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Our reassembled statue, however, is a rare example of the self-representation of foreigners living in Egypt, drawing on and emphasizing Egyptian stereotypes of skin color and hairstyle and transforming them to a monument of self-confidence. The statue reflects iconographically what the material culture of the tombs of the strata d/2 and d/1 indicated: a highly Egyptianised, elite group of Asiatics, who strived to successfully combine their own traditions with the new ways of the country to which they had immigrated. The material of the statue, limestone, and the high workmanship are definitely Egyptian, the conception a collaboration of the Egyptian artist and his Asiatic client. The size and quality of the product argue for a connection to a royal workshop.

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THE STATUE OF AN ASIATIC MAN FROM THE TELL EL-DABcA, EGYPT, by R. Schiestl

There has been speculation as to who the official was. His name has been identified as Anankhu by some. However, some writers, including Jewish Rabbi Michael S. Bar-Ron, believe that the statue may have represented the Biblical Joseph, or perhaps an official who worked for Joseph.

THE SEAL OF JOSEPH IN HIS PALACE AT
TELL ED-DABA, Rabbi Michael S. Bar-Ron




Reconstruction of the statue

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Once an archaeologist, always an archaeologist

Posts: 3027 | From: Sweden | Registered: Mar 2020  |  IP: Logged | 

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Originally posted by BrandonP:

Also, dyeing hair red or blond has been a thing for a long time, maybe even before red or blond hair actually evolved in Homo sapiens.

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Although most of the hair found is the natural dark brown color, natural red hair was also discovered in association with male Burial no. 79, his hair originally falling in a wavy style ending in small ringlet-type open-center curls. Together with other burials uncovered this season, this reveals the great attention paid to appearance, the hair obviously of great importance to both men and women alike.

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Originally posted by Archeopteryx:
In Tell el-Dab'a (ancient Avaris) fragments of a statue was found in 1986 and 1988. Remains of paint were found on the statue. The paint residue showed that the statue had red hair and yellowish skin. It also had colorful clothes. It is thought that the statue represents an Asiatic ie Middle Eastern official. It was dated to the 12th dynasty.

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(black head form, modern, as support)




(same as previous, without added head form )


(back view, hair upper left)
The size of the seated figure is estimated to be 2 meters high and 1.5 meters in depth, about one and a half times life size. At shoulder, stiped pattern of garment

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Statue above of Tell el-Dab'a
similarities with the Statue below found in Palace of Ebia (In Syria)



The form of this statue has no parallels in Egypt. A similar figure is known, however, from the palace of Ebia, dating approximately to the same period (eighteenth century BCE). It was made in a much cruder fashion, but once again it is a seated statue of a dignitary with a throwstick held against the shoulder.

https://madainproject.com/avaris_statue#gallery-4

Ebla (Sumerian: 𒌈𒆷 eb₂-la,)
was one of the earliest kingdoms in Syria.

One of the known rulers of Ebla during this period was Immeya, who received gifts from the Egyptian Pharaoh Hotepibre (13th dyn) (for all you hoteps) indicating the continuing wide connections and importance of Ebla
Trade continued to be Ebla's main economic activity during the third kingdom; archaeological finds show there was an extensive exchange with Egypt and coastal Syrian cities such as Byblos

Posts: 43368 | From: , | Registered: Jan 2010  |  IP: Logged | 

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^ That mushroom like hairstyle (assuming that's hair and not a hat) does resemble those of other Asiatics depicted.



And if it is hair, is it not possible that the hair was dyed red using henna? Again, this is not to discount the possibility altogether of redheads in the Middle-East but usually European looking types in the region are more likely to have blonde than red hair that is statistically speaking and most of these types are associated with I-E speaking Kassites and Mittani.

Then again, it could be a hat or headdress that's colored red.

Bedouin wearing Philistine style headdress

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Originally posted by BrandonP:

I suspect that the term translated to "ruddy" in Hebrew referred to a coppery or reddish-brown complexion. We do have aDNA evidence of blue-eyed people living in the Levant in Chalcolithic times, but I doubt lighter eye and hair colors were very common in that region during the Bronze Age.

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Interestingly I noticed that in Egyptian art when Asiatics are depicted, they are shown either with light yellowish skin or a reddish complexion.



I've read an article a couple of years back about how 'pale skinned' blonde haired types are first confirmed by Chalcolithic remains from northeastern Syria and eastern Turkey. I don't know if anyone can find it.

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Mahirap gisingin ang nagtutulog-tulugan.

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