The 26th Dynasty, also known as the Saite
Period, is traditionally placed by scholars at the
end of the Third Intermediate Period or at the
beginning of the Late Dynastic Period. In either
case, the Saite Period rose from the ashes of a
decentralized Egyptian state that had been
ravaged by foreign occupation. Supported by the
assistance of a powerful family centered in the
Delta town of Sais, the Assyrians finally drove
the Nubians out of Egypt. At the close of this
campaign, Ashurbanipal’s kingdom was at the
height of its power; however, due to civil strife
back east, he was forced to withdraw his forces
from Egypt. Psamtik I, a member of the family
from Sais, seized this opportunity to assert his
authority over the entire Nile Valley and found
his own dynasty, the 26th of Egyptian history.
Known as the Saite Period due to the importance
of the capital city Sais, the 26th Dynasty, like
many before it, sought to emulate the artistic
styles of past pharaohs in order to bolster their
own claims to power and legitimize their
authority.
The first examples of amulets appeared in
Ancient Egypt as early as 4000 B.C. Believed to
possess magical powers that protected the
wearer or bestowed upon the properties they
symbolized, amulets were worn both by the
living as well as the dead. Throughout their
evolution, talismans were crafted from a variety
of materials including precious metals such as
gold and silver, semiprecious stone like jasper
and carnelian, as well as other more affordable
glazed compositions such as faience. The
particular powers of an individual amulet were
based upon its specific shape, although the
material and even the color of the charm could
affect its magical abilities. While many of the
amulets created to be worn by the living could
also be worn after death, there also existed a
specific group of charms that were made
specifically to be placed upon the mummified
remains of the deceased. All together, amulets
represent an important class of Ancient Egyptian
art that furthers our understanding of their
complex religious beliefs.
Faience, which dates back to predynastic times,
at least 5,000 years, is a glasslike non-clay
substance made of materials common to Egypt:
ground quartz, crushed quartz pebbles, flint, a
soluble salt-like baking soda, lime and ground
copper, which provided the characteristic color.
The dried objects went into kilns looking pale
and colorless but emerged a sparkling "Egyptian
blue." Called tjehnet by the Ancient Egyptians,
meaning that which is brilliant or scintillating,
faience was thought to be filled with the undying
light of the sun, moon and stars and was
symbolic of rebirth. Ancient Egyptians believed
the small blue-green objects helped prepare
them for eternity in the afterlife.
While the form of the djed column is fairly clear:
a tall wide shaft crossed by four short horizontal
lines at the top, its interpretation is surely
enigmatic. Some scholars believe it originally
represented a stylized palm tree, others suggest
it was supposed to be a bundle of papyrus
stalks. As a symbol, it first appears as early as
the 3rd Dynasty; however, it was not until the
end of the Old Kingdom that the djed appears as
an amulet. By the New Kingdom, the djed
column has come to be associated with Osiris,
and the form was said to represent his backbone.
In the Ancient Egyptian language, the word djed
meant, “to endure” or “to be stable.” Thus, as an
amulet, the djed column was supposed to infuse
the wearer with the qualities of stability and
endurance. As a funerary element, the Book of
the Dead details instructions for placing the djed
on the throat of the deceased. Yet despite these
instructions, djed amulets have been found most
often on the breast or stomach of mummies.
- (X.0326)
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