The History of Egypt Podcast - Dominic Perry

Latest Episodes:

Unas the Skywalker. The Pyramid Texts (Part Four) Apr 23, 2024

Show notes

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

Divine young cannibals. The Pyramid Texts (Part Three) Apr 20, 2024

Show notes

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

Buffet of the gods. The Pyramid Texts (Part Two) Apr 18, 2024

Show notes

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

Death is only the beginning. The Pyramid Texts (Part One) Apr 16, 2024

Show notes

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

Interview: God's Wives, King's Daughters - The Princesses of Amarna with Courtney Marx and ARCE Apr 01, 2024

Show notes

The daughters of Akhenaten and Nefertiti were not just "ornaments" for their parents. Like many princesses, they also participated in the religious rituals and royal pageantry of the Egyptian government. In this interview, Courtney Marx (MA, George Mason University) joins us on behalf of the American Research Center in Egypt, to discuss the Amarna princesses and their role as priestesses. We also explore the history of royal women as priestesses and the unique roles they played in the temple rituals. Finally, we explore the aftermath of Amarna: how the visible roles, titles, and imagery of princesses changed following the death of Akhenaten and Nefertiti.

The American Research Center in Egypt is celebrating 75 years of work in the Nile Valley. Dedicated to scholarship of the ancient, medieval, and modern worlds, the ARCE supports researchers and students, funds archaeological and scholarly work, and organises many public outreach programs. Learn more about ARCE at their website and follow the ARCE Podcast online and on all podcasting apps.

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.
Logo image: Block fragment showing two Amarna princesses (Metropolitan Museum of Art 1985.328.6). Photo by Courtney Marx.

Select Bibliography (provided by Courtney Marx):

Ayad, Mariam F. “The God's Wife of Amun: origins and rise to power.” In Carney, Elizabeth D. and Sabine Müller (eds), The Routledge companion to women and monarchy in the ancient Mediterranean world, 47-60. New York: Routledge, 2021.
Ayad, Mariam F. God's Wife, God's Servant: The God's Wife of Amun (ca.740–525 BC). United Kingdom: Taylor & Francis, 2009.
Bryan, Betsy M. “Property and the God’s Wives of Amun.” In D. Lyons and R. Westbrook, eds. Women and Property in Ancient Near Eastern and Mediterranean Societies. Washington, DC: Center For Hellenic Studies, Harvard University, 2005.
Pawlicki, Franciszek. Princess Neferure in the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari: Failed Heiress to the Pharaoh’s Throne? Études et Travaux 21, 109-127. 2007.
Xekalaki, Georgia. Symbolism in the Representation of Royal Children During the New Kingdom. Oxford: Archaeopress, 2011.
Troy, Lana. “Patterns of Queenship in Ancient Egyptian Myth and History.” PhD diss., Uppsala University, 1986.
Williamson, Jacquelyn. “Death and the Sun Temple: New Evidence for Private Mortuary Cults at Amarna.” The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology 103, no. 1 (June 2017): 117–123.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Greatest Pharaoh? The Reign of Thutmose III (Part 2) Mar 27, 2024

Show notes

Following a complicated rise-to-power, King Men-kheper-Ra Djehuty-messu (aka Thutmose III) achieved great victories on the battlefield. His campaigns extended far to the north and south, bringing tribute and captives into Egypt. At home, Thutmose’s building projects were enormous and elaborate. And over fifty-four years of rule, the King’s followers established a legendary reputation…

Date: c.1495 - 1441 BCE.

Episode Chapters:

Part Five - Wives and Warriors: 00:01 - 01:26:22.
Part Six - Revisions to the Past: 01:26:22 - 02:38:29.
Part Seven - Fifty Four Years of Splendour, and the End: 02:38:29 - End.

Logo image: Decorated block of Thutmose III, Luxor Museum. Photo by Dominic Perry.

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.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Greatest Pharaoh? The Reign of Thutmose III (Part 1) Mar 16, 2024

Show notes

At the height of the 18th Dynasty (c.1495 - 1441 BCE), King Men-kheper-Ra Djehuty-messu (aka Thutmose III) ruled Egypt. The start of his reign was unusual, with power wielded primarily by the Queen-King Hatshepsut. But following Hatshepsut's death, Thutmose would rise to the challenges of rule. In this episode, we explore the King's upbringing, his rise-to-power, and the famous Battle of Megiddo.

