Pyramids in America: Rewriting the “Egypt of the West” in Rick Riordan’s \u3ci\u3eThe Kane Chronicles\u3c/i\u3e series

In this paper, I examine the use of well-known American landmarks in Rick Riordan’s The Kane Chronicles (2010-2012), a set of Children’s Fantasy novels that place Ancient Egyptian mythology in the modern world. With reference to the author’s more famous Percy Jackson and the Olympians series (2005-2009), this essay focuses on specific American landscapes in the first novel of the Egyptian mythology-inspired series, The Red Pyramid, arguing that Riordan’s use of Ancient Egyptian-inspired structures reflects the overall ethos of the text. On one level, Riordan’s use of modern American landmarks signals that new stories using old myths have just as much power as the originals and that renewal is inevitable. On another, Riordan’s particular settings assert America’s power as the inheritor of ancient myths, making the American landscape an appropriate tableau upon which to enact Ancient Egyptian stories. The text’s matrix of American landmarks, some modern and some from the 19th century, taps into America’s long history of appropriating Ancient Egyptian forms and symbols; however, the text does little to acknowledge the layers between the source myth and the contemporary landscape, collapsing decades and centuries. I will show that, rather than questioning the foundations of “Western Civilization” within this “old versus new” paradigm and complicating the dissemination of culture and power over time, Riordan’s novels instead use American settings to privilege America’s status as the inheritor of perceived European cultural dominance, emphasizing American cultural forms and structures that re-entrench a brand of American cultural dominance ultimately rooted in nineteenth-century Egyptomania

The trace of Osiris. The Egyptian Myth in the Spanish Monarchy of Philip II

The presence of ancient Egypt in Philip II’s time is located in the frame of the Egyptian myth reception during the second half of the 16th century Spanish Monarchy. Succinctly, the article studies how was articulated this reception and searches the so-called trace of Osiris: a trace drawn on Hispanic context through various contours. This fact led to a complex perception of Egypt, which was reflected in fields as diverse as mythical genealogies, historiography, studies on hieroglyphs and royal events related to the House of Austria. A completely transformed Egypt from its primeval canons, filtered by Greco-Latin sources, corrupted by the Biblical tradition; undermined by the Renaissance ideas; and interfered by Hermetic connotations. All in all, an egyptianizing Egypt which was installed in the symbolical and political culture of the Spanish Crown, playing a specific role in the propaganda and commemorative exercises of the Rey Prudente and contributing to profile his royal image.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologiainfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Influences of Ancient Egypt on architecture and ornament in Scotland

This work seeks to identify the forms and origins of Ancient Egyptian architecture and the complex historical progress which brought these to Scotland, identifying the affinities shared by both countries and their evolving role from their first arrival to the present day. The thesis follows Egypt’s first appearance in Scottish legend and its later influence, at the close of the 16th century, in the practices of organised Freemasonry, to be followed, from the second quarter of the 17th century, by numerous obelisk sundials and with the construction of the first pyramid towards its close. In the 18th century, single obelisk monuments with Masonic implications appeared, and the outstanding significance of the Scottish Enlightenment and its fascination with Antiquity are noted. That this coincided with the Grand Tour encouraged Scottish aristocrats, architects, and artists to observe, to study and to be inspired by Egyptian forms, principally in Rome, which then appeared in Scottish country house and garden. The first recorded visit of a Scot to Egypt, in 1768, led to the delayed publication of an account in 1793 and the century closed with the outbreak of the British military campaign in Egypt against Napoleon’s invading forces. The participation of Scots troops led to a new familiarity with the land and, albeit from France, there were produced the first accurate details of the country’s monuments and an ensuing enthusiasm for an ‘Egyptian Revival’. This thesis goes on to record the 19th century absorption with mourning, when the use of Egyptian symbols, aided by industrial methods of production, grew to a peak, allied to new archaeological discoveries by visiting Scots and the growth of accurate publications. These two latter, increased by the growing number of Scots who visited the country, influenced the use of Egyptian themes in a wide range of buildings, religious, domestic and industrial. The 20th century rejection of both religion and commemoration, except in acknowledgement of the sacrifice of those who gave their lives in the First and Second World Wars, led to the decline of Egyptian mourning themes and new building techniques left little place for Egyptian references which were mainly reduced to mere surface ornament. This thesis concludes with an important 21st century military example which contains within it, a unique range of Egyptian symbols of commemoration

Obelisks and the Power of Monument

Obelisks were massive granite spires erected to honor the Egyptian sun god Ra and to glorify the individual kings who ordered their construction. Obelisks served to syncretize both king and god to reflect the divinely-ordained position kingship held within Egyptian society. By the New Kingdom period, kings used obelisks to adorn their tombs and temples, replacing the much larger and more expensive pyramid tombs of the Old Kingdom. Eventually, Egypt’s power faded, and most obelisks fell into disrepair, all but lost to time. That was until the arrival of Augustus, the first emperor of Rome. With the defeat of his rivals, Marc Antony and Cleopatra, Augustus brought Egypt under the Roman fold. This marked a major shift in both nations, with Egypt quickly becoming one of the most influential cultures in Rome. The emperors themselves became some of the biggest proponents of this ‘Egyptomania,’ shown namely with their rediscovery of obelisks and subsequent transportation of the unwieldy monuments up the Nile, across the Mediterranean, and into the heart of Rome. This trend began with Augustus, who oversaw the transportation of the first two rediscovered obelisks shortly after his conquest. He placed the monuments in prominent locations and sought to use their native Egyptian symbolism—evoking the sun, kingship, and divinity—as propaganda to help legitimize and later deify his newly-established seat of emperor. In this thesis, I not only argue that Augustus utilized obelisks in much the same way the pharaohs of old once did, but also posit that his actions cemented the obelisk as a fixture of the Classical architectural landscape and, by extension, the early modern architectural landscape as well. Following Augustus’ example, many succeeding Roman emperors, later popes, and other early-modern leaders used the form of the obelisk to secure their own power and divinity. The obelisk’s continued usage in Europe and later in America led to the creation of arguably the most famous obelisk in the modern world: the Washington Monument

