In 1925, archaeologists discovered the tomb of Queen Hetepheres I, mother of Khufu (Cheops), between the satellite pyramids and the processional path of Giza. Its intact burial chamber is the richest known from the time, and was full of treasures: two chairs, a canopy, a bed, ceramic pieces, knives and toiletries, perfume bottles and gold, copper and lapis lazuli.
Among the objects there was also a wooden chest covered with gold sheets and a hieroglyphic inscription that reads: box containing bracelets. Inside was a set of twenty silver bracelets, ten for each arm.
Each one is of decreasing size and have stone inlays in the shape of a butterfly. On each bracelet, at least four insects are represented by small pieces of turquoise, carnelian and lapis lazuli, with each butterfly separated by a circular piece of carnelian. These bracelets are considered the largest and most famous collection of ancient Egyptian silverware.
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However, silver was rare in Egypt during the Old Kingdom (Hetepheres reigned c. 2600 BC). It was more common elsewhere in the Middle East and the Mediterranean. So where did Queen Hetepheres’s bracelets come from?
Some experts believe that the bracelets were made from silver mined in Egypt itself. However, there is no evidence to support this claim. The only silver mines known to have existed in Egypt during the Old Kingdom were in the eastern desert and were not very productive, and it is unlikely that they produced enough silver to make the bracelets. Others believe that the bracelets were made with silver imported from other places.
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To determine the origin of the silver, a team of scientists from the University of Oxford carried out a series of tests that showed that the silver in the bracelets is very similar to that found in the Cyclades islands and, to a lesser extent, in the mines of Lavrio (Attica, Greece). This suggests that the bangles were probably made from silver imported from the Cyclades, which were an important source of silver during the Bronze Age.
The scientists also discovered that the bracelets were made using a very sophisticated technique. The silver was hammered into thin sheets that were then cut and shaped. The edges of the bracelets were decorated with inlays of turquoise, lapis lazuli, and carnelian.
The extraordinary craftsmanship of these bracelets is a testament to the skill and artistry of the ancient Egyptians. Also of the important role that trade played in the ancient world, with the probable existence of a prosperous trade network between Egypt and the Cyclades during the Old Kingdom.
Fuentes
Karin Owada, Richard Newman, et al., Analyses of queen Hetepheres’ bracelets from her celebrated tomb in Giza reveals new information on silver, metallurgy and trade in Old Kingdom Egypt, c. 2600 BC. Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, vol.49, June 2023, 103978. doi.org/10.1016/j.jasrep.2023.103978
2023-05-02 20:35:18
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