Wall Paintings

  These two wall paintings from House B5049 represent a “syncretic pantheon” that were painted high on the northern and eastern walls, above two niches or windows.  (Vokes 1992, 16) The northern wall depicts an “enthroned male figure (the adult Harpocrates), a small Harpocrates, a winged-figure holding a torch (Erote), and a large standing female figure representing Isis-Fortuna or Hekate.” (Vokes 1992, 17) On the eastern wall a “standing Kore, a small unidentifiable nude figure on a cushion holding torches, a standing Demeter, Isis seated on a large throne and Sarapis seated on a smaller throne extending his hand to a three-headed Cerebus.” (Volkes 1992, 17)

   These wall paintings adhere to Late Roman artistic styles rather than the traditional Egyptian styles. Despite this they depict both Egyptian, Hellenistic, and syncretic deities. There are no altars or secular people depicted on the wall, leaving the purpose of these frescos uncertain. Other wall paintings discovered in Egyptian towns depict explicit sacrifice scenes or have strong ties to the decoration of birthing arbors and materials found within these rooms corroborate that the paintings have a religious purpose. There is a lack of documentation about material remains found in the room we are talking about, which would have helped identify the purpose of these two frescos.

  As mentioned earlier, it is difficult to discern a difference between household items and items used for a religious purpose, since there isn’t a strict line drawn between the sacred and the profane in households. However, in the case of frescos, it is possible that they did double duty: they provided decoration as well as serving a religious role. The Egyptians believed that artistic depictions were more than just representations; to them, these depictions had magical power. In this way, painting a pantheon of deities on the wall of a house would bring them into the house and invoke them and the protection that these deities offered. In this way it is safe to assume that these wall paintings were a part of domestic religion, since they related to the life-cycle of the family and reflected prayers for protection.