| Koptos colossi | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Material | Limestone |
| Size | 4 meters |
| Weight | 2 tons |
| Created | c. 3300 BCE |
| Discovered | Koptos 25°59′44″N32°48′57″E / 25.995556°N 32.815833°E |
| Present location | Ashmolean Museum Cairo Museum |
The Koptos colossi, or Coptos colossi, are a series of three monumental statues, now in the Ashmolean Museum and the Cairo Museum, discovered in an ancient temple of Min at Koptos, Egypt, by Flinders Petrie at the end of the 19th century, in 1894. [5]
The colossi are likely the first known depictions of the Egyptian god of fertility Min. [5]
They are dated to circa 3300 BCE, from the late Naqada II to early Naqada III periods. [6] [2] A connection with Narmer (c.3100 BCE) was suggested by Bruce Williams in 1988, especially in relation to the latest of the three colossi, Colossus III (Cairo). [7]
The estimated size of the three known statues ranges from 372 cm to 403 cm, weighing about 2 tons each. [8] [9] The statues show a bearded man, naked but for a belt and a sash, holding his erect penis. [6] An early form of the character for "Min" is inscribed on the side of two of these statues (AN1894.105e and JE 30770b). [6]
The remains of three similar monumental statues were found in Koptos, two of which are now in the Ashmolean Museum (two bodies and one head), and in the Cairo Museum (a pair of legs). [10]
The statues show a naked man standing. His right arm is held straight along his right flank, his fist being clenched around a lost object, possibly a scepter, or Min's characteristic flail. His left arm is shown holding his erect penis. His legs are held together straight, with the knees roughly marked. [10] The head is bearded, with large protruding ears. [11] He only wears a belt and a narrow sash descending on his left side, on which several inscriptions can be found. [10]
Stylistically, the colossi unambiguously belong to the "Preformal" artistic of the Egyptian Predynastic period. Their style is highly consistent with other known objects from the Pre-Dynastic objects, and their exceptionalism rather lies in monumental size. [10]
According to Kemp (2018), the classic image of god Min was derived from the Koptos colossi. [12] That classic image of Min emerged for the first time during the late Second Dynasty (c. 2700 BCE), adopting various elements from the Koptos colossi, but refining them and adapting them to their current styles. [13]
On the Koptos monumental statues of Min, generally dated to circa 3300 BCE during the late Naqada II- early Naqada III periods, the Min symbol is inscribed, together with marine objects: the "sword" of a sawfish and two shells of the Pterocera species. [6] [14] These symbols seem to corroborate the traditional origin histories of the god, according to which he originated in the fabulous "Land of Punt", in the Eritrean region bordering on the Red Sea. [14] [15]
The inscriptions are: [16]
The presence of the Min symbol in two of these monumental statues is essential in their identification with early forms of the god Min. [17]
The Temple in Koptos was known as a Ptolemaic temple. Excavations made in the 19th century showed that a much earlier structure existed, with various monumental objects from the Pre-Dynastic period, circa 3300 BCE. [5] The original structure necessary to house the colossi may have been made of mud bricks and wood, and would not have left significant ruins in modern times. [18] Its structure may have been similar to that of a Temple appearing on the Narmer Macehead: a low structure with a curved roof and corner projections, with a large walled courtyard in front. [18]
Some older authors have regularly pointed to parallels between the Koptos colossi and Early Dynastic Mesopotamian statues that also sometimes show naked ithyphallic statues with a girdle round the waist. [20] These Mesopotamian depictions are apparently related to the bull-men fighting lions and other wild animals as their appear on countless seals. [20] [21]
The discoverer, Petrie, understood that the style of the colossi was very unusual in the context of traditional Egyptian statuary, and assigned them to "Eastern Invaders" whom he considered to have founded dynastic Egypt. [22]
With "Naqada" (Nubt, the "City of Gold"), the neighbouring city of Koptos benefited from the exceptional wealth of the eastern desert region in gold, and their strategic position for the commerce of precious metals. [23] [24] The exploitation of precious metals from the Eastern Desert, and the development of floodplain agriculture creating surpluses which could generate demand for a variety of crafts, made the region especially advanced in term of economic specialization and diversification, much more advanced than the regions of contemporary Lower Egypt. [25] Imports from Mesopotamia appear to have been quite intensive during the late Gerzean period (late Naqada II), and correspond to the Protoliterate b and c cultures of Mesopotamia (Uruk period). [26] Naqada was at the center of the developing trade of gold from the eastern desert of Egypt. [27] This may have stimulated the direct involvement of Mesopotamian traders, who, accompanied by artists and various skilled personnel, may have introduced Mesopotamian styles and practices. [27] The exploitation of gold may also have stimulated the development of the first organized proto-state structures in Egypt. [27]
