Talk Like An Egyptian

You can watch this episode on youtube: https://youtu.be/a58Yopf6yfE
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In this episode of Talk Like an Egyptian, Iszi Lawrence and Egyptologist Dr Chris Naunton explore the life and legacy of Nefertiti, one of the most recognisable yet enigmatic figures of ancient Egypt. Beginning with her first appearances alongside Akhenaten, they examine why Nefertiti is shown so prominently in temple reliefs and ritual scenes, sometimes undertaking roles normally reserved for the pharaoh himself. The discussion considers what this exceptional visibility might indicate about her political and religious status, as well as the enduring mysteries surrounding her family background and origins.
The episode also investigates the discovery of the famous painted bust of Nefertiti in 1912 and the controversy over how it came to be displayed in Berlin. Chris outlines the archaeological context of the find, the highly questionable circumstances of its removal from Egypt, and the ongoing debate over its rightful home. The conversation concludes by addressing the possibility that Nefertiti ruled as pharaoh in her own right after Akhenaten's death, under the name Neferneferuaten, a theory that, while contested, would place her among the most powerful rulers of ancient Egypt.

If there's on period of Egyptian history that Egyptophiles want to hear about it's the short period (less than 20 years) of pharaoh Akhenaten's reign. Very early on the king who had been crowned as Amenhotep ('the god Amun is satisfied') IV set about changing things. The worship of the traditional gods bar was forbidden leaving just one – a manifestation of the sun-god called the Aten. He built new temples dedicated to the Aten according to an entirely new design and decorated in a new style. He changed the way that the human form was depicted in art, and he himself took on an exaggerated, almost grotesque appearance prompting scholars to speculate that he may have suffered from a terrible illness (we don't think that anymore). After a few years he announced that he would be changing his name from Amenhotep to Akhenaten meaning 'effective for the Aten' an entirely new capital city in the middle of nowhere. It would be called Akhetaten – the 'horizon of the Aten' – and archaeology has revealed that he really did build an entire city in the desert in a matter of a few years and that it was occupied by perhaps as many as 50,000 people.
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WARNING: we do talk about creation myths and mention onanism. It isn't explicit, but then again, it isn't an episode for children or suitable for the classroom.
This episode explores ancient Egyptian religion, focussing on the creation myth, the significance of the Nile River, and the influence of gods and goddesses. We highlight the fluidity of Egyptian religion, with regional variations and the merging of gods, and the importance of animals in religious and cultural practises.
Watch this episode on youtube: https://youtu.be/DhiRB7Sgizc
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It occurs to us that in order to prep for some of the deep-dives we have coming up, a quick run down of the major aspect of Egyptology might be helpful. And in act Chris has found it quite the challenge to think about what Egyptology is. And here is his attempt to explain what he does… Where was Egypt (silly questions perhaps) but were its boundaries exactly where they are today (nope)? When was it? When did Egypt of the pharaohs begin and end? What language did the Egyptians speak and what scripts (plural) did they use to write things down?
If you want links to bonus material and support the podcast please go to www.patreon.com/talklikeanegyptian
You can watch this episode on youtube here: https://youtu.be/CPNTRQSvjlI
Links to The Cursed Tomb by Iszi Lawrence: https://amzn.eu/d/6goeSPz
Links to Chris's books: https://chrisnaunton.com/writing/

This is a mildly edited recording of the livestream we broadcast on youtube on 11.11.25. Thank you for all those who made it. You can watch the broadcast from our patreon page where you can also download loads of extra content.
Please go to https://www.patreon.com/TalkLikeAnEgyptian
If you are looking for iszi's books find them here (or on your favourite shop) https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/author/iszi-lawrence/
Find Chris's books here: https://chrisnaunton.com/writing/
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