Facsimile painting of the west wall from the “Green Room” in the North Palace at Amarna (Public Domain; The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York: accession no. 30.4.134).Credit: Antiquity
Posted on 12/30/2022 7:45:46 PM PST by SunkenCiv
The art in question is part of a series discovered at the Amarna site on the east bank of the Nile, in modern day Minya. Excavations conducted in 1924 revealed a palace featuring several lavishly decorated rooms that include numerous plaster panels illustrated with natural scenes in stunning detail...
Here the team looked at artwork in what's known as the Green Room, a place most likely used for rest and relaxation, if not occasional socializing and music playing.
Some birds, including the pigeons and kingfishers, had already been identified, but the researchers were able to expand on the catalogue of known animals by using high-quality copies of the artwork and modern ornithological records. Shrikes and wagtails were among the new birds identified in this analysis.
The study also notes that migrant birds were marked with a triangle, perhaps a clue for ancient birdwatchers and suggesting the artwork depicts a particular season. The researchers are hoping that their findings provoke further discussions of the art...
The researchers argue the ambiguity artistic license can introduce warrant caution in interpretation. It's possible that the birds were attracted to the area by human activity, as happens in urban areas today. Yet there are no actual people in the scene, so it may be that the rock pigeons were introduced to make the painting seem wilder and more untamed.
"While the artwork of the Green Room is an exemplar of naturalistic execution, it should not be regarded as a dedicated ornithological treatise," the authors note.
(Excerpt) Read more at sciencealert.com ...
Facsimile painting of the west wall from the “Green Room” in the North Palace at Amarna (Public Domain; The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York: accession no. 30.4.134).Credit: Antiquity
Thanks Red Badger.
It’s fake but accurate.
Some sidebars:
I loved that last part of the excerpt — the authors note that it should not be regarded as a dedicated ornithological treatise. No one ever has done that, probably. :^)
How beautiful! It’s almost abstract in its composition. Yet very fine details.
Happy New Year to you and yours, SunkenCiv; and thank you for the ongoing class in archaeology that so many freepers enjoy because of your sharing!
They needed an Audubon.
My pleasure and thanks for the kind remarks!
The Bird is the word.
They would first need Volkswagens
The Whiskered auklet is quite titillating...
I agree.
Thanks for your efforts. Much appreciated.
Happy New Year.
I see what you did there 👏
I heartily endorse and agree with Albion’s thanks to SunkenCiv! Your articles are most enjoyable and enlightening, plus they are usually on topics I wouldn’t explore by myself.
This one is astonishing. I had no idea that the Egyptians of that era were such accomplished painters.
“… may have twisted the truth.”
Such a gentle and non-judgmental way to speak of dead artists.
Isn’t “the truth” only a notional concept? Or some other illusion.
Surely people alive over 3,000 years ago would have no need for “the truth”./
Yep. That is my Friday night sarcasm out for a stroll.
People think that the iconic paintings, engravings, etc. of the ancient Egyptians show the extent of their knowledge and ability regarding representational art. But most of what has come down to us is religious, and highly stylized and hieratic — had to be done according to rigid rules.
It doesn’t mean that it’s all they knew how to do.
Okay fine, but that girl on Deviantart.... Totally real.
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