Writing, violence, and the military : images of literacy in Eighteenth Dynasty Egypt (1550-1295 BCE) / Niv Allon. Thutmosid.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Allon, Niv, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Horemheb, King of Egypt.

Horemheb.

Generals--Egypt--Antiquities.

Generals.

Literacy--Social aspects.

Antiquities.

Literacy.

Egypt--History--Eighteenth dynasty, ca. 1570-1320 B.C.

Egypt.

History.

Literacy--Egypt--Antiquities.

Literacy--Military aspects--Egypt--Antiquities.

Literacy--Social aspects--Egypt--Antiquities.

Physical Description:

xi, 193 pages : illustrations (some color), map ; 23 cm

Edition:

First edition.

Place of Publication:

Oxford : Oxford University Press, 2019.

Summary:

'Writing, Violence, and the Military' takes representations of reading and writing in Eighteenth Dynasty Egypt (ca. 1550-1295 BCE) as its point of departure, asking how patrons of art conceptualized literacy and how in turn they positioned themselves with respect to it. Exploring statuary and tomb art through the prism of self-representation and group formation, it makes three claims. Firstly, that the elite of this period held a variety of notions regarding literacy, among which violence and memory are most prominent. Secondly, that among the Eighteenth Dynasty elite, literacy found its strongest advocates among men whose careers brought them to engage with the military, either as military officials or as civil administrators who accompanied the army beyond the borders of Egypt. Finally, that Haremhab - the General in Chief who later ascended the throne - voiced unique views regarding literacy that arose from his career as an elite military official, and thus from his social world. 0Consequently, images of reading and writing allow us to study literacy with regard to those who commissioned them, and to consider these patrons' roles in changing conceptualizations. Throughout their different formulations, these representations call for a discussion on literacy in relation to self-representation and to art's role in society. They also invite us to reconsider our own approach to literacy and its significance in ancient times.

Contents:

0.1 Haremhab and the Eighteenth Dynasty p. 3

0.2 Writing, Scribes, and Literacy p. 7

0.3 Art, Society, and Self-Representation p. 10

1 Writing, Memory, and Violence in the Tomb p. 18

1.1 Puyemre: Pens, Accounts, and the Administration p. 23

1.2 Rekhmire: Rods, Violence, and Accountability p. 30

1.3 Tjanuni: Chests, Memory, and Wars p. 45

1.4 Meryre: Changing Compositions and Inscribing Events p. 54

1.5 Haremhab: Reframing Violence p. 60

2 Prestige and Disdain: Literacy and Self-Representation in the Tomb p. 74

2.1 Delegation and Disdain p. 77

2.2 Prestige and Decorum p. 81

2.3 From Polarity to Plurality p. 85

2.4 Military, Women, and Accountants p. 89

2.5 The Scribe behind the Chair p. 94

3 The Likeness of an Author: The Scribal Statues of Haremhab p. 101

3.1 Visualized Memory: Statues and Patrons p. 104

3.2 Infinitives of Stone: Texts and Statues p. 109

3.3 Change of Hands: Texts and Writers p. 114

3.4 Haremhab's Statues: The Likeness of an Author p. 122

4 Palette and Crown: Constructing Haremhab's Royal Literacy p. 133

4.1 Royal Literacy before Haremhab p. 135

4.2 The Choicest of the Army: Literacy in Haremhab's Coronation Text p. 142

4.3 The Superior Accountant: Haremhab in Gebel el-Silsila p. 145

4.4 Writing Down the Laws: Haremhab and Neferti p. 150.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9780198841623

0198841620

OCLC:

1110438958