The Nile has always played an integral role in the lives of Egyptians, and the ancients had a unique way of interpreting stories of the river. It is the longest river in the world flowing 6695 kilometers (4184 miles) from the eastern interior to the Mediterranean Sea. The sources are Lake Victoria in Uganda and Lake Tana, in Ethiopia. The most … [Read more...] about Going Upriver
ancient Egyptians
Dendera Temple Ceiling Colors
At several places within the Temple of Dendera the colors from antiquity were visible. Here you can see the remains of a bluish pigment on the ceiling. The ancient Egyptians used two blues. One is the Egyptian blue frit described in an earlier blog entry and the other azurite. It is impossible to tell which was used here without analyzing a … [Read more...] about Dendera Temple Ceiling Colors
Egyptian Blue
Though often lavishly used in decorative arts in Egypt for thousands of years, there is no evidence that lapis lazuli was used as a pigment. The ancient Egyptians invented a different and just as beautiful blue called Egyptian Blue frit, shown above. This pigment consisted of a crystalline compound of silica, copper, and lime. It is thought the … [Read more...] about Egyptian Blue
Papyrus to Paper
What would it be like to have to make each piece of paper before you write a letter or begin a novel or create a work of art? This is exactly the task the ancient Egyptians had to perfect before each project was initiated. Sheets of papyrus required specific tools and skills to complete this laborious task. We spent a … [Read more...] about Papyrus to Paper