The History of Egypt

Gold in them hills. Tut'ankhamun is famous for his gold. But where did it come from? And how did the pharaoh pay for his costly Restoration project? 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. Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments. Music by Keith Zizza. Music by Jeffrey Goodman. Audio mixing/editing by Vincent Cavanagh.  See other shows from the Agora Podcast Network. Select 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Material Agency in Ancient Egyptian Rock Inscriptions and the Projection of Presence and Power in Liminal Regions’, Unpublished PhD.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 N. Kawai, ‘Studies in the Reign of Tutankhamun’, Unpublished PhD.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). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Living Images. King Tut’ankhamun is famous for the Restoration of traditional temples. But what did that involve? Records from the King’s reign give us insight to the practical business. We see the repairs of Karnak and Luxor Temples, royal decrees for new statues, and we meet the man who made the gods’ holy images… Date: c. 1336 BCE. Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments. Music by Keith Zizza Music by Ancient Lyric Music by Jeffrey Goodman. Audio mixing/editing by Vincent Cavanagh. See other shows from the Agora Podcast Network. The History of Egypt Podcast endorses RA EGYPTIAN, the clean, natural skincare line with products derived from ancient Egyptian sources. Use the checkout code EGYPT to enjoy 30% off your order! Select Bibliography:  B. G. Davies, Egyptian Historical Records of the Later Eighteenth Dynasty, VI (Warminster, 1982). J. van Dijk, ‘Maya’s Chief Sculptor Userhat-Hatiay. With a Note on the Length of the Reign of Horemheb’, Gottinger Miszellen 148 (1995), 29–34. J. van Dijk and M. Eaton-Krauss, ‘Tutankhamun at Memphis’, Mitteilungen des Deutschen Archäologischen Instituts, Abteilung Kairo 42 (1986), 35–42. A. Dodson, Amarna Sunset: Nefertiti, Tutankhamun, Ay, Horemheb, and the Egyptian Counter-Reformation (2nd edn, Cairo, 2017). M. Eaton-Krauss, ‘Four Notes on the Early Eighteenth Dynasty’, The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology 84 (1998), 205–10. M. Eaton-Krauss, ‘Tutankhamun at Karnak’, Mitteilungen des Deutschen Archäologischen Instituts, Abteilung Kairo (1988), 1–11. M. Eaton-Krauss, The Unknown Tutankhamun (London, 2016). M. Gabolde, Toutankhamon (Paris, 2015). N. Kawai, ‘Studies in the Reign of Tutankhamun’, Unpublished PhD. Thesis, Johns Hopkins University (2005). W. J. Murnane, Texts from the Amarna Period in Egypt (Atlanta, 1995). W. J. Murnane, ‘The Bark of Amun on the Third Pylon at Karnak’, Journal of the American Research Center in Egypt 16 (1979), 11–27. The Epigraphic Survey, Reliefs and Inscriptions at Luxor Temple – Volume I: The Festival Procession of Opet in the Colonnade Hall (Chicago, 1994). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Caregiver and Tutor. Young Tut’ankhamun had multiple caregivers. We have already met Maia, the menat of the King. Now, we meet Sen-nedjem, the menay. From his large (but overlooked) tomb, Sen-nedjem left a record of his work, family, and beliefs. We explore this monument and get a sense of his world… Date: c. 1353 – 1340 BCE Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments. Music by Keith Zizza. Music by Jeffrey Goodman. Audio mixing/editing by Vincent Cavanagh.  See other shows from the Agora Podcast Network. Select Bibliography:  A. Dodson, Amarna Sunset: Nefertiti, Tutankhamun, Ay, Horemheb, and the Egyptian Counter-Reformation (2nd edn, Cairo, 2017). M. Eaton-Krauss, The Unknown Tutankhamun (London, 2016). M. El-Ghandour, ‘Coffin of Senqed from Saqqara’, in B. G. Ockinga (ed.), A Tomb from the Reign of Tutankhamun at Akhmim, The Australian Centre for Egyptology Reports 10 (Warminster, 1997), 49–53. M. Gabolde, Toutankhamon (Paris, 2015). Z. Hawass, Discovering Tutankhamun: From Howard Carter to DNA (Cairo, 2013). N. Kawai, ‘Studies in the Reign of Tutankhamun’, Unpublished PhD. Thesis, Johns Hopkins University (2005). B. G. Ockinga, A Tomb from the Reign of Tutankhamun at Akhmim (The Australian Centre for Egyptology Reports 10; Warminster, 1997). