Strategic Performance of the Funerary Ritual in the Second Intermediate Period in Ancient Egypt

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 22K13239
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 03050:Archaeology-related
• Research Institution: Waseda University
• Principal Investigator: Yamazaki Seria 早稲田大学, 文学学術院, 講師(テニュアトラック) (50844164)
• Project Period (FY): 2022-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 古代エジプト / 中王国時代 / 第二中間期 / 葬送儀礼 / 装身具

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study elucidated how jewelry pieces were used in the funerary ritual during the Middle Kingdom and after. It became clear that jewelry for the ritual is also represented on the rishi coffins from the Second Intermediate Period and on the wall paintings from the New Kingdom tombs; however, the assemblages of objects seem to be altered from the object friezes in the Middle Kingdom. Specifically, jewelry pieces associated with the royal insignia offering were not common during the Middle Kingdom; however, they became very important in the end of the Middle Kingdom, the Second Intermediate Period, and the New Kingdom as evidenced in the rishi coffins, wall paintings, and three-dimensional jewelry. Therefore, it is possible that each society changed strategically the ritual as needed.

Free Research Field

エジプト学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

古代エジプトの儀礼研究は、宗教文書に依拠し過度に意味論的な解釈がなされる傾向があった。しかし本研究は、図像・文字資料、考古資料をバランスよく利用し、中王国時代末期から第二中間期の社会における葬送儀礼を構造的に検討する新たな研究として位置付けられる。また、儀礼祭祀は実際には社会的行為としても位置付けられるが、これまで古代エジプトの儀礼祭祀は精神文化という文脈のなかで言及される傾向が強く、そのときどきの社会との関係や相互作用についてはあまり語られてこなかった。当時の「社会」における儀礼の実践をテーマとしている本研究は、この点においても学術的意義をもつといえる。