An Ancient Egyptian Mural Offers an Exquisitely Detailed View of Several Bird Species
A century ago, archaeologists unearthed a 3,300-year-old Egyptian palace in Amarna. Amarna was the capital of Egypt for a short time during the reign of Pharaoh Akhenaten. Far from the crowded areas of Amarna, the North Palace served as a quiet retreat for the royal family.
On the western wall of the lavishly decorated room, known today as the Green Room, excavators uncovered a series of painted plaster panels displaying birds that inhabited the lush papyrus swamp. The artwork was so detailed and skillfully rendered that we were able to accurately identify several bird species, including the common kingfisher (Ceryle rudis) and the common kingfisher (Columba livia).
Recently, two British researchers, zoologist Chris Stimpson of the Oxford University Museum of Natural History and archaeologist Barry Kemp of the University of Cambridge, set out to identify the rest of the birds depicted on the panel. Attempts to preserve the painting in 1926 backfired, resulting in damage and discoloration, so Dr. Stimpson and Dr. Kemp created her 1924 painting by Metropolitan Museum of Art illustrator Nina de Garris Davis. I had to resort to duplication.Their findings were published in a journal in December ancient times. Among the mysteries they sought to solve was why two unidentified birds had triangular tails, while today’s known Egyptian birds do not. bottom.
For thousands of years, large flocks of birds have sailed twice a year between Europe and south-central Africa, flying over Egypt. Seeing these migrations, the ancient Egyptians viewed birds as living symbols of fertility, life and regeneration. With the possible exception of cats, no other animal was so frequently painted, painted, and sculpted in Egyptian art.
Perhaps the most striking is the pied kingfisher, with its black and white plumage, shaggy topknot and narrow beak, commonly referred to as the Helldiver. This bird hunts by tilting its head sharply downward and hovering above the water like a hummingbird. During reconnaissance, the kingfisher folds its wings into a mottled feather, swoops headfirst into the water, and catches prey with its long, pointed beak. Kingfishers appear a lot in Egyptian art. On the walls of the green room, among the stalks and umbels of dense papyrus bushes, it appears at the moment when it descends into hell.
Pigeons of course
Wild rock pigeons are the ancestors of the domesticated pigeon, that plump “sky mouse” that flies from park benches to sidewalks to anywhere dangerous overhead. The painted panel shows several rock doves, but they do not live in Egyptian papyrus marshes. Rather, they prefer the dry desert cliffs of the region. Dr. Stimpson said the birds were included in the wetland landscape “to enhance the sense of a more wild and untouched nature” and that citizens were feeding the early wildlife, so the birds were more likely to be seen. speculated that he might have been drawn to the urban setting near the palace. Archaeologist Manfred Bitak of the Austrian Academy of Sciences said: “In religious doctrine, Akhenaten had a firm opinion of nature, which he claimed was the only true god, the sun god. He was supported and kept alive by Aten.” “This may explain why only nature is depicted in the North Palace.”
scent of heaven
The Green Room, so named for its dominant color, was designed to create a sense of tranquility for Akhenaten’s eldest daughter (and one of his younger wives) Melitaten, who lived there. There is a nature. “The room could have been decorated with fragrant plants and soothing music,” Dr. Stimpson said, adding, “A masterpiece of naturalistic art would have added to the immersive sensory experience.” rice field. A particularly soothing painting showed a perched bird with rich maroon plumage. The researchers identified the creature as either a turtledove (Streptopelia turtur) (which one birdwatcher described as “hearing the color of ripe grains”), its skin-soothing gurgling, or a shrike (Lanius collurio). I interpret that. Butcherbirds are known for their habit of storing their food stores in thorns.
winter tail
Dr. Stimpson and Dr. Kemp were able to identify species with triangular tail marks with the help of a body of published taxonomic and ornithological research. One is the acacia shrike, a common autumn migratory bird in Egypt that often roosts in acacia trees. The other is the white wagtail (Motacilla alba), which is often visited in winter. What causes the tail marks? Researchers suspect it was the artist’s way of indicating the season in which the birds appeared.
