Ancient Egyptian masterpiece so realistic that scientists accurately identified the birds in the painting

Although some details are stylized, scientists believe that it is an attempt by ancient artists to distinguish migratory birds from native birds .

Archaeologists discovered the painting about a century ago, when it was still on the wall of a palace at the Amarna archaeological site – the site that was once the capital of ancient Egypt during the 18th Dynasty, located 300 kilometers south of modern-day Cairo. Several studies have previously investigated the 'identity' of the animals depicted, but the newly published study is the first time scientists have identified the birds depicted in the painting.

The majority of birds in the painting are rock grebes (scientific name Columba livia) , but scientists also recognized a small kingfisher (Ceryle rudis), a red-backed shrike (Lanius collurio) and a white wagtail (Motacilla alba).

In the photo, bird (a) and bird (b) are both rock eagles - (Photo: Metropolitan Museum of Art).

The team studied a copy of the famous painting and used ornithology and taxonomy to accurately identify the birds in the painting. Their results were published in the journal Antiquity on December 15.

The room depicted in the painting has been nicknamed the 'Green Room' by archaeologists , with a scene that includes a pond filled with water lilies, dotted with sedges and here and there, many birds perched amidst the peaceful scene. According to the researchers, the realistic painting would have helped the royal family members relax, in the same way that modern people hang landscape paintings in their homes.

According to the group of scientists, it is very likely that the room contains scented water and has live music to increase the 'revitalizing' ability of the room where the paintings are hung.

The famous green room

Between 1353 and 1336 BC, Pharaoh Akhenaten (King Tutankhamun's father) ruled Egypt. He transformed the religion of the North African country by centering worship around the sun god Aten. He ordered the construction of the capital city of Akhetaten (modern-day Amarna) and the construction of a palace for the royal family.

The area was forgotten until 1923-1925, when the Society for the Exploration of Egypt excavated the palace. By this time, the Blue Room paintings had largely disappeared due to the passage of time and the harsh climate. Egyptologist Nina de Garis Davies has taken the trouble to describe what remains of the walls.

Today, all that remains are copies painted by Nina de Garis Davies, as the original painting no longer exists.

Two individuals (g) and (h) are red-backed shrike and white-rumped wagtail, respectively - (Photo: Lehava Kiryat Shmona Pikiwiki Israel).

' The only way to save the paintings was to bury the room in sand again ,' said Professor Barry Kemp of Cambridge University. ' Archaeologists at the time did not choose this option because they feared that local people would damage them, but it seems their fears were unfounded .'

In 1926, attempts to restore the painting backfired and left the ancient masterpiece faded beyond repair. Modern researchers have had to rely on de Garis Davies's copy to identify the birds in the painting.

The two species identified, the rock-throated grebe and the lesser kingfisher, occur year-round in Egypt, but the birds pictured are migratory. In the scientific report, the researchers noted that 'the red-backed shrike usually migrates to Egypt in the autumn, between August and November ', while the white-throated wagtail ' usually migrates [to Egypt] between October and April '.

The masterpiece on the palace wall depicts a number of stone snarls, although they are not usually found around marshes, but rather nest on bare cliffs. According to experts, perhaps ancient artists… added them to make the painting more vivid.

In addition, Egyptian artists also added details to the white-rumped wagtail and red-backed shrike – triangular tails, details that are not present on the bodies of these birds. It is believed that ancient artists had their own intention, to show that these birds came here from elsewhere.

After all, ancient Egyptian artists painted a picture that almost accurately depicted the birds and plants that existed in ancient Egypt . ' I think the Green Room paintings are really remarkable even for ancient Egyptian art, and it's a good example of how closely [artists] observed the natural world ,' says Christopher Stimpson, emeritus professor at the University of Oxford.