Emma

"E"Egyptian Musical Instruments." N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Sep 2010. .  Egyptian harps of various shapes and sizes have been displayed in recovered Egyptian art. The number of the strings varies from as few as four to as many as twenty-two. The deities have been represented holding and playing the harp, and it is assumed that the instrument was important in religious services as they have been found in numerous temple ruins, as well as depicted in temple art. There were two main designs: the smaller shoulder, or arch shaped harp, and the larger bow-shaped harp. Despite the different sizes and designs, the two instruments produce the same sound. It has been tested in modern times, though it is possible that the originals were made slightly differently. Nothing to that extent has been proven, but one can wonder. The harp could be played either with one or two hands by plucking on the strings. The harps were made at about 3000 B.C.   **An arched shoulder harp. ** "Harp." //Comparison Between Egyptian Music and Spanish Flamenco//. Web. 17 Sep 2010. .
 * Stick Project**
 * Egyptian Bow harp**

It’s likely that the first harps were, as the bow harp’s name suggests, originally intended for archery, but someone noticed that when the string was plucked, it made a single, long noise. Additional strings produced more music: length, position, and thickness of the string affected the sound. After a time, a way to enlarge and hollow out the bow was found, and the range of sound for the harp was lengthened. media type="youtube" key="rIIeXgy827A?fs=1" height="385" width="480"
 * W**

A list of the places harps were discovered:

• The tomb of Debhen from Giza [c. 2550 BCE] depicts two bow harps, with well defined sound bodies. • A huge bow harp is depicted in a relief from the tomb of  Seshemnofer [Giza, 5th Dynasty, c. 2500 BCE]. • A bow harp is depicted in a scene from the tomb of Ti [c. 2400 BCE] at Sakkara. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">• A bow harp is depicted in the Ptah-hotep tomb [c. 2400  <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">BCE]. The scene shows 2-tone playing [also see page 73]. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">• A harp is depicted in a relief from the tomb of Nekauhor <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">[2390 BCE, Sakkara, now at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">York]. The scene shows 3-tone playing of music [also see <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">page 73-4]. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">• 5 harp players in polyphonic playing are depicted in  <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Idut’s tomb, [c. 2320 BCE] at Sakkara. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">• The wife of the deceased Mereruka [c. 2290 BCE] is shown <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">playing a large harp in Mereruka’s tomb in Sakkara. She <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">is playing two different strings of the harp—polyphony <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">• A bow harp is depicted in Rekhmire’s tomb [c. 1420 BCE], <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">in **Ta-Apet** (Thebes). The string pegs are neatly depicted <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">in the form of a modern trumpet mouthpiece. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">• A bow harp is depicted in the tomb of Nakht [15th century <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">BCE], **Ta-Apet** (Thebes). <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">( Egyptian Musical Instruments 2) <span style="color: #333333; display: block; font-family: 'times new roman',times,serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; letter-spacing: 2px; margin-left: 30px; padding-bottom: 8px; padding-left: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px; text-align: left; text-indent: -30px;">"Harp." Web. 17 Sep 2010. []. <span style="color: #333333; display: block; font-family: 'times new roman',times,serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; letter-spacing: 2px; margin-left: 30px; padding-bottom: 8px; padding-left: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px; text-align: left; text-indent: -30px;">**The Process** <span style="color: #333333; display: block; font-family: 'times new roman',times,serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; letter-spacing: 2px; margin-left: 30px; padding-bottom: 8px; padding-left: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px; text-align: left; text-indent: -30px;"> <span style="color: #333333; display: block; font-family: 'times new roman',times,serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; letter-spacing: 2px; margin-left: 30px; padding-bottom: 8px; padding-left: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px; text-align: left; text-indent: -30px;">**The Stick (and my feet)** <span style="color: #333333; display: block; font-family: 'times new roman',times,serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; letter-spacing: 2px; margin-left: 30px; padding-bottom: 8px; padding-left: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px; text-align: left; text-indent: -30px;">**S**s <span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 1.5pt; line-height: 115%;">"In"Introduction to the Harp." Dragonwing, n.d. Web. 17 Sep 2010. []. <span style="color: #333333; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 1.5pt; line-height: 115%;">Egyptian Musical Instruments." N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Sep 2010. [].
 * Modern harps.**
 * Stripping the bark off**
 * Attatching the String**



Finch, 20010.

