Babylon's Baffling Backstories

04/16/2024

Colossi of Memnon

04/15/2024

A Roman aqueduct still standing the test of time in Zaghouan, Tunisia. The aqueduct was used to supply water for the city of Carthage. This 132 kilometer-long aqueduct was one of the longest aqueducts in the Roman Empire.

04/15/2024

Mit Rahina Museum "Memphis"
- Al Badrashin Giza

📸 Egypt With Ahmed

04/15/2024

This is the impressive facial reconstruction of Queen Nefertiti, who ruled during the 18th Dynasty of ancient Egypt. Her name means "The Beauty Has Arrived" and now we understand why she was called that.

04/11/2024

Newgrange, a prehistoric monument located in County Meath, Ireland. It is one of the most iconic Neolithic structures in Europe. This ancient passage tomb dates back to around 3200 BC, making it older than Stonehenge and the Great Pyramids of Giza. It consists of a large circular mound, approximately 85m in diameter, and is surrounded by kerbstones adorned with intricate carvings.

The central feature of Newgrange is its long passage, which leads to a central chamber. During the winter solstice, a remarkable phenomenon occurs when the rising sun aligns perfectly with the passage’s entrance. This remarkable event, known as the “Winter Solstice Sunrise,” demonstrates the advanced understanding of astronomy possessed by the Neolithic builders of Newgrange.

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04/11/2024

حتحور

📸 Egypt With Ahmed
معبد حتشبسوت
الدير البحري - الاقصر

04/11/2024

Prince Montuherkhepeshef ("Montu is above his powerful arm"), also sometimes known as Ramesses-Montuherkhepeshef, was the firstborn son of Ramesses XI, who died before he could become king.

The prince held titles such as; "First King"s Son of his Body"; "Eldest King"s Son of his Body"; "Generalissimo; and Executive at the Head of the Two Lands".

New Kingdom, 20th Dynasty, c. 1129–1111 B.C.
Tomb of Montuherkhepeshef, KV19. Valley of the Kings.

04/11/2024

Topsail of HMS Victory from the Battle of Trafalgar, 1805

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04/10/2024

An 18th century CE ivory d***o complete with contrivance for simulating ej*******on and its own discreet cloth bag. The didlo was hidden in the seat of a Louis XV armchair found in a convent near Paris. Now housed at the Science Museum in London

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04/10/2024

Heart Scarab of Hatnefer

New Kingdom, early 18th Dynasty, ca. 1492-1473 BC.
Serpentinite and gold.
Metropolitan Museum of Art. 36.3.2

The heart scarab of Hatnefer is an exceptionally fine example of this type of funerary equipment and is comparable to those made for contemporary royalty. Every feature of the scarab beetle is carefully rendered. The exquisite chain is made of gold wire, plaited in a quadruple-link pattern.

Heart scarabs were very popular amulets. For the ancient Egyptians the heart was not only the center of life, but also of thinking, memory, and moral values. In the final judgement the heart was thought to be weighed against Maat – the principle of order and justice. Only if the deceased had lived a righteous life was he or she allowed to live on in the afterlife.

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04/10/2024

Mummy of King Merneptah

King Merneptah was originally buried within tomb (KV8) in the Valley of the Kings, but his mummy was not found there. In 1898 it was located along with eighteen other mummies in the mummy cache found in the tomb of Amenhotep II (KV35) by Victor Loret.

In their search for gold, the tomb-robbers split the mummy’s right clavicle and injured the left shoulder, possibly by using a knife or an axe to cut a hole through the body. The skin of the mummy became unusually brighter, mainly due to the salt that was heavily used in the mummification process. The king apparently suffered from dental problems and fractures in his thighbones.

He is best known for his military campaigns, particularly his victory over the Libyans and the Sea Peoples. He successfully defended Egypt against these external threats and is famous for his inscription, known as the Merneptah Stele, which documents his triumphs.

Merneptah successfully secured the throne and established a stable succession by designating his son, Seti II, as his successor. This ensured a smooth transition of power after his death.

New Kingdom, 19th Dynasty, reign of Merneptah, ca. 1213-1203 BC. Now in the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization (NMEC), Cairo. JE 34562

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04/10/2024