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One who nourished the god. Tut’ankhamun never refers to his birth mother. And until 1996, historians had little idea of the person who raised this young pharaoh. That changed with the discovery of Maia, the royal menat (wet-nurse and teacher). The opening of her tomb, at Saqqara, dramatically expanded our understanding of Tut’ankhamun’s early life. Today, we dive deep into Maia’s career and place in society... Date: c. 1353 – 1340 BCE. Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments. Music and "Maia" vocal performance by Ancient Lyric. Special music by Luke Chaos. Music by Keith Zizza. Music by Music by Jeffrey Goodman. See other shows from the Agora Podcast Network. Read Prof. Alain Zivie’s discussion of Maia and the princess Meritaten at Academia.edu. Logo and Banner images from Zivie, La Tombe de Maïa, 2009 (edited for clarity). Select Bibliography:  A. Dodson, Amarna Sunset: Nefertiti, Tutankhamun, Ay, Horemheb, and the Egyptian Counter-Reformation (2nd edn, Cairo, 2017). M. Eaton-Krauss, The Unknown Tutankhamun (London, 2016). E. El-Kilany and H. Mahran, ‘What Lies Under the Chair! A Study in Ancient Egyptian Private Tomb Scenes, Part I: Animals’, Journal of the American Research Center in Egypt 51 (2015), 243–64. M. Gabolde, Toutankhamon (Paris, 2015). Z. Hawass, Discovering Tutankhamun: From Howard Carter to DNA (Cairo, 2013). N. Kawai, ‘Studies in the Reign of Tutankhamun’, Unpublished PhD. Thesis, Johns Hopkins University (2005). A. Schnell, ‘Breastfeeding Without Giving Birth’, La Leche League International (2020). B. Wilson-Clay, ‘Induced Lactation’, Surrogacy.com (2010). S. Wittig and D. Spatz, ‘Induced Lactation’, MCN, The American Journal of Maternal/Child Nursing 33 (2008), 76–81. A. Zivie, ‘From Maia to Meritaten’, Saqqara Newsletter 17 (2019), 47–60. A. Zivie et al., La tombe de Maïa, mère nourricière du roi Toutânkhamon et grande du harem (Bub. I. 20) (Toulouse, 2009). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When archaeologists opened the tomb King Tut'ankhamun, they found many of his childhood possessions inside. Today, we can get a sense of his life by looking at his games, toys, and clothes. Date: c. 1353 – 1340 BCE. Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments. Music by Keith Zizza. Music by Ancient Lyric. Music by Jeffrey Goodman. YouTube: Dr. Irving Finkel plays the Royal Game of Ur with Tom Scott. Dig It with Raven plays the Royal Game of Ur in Two Parts (Part 1 and Part 2). Audio mixing/editing by Vincent Cavanagh. See other shows from the Agora Podcast Network. The History of Egypt Podcast endorses RA EGYPTIAN, the clean, natural skincare line with products derived from ancient Egyptian sources. Use the checkout code EGYPT to enjoy 30% off your order! Select Bibliography:  Online Resources: Dr. Irving Finkel plays the Royal Game of Ur with Tom Scott (YouTube) Dig It with Raven plays the Royal Game of Ur, in Two Parts (YouTube Part 1; YouTube Part 2). Introduction to “Twenty Squares: An Ancient Board Game,” The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Introduction to “Senet and Twenty Squares: Two Board Games Played by Ancient Egyptians,” The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Nicholas Brown, “Mannequin of Tutankhamun,” ARCE.org (Website). Blog: Senet in the Book of the Dead (UCL). H. Carter, The Tomb of Tut-Ankh-Amen, Discovered by the Late Earl of Carnarvon and Howard Carter, Volume II (New York, 1927). H. Carter, The Tomb of Tut-Ankh-Amen, Discovered by the Late Earl of Carnarvon and Howard Carter, Volume III (London, 1933). H. Carter and A. C. Mace, The Tomb of Tut-Ankh-Amen, Discovered by the Late Earl of Carnarvon and Howard Carter, Volume I (London, 1923). G. M. Crowfoot and N. de G. Davies, ‘The Tunic of Tut’ankhamūn’, The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology 27 (1941), 113–30. Dodson, Amarna Sunset: Nefertiti, Tutankhamun, Ay, Horemheb, and the Egyptian Counter-Reformation (2nd edn, Cairo, 2017). M. Eaton-Krauss, The Unknown Tutankhamun (London, 2016). E. S. Edwards, Tutankhamun, His Tomb and its Treasures (New York, 