Answers! Mystery in Egyptian statue was 'impossible' to solve

A researcher believes he has found a solution to the mystery surrounding an "impossible" Egyptian sculpture that depicts two individuals, including a Pharaoh.

Controversy surrounding the sculpture continues, with differing opinions and debates among experts in the field of Egyptology.

The limestone sculpture in question is an intriguing three-dimensional representation, depicting a pharaoh sitting on the lap of a kneeling person.

The pharaoh in the statue is depicted on a smaller scale and wears a blue crown, often referred to as the war crown, with an uraeus, a sacred snake, on top of it.

The sculpture was discovered by a team led by Scottish archaeologist Alexander Henry Rhind in Deir el-Medina, near the Valley of the Kings, during excavations carried out in the 1850s.

Margaret Maitland, Senior Curator of the Ancient Mediterranean at the National Museum of Scotland, has conducted research to determine the origin of sculpture and discovered that the place where it was found was inhabited by ancient people responsible for building tombs for the pharaohs. Understand the search!

Egyptian work may be close to an interpretation of scholars

Photo: Copyright National Museums Scotland.

Margaret Maitland highlighted in an article published in the book “Deir el-Medina: Through the Kaleidoscope” that in ancient Egypt it was not common to represent pharaohs alongside non-royal people in 3D sculptures.

This peculiarity of the sculpture in question makes it something intriguing and even “impossible” according to Maitland.

She also shared her observations about the sculpture on a blog, furthering the discussion of this unusual depiction and sparking a debate among scholars and experts in Egyptian art.

By analyzing additional sculptures, ancient historical records and archaeological remains from Deir el-Medina, Maitland made an interesting discovery.

She noted that certain senior individuals in this community were allowed to portray the pharaoh in unique ways that were not common in other regions of Egypt.

This suggests that the “impossible” sculpture depicting the pharaoh on the lap of a kneeling person may have been created within this specific and culturally differentiated context.

During the reign of Ramses II, in Deir el-Medina, there was a cult of worship of statues dedicated to the pharaoh. Although the practice of carving pharaohs together with non-royal people was discouraged, in this particular place and period, this combination was tolerated.

The sculpture in question depicts the pharaoh's statue, not the pharaoh himself, which makes it more acceptable within that context.

These conclusions were presented by Margaret Maitland in her book. Maitland claimed that the pharaoh depicted in the sculpture is probably Ramses II.

Furthermore, she suggested that the person kneeling behind the pharaoh is likely Ramose, a senior scribe and leader of the community. These identifications were made based on analyzes and interpretations of specialists, although there are those who disagree with the discovery.

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