Sacred flames : the power of artificial light in ancient Egypt / Meghan E Strong.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Strong, Meghan E., author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Lighting--Egypt.

Lighting.

Lamps--Egypt.

Lamps.

Egypt--Antiquities.

Egypt.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (226 pages)

Place of Publication:

New York, New York : The American University in Cairo Press, [2021]

Summary:

""Artificial lighting is one of the earliest tools used by humans. By the time we began to paint cave walls, we were producing lamps consisting of an illuminant, a fat or oil, and a wick, such as a strip of fabric or a piece of reed or wood. Drawing on archaeological, textual, and iconographic sources, Meghan Strong examines the symbolic part that artificial lighting played in religious, economic, and social spheres in ancient Egyptian culture. From the earliest identifiable examples of lighting devices to the infiltration of Hellenistic lamps in the seventh century BC, Sacred Flames explores the sensory experience of illumination in ancient Egypt, the shadows, sheen, color, and movement that resulted when lighting interacted with different spaces and surfaces. The soft, flickering light from lamps or hand-held lighting devices not only facilitated the navigation of darkened environments, such as allowing workers to see in underground chambers in the Valley of the Kings, or served as temple offerings, but also impacted upon the viewer's perception of a space and the objects within it. Sacred Flames illustrates the active role that lighting played in Egyptian society, providing a richer understanding of the symbolic and social value of artificial light and the role of lighting in ritual space and performance in ancient Egyptian culture, while serving as a case study of the broader impact of artificial light in the ancient world"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Half Title Page

Title Page

Copyright Page

Contents

List of Figures

List of Abbreviations

Acknowledgments

Introduction

1 The Archaeology of Light

2 Artificial Lighting in Context

3 The Language of Light

4 Offering Light

5 The Power of Light

6 Accessing the Ancient Egyptian Lightscape

Notes

References

Appendix One: Lighting Devices

Appendix Two: Theban Tombs with Light-offering Scenes

Index.

Notes:

Description based on print version record.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9781649030641

1649030649

9781649030634

1649030630