Donaha! Odhalené ľudské telo v starovekom Egypte

The naked human body and the exposure of some of its parts is one of the most natural, yet at the same time one of the most provocative phenomena in human history. This was already the case in ancient Egypt, where nudity had different meanings. These, of course, depended on the context in which it appeared – from practical everyday activities to ritual and religious practices and depictions. On the one hand, nudity was a necessity for the poor and workers who could not afford expensive clothing and who would be constrained by clothing at work. On the other hand, it was an important symbol of innocence, youth and fertility, but also of poverty, defeat and humiliation. Last but not least, it was perceived as erotic and magical and thus had the potential to awaken not only the senses, but literally the deceased in the hereafter. Together we will look at when and under what circumstances the unveiling of the body was natural and when it had religious significance. What was the difference between a naked ordinary mortal, an Egyptian ruler, and a deity? Did the ancient Egyptians perceive nudity differently than we do today?

Dr. Veronika Verešová is a graduate of Classical Archaeology at the University of Trnava, Egyptology at the University of Vienna and received her PhD at the Institute of Classical Archaeology at the University of Vienna. She is a member of the Board of Directors of the Aigyptos Foundation and a researcher at the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Academy of Sciences of the Slovak Academy of Sciences. Her research interests include the Aegean Bronze Age, the Second Intermediate Period and the New Kingdom in Egypt, the history and material culture and intercultural relations in the Eastern Mediterranean during the Bronze Age. Since 2008 she has been a member of the Polish-Slovak mission at the site of Tell el-Retabí.

The event is organised by the Gedíd Aigyptos Foundation and the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Slovak Academy of Sciences.

Tickets on sale only at the Old Town Hall box office.