Pictures of Archaeological Artefacts

The Guennol Lioness

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guennol_Lioness

A work of pure perfection. Stunning!!

This is a really cool thread. Well done OP.

Brilliant thread

Lector Priest of Ptah, Pa-aker
(Egypt; Old Kingdom; Late 4th Dynasty-Early 5th Dynasty, circa 2500 B.C.E.)

This particular sculpture has always fascinated me. On display in the Cairo museum, Egypt, it was carved from a single piece of sycamore (the arms were attached separately), and stands 112 cm. tall (3.67ft.). It was discovered in the mastaba tomb of Pa-aker by Egyptologist, Auguste Mariette, close to the Step Pyramid of Djoser, during excavations there in 1870. It would have originally been gessoed (covered in a thin layer of plaster) and painted. The exquisite looking eyes were fashioned from rock crystal and quartz.





Not much is known about the man himself only that he was a Lector priest (recited spells and hymns during temple rituals and ceremonies), and army scribe of the King (Pharaoh Userkaf). Another wooden sculpture found in the tomb alongside Pa-aker's was a female statue believed to be that of his wife.

It's breathtakingly lifelike. A masterpiece!





I've had an enduring fascination with all things ancient Egyptian since a national school pal of mine showed me photos of her trip to Egypt with her family. Unfortunately, I haven't yet been. Not sure this pasty-skinned Irishman could stand the 40+ degrees temperatures of Cairo and Luxor!

@ Gruffalux

Thanks for the heads-up on the Netflix film 'The Dig'. I've watched almost half of it, and hope to look at the rest shortly. I've actually seen the Sutton Hoo treasures in the British Museum, but have to say was a little underwhelmed. To be fair, I probably didn't spend enough time there to appreciate it fully. If I can recall, the Lewis Chessmen https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_chessmen were in close proximity, which leads me cunningly on to my next offering!

The Clonard Chess Piece
(Co. Meath; Late twelfth century; H. 7.25cm.)







I was recently thumbing through a wonderful publication called 'Treasures of the National Museum of Ireland - Irish Antiquities' which was co-edited by Dr. Pat Wallace and Dr. Raghnall Ó Floinn, and spotted the above piece, an artefact I had not been familiar with (by the way, a better image of the artefact can be found on page 282 of the above said publication; the image posted above, the only one I could find, doesn't do it justice). It was reputedly found with several other chess pieces in a bog in the townland of Clonard, Co. Meath in about 1817. Sadly, it is now the only surviving piece of that hoard. What's remarkable about it is that it bears incredible similarities to pieces in the Lewis Chessmen collection, so much so, that it's been suggested it came from the same workshop. The figure is that of a queen, which has been sculpted from either walrus ivory or bone (now heavily stained brown in colour having sat for centuries in the peat of an Irish bogland). So how did these pieces end up where they did?

Clonard was the site of an early monastic settlement founded by Naomh Finnian, circa 520 A.D. - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clonard_Abbey
A cursory look at Google maps shows that the Boyne river is not that far away from the townland, and that the settlement was also on the Esker Riada, so easily accessible for a marauding band of pillaging Vikings.

My overactive imagination would have me believe they belonged to a member of a Viking raiding party who had brought them along on their journey for entertainment, prior to beating the bejaysus out of some hapless Irish monks. A little bit of intellectual stimulation before turning pure savage . The late twelfth century date postulated for the manufacture of the chess pieces would suggest otherwise I guess?

Gruffalux wrote: »

Continuing a yarn theme, coincidentally, these caught my eye today.



These socks were designed to be worn with sandals.

Made in Egypt between 250 - 420 AD. Using a single needle knitting technique - nålbindning - that was a precursor to 2 needle knitting.



Here is a child's sock, also found in Egypt, and from 3rd to 4th century.
The yarn has been analysed using multi-spectral imaging.



https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smartnews-history-archaeology/1700-year-old-sock-spins-yarn-about-ancient-egyptian-fashion-180970501/

It's a very hippie looking sock!

Another funky-looking 1700 year old Egyptian sock.

Almost identical to Japanese type.