Limestonr Doorway From the Palace essays

Limestonr Doorway From the Palace essays During the Nineteenth Dynasty a great many changes started to happen in Egypt. In the year 1225 BC King Ramses II had died at the age of over ninety leaving the throne to his thirteenth son Merenptah (IV.150). When Merenptah began his rule he was well into his later years in life, approximately in his mid fifties. Although Merenptah only reigned for roughly ten years, his days were filled will both battle and rejoice many that have shaped artifact imagery that has been uncovered within the past century. One particular artifact that I would like to describe can be found at the University Museum of Archeology and Anthropology at the University of Pennsylvania. The piece is a limestone doorway from the palace of King Merenptah at Memphis (see Appendix A). This piece represents one of six identical doorways in King Merenptahs palace. The doorway is covered with hieroglyphics that tell many stories of Merenptahs life and symbolic features of Egypt. Before I can describe the details of the hieroglyphs, a brief history of Merenptahs reign should be told. This history develops when the king took office, through his many battles over past grudges and territorial locations, and where and how he died. When Merenptah took over as the head of Egypt, his father Ramses II had left many territorial battles unfinished and in disputes with foreign national leaders. Records show that after Ramses II passed, no wartime outbreaks occurred immediately, but just three years after Merenptah assumed reign there was a widespread revolt against the new king (I.465). Several groups claimed war against Egypt including a group in Asia, the Yenoam and Gezers in Ajalon, and the Askalons at the gates of Egypt. Despite the kings old age, Merenptah fought battles against the Yenoams, Asians, Askalons, Gezers, and also the Hittiles who were a great enemy of Ramses II. All battles were successfully won and the king had gained the r...