Heidi Kopp-Junk on Ancient Egyptian Music: Additional References

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The December 2023 issue of the PMF Magazine includes a report by Jan Robinson (with photographs by Paul Robinson) on the May 2023 lecture by Dr Heidi Kopp-Junk concerning Music in Ancient Egypt.

These additional notes are provided for any member wishing to find out more by searching for further illustrations online (or elsewhere), or locating articles and books by our speaker.  

A pdf of this page may be downloaded from here:

AE Music References

Egyptian Musicians

  • Mastaba and statue of the flautist Ipi Dahshur Dyn.4 c.2600 BC
  • Wooden panel from coffin “Lady of the House. Chantress of Amun Re. Luxor 3rd Int. Period W1052 (c.1000 BC
  • Wooden coffin of temple musician Iwesemhesetmwt Thebes Dyn 21 c.1000BC
  • Iti & Hekenu, the oldest duo in the world. False door of Nikaura & That. Saqqara. 5th Dyn c.2470 BC
  • Splendidly dressed female musicians. Tomb of Nebamun. Thebes. 18th Dyn. 
  • Female lute player with tattoo of Bes, headcone, belt, necklace. Faience bowl. NK. C.1500 BC
  • Scantily dressed female musicians. Tomb of Djeserkaraseneb TT38 18th Dyn. C.1390
  • Harp-players with braids ending in disks. Tomb of Pepjamkh-heryib. Dyn. 6. Rock tombs Meir

Instruments

Aerophones: flute, trumpet, clarinet, oboe

  • Mastaba of In-Snefru-ishtef. Dahshur. C. 25000BC
  • Musicians & dancers: double oboe. Tomb of Nebamun. Thebes. 18th Dyn. C.1420 BC
  • BBC recroding of Tutankhamun’s trumpets. You tube.  

Membranophones: drums

  • Round frame drum, rectangular frame drum, barrel drum
  • Soldier with barrel drum. Tomb of TjanunyTT74. 18th Dyn.
  • Round frame drum Graeco Athribis Photo H. K-J
  • Rectangular frame drum. Tomb of Hatnofer. Sheikh Abd el-Qurna. Thebes. (type only 18th Dyn).

Idiophones: clappers, sistra, rattles, bells cymbals

  • Rattles are attested from the 5th millenium BC
  • Sistra with head of Hathor Museum August Kestner Hannover, Germany
  • Teacher/priest of Hathor Khesuwer. C.2000BC in Maniche, L., Music and Musicians in Ancient Egypt. London 1991,123, Fig.74
  • Menit from Malqata. Private house Dyn 18. Met. Mus. Of Art New York inv.11.215.450
  • Goddess Isis with sistrum. Abydus. Temple of Seti I.

Chordophones: Harp, lyre, lute

  • Blind harper. Tomb of priest/scribe Nakht. Thebes TT 52, NK. 18th Dyn.
  • Harp from tomb of Any. Thebes. MK. British Museum, London
  • Lyre. Tomb of Khnumhotep, Beni Hasan
  • Travelling beduins with a lyre. Tomb of Khnumhotep, Beni Hasan MK. 
  • Decorated lyre. Fayum. Berlin AM 10247 18th Dyn

For the classification of instruments Heidi drew upon: Systematik der System of classification Hornbostel, Sachs, Systematik der Musikinstrumente,Ein Versuch. Zeitschrift Fur Ethnologie 46 (1914) 553-590

Bibliography (Heidi Kopp-Junk’s Articles and Books)

Articles

1. Die Anfänge der Musik im Alten Ägypten: ein Überblick. In: Köhler, C., et al., Origins 6: OLA 303, 2021, 381-396 

2.Am Anfang war die Rassel – die frühesten Musikinstrumente im Alten Ägypten. Antike Welt 1/21 (2021), 74-82 

3. Music in Ancient Egypt. ASOR (American School of Oriental Research) VI, Nr. 1, 2018 

4.Sound of Silen ly? Neueste Ergebnisse aus der Musikarchäologie. In: Blöbaum, A. I. et al.: Pérégrinations avec Erhart Graefe 

5.Musik im Alten Ägypten. Sokar 33 (2016), 26-33 

6. The Artists behind the Ancient Egyptian Love Songs: Performance and Technique. In: Landgráfová, R., Navrátilová, H. (eds.): The World of the Ancient Egyptian Love Songs 

7. Textual, iconographical and archaeological evidence for the performance of ancient Egypt Music. In: Ventura, A. G., Tavolieri, C., Verderame, L. (eds.): The Musical Performance in Antiquity 

8. The harp in Ancient Egypt. Nile Magazine 27 (September-October 2020), 8-19 

9.The sound of ancient Egypt – acoustics and volume measurements. Ars inter Culturas 9 (2020), 13-33.

10.Rattle for Eternity: Die ältesten Perkussionsinstrumente des Alten Ägypten. In: Saura-Ziegelmeyer, A. (ed.): Ancient Percussion Instruments: Revue PALLAS 115 (2021), 171-190.

11.With R. Hannig, D. Rutica: Aspekte der pharaonischen Musik: Stimme, Musiker und Aufführungspraxis von Debeheni bis zu den altägyptischen Liebesliedern. In: Festschrift Regine Schulz. Ägypten und Altes Testament 97, Münster 2021, 137-165 

12.Göttliche Klänge. Zur manipulativen Kraft der Musik im Alten Ägypten. In: Ehret, J. (ed.): Die geistige und geistliche Macht der Musik. Münster 2022, 27-46 

13.Die Entwicklung der altägyptischen Musikinstrumente bis ins 1. Jt. n. Chr.: Pharaonisches Erbe oder Neubeginn? Ars inter culturas 10 (2022), 113-152 

14. Clappers in Ancient Egypt: Wood or ivory for the same event or ritual? Telestes 2 (2022), 51-62

Books

1. Musik im alten Ägypten, in print, Wissenschaftliche Buchgesellschaft 

2. Die Anfänge der Musik im Alten Ägypten vom 5. Jt. v. Chr. bis zur 4. Dynastie, in print, Wissenschaftliche Buchgesellschaft