Speaker: Florence Dunn Friedman, Visiting Scholar, Department of Egyptology and Assyriology, Brown University

King Menkaure’s Fourth Dynasty pyramid temples at Giza were once filled with statues. The surviving statues represent some of the finest in ancient Egyptian sculpture. Crafted for eternity, these statues served as “bodies” through which the king could function in this life and the next. The iconography, inscriptions, figural groupings, stances, gestures, and even the damage of these statues have stories to tell. While these stories rarely involved ordinary Egyptians, certain statue details hint at far-reaching economic ties that did. This talk dives into the mysteries behind Menkaure’s sculptures—exploring their symbolism, damage, and relocation—and reveals how much they still have to say, even after thousands of years.

Advance registration recommended for online and in-person attendance.

Free admission. Free event parking at the 52 Oxford Street Garage starting at 4:00 pm. Presented by the Harvard Museum of the Ancient Near East and the Harvard Museums of Science and Culture.