1976). L. Finkel, ‘On the Rules for the Royal Game of Ur’, in I. L. Finkel (ed.), Ancient Board Games in Perspective: Papers from the 1990 British Museum Colloquium, with Additional Contributions (London, 2007), 16–32. M. Gabolde, Toutankhamon (Paris, 2015). Z. Hawass, Discovering Tutankhamun: From Howard Carter to DNA (Cairo, 2013). Z. Hawass and S. Vannini, Tutankhamun: The Treasures of the Tomb (London, 2018). N. A. Hoskins, ‘Woven Patterns on Tutankhamun Textiles’, Journal of the American Research Center in Egypt 47 (2011), 199–215. N. Kawai, ‘Studies in the Reign of Tutankhamun’, Unpublished PhD. Thesis, Johns Hopkins University (2005). P. A. Piccione, ‘The Egyptian Game of Senet and the Migration of the Soul’, in I. L. Finkel (ed.), Ancient Board Games in Perspective: Papers from the 1990 British Museum Colloquium, with Additional Contributions (London, 2007), 69–86. E. B. Pusch, ‘The Egyptian “Game of Twenty Squares:” Is it Related to “Marbles” and the Game of the Snake?’, in I. L. Finkel (ed.), Ancient Board Games in Perspective: Papers from the 1990 British Museum Colloquium, with Additional Contributions (London, 2007), 69–86. N. Reeves, The Complete Tutankhamun (Cairo, 1990). G. M. Vogelsang-Eastwood, Tutankhamun’s Wardrobe (Rotterdam, 1999). S. Wright, ‘12 Stunning Garments Re-created From Piles Of King Tut’s 3,400-Year-Old Laundry’, Ranker.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From baby to boy. For all his fame and glamour, the life of Tut'ankhamun was more difficult than it seems. The young king dealt with physical challenges and a social environment that treated him as an "idea," more than a person. Today, studies of his mummy give us clues at his early life... Date c.1353 – 1343 BCE. Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments. Music by Jeffrey Goodman. Music by Ancient Lyric. Music by Keith Zizza. Audio mixing/editing by Vincent Cavanagh. The History of Egypt Podcast endorses RA EGYPTIAN, the clean, natural skincare line with products derived from ancient Egyptian sources. Use the checkout code EGYPT to enjoy 30% off your order! Select Bibliography:  T. Bryce, The Routledge Handbook of the Peoples and Places of Ancient Western Asia: The Near East from the Early Bronze Age to the Fall of the Persian Empire (London, 2009). V. Cordani, ‘Aziru’s Journey to Egypt and its Chronological Value’, in J. Mynářová (ed.), Egypt and the Near East – The Crossroads (Prague, 2011), 103–16. W. L. Moran, The Amarna Letters (Baltimore, 1992). W. J. Murnane, The Road to Kadesh: A Historical Interpretation of the Battle Reliefs of King Sety I at Karnak (Chicago, 1985). W. J. Murnane, Texts from the Amarna Period in Egypt (Atlanta, 1995). J. Mynářová, Language of Amarna – Language of Diplomacy: Perspectives on the Amarna Letters (Prague, 2007). J. Mynářová, ‘Egypt Among the Great Powers and Its Relations to the Neighboring Vassal Kingdoms in the Southern Levant According to the Written Evidence’:, in B. Eder and R. Pruzsinszky (eds.), Policies of Exchange Political Systems and Modes of Interaction in the Aegean and the Near East in the 2nd Millenium B.C.E: Proceedings of the International Symposium at the University of Freiburg Institute for Archaeological Studies, 30th May – 2nd June 2012, 2 (2015), 157–66. N. Naʼaman, Canaan in the Second Millennium B.C.E: Collected Essays, Volume 2 (Winona Lake, 2005). A. F. Rainey, The El-Amarna Correspondence: A New Edition of the Cuneiform Letters From the Site of El-Amarna Based On Collations of All Extant Tablets (Leiden, 2015). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Interlude: The greatest treachery. By the end of Akhenaten's reign, events in Syria had developed their own momentum. Rulers like Aziru, prince of Amurru, were causing trouble. Akhenaten had to deal with Aziru as best he could. But the death of Akhenaten interrupted any reconciliation. Soon after, Aziru was looking to other opportunities... Date c.1345 – 1340 BCE. Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments. Music by Michael Levy. Music by Keith Zizza. Audio mixing/editing by Vincent Cavanagh. See other shows from the Agora Podcast Network. The History of Egypt Podcast endorses RA EGYPTIAN, the clean