Androgyny in the Ancient World: The Intersection of Politics, Religion and Gender in the Art of Hatshepsut

The Pharaoh Hatshepsut is one of the most well-known rulers of ancient Egypt and she has fascinated historians for decades. She ruled Egypt during the 15th century BCE, coming to power after the death of her husband, Thutmose II. Hatshepsut is particularly interesting to historians due to how she was portrayed in her art. Due to how far in the past she ruled, not many pieces of her art have survived; however, in the objects that we do have she is often shown very androgynously or even in came cases distinctly masculine. My research focuses on the many theories as to why she chose to do this including: that it was politically motivated; that it was an expression of her gender identity as well as society’s view on gender; or that it was a product of their religion. The most likely answer to this question was that it was a combination of all three. Egyptians did not believe in the gender binary mainly due to their religion and the existence of an androgynous god, Amun. Hatshepsut felt very connected to Amun and even claimed that Amun had designated her as the next ruler of Egypt. Most Pharaohs connected themselves to a god for political reasons, and Hatshepsut was no different. While there was definitely a religious aspect to her connection with Amun, she also used it for political reasons and to increase her legitimacy as a ruler. Hatshepsut chose to portray herself androgynously to further connection of Amun and show herself as a strong legitimate leader

Egypt and the Augustan Cultural Revolution : an interpretative archaeological overview

As part of the VIDI 'Cultural innovation in a globalising society: Egypt in the Roman world', this research explores manifestations of Egypt in the material culture of Augustan Rome. This period was a crucial turning point for the urban landscape of Rome, which was characterised by cultural diversity. Previous studies focus primarily on Greek influences on the development of Augustan material culture, while Egypt remains neglected or simply categorised as exoticism or Egyptomania. This research, in contrast, set out to investigate whether or not __Egypt__ constituted an integral part of Augustan material culture during this period. By comprising for the first time a comprehensive and interpretative overview of manifestations of Egypt in Augustan Rome __including public monuments, paintings, and architectural elements as well as pottery, gems, and jewellery from private contexts__ a wide variety of case studies could be conducted, among which object reappraisals as well as new finds and contextual analyses were featured. By focusing on the archaeological data, this study demonstrates that Egypt was not an exotic Outsider in Rome, but constituted a remarkably diverse part of Roman material culture and the Augustan urban landscape, and was integrally part of the inherently flexible Augustan material culture repertoire.Koninklijk Nederlands Instituut te Rome (KNIR) Prins Bernhard CultuurfondsUBL - phd migration 201

Egyptian stasis and imperial quick-time: recursive xenophobia cloaked in mysticism

I will be examining temporality in British texts about Egypt across time. In order to achieve this, I analyze the play Antony and Cleopatra (1606) by William Shakespeare, and put it in conversation with Pharos, the Egyptian (1899) by Guy Newell Boothby. I will also be discussing Alexandria (2009) by Lindsey Davis, as a demonstration that the pattern in my findings is enduring. I will be dissecting the portrayal of Egyptian temporality, which I have found to be conveyed as a stasis, as contrasted by the quick-time of dominating imperial powers. These sources will allow me to compare depictions of generally urgent imperial time as contrasted by Egyptian stasis from the 17th, 19th, and 21st centuries; this cross section of time will allow me to explore temporality across three key centuries in the literary world. In both Antony and Cleopatra and Pharos, the Egyptian, I note that the fetishization of Egyptian identity and symbology via British writers is crucial in establishing Egypt as a stasis. Although fascinatingly similar, I have found a difference between these texts, involving the employment (and lack thereof) of temporal inconsistencies related to Egypt including gaps in time, fainting, entrancement, future-telling, and differences in memory recall. I will be cross-referencing an array of biographical sources of Cleopatra, museum history, and important literary texts starting with Life of Antony by Plutarch, from the first century AD. To supplement my argument, I will be referencing theories on Postcolonialism, temporality, imperialism, and museological exhibition

The Physical and Digital History of the Ancient Egyptian 18th Dynasty Queen Nefertiti High Hat Bust

This paper specifically questions the authenticity of the queen Nefertiti high hat bust currently exhibited at the Berlin Neues Island Museum as a modern fraud. Several factors back up this claim such as the fact that the discoverer, Ludwig Borchart created a carving of plaster of paris that covered the original limestone bust which was made by the royal sculptor, Thutmose. A major point in this composition is the examination of the forty depictions of queen Nefertiti as a black African woman showcasing African facial features. The queen Nefertiti high hat bust at the Neues Berlin Island Museum does not represent the African beauty standard that these other forty depictions of her showcase and is instead Europeanized. The way the bust was handled in the first ten years of its discovery is worth analyzing because Ludwig Borchardt and James Simon didn’t want the bust to be publicly presented. Furthermore, surrounding ancient Egyptian artworks like the Narmer’s palette and the princess Nefertiabet Stele have been included in this paper to elucidate the real origins of ancient Egypt which can be said is black African. In conclusion, the queen Nefertiti high hat bust that was created by Ludwig Borchardt is a white supremacist modern fraud and the film, Django Unchained (2012), fully supports this view which was presented in 2009 by two internationally successful art historian and historian in response to the Berlin Egyptology Museum commission of CT scans to resolve this authenticity controversy