@ComplainingHenry

3 years ago

For anyone who may be interested, the album art is based on the Bronze Head of Augustus excavated in 1910 from the archaeological site of Meroe City in what is now Sudan (Africa). Meroe City was the capital of the Meroitic Kingdom that occupied the territory of modern Sudan c.300 BCE - 350 CE (around 2000 years ago). The head is a representation of Augustus (Rome's first emperor reigned 27 BCE - 14 CE) and is generally thought to have belonged to a complete statue set up in southern Egypt (Aswan). At this time (the late 1st century BCE), Egypt had just been annexed by the Roman Empire who, in the 20s BCE, made moves to expand into the Meroitic Kingdom south of Egypt. Evidently, this was not to the liking of the Meroitic people who, so the story goes (Pliny the Elder, Strabo, Dio Cassius - all classical sources), promptly invaded Aswan, tore the statue down, and took the bronze head back to their capital (Meroe). Around 1900 years later it was excavated by the then professor of Egyptology at Liverpool University (John Garstang, UK) and, shortly afterwards, acquired by the British Museum where it is now on display. It is a spectacular example of Early Roman bronze sculpture and an interesting case study for considering Rome's interactions with Africa beyond Egypt. Do go and see it, if you are in London: https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/G_1911-0901-1

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