), 23—37. Available on Academia.edu. Darnell, ‘The Eleventh Dynasty Royal Inscription from Deir el-Ballas’, Revue d’Égyptologie 59 (2008), 81—110. Available on Academia.edu. Montuhotep’s Mahat Chapel at Abydos, discovered in 2014: Josef Wegner at Academia.edu and Damarany in Abydos: The Sacred Land (2019), JSTOR. Scholarly debates on the timeline and events of the Reunification: Brovarski, ‘The Hare and Oryx Nomes in the First Intermediate Period and Early Middle Kingdom’, in Egyptian Culture and Society: Studies in Honour of Naguib Kanawati, 1 (2010), 31—85. Available on Academia.edu. This was the study I followed in my reconstruction. Willems, ‘The Nomarchs of the Hare Nome and Early Middle Kingdom History’, Jaarbericht van het Vooraziatisch-Egyptisch Genootschap Ex Oriente Lux 28 (1985), 80—102. Available at Researchgate. Nubia – The Archaeology of Wawat and Kerma: Kerma – Mission archéologique suisse à Kerma (Soudan) C. Bonnet, ‘The Cities of Kerma and Pnubs-Dokki Gel’, in G. Emberling and B. B. Williams (eds), The Oxford Handbook of Ancient Nubia (Oxford, 2021), 201—212. H. Hafsaas, ‘The C-Group People in Lower Nubia: Cattle Pastoralists on the Frontier Between Egypt and Kush’, in B. B. Williams and G. Emberling (eds), The Oxford Handbook of Ancient Nubia (Oxford, 2020), 157—177. G. K. Meurer, ‘Nubians in Egypt from the Early Dynastic Period to the New Kingdom’, in B. B. Williams and G. Emberling (eds), The Oxford Handbook of Ancient Nubia (Oxford, 2020), 289—308. B. B. Williams, ‘Kush in the Wider World During the Kerma Period’, in G. Emberling and B. B. Williams (eds), The Oxford Handbook of Ancient Nubia (Oxford, 2021), 179--200. The Tomb of General Antef, with images of siege towers and naval forces: B. Jaroš-Deckert, Grabung im Asasif. 1963-1970. Band 5: das Grab des Jnj-jtj.f. Die Wandmalereien der 11. Dynastie, 12 (1984). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    2 hrs and 11 mins