Colossal Statues of Akhenaten at East Karnak

The Colossal Statues of Akhenaten at East Karnak depict the

The statues were divided into three categories based on size, the largest of which were 12.75 metres (41.83 feet) tall and the smallest, 8.55 metres (28.05 feet).[1] The pharaoh is depicted with a distorted physique not present elsewhere in the artwork of ancient Egypt. He is portrayed with a protruding stomach, thin arms, and exaggerated facial features, such as a long nose, hanging chin and thick lips.^[2] One statue in particular has been the subject of much debate as it represents the king apparently nude and lacking genitals.^[3] There are various theories about the destruction of the statues, one of which suggests that his elder coregent, Amenhotep III, had the statues dismantled and covered up.^[4] A second theory suggests that Akhenaten himself had the statues torn down with a change of planning in the construction of the Aten temple.^[4]

Discovery

The colossi of Akhenaten were discovered accidentally in 1925 while a drainage ditch was being dug east of the enclosure wall of the Great Temple of Amun.^[2] The sandstone statues were inscribed with the name Amenhotep IV, and were found fallen prostrate on the ground. Henri Chevrier, the chief inspector of antiquities at Karnak, became interested in the site and spent the next twenty-five years periodically excavating the site in hopes of uncovering more.^[2] Chevrier discovered the foundations of a wall angled southwest and twenty-eight stone bases, which he assumed were the pedestals of the fallen statues.^[2]

Significance to Egyptian art

Traditionally, pharaohs are depicted idealistically in Egyptian art – heroic and robust. The departure from cultural norms that occur with the colossi of Akhenaten, therefore, has sparked numerous debates among scholars. It is very unlikely that an artist would have voluntarily produced such an image of the king in such a different style without it being commissioned by the pharaoh himself. Some scholars characterize the style of art during the reign of Akhenaten as ‘expressionistic’ and find a relation between representations such as the colossi and the religious revolution of the time, which were supported by Akhenaten.^[2] Although the pharaoh, and in some instances, other members of the Royal Family, are depicted in unorthodox ways, he did not alter standard practices of Egyptian art outside of depictions of the human body and depicted non-royals in the classical style.

Conflicting theories

The mystery behind the colossal statues of Akhenaten at East Karnak has led to numerous interpretations of the material. One theory regarding the purpose of the statues suggests that the pharaoh wished to separate himself from ordinary people and associate him solely with divinity and the Royal Family.^[4]

Another theory suggests that Akhenaten was depicted in his true form, claiming that he suffered from a disease that caused the disfigurations. Several pathologists have studied the abnormalities of the statues’ physical attributes. One resulting diagnosis is that Akhenaten suffered from a disorder of the endocrine system called

Lastly, a related debate surrounds the actual site where the statues were discovered. Some scholars maintain that the statues and colonnades discovered were the remains of a temple built by the pharaoh. References exist that support this theory (i.e. in the tomb of the vizier Ramose at Western Thebes).[2] Others argue that the site consists of the ruins of a palace Akhenaten built. The Akhenaten Temple Project in 1975, however, concluded that the remains were indeed that of the Atem Temple.^[1]

See also

• Temple of Amenhotep IV

References