Primary sourceArtifact

Talatat Block of Nefertiti and Akhenaten Worshipping the Aten

A weathered limestone block from Amarna showing Nefertiti and Akhenaten worshipping the Aten, now in the Royal Ontario Museum.

Shows Nefertiti worshipping the Aten with Akhenaten, part of the religious imagery of their reign.

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Weathered limestone relief talatat block from Amarna, showing faded carved figures and rays of the Aten sun disk ending in hands. The stone is worn, with chipped edges and cracks, mounted against a pale wall. — Talatat block of Nefertiti and Akhenaten worshipping the Aten. Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto.

About this source

What it is

This is a talatat, a small standardized limestone building block used in Amarna-period construction, carved with figures of Nefertiti and Akhenaten worshipping the sun god Aten. It is held in the Royal Ontario Museum.

Why it matters

Talatat blocks were used to build Akhenaten's temples quickly, and many survive as fragments showing scenes of royal worship. This piece preserves part of a scene showing the royal couple's devotion to the Aten, reflecting the religious changes of the period.

Look closer

Why might builders have used small standardized blocks like this one?
What does the wear and damage on the stone tell us about its long history?
What part of the original scene seems to be missing or unclear?

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Painted limestone bust of an Egyptian queen wearing a tall blue crown with a red and green band and a gold-colored brow band. The eyes are inlaid with dark outlines, and the bust rests on a dark base against a black background.

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Primary source

Bust of Queen Nefertiti

Thutmose · c. 1345 BC

Black-and-white photograph of a painted bust of a woman with a tall flat-topped crown, side-facing, on a dark rectangular pedestal set on a pale plinth. The collar has striped and patterned bands.

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Figure of Nefertiti

Close-up detail of an Amarna limestone relief. A seated woman wearing a tall flat-topped crown is at right, with a sun disc and rays above. At left, a smaller figure with a child's head is seated near her, and carved hieroglyphs fill the background.

Sculpture

Primary source

Akhenaten and His Family

c. 1352 BC

Photo of a curved, blue glazed ceramic fragment with white body edge, covered in raised concentric ring motifs with dots. Two holes pierce the piece near its center, with a scale bar along the bottom.

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Relief Fragment Showing the Blue Crown of Nefertiti

Black-and-white line drawing of columns of Egyptian hieroglyphic text arranged in vertical lines, with cartouches visible, copied from a wall inscription. This is a facsimile of the Great Hymn to the Aten.

Document

Primary source

Great Hymn to the Aten

Akhenaten · c. 1350 BC

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