Christina Geisen - Böcker

A Commemoration Ritual for Senwosret I, better known under the term Ramesseum Dramatic Papyrus, is a document that was found in a late Middle Kingdom tomb in the Ramesseum necropolis, together with other manuscripts and artifacts, all primarily magico-medical in function. The present study discusses the occupation of the tomb owner based on an analysis of this exceptional find in its entirety. The main core of the book is dedicated, however, to the Ramesseum Dramatic Papyrus. It examines the fabrication of the manuscript and its present condition. An updated translation and a grammatical analysis of the text are provided and a discussion of the relationship of myth and ritual as well as of the dramatic aspect of the ritual is included. Based on the analysis of the content, the participants in the ritual, the representation of the king in the vignettes, and relying on the comparison between the rites occurring in this document and those included in other royal and statue rituals attested from ancient Egypt, it can be shown that the text features a ritual that was held in commemoration of the deceased king Senwosret I. The book also includes photographs of the manuscript as well as digital drawings of the papyrus.

Building on the work of Ronald J. Leprohon, to whom it is dedicated, contributions in this volume present an overview of our current state of understanding of patterns of identity and self-presentation in ancient Egypt.The wish to affiliate with a specific cultural, social or ethnic group is as important today as it was in past societies, such as that of the ancient Egyptians. The same significance applies to the self-presentation of an individual within such a group. Although it is inevitable that we perceive ancient cultures through the lens of our own time and place and value systems, we can certainly try to look beyond these limitations. Questions of how the ancient Egyptians saw themselves and how individuals tried to establish and thus present themselves in society are central pieces of the puzzle of how we interpret this ancient culture.This book focuses on the topic of identity and self-presentation in ancient Egyptian society, approaching this through studies of gender, literature, material culture, mythology, names and officialdom. It tackles the subject from many different angles: the ways in which social and personal identities are constructed and maintained; the manipulations of culture by individuals to reflect real or aspirational identities; and the methods modern scholars use to attempt to say something about ancient persons.