30 September 2023 The Future is the Product of the Past

Ushabti figurines on display at Izmir Archeology Museum

The 2,700-year-old “Ushabti” statuettes, discovered in archaeological digs in western Turkey and used in Egyptian burial ceremonies, are being shown for the first time at an archeological museum in the Aegean Izmir province.

Ushabti figurines are important finds in terms of showing the political, social, cultural, and economic relations established between Egypt and Anatolia.

The figurines, which have been preserved in the warehouses of the Izmir Archeology Museum for nearly 80 years, were opened to visitors until the end of September as part of the “You Will See What You Don’t See” project.

In ancient Egyptian tombs, ushabti figurines, which are tiny statuettes made of wood, stone, or faience, are frequently found in great numbers.

In the Izmir Archeology Museum, three Anatolian clay Ushabti sculptures greet their visitors.

In the Izmir Archeology Museum, three Anatolian clay Ushabti sculptures greet their visitors. Photograph by Ömer Evren Atalay – Anadolu Agency
In the Izmir Archeology Museum, three Anatolian clay Ushabti sculptures greet their visitors. Photograph by Ömer Evren Atalay – Anadolu Agency

The figurines, with hieroglyphic inscriptions saying “ready for calls of duty of gods,” will remain open to visitors in the treasury hall of the Izmir Archaeological Museum until the end of the month.

Ushabti figures

“According to Egyptian religion, when the deceased awoke in the hereafter, the ushabtis would likewise awaken and do whatever menial chores that the deceased had been assigned. Egyptians relied extensively on agriculture in their everyday lives, and it was thought that this would continue in the afterlife, thus most ushabtis are portrayed clutching agricultural instruments like hoes or seed sacks to continue their farmwork in the hereafter,” Hunkar Keser, the director of Izmir Archaeological Museum, told Anadolu Agency.

Keser said that another important feature of the figurines is the writings on them. “Each figure was generally engraved with a brief spell from the Book of the Dead to ensure the ushabti understood what to perform. This spell was designed to bring the ushabti to life and gave the ushabti instructions for performing work on behalf of the deceased.” Keser noted that hieroglyphic inscriptions were found especially in the leg section of Ushabti.

“We know that Anatolia and Egypt had very important deep-rooted relations in the fields of politics, culture, art, and trade in every period of history,” she said.

Banner
Related Post

Unique ancient Egyptian amulet seal discovered during archeological excavations in northern Turkey

11 November 2022

11 November 2022

During archaeological excavations in the ancient city of Amastris in the Amasra district of northern Turkey’s Bartın, an enchanted amulet...

134 ancient settlements discovered north of Hadrian’s Wall

26 May 2022

26 May 2022

134 ancient settlements have been found during a survey of the region north of Hadrian’s Wall in the United Kingdom....

A center on the Anatolian Mesopotamian trade route; Tavsanli Mound

24 October 2021

24 October 2021

Excavations at Tavşanlı mound, which is known to be the first settlement in Western Anatolia during the Bronze Age, continue....

1,500-year-old mosaic found near the Caliph’s palace at Khirbat al-Minya on the Sea of Galilee

30 September 2022

30 September 2022

Archaeologists from Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz uncovered an ancient mosaic that once lay in the shadow of a caliph palace...

One of the greatest gold treasures in Danish history found in Vindelev

6 September 2021

6 September 2021

Near the town of Jelling in Denmark, one of the biggest treasures ever found dating from the sixth century has...

Evidence of a Roman shrine dating back was discovered during dig at Leicester Cathedral

7 March 2023

7 March 2023

Excavations by the University of Leicester archaeologists for have uncovered evidence that the site of Leicester Cathedral has been used...

A 7,500-year-old settlement has been discovered in Turkey’s Domuztepe Mound

11 September 2021

11 September 2021

During the most recent excavations at Domuztepe Mound in the Türkoğlu district of southern Turkey’s Kahramanmaraş province, a settlement and...

A Connection Between Viking Knots And Quantum Vortices Discovered

14 December 2022

14 December 2022

Scientists demonstrated how three vortices can be linked in such a way that they cannot be dismantled. Although this study...

Largest Anglo-Saxon cemetery discovered in Britain illuminates ‘Dark Ages’

16 June 2022

16 June 2022

Archaeologists working on HS2 (the purpose-built high-speed railway line) have discovered a rich Anglo-Saxon cemetery in Wendover, Buckinghamshire, where almost...

The earliest human remains 11,000-year-old discovered in northern Britain

25 January 2023

25 January 2023

An international team of archaeologists at the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) has discovered 11,000-year-old human remains in the Heaning...

China’s construction of the first archaeological museum which will house the famous Terracotta Warriors has been completed

19 April 2022

19 April 2022

Construction of the first archaeological museum in China’s northwestern province of Shaanxi, which will house the famous Terracotta Warriors, was...

A 3800-year-old cylinder seal was discovered at Turkey’s Tepebag Mound excavations

8 July 2022

8 July 2022

In the 2022 excavations of Tepebag Mound, located around Taşköprü, the center of Adana province in Turkey’s Mediterranean Region, a...

The discovery of great importance for Urartian archeology in Çavuştepe castle: Discovered a horse skeleton with a bronze curb bit in its jaw

28 September 2023

28 September 2023

Archaeologists unearthed a horse skeleton with a bronze curb bit (a metal piece inserted into its mouth to guide the...

15 new sculptures discovered in Turkey’s sculpture paradise Yesemek

8 December 2021

8 December 2021

Archaeologists discovered 15 new sculptures during recent digs around the Yesemek Open Air Museum and Sculpture Workshop in the Islahiye...

Archaeologists discover 1200-year-old Wari temple complex in Peru

24 February 2023

24 February 2023

Archaeologists from the University of Illinois Chicago have uncovered a temple complex constructed by the Wari Empire 1,200 years ago...

Comments
Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *