Both the Legion of Honor and de Young are open to the public. Please read our safety guidelines.
Please note: This program will start at 10:00 am and NOT our usual start time.
Elaborate Endings: Early Egyptian Funerary Practices and the Afterlife at Hierakonpolis
In the predynastic period, the local rulers of Hierakonpolis went to the next life in style. Buried in sizable tombs stocked with supplies for eternity, they were also surrounded by ranks of retainers and an intriguing array of animals, attesting to the maintenance of a veritable royal menagerie as well as testaments to their wealth and power. At their height from about 3600 BC, with the coming of the Dynastic period (ca. 3100 BC), different modes and badges of power emerged. Recent excavations in the elite cemetery at Hierakonpolis are revealing changes in the burial practices that give insight into the new political and ecological landscape at this formative time and allows us to examine how the Hierakonpolis elite transformed their old ways into potent symbols of enduring and recurring importance.
Funerary Feasting: Logistics and Location in Predynastic Hierakonpolis
Feasting was no doubt an important part of funerals and remembrance throughout ancient Egypt’s long history. The size of the feast was commensurate with the status of the deceased, or at least that is how it appears at Hierakonpolis in the predynastic period. Ongoing excavations near the cemetery of Hierakonpolis' ruling elite have revealed a special zone where beer, meat, and fish were prepared on an intensive scale well beyond domestic. Given their location, these industries must be linked with the cemetery, but where exactly their output was consumed had remained elusive. However, a recent geophysical survey, revealing several large structures, gives us not only a glimpse at what was on the menu, but also allows us to consider how sumptuous feasting promoted developments in logistics, administration, and craft specialization that led to the rise of the Dynastic Egyptian state.
About Programs at the Ancient Art Council
Programs are varied and include such activities as lectures by noted archaeologists, museum curators, and ancient art historians; exclusive tours of the Museum’s permanent collection and special exhibitions; fund-raising events; and travel programs to ancient sites and other museums. Members also receive invitations from related organizations to attend lectures ad exhibition openings. Your annual membership dues and contributions will assist in furthering the Ancient Art collection at the Fine Arts Museums.
PROGRAM
April 20, 2019 at 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
A Walk through Hierakonpolis in Predynastic Egypt
John A. and Cynthia Fry Gunn Theater, Legion of Honor
Presented by Dr. Renee Friedman, Director Hierakonpolis Expedition, Oriental Institute, University of Oxford and Prof. Masahiro Baba, Waseda Institute for Advanced Study, Waseda University, Tokyo
Admission:
This program is free and open to the public. Suggestion donation $5/non-member