Compilation of previously released material.

Date: c.1495 - 1441 BCE.

Episode Chapters:

Part One - Little King Thutmose: 02:20 - 37:25.
Part Two - The Battle of Megiddo: 37:25 - 01:10:30.
Part Three - Campaigns of Victory (Thutmose at War): 01:10:30 - 01:50:05.
Part Four - Fighting and Festivals (War Stories and Heb Sed): 01:50:05 - End.

Logo image: Statue of Thutmose III, Luxor Museum. Photo by Dominic Perry.

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.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From Memphis to Mesopotamia (Ancient Egypt & the Near East) Mar 08, 2024

Show notes

In New Kingdom Egypt (c.1500 – 1150 BCE), the rulers and people of the Nile Valley communicated extensively with their eastern neighbours. Trade and diplomacy were far more common than outright conflict. And the Egyptian pharaohs were highly regarded in distant courts. These contacts survive in the archaeological record: detailed texts recording interactions; shipwrecks carrying cargo from the Egyptian court; and even tombs recording the high status of foreigners serving the pharaoh himself.

Compilation of previously released material.

Logo image: A wooden statue head from the tomb of Aper-el / Abdiel. Saqqara, Imhotep Museum, photo by Dominic Perry 2024.

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.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From Memphis to Mycenae (Ancient Egyptians & Early Greeks) Mar 03, 2024

Show notes

In New Kingdom Egypt (c.1500 - 1150 BCE), the pharaohs and their agents had many dealings with people of the Mediterranean. These include the ancient Cretans (the "Keftiu" or Minoans) and the Mycenaeans (the "Danae" or "Danaeans"). And from the time of Amunhotep III (c. 1400--1362 BCE), we have tentative evidence for Egyptian embassies visiting these islands. From Memphis to Mycenae, Karnak to Crete, we go in search of international relations.

Compilation of previously released material.

Logo image: Bull-leaper "taureadors" from an Egyptian palace, fresco fragments excavated at Tell el-Dab'a (ancient Avaris) in the Nile Delta. Image adapted from M. Bietak et al., Taureador Scenes in Tell El-Dab'a (Avaris) and Knossos (2007).

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.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Egyptology News: A New Royal Tomb? Jan 16, 2024

Show notes

A new year dawns, and it’s time to look back. Egyptology and archaeology had a great year in 2023, with numerous major discoveries, studies, and conservation projects reaching fruition. Here is a sample selection of some particularly significant finds…

Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.
Chat with ancient Egypt enthusiasts at our Discord.
Logo image: Statue discovered at Saqqara, 2023.

Select Bibliography (in order of discussion):

Luxor, new royal tomb: Press Release from Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities. Article by Dr. Piers Litherland in Egyptian Archaeology 63 (2023). Hear about the (brief) reign of Thutmose II on the podcast, episode 60 “Thutmosid Family Values.”

Luxor, tomb re-openings: The tomb of Meru (Polish Centre for Mediterranean Archaeology). The tombs of Hurri and Djehuty (Proyecto Djehuty and Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities Press Release).

Abydos, grave goods of Mer(et)-Neith: Press Release from the University of Vienna. Hear about the life and reign of Mer(et)-Neith on the podcast, episode 02 “Horus Takes Flight.”

Abydos, temple of Ramesses II animal burials: Article by Dr. Sameh Iskander in Egyptian Archaeology 63 (2023).

Saqqara, embalming workshops and Old Kingdom tomb: Press Release from the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.

Saqqara, Gisr el-Mudir new finds: Press Release from the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.

Saqqara, new temple for Hathor: Article by Ahmed Osman in Egyptian Archaeology 63 (2023).

Abusir, tomb of the 27th Dynasty scribe Djehuty-em-hat: Press Release from the Czech Institute of Egyptology (Charles University).

Cairo Museum, CT scans and 3d printing of Ptolemaic mummy: Press Release from the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities and open-access article at Frontiers in Medicine.

Egyptology Newsletters and Websites:

Mailing list by The Egyptologists’ Electronic Forum (Application Form).

Updates from The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities on Facebook.

Updates and news from Luxor Times on Facebook.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

The History of Egypt Podcast – Dominic Perry

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected