Identity
This limestone head of an Afrikan is about 3,200 years old and was excavated in 1909 from the Palace of Pharaoh Merenptah at Memphis.
There are different opinions about who the ancient Egyptians were. Do you think this head tells us anything about their identity? You can add your own comment in the Explore and Respond area.
"... among the ruins were two colossal negro heads in limestone. They are flat at the back, and their purpose and position are quite unknown." W M F Petrie, excavator, writing in 1909
"While Egyptian artists depicted their fellow-countrymen with idealised features, their portrayal of foreigners was usually condescending, prone to caricature and even, as here, unashamedly racist." Mogens Jorgensen, curator at the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek Museum, writing in 1998
"This striking image reminds us of the ancient Egyptians own official view regarding their fellow Africans: at best slaves, at worst enemies fit only to be crushed - like the owner of this head - under the feet of the colossal pharaoh." Aidan Dodson, Egyptologist, writing in 2007 CE
"What is his status in Egypt? What does his status tell us about the status of the dark skinned Egyptians if anything at all? Who is the model? How do I address him? Brother? Blood? Hotep? Hello? How would he address me?" Edson Burton, poet, writing in 2004 CE
"You (the sun-god) made the earth as you wished... you set every man in his place... Their tongues differ in speech, their characters likewise; their skins are distinct, for you distinguished the peoples." from the unknown author of the Great Hymn to the Aten, writing about 3,350 years ago
"If you reflected upon them [the pyramids] you find that the most noble intellects were put into them and the highest minds were behind them." Al-Baghdadi, doctor, historian and philosopher, writing about 750 years ago in his book Al-Ifadah
" ... the dominant perception of ancient Egypt , particularly in western thought, has long been 'in Africa, but not of Africa'." David O'Connor and Andrew Reid, Egyptologists, writing in 2003 CE
"They did not define themselves by race. The Egyptians are perhaps best defined by cultural factors: those who lived in Egypt and belonged to the Egyptian system." Robert Morkot, Egyptologist, writing in 2005
"They called their country Ta mery, the beloved land, Ta shemau, Upper Egypt (the Nile valley), Ta mehu, Lower Egypt (the delta marshland), Kemet, the black land, Deshret, the red land. They called themselves remetch, the people, or remetch en Kemet, the people of the black land." Sue Giles, Curator, writing in 2007
"To be an Egyptian, one simply acted the part. It was all a matter of style, of cultural statement. Most important, it seems, was speaking Egyptian..." Barry Kemp, Egyptologist, writing in 2006
"How can 'you' read 'me'? State? Race? Class? Which of your words do you use for me? African? Egyptian? Do you read my face, or the hand of my maker? Or the cult of the ruler I was meant to adorn?" Stephen Quirke, Egyptologist, writing in 2007
"I am created in the likeness and image of the Creator God; endowed with skills and knowledge to enrich humankind. For too long now, some men have wanted to make me and others like me, believe we have never contributed anything positive to world civilization." Catherine Waithe, Community Education tutor, trainer and counsellor, born in the Caribbean of African and Caribbean descent, writing in 2007.
There are different opinions about who the ancient Egyptians were. Do you think this head tells us anything about their identity? You can add your own comment in the Explore and Respond area.
"... among the ruins were two colossal negro heads in limestone. They are flat at the back, and their purpose and position are quite unknown." W M F Petrie, excavator, writing in 1909
"While Egyptian artists depicted their fellow-countrymen with idealised features, their portrayal of foreigners was usually condescending, prone to caricature and even, as here, unashamedly racist." Mogens Jorgensen, curator at the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek Museum, writing in 1998
"This striking image reminds us of the ancient Egyptians own official view regarding their fellow Africans: at best slaves, at worst enemies fit only to be crushed - like the owner of this head - under the feet of the colossal pharaoh." Aidan Dodson, Egyptologist, writing in 2007 CE
"What is his status in Egypt? What does his status tell us about the status of the dark skinned Egyptians if anything at all? Who is the model? How do I address him? Brother? Blood? Hotep? Hello? How would he address me?" Edson Burton, poet, writing in 2004 CE
"You (the sun-god) made the earth as you wished... you set every man in his place... Their tongues differ in speech, their characters likewise; their skins are distinct, for you distinguished the peoples." from the unknown author of the Great Hymn to the Aten, writing about 3,350 years ago
"If you reflected upon them [the pyramids] you find that the most noble intellects were put into them and the highest minds were behind them." Al-Baghdadi, doctor, historian and philosopher, writing about 750 years ago in his book Al-Ifadah
" ... the dominant perception of ancient Egypt , particularly in western thought, has long been 'in Africa, but not of Africa'." David O'Connor and Andrew Reid, Egyptologists, writing in 2003 CE
"They did not define themselves by race. The Egyptians are perhaps best defined by cultural factors: those who lived in Egypt and belonged to the Egyptian system." Robert Morkot, Egyptologist, writing in 2005
"They called their country Ta mery, the beloved land, Ta shemau, Upper Egypt (the Nile valley), Ta mehu, Lower Egypt (the delta marshland), Kemet, the black land, Deshret, the red land. They called themselves remetch, the people, or remetch en Kemet, the people of the black land." Sue Giles, Curator, writing in 2007
"To be an Egyptian, one simply acted the part. It was all a matter of style, of cultural statement. Most important, it seems, was speaking Egyptian..." Barry Kemp, Egyptologist, writing in 2006
"How can 'you' read 'me'? State? Race? Class? Which of your words do you use for me? African? Egyptian? Do you read my face, or the hand of my maker? Or the cult of the ruler I was meant to adorn?" Stephen Quirke, Egyptologist, writing in 2007
"I am created in the likeness and image of the Creator God; endowed with skills and knowledge to enrich humankind. For too long now, some men have wanted to make me and others like me, believe we have never contributed anything positive to world civilization." Catherine Waithe, Community Education tutor, trainer and counsellor, born in the Caribbean of African and Caribbean descent, writing in 2007.