Historical Research

Summary

The discovery of Queen Ahhotep's jewelry pieces, from the second intermediate period (1800-1500 BCE) of Ancient Egypt, sheds light on the unique casting methods, material composition, and identity of these objects by advanced technological instruments.

The jewelry pieces taken from the burial site of Queen Ahhotep include seven items: a gold signet ring, two amulet pieces, a blue amulet laid upon a gold tray, and three elements from an armband. These precious material objects were dated to the end of 17th dynasty, during the time of Hyksos hegemony of lower Egypt. Jewelry findings in the second intermediate period are scarce and carry a more variable material composition than during in the Middle Kingdom period, where jewelry contained about 99% gold. Analysis of the casting reveals a higher silver content (20%), along with metals from the platinum group elements in the alloys. The tools used to examine and analyze these jewelry pieces include a stereomicroscope, handheld x-ray fluorescence spectrometry, proton particle induced x-ray emissions, and energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy by the Louvre Museum in Paris, France.

The results of these findings have shown the jewelry pieces were sourced from the eastern desert mines and belong to two alloy groups, where the first is mostly yellow for its high gold content and the second is white, which reflect the strong presence of silver (20%) from the second intermediate period. The hieroglyphic inclusions of Ahhotep and on the on the ring signet and the name Ahmose on the armband confirms this. The inclusions on these objects were also found to contain the elements of platinum, iridium, ruthuenium, and osmium metals. The wear-use signs on the swivel ring, the blue scarab , and armband indicates these jewelry pieces worn during their lifetimes. This analysis proves the use of traditional Ancient Egyptian metal smithing techniques of casting, hammering, rolling, and mounting by hard solder procedures. The exquisite construction and design of these precious objects shows the high level of advancement the Ancient Egyptians attained and is especially noteworthy during a time of crisis for this strong and enduring civilization.

Reference

Guerra, M. F., Pages-Camagna, S. (2019). Advances in Cloud Physics and Weather Modification in China. Journal of Cultural Heritage, 36, 143-152. https://.doi.org/10.1016/j.culher.2018.09.004