The battle of Kadesh: the chariot frieze at Abydos

be published in exemplary form by Egyptologists. Notwithstanding the useful plates in the second volume of Wreszinski’s monumental Atlas, and the earlier detailed line drawings of Edouard Naville, this battle presentation remains unanalyzed from an art historical viewpoint. The latter statement may first appear to be overly critical, especially in light of the recent studies of Marcus Müller and Susanna Heinz, both of whom have devoted much attention to the New Kingdom depictions of war. Nonetheless, a detailed study concentrated upon one self-contained series of pictorial reliefs has much to offer, especially when we exclude the other exemplars from the Ramesseum, Karnak, Luxor, and Abu Simbel. In this light it is interesting that Naville, who was the first to understand the historical progression of the Abydene representations, was also the first to pay attention to the “beauty of the hieroglyphic signs” of the Poem that concludes the entire representation. The scenes commence on the west or rear wall of Ramesses II’s temple at Abydos. This entire wall is occupied with Phase I of the Kadesh battle in which the Nacarn troops are seen marching to the left (north) against which the now lost camp scene was carved. The manner of carving is unique among the Kadesh depictions. Sunken relief was employed, as we have come to expect, but the details are far better rendered than in the reliefs of the other temples. The intricate internal carvings of the hieroglyphs of the Poem parallel this. They too are well sculpted, rendered also “Classical” in their layout and structure. For example, the nearby Dedicatory Inscription of Ramesses II on the portico of Seti’s temple presents a poor showing in comparison to the Kadesh Poem at Abydos insofar as the former shows a more schematic outlook, perhaps rapidly executed as well. At Abydos, the divisions of the “phases” are more solidly presented. The three portions of the battle are well separated from each other, and even though much of the scenes has been lost owing to time, the static quality of what remains cannot be overlooked. Indeed, as only the lowest portions of the walls remain, we are faced with the inherent bias of not being able to examine the actual battlefield encounter between the Egyptians and the Hittites. Notwithstanding this situation, the presentation at