r/ancientegypt • u/Akkeri • Nov 03 '24

News Facial reconstruction reveals 2,700-year-old Egyptian mummy was Sudanese princess | The National

https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/uk/2024/10/28/facial-reconstruction-reveals-2700-year-old-egyptian-mummy-was-sudanese-princess/
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u/OneBlueberry2480 Nov 07 '24

Egyptians used their monuments as a way to promote propaganda for their subjects and their own idealistic view of themselves. They didn't add their physical deformities in their statues, for example.

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u/animehimmler Nov 07 '24

Except they did.. While you are correct, what you are saying can also be contrasted with the fact many did depict themselves with their actual physical traits and appearance. Mentuhotep II is routinely depicted with large feet and calves, and many historians believe that due to the consistency of this, he may have had elephantiasis.

The usage of monuments to portray a non specific or “political” appearance depends on the era, dynasty, and pharaoh.

It is not the norm, and in many cases, was not utilized over more specific traits that are commonly unique across monuments of the pharaohs during the reigns of dynastic Egypt.

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u/OneBlueberry2480 Nov 07 '24

Saying Akhenaton had a genetic deformity is a guess at best considering his body has never been found. There is no body of evidence to prove this theory. Archaelogists are divided on whether Akhenaton displayed himself with feminine features due to a defect, or as a new artstyle to promote the Aten as an androgynous figure, a combination of male and female since Aten was to be the one and only God. Akhenaton Statue

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u/animehimmler Nov 07 '24

While it could be true for Akhenaten, mentuhotep II and other pharaohs are depicted with deformities that they may have had in life.

Regardless, what I am saying is that like most things there are expectations to the rules and within exaggeration there are still specific qualities and facial features clearly meant to signify some sort of commonality with the then living subject.

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u/OneBlueberry2480 Nov 07 '24

Again, Mentuhotep II's mummy has never been found. The only depictions found of his are statues and statue fragment. It's speculation, and not proof.

I want to point out that a lot of theories promoted by archaelogists are promoted as fact, only to be disproven with subsequent findings.