Aspectos sociales y culturales de la filiación materna en el Reino Medio Egipcio

Abstract

This dissertation aims at analysing the social and cultural aspects of maternal filiation during the late Twelfth dynasty (ca. 1837-1760 BCE). In order to study the main features of the filiation practices, a corpus of 57 artefacts from the sacred site of Abydos ―mainly stelae― has been examined. Due to the nature of the sources, a combined textual and iconographic approach has been undertaken, grouping the objects on the basis of their kinship groups. Both the filiation formulae employed in these objects and the position of the mother within the group have been analysed in detail. For the purpose of comparing the results, a textual examination of the filiation formulae used in other types of contemporary, administrative documents has been conducted. The conclusions of this research question that the copious use of maternal filiation was a manifestation of a matriarchal or matrilineal society. Instead, the analysis of the variegated sources suggests that during this period maternal filiation was employed as an ordering system and as a mechanism for identification within the kinship group. Furthermore, the filiation as attested in Middle Kingdom stelae reinforced and emphasised the connection between the deceased and the mother; thus, favouring the desired process of rebirth in the afterlife.