Foundation deposit

Alabaster foundation deposit with some hieroglyphs, Reign of Tuthmosis III.

Most of all Egypt's best built monuments, were somehow related to religion and all construction of religious buildings in ancient Egypt began with ceremonies of very ancient origin. Today, we call these foundation rituals. The rituals involved leaving a foundation deposit buried not only under the corners of, for example, a temple, but sometimes at the apex and even at the corners of individual halls, courtyards and shrines as well as underneath pylons, columns and obelisks.

Normally, these items were not even inscribed, but when they were, mostly during the Middle and New Kingdom period, they usually only stated the name of the king who commissioned the construction and perhaps the deity to whom the temple was dedicated. These inscriptions usually followed a formula such as "The good king beloved of (Deity's name) Lord of (City or Temple name).

Size: 6 x 4,5 cm

Material: Alabaster

Period: New Kingdom

Provenance: Private Belgium collection G. Gloetens

2011TG1293     Price  SOLD