Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-fscjk Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-26T20:03:14.820Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Proportionality in Mind and Space in Ancient Egypt

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 December 2008

Barry Kemp  and
Pamela Rose
Barry Kemp
Affiliation:
Faculty of Oriental Studies, Sidgwick Avenue, Cambridge CB3 9DA
Pamela Rose
Affiliation:
McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, 62 Sidney Street, Cambridge CB2 3JW
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Over the last twenty years experimental psychology has revived interest in the Golden Section, showing it to have some influence not only in visual perception but also in a certain kind of value judgement. The findings are here tested on ancient Egyptian sources, both archaeological and textual. They lead to a discussion of how Egyptian architects designed their buildings, and also to a consideration of the cognitive processes involved in modern analyses of the plans of ancient buildings by means of diagrammatic proportional schemes.

Type
Articles
Information
Cambridge Archaeological Journal , Volume 1 , Issue 1 , April 1991 , pp. 103 - 129
Copyright
Copyright © The McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research 1991

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Allam, S., 1973. Hieratische Ostraka und Papyri aus der Ramessidenzeit. Tübingen: privately publishedGoogle Scholar
Badawy, A., 1963. The harmonic system of architectural design in ancient Egypt Mitteilungen des Instituts für Orientforschung 8, 1–14Google Scholar
Badawy, A., 1965. Ancient Egyptian architectural design: a study of the harmonic system. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California PressGoogle Scholar
Badawy, A., 1966. Architecture in ancient Egypt and the Near East. Cambridge, (Mass): M.I.T. PressGoogle Scholar
Bakir, Abd el-Mohsen, 1966. The Cairo Calendar: no. 86637. Cairo: General Organisation for Government Printing OfficesGoogle Scholar
Benjafield, J., 1985. A review of recent research on the Golden Section. Empirical Studies of the Arts 3, 117–34CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Benjafield, J., & Adams-Webber, J., 1976. The Golden Section hypothesis. British Journal of Psychology 67, 11–15CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Benjafield, J., & Davis, C., 1978. The Golden Section and the structure of connotation. Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism 36, 423–7CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Benjafield, J., & Green, T.R.G., 1978. Golden Section relations in interpersonal judgement. British Journal of Psychology 69, 25–35CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Benjafield, J., & Pomeroy, E., 1978. A possible ideal underlying interpersonal descriptions. British Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology 17, 339–40CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Berlyne, D.E., 1970. The Golden Section and hedonic judgements of rectangles: a cross-cultural study. Sciences de l'Art 7, 1–6Google Scholar
Borghouts, J.F., 1982. Divine intervention in ancient Egypt and its manifestation (b3w), in Gleanings from Dear el-Medîna, eds. Demarée, R.J. & Janssen, J.J.. Leiden: Nederlands Instituut voor het Nabije Oosten, 1–70Google Scholar
Carter, H., & Gardiner, A.H., 1917 The tomb of Ramesses IV and the Turin plan of a royal tomb. Journal of Egyptian Archaeobgy 4, 130–58CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cerný, J., 1973. The Valley of the Kings: fragments d'un manuscrit inachevé. Bibliothèque d'Etude 61. Cairo: Institut Français d'Archéologie Orientale du CaireGoogle Scholar
Chace, A.B., Bull, L., & Manning, H.P., 1929. The Rhind Mathematical Papyrus. Oberlin, Ohio: Mathematical Association of AmericaGoogle Scholar
Christophe, L.A., 1958. Le pylône ‘ramesside’ d'Edfou. Annales du Service des Antiquités de l'Egypte 55, 1–23Google Scholar
Daressy, G., 1898. Un plan égyptien d'une tombe royale. Revue archéologique 32 (3e série), 235–40Google Scholar
Daressy, G., 1901. Catalogue général des antiquités égyptiennes du Musée du Caire. Nos.25001–25385. Ostraca. Cairo: Institut Français d'Archéologie Orientale du CaireGoogle Scholar
Davis, W., 1989. The canonical tradition in undent Egyptian art. Cambridge: Cambridge University PressGoogle Scholar
Dawson, W.R., 1926. Some observations on the Egyptian calendars of lucky and unlucky days. Journal of Egyptian Archaeology 12, 260–4CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Drenkhahn, R., 1972. Zur Anwendung der ‘Tagewählkalender’. Mitteilungen des Deutschen Archäologischen Instituts Abteilung Kairo 28, 85–94Google Scholar
