Gold in them hills.
The Restoration Project, initiated by Tut’ankhamun, was a costly affair. Although we imagine the pharaohs as “infinitely wealthy,” how did they acquire that legendary gold? In this episode, we briefly explore some records for Tut’ankhamun’s gold miners and how they obtained that precious yellow metal…
- Date: c. 1336 BCE.
- Music by Keith Zizza.
- Music by Jeffrey Goodman.
- Audio mixing/editing by Vincent Cavanagh.
- See other shows from the Agora Podcast Network.
- Images: For many beautiful photos of the Tomb of Huy, see Flickr.
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Bibliography
- A. A. M. A. Amer, ‘Tutankhamun’s Decree for the Chief Treasurer Maya’, Revue d’Égyptologie 36 (1985), 17–20.
- M. W. Brown, ‘“Keeping Enemies Closer:” Ascribed Material Agency in Ancient Egyptian Rock Inscriptions and the Projection of Presence and Power in Liminal Regions’, Unpublished PhD. Thesis, Yale University (2015).
- J. C. Darnell, ‘A Bureaucratic Challenge? Archaeology and Administration in a Desert Environment (Second Millennium BCE)’, in J. C. Moreno García (ed.), Ancient Egyptian Administration, Handbook of Oriental Studies 104 (Leiden, 2013), 785–830.
- J. C. Darnell, ‘Tutankhamun in the Wadi Abbad’, in J. Kamrin et al. (eds.), Guardian of Ancient Egypt: Studies in Honor of Zahi Hawass (Prague, 2020), 343–55.
- J. C. Darnell, Egypt and the Deserts (Elements in Ancient Egypt in Context; Cambridge, 2021).
- N. de G. Davies, The Tomb of Huy: Viceroy of Nubia in the Reign of Tutankhamun (No. 40) (London, 1926).
- S. L. D. Katary, ‘Land Tenure and Taxation’, in T. Wilkinson (ed.), The Egyptian World (New York, 2007), 185–204.
- N. Kawai, ‘Studies in the Reign of Tutankhamun’, Unpublished PhD. Thesis, Johns Hopkins University (2005).
- D. Klemm et al., ‘Gold of the Pharaohs – 6000 Years of Gold Mining in Egypt and Nubia’, Journal of African Earth Sciences 33 (2001), 643–59.
- R. Klemm and D. Klemm, Gold and Gold Mining in Ancient Egypt and Nubia: Geoarchaeology of the Ancient Gold Mining Sites in the Egyptian and Sudanese Eastern Deserts (Berlin, 2013).
- E.-S. Mahfouz, ‘Les directeurs des déserts aurifères d’Amon’, Revue d’Égyptologie 56 (2005), 55–78.
- W. J. Murnane, Texts from the Amarna Period in Egypt (Atlanta, 1995).
Never understood how ancient Egyptian managed to mine so much gold. Finally I have an idea how!
Wow, the planned extra podcasts (interviews) sound fascinating.
One question:
Since you have been discussing handicrafts in this podcast and the previous one and also are going to invite someon to talk on tools – this seem like good timing to ask:
I wonder what made the characteristic helmets of the pharaohs blue? The helmets themselves were probably made of some metal – but what did they do to have them in this unique colour?
Thank you in advance for your answer – and for the podcasts,
Ivonna
Thanks Ivonna, that is a great question. Since no crowns survive, we can’t be sure, but I would guess they were metal + gesso / plaster with inlays of lapis lazuli. Artistic depictions suggest the crown has a kind of “honey combed” surface. Maybe small pieces of lapis decorated the surface? Uncertain of course. But that is my guess. I may have to do a mini episode about it
Thank you for the answer : )
Oh yes, o yes, a mini episode on these crowns.
And I wish you good progress in the work related to you Ph.D. To my mind you deserve a doctor honoris causta for this podcast and I’m sure the pharaos would grant you one, if only there had been universities in ancient Egypt : )
Ivonna