The modified statue allows the viewer to imagine themselves as part of the scene. The vertical lines reach towards heaven and though there is no light on the statue itself, there is light on the altar behind it. The statue is a small personal aspect of a largely impersonal building. The intention is to create reflection and contemplation and the smaller scale of the statue allows that. The person praying kneels before the statue, conveniently sized up, with Jesus being the highest of the three figures, and then there is a sense of connection to the divine. Supposedly. The flowers are a nice touch. Keeps everything alive. The style of the statues is highly realistic, allowing for an easier connection to the scene. It's not an abstact idea to meditate on, but a stone-solid image to become a part of.

[] St. Mary's Basilica

The sun-like design on the ceiling invokes heaven, done in bright gold to symbolize power, happiness, and all those good things. The windows provide natural light and keep the room feeling alive and large, not closed off and stuffy. Lots of positive space and smooth, geometric forms. The only sharp lines are on the stone that Mary is standing on and the angles bowing before her, and the rays of the sun. Everything else has a smooth edge.



Finch, 2010. Hard stone. Only the column are smooth and polished, everything else is rough, aiding to increase its height and appearence of strength. Duality of faith and science represented in the statues of the angles. Circles around the Greek cross: a cycle. Circle of life. Everything comes full circle. Might just be the lighting, but it looks tall, dark, and forboding. A strong institution.

Saint_Paul's_Cathedral-St_Paul-2004-05-22

A dove of peace on the ceiling, and the twelve apostles in a circle around it. Positive space near the dome and a lot of postive space closer to the ground: heaven is free and ordered, but earth is cluttered and crowded, perhaps. Stainglass windows give sme natural light, but most of the reflection comes from the gold. The altar seems large compared to the Basillica's. More emphasis on the objects and their rituals.

**<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">The Rise and Fall of Monotheism During the Reign of Pharaoh Akhenaten **

**<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Thesis **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">: The distance Pharaoh Akhenaten kept between himself and the people he ruled prevented his monotheistic religion from having lasting influence after his death.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">Pharaoh Akhenaten took power in 1539 BC, the start of the New Kingdom period, after the death of his father Amenhotep III (Rubalcaba 11). Unpopular in court due to his reclusive nature and odd appearance – historians believe he suffered from a genetic condition known as Marfan Syndrome – Akhenaten had limited influence as a ruler. Though favored by his mother, Queen Tiy, Akhenaten had little pull over his subjects. Akhenaten is not referred to – either by name or image – often during his father’s reign as pharaoh; the only record of him was found on the seal of a wine jar discovered by archeologists in Malkata (Redford 58-59). People simply didn’t know him and thus had no reason to respect his authority. The religious reforms he made thus were also politically motivated, as they allowed him near complete control over all of the open religious practices in Egypt and the heart of the Egyptian people. For a time, at least.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">The cult of the sun god centered on the worship of the god Aten. Religiously, monotheism and the cult of the sun god existed in Egypt prior to Akhenaten’s rule, though neither had gained much prominence (Malam 17). It was not a religion that Akhenaten pulled out of thin air simply to serve his own ends. However, the cult of the sun god would have seemed odd to the Egyptians. Though Akhenaten allowed Aten to be personified as a falcon-headed man in the beginning, later the god could only be portrayed as the rays of the sun. He had no mythology and no personality as the old gods had. Instead, the sun itself was worshipped, more as an object than a humanized god with a relatable personality and emotions (Redford 2).

