New Kingdom pharaohs controlled vast wealth. Thebes was the religious center of the period, and Pharaohs built mortuary temples here and were buried in huge rock-cut tombs.
c. 2030 - 1070 B.C.E.
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Statues of Senusret III
This life-size statue of Senwosret III is one of three very similar statues excavated from the site of the funerary temple of King Nebhhepetre Mentuhotep II
Scarab pendant
This piece of jewelry from Middle Kingdom Egypt is a pendant in the form of a winged scarab.
Pectoral and necklace of Sithathoryunet
"You have to imagine that nobody really saw this except the princess."
Canopic Jar with a Lid in the Shape of a Royal Woman’s Head
"It seems to me that aesthetically this goes well beyond meeting the need of surviving into the afterlife."
Barry X Ball on an Egyptian fragment of a queen’s face
"It's balanced between this incredible idealization and humanity."
A bottle and a toy: Objects from daily life
Egyptian archaeological finds tend to be remnants of the rich—little remains from the rest of society.
Paintings from the Tomb-chapel of Nebamun
Scenes show Nebamun’s family at work and play, giving vibrant insight into the lives of ancient Egyptian elites.
The tomb-chapel of Nebamun
These lush wall paintings have been called “antiquity’s equivalent to Michelangelo.”
Ancient Thebes with its Necropolis
From temples on the east bank of the Nile to the Valley of the Kings, Thebes was a wonder of Egyptian Civilization.
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