Temple or Palace Relief: Charioteers

This relief fragment dates to the Amarna period, a time in Egypt when the king, Akhenaten, initiated a religious revolution. It was originally part of the wall decoration at the palace-temple complex at Akhenaten’s capital, Tell el-Amarna, but was later transported to Hermopolis Magna during the reign of King Rameses II (1292–1232 BCE). The two cities were roughly 14 miles apart and on opposite banks of the Nile, which would have made transportation of the reliefs by boat fairly easy. The scene depicts two female attendants riding in chariots, most likely during a royal procession. Such events were common at Amarna as Akhenaten and his immediate family would parade from the palace to the Great Temple each day to make offerings to the chief sun god, the Aten. The journey was meant to reflect the sun’s movement across the sky during the day.