Eysenck, H.J., 1981. Aesthetic preferences and individual differences, in Psychobgy and the arts, ed. O'Hare, D.. Sussex: The Harvester Press; New Jersey: Humanities Press, 76–101Google Scholar
Fechner, G.T., 1876. Vorschule der Aesthetik. Leipzig: Breitkopf & HartelGoogle Scholar
Gillings, K.J., 1972. Mathematics in the time of the Pharaohs. Cambridge (Mass) & London: M.I.T. PressGoogle Scholar
Griffith, F.Ll., 1898. Hieratic papyri from Kahun and Gurob (principally of the Middle Kingdom). London: Bernard QuaritchGoogle Scholar
Hambidge, J., 1948. The elements of dynamic symmetry. New Haven: Yale University PressGoogle Scholar
Helck, W., & Otto, E., (eds), 1975. Lexikon der Ägyptobgie I. Wiesbaden: Otto HarrassowitzGoogle Scholar
Helck, W., & Westendorf, W., (eds), 1986. Lexikon der Ägyptobgie VI. Wiesbaden: Otto HarrassowitzGoogle Scholar
Iversen, E., 1975. Canon and proportions in Egyptian art. 2nd ed., Warminsten Aris & PhillipsGoogle Scholar
Kemp, B.J., 1987. Amarna Reports IV. London: Egypt Exploration SocietyGoogle Scholar
Kielland, E.G., 1955. Geometry in Egyptian art. London: Alec TirantiGoogle Scholar
Lauer, J.-P., 1974. Le mystère des pyramides. Paris: Presses de la CitéGoogle Scholar
Lauer, J.-P., 1977. Le triangle sacré dans les plans des monuments de l'Ancien Empire. Bulletin de l'Institut Français d'Archéobgie Orientale 77, 55–78Google Scholar
Lehner, M., 1989. The tomb survey, in G.T. Martin, The Royal Tomb at El-'Amarna, II, London: Egypt Exploration Society, 5–16Google Scholar
McManus, I.C., 1980. The aesthetics of simple figures. British Journal of Psychology 71, 505–24CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mallinson, M., 1989. Investigation of the Small Aten Temple, in Amarna Reports V, ed. Kemp, B.J.. London: Egypt Exploration Society, 115–42Google Scholar
March, L., & Steadman, P., 1971. The geometry of environment; an introduction to spatial organization in design. London: RIBA PublicationsGoogle Scholar
O'Connor, D., 1989. City and palace in New Kingdom Egypt Cahiers de Recherches de l'Institut de Papyrologie et d'Egyptologie de Lille 11, 73–87Google Scholar
Peck, W.H., 1978. Drawings from ancient Egypt. London: Thames & HudsonGoogle Scholar
Peet, T.E., 1923. The Rhind Mathematical Papyrus, British Museum 10057 and 10058. Liverpool: University Press of Liverpool; London: Hodder & StoughtonGoogle Scholar
Petrie, W.M.F., 1892. Medum. London: David NuttGoogle Scholar
Reymond, E.A.E., 1969. The mythical origin of the Egyptian temple. Manchester: Manchester University Press; New York: Barnes & NobleGoogle Scholar
Robins, G., 1986. Egyptian painting and relief. Princes Risborough, Aylesbury: Shire PublicationsGoogle Scholar
Robins, G., & Shute, C., 1985. Mathematical bases of ancient Egyptian architecture and graphic art. Historia Mathematica 12, 107–22CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Robins, G., & Shute, C., 1987. The Rhind Mathematical Papyrus; an ancient Egyptian text. London: British Museum PublicationsGoogle Scholar
Romer, J., 1981. Valley of the Kings. London: Michael Joseph & RainbirdGoogle Scholar
Scamuzzi, E., 1964. Museo Egizio di Torino. Turin: Edizioni d'Arte Fratelli PozzoGoogle Scholar
Schäfer, H., 1974. Principles of Egyptian art. Oxford: Clarendon PressGoogle Scholar
Scholfield, P.H., 1958. The theory of proportion in architecture. Cambridge: Cambridge University PressGoogle Scholar
Shalit, B., 1980. The Golden Section relation in the evaluation of environmental factors. British Journal of Psychology 71, 39–42CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Somers, Clarke & Engelbach, R., 1930. Ancient Egyptian masonry: the building craft. London: Oxford Univerity PressGoogle Scholar
Steadman, P., 1979. The evolution of designs; biological analogy in architecture and the applied arts. Cambridge: Cambridge University PressGoogle Scholar
Thomas, E., 1966. The royal necropoleis of Thebes. Princeton: privately publishedGoogle Scholar
te Velde, H., 1967. Seth, god of confusion; a study of his role in Egyptian mythology and religion. Leiden: E.J. BrillCrossRefGoogle Scholar
Weeks, K.R., 1978. The Berkeley Map of the Theban Necropolis; preliminary report, 1978. Newsletter of the American Research Center in Egypt 105 (Summer 1978): AppendixGoogle Scholar
Weeks, K.R., 1979. The Berkeley Map of the Theban Necropolis; report of the second season, 1979. Newsletter of the American Research Center in Egypt 109 (Summer 1979): Appendix – Special Supplement, 1–21Google Scholar