Foundation plaque inscribed with the cartouche of Psusennes I
Third Intermediate Period
On the face of this plaque is one of the names of Psusennes I, third king of Dynasty 21. The plaque takes the form of a shen ring, a rope tied in the shape of an oval, representing eternity. By placing his name within this ring, the king proclaimed his eternal dominion over the world. This plaque is inscribed with his personal name (Pasebaenniut), given to him at birth, along with the epithet "beloved of Amun."
This plaque, along with a second that bears the king's throne name, most likey comes from a group of objects that would have been buried at one of the corners of a planned temple site during the ceremony of "stretching the cord," the ancient Egyptian version of laying a modern foundation stone. Such foundation deposits often also included samples of all the materials to be used during the building of the temple.
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