Vezető a Déri Múzeum kiállításaihoz II. A Déri gyűjtemények. 2. javított kiadás (Debrecen, 2001)

119 THE EGYPTIAN, GREEK AND ROMAN COLLECTIONS Egypt is one of the first great river-cultures of mankind. The yearly flooding of the river Nile brought fertility to the fields. Regulating the flood and the irrigation required a central power with authority all over the valley of the Nile. At the beginning of the 3rd millennium B. C, two independent monarchies were formed, UpperEgypt at the inner reaches and Lower-Egypt at the delta of the Nile. They were united around 2900 B. C. In the Ancient Empire, the Pharaoh was the first man of the state, with absolute control over everything. The outstanding examples of the organization of the country and the power of the Pharaohs are the pyramids. After the first transitional period, the strengthening of the central power in the Middle-Empire brought about the flourishing of arts. Excellent works of literature and of fine arts were created. The third flourishing of Egyptian arts took place in the New-Empire. The major part of the objects on display come from the most outstanding period of the late epoch, from the so-called sais period. These include a Head of a Pharaoh, a Scrivener, and the god Bes. This last one was the god of music and dance and was also considered to have powers to prevent trouble. The two mummy-cases, the most characteristic objects of the Egyptian funeral cult, are placed in the middle of the hall. According to the Egyptians' faith, the body had to be preserved in a good condition in order to be able to live on in the nether world, therefore, they tried to protect the bodies from decay by embalming them. In the course of this procedure, the soft parts were of the corpse were removed, and it was steeped in a so-called natron bath. After several weeks of soaking, they wrapped it into a linen bandage made air-tight by tar and