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">During the fifth year of his rule, Akhenaten moved the Egyptian capital from its traditional location at Thebes to the new city of Akhetaten, modern day Ararna (Rubalcaba 23). Focused more on decorating his new temples and holding lavish festivals in the sun god’s honor, Akhenaten ignored the political situation outside his city walls. Akhetaten was built without fortifications and as far as historians can tell, never needed them (Mot 60). The royal family had little interest in playing the political game and lost influence with their allies as a result. Furthermore, they lost trade opportunities and suffered economically. Under the old Egyptian pantheon, bad economic turns were seen as evidence of the gods’ displeasure, and people became wary of all the changes Akhenaten had made. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">After Akhenaten’s death, Egypt returned the capital to Thebes and after a short intermediate period, to polytheism as well. Though the sun cult survived, it never regained the prominence it had held during Akhenaten’s rule. Because Akhenaten had made himself the sole expert on Aten’s worship, the religion had no disciples. This, coupled with Egypt’s political and economic bad fortune, did not allow Akhenaten’s reforms to survive with any true prominence after his death.


 * Conclusion:** Akhenaten's reforms did not reflect kindly on Egypt in the political or economic spheres, nor did they truly inspire the people. It was a religion of the royal family that only briefly touched the regular citizens, and so did not survive Akhenaten's death.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">Mot, Eléonore, and Jack Lindsay. //The age of Akhenaten.// London: Evelyn, <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">Adams & Mackay, 1966. Print. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Jack Lindsay has translated over fifty primary documents and written many books on historical and political subjects, including ancient Egypt. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; line-height: 115%;">Eleonore Bille-de-Mot has written only one book. //The Age of Akhenaten// provided information about Akhenaten’s reign, religious reforms, and how both were perceived by Egypt at large. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tabstops: 11.0pt .5in;">Redford, Donald B. //Akhenaten, the heretic king.// Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 1984. Print.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Donald Redford is a [|Canadian] <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; line-height: 115%;"> [|Egyptologist] and [|archaeologist], currently Professor of Classics and Ancient Mediterranean Studies at [|__Pennsylvania State University__] and the winner of the 1993 “//Best Scholarly Book in Archeology//” award. //Akhenaten The Heretic King// provided insight into the political as well as religious motivations behind Akhenaten’s reforms.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tabstops: 11.0pt .5in;">Rubalcaba, Jill. //National Geographic investigates ancient Egypt: archaeology unlocks// <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tabstops: 11.0pt .5in;">//the secrets of Egypt's past//. Washington, DC: National Geographic, 2007. Print.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in;">Jill Rubalcaba is a respected author of several young adult nonfiction books. National Geographic is a respected publisher of ancient history books as well as cultural studies. Rubalcaba’s book allowed for factual insight into Akhenaten’s rule.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">Malam, John. //Ancient Egypt.// New York: Enchanted Lion Books, 2004. Print.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">John Malam studied <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; line-height: 115%;">Ancient History and Archaeology at the University of Birmingham and later was employed as an archaeologist in the Ironbridge Gorge Museum. //Ancient Egypt// gave extensive information on Egyptian religious and cultural practices, and how these were affected by Akhenaten’s religious reforms.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">**Picture Analysis**

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">

<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 1.5pt; line-height: normal; margin: 7.5pt; text-indent: -22.5pt;">"akhenaten_family." Web. 6 Dec 2010. <http://www.egyptcx.netfirms.com/akhenaten_family.jpg>.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">Akhenaten is portrayed in this image with his wife, Nefertiti, and two of their daughters. Aten is portrayed, not as a humanized god, but simply as the rays of the sun. Perhaps to give the Egyptian people something more extraordinary to focus on, the rays have hands at the end, blessing the royal family. Many Egyptian gods had children – divine offspring - but because Aten was the only god in the new religion, the royal family served that purpose, another concession towards making the transition between new and old religious traditions a bit smoother for the Egyptian people. Before the New Kingdom period and Akhenaten’s rule, intimacy and the daily life of the royal family was not recorded or portrayed in any art. Along with heightened realism, this was now allowed under Akhenaten. Artisans were encouraged to depict what they saw and not record the pharaoh or his family in idealized forms, as had been previously done. In this image, Akhenaten kisses his young daughter on the head and converses with his wife: there is no ceremony, no diplomatic function, and no religious imagery, save for the rays of Aten’s light. Though far more realistic than previous art had been, the imagery is still highly stylized. Things did not change completely under Akhenaten.

//<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">The <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Amarna Le tters // //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 0px; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; overflow: hidden;">﻿ //
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">Primary Document **

<span style="color: #333333; display: block; font-family: times new roman,times,serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; letter-spacing: 2px; margin-left: 30px; padding-bottom: 8px; padding-left: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px; text-align: left; text-indent: -30px;">"amarna_letters." Web. 7 Dec 2010. []. <span style="color: #333333; display: block; font-family: times new roman,times,serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; letter-spacing: 2px; margin-left: 30px; padding-bottom: 8px; padding-left: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px; text-align: left; text-indent: -30px;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">"Is such a present that of a Great King? Gold in your country is dirt; one simply gathers it up" (Morgan 39). <span style="color: #333333; display: block; font-family: times new roman,times,serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; letter-spacing: 2px; margin-left: 30px; padding-bottom: 8px; padding-left: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px; text-align: left; text-indent: -30px;">//<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 0px; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; overflow: hidden;">﻿ // <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">The sixteenth Amarna letter detailed Pharaoh Akhenaten’s growing disinterest with the political climate outside Egypt’s borders – and indeed the ones within Egypt but out of sight of his new city. Akhenaten demands gold as tribute, though offered no troop support to his allies and spent more time messing up the negotiations for an arranged marriage between himself and a Syrian princess, and Akhenaten’s daughter and another Syrian noble. As it happened, neither went through. Akhenaten spent more time building his new capital city and decorating the temples to Aten than he did working politics with his neighboring allies. During Akhenaten’s rule, Hittite invaders retook land under Syrian control – Syria, a longtime ally of Egypt’s – requested aid that Akhenaten did not give. Even when the Hittites took land under Egyptian control, Akhenaten did not send a military force out to regain the land. This also made Egypt’s economics suffer; as trade options dwindled the more Akhenaten did not pay respect to his allies. **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Interactive ** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">Soon after I got my first books from the library, I contacted Dr. Parkinson of the British Museum for help gathering additional sources, using the email included below. Unfortunately, he was in Egypt and unavailable at the time. One of his fellow workers responded with several titles she thought would be useful. -

Dear Mr. Parkinson,

My name is Emma Johnson-Rivard and I am a high school senior at St. Paul Academy. I am doing a research project on Pharaoh Akhenaten, with a focus on the cultural effects that the change from polytheism to monotheism had on the people during Akhenaten’s rule, and why the practice of polytheism resumed so quickly after Akhenaten’s reign ended. Any resources you could recommend to me would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you,

Emma Johnson-Rivard -

I received this response two days later.

Dr Parkinson is in Egypt for the next three weeks. Sources for Akhenaton and his religion that might be useful to you are D. Redford, Ahkenaton, The Heretic King. Princeton 1984

A good bibliography can be found in the Exhibition catalogue : Pharaohs of the Sun.: Akhenaton, Nefertiti, Tutankhamen. Edited by R.E. Freed, Y. Markowitz and S. D'Auria. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. 1999.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Social history <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> of the New Kingdom is discussed in  <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">B.J. Kemp, Ancient Egypt : Anatomy of a Civilization. New York 2006, especially the chapters on the New Kingdom Mature State.

Sincerely, <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Dr Renee Friedman

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">- I could only locate one of the books, //Akhenaten, The Heretic King//, but it proved incredibly useful to my paper, <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">especially in detailing how Akhenaten’s religious reforms affected the royal court, the regular Egyptian citizens, artisans, and how Egypt’s foreign allies reacted to the change. Surprisingly, the foreign allies didn’t really care what Akhenaten did religiously, but they were not happy about how he ignored them and failed to pay them respect.