Walking
on the sand dunes under a blazing sun, the life of the ancient
Egyptians was pictured in yellow, a color they learned to revere as
much as the metal with the same shine.
Why was
gold worship in ancient Egypt? What was the main trend of gold
followed by so incredible a civilization?
The
earliest archeological evidence of gold jewelry used in ancient Egypt
were four delicate bracelets found in the corner of a tomb of a king,
found by Flinders Petrie and located now in the Cairo Museum. The
most curious fact about the bracelets was that they kept their
original shine.
It was
discovered that the Egyptian people obtained gold in deposits mainly
in Upper Egypt, near the Nile River, until they started importing and
buying gold from Nubia (current Sudan). This current flow raised
interest of people to buy gold, which together with new techniques in
the working of gold led to a great number of jewels and pieces of art
mainly for royal tombs.
One of
the main trends of gold, was to use it in religious sculptures, as it
was believed Egyptian deities' skin was golden. Pharaohs' sarcophagus
were made of gold, besides gold jewelery, golden masks, and a golden
amulet that ensured the protection of Ra, for almost the same reason
– they were thought to become gods after dying.
Of
all royal tombs, the most well-known one is Tutankhamum's, without a
doubt. When Howard Carter found the place where the pharaoh of XVII
dynasty was buried, he did not mind the warning written in the door
"Cursed be those who disturb the rest of a Pharaoh"
as he was about to uncover a mystery.
The
most remarkable treasure of the tomb happened to be the gold and
Lapis Lazuli funeral mask which, even though it did not include new
techniques of the gold trend that time, the theme and shape was never
seen before. It was also found a gold coffin weighing 300 pounds, and
the pharaoh adorned with gold jewelry.
This
civilization has left thousands of golden treasures we can admire
nowadays. To learn more historical and new facts about this precious
metal, besides news and articles about its role in the current global
market to make the right decision when buying gold, follow MD7TRADE
website!
Read more: MD7TRADE Beginner's Guide on Investments
Read more: MD7TRADE Beginner's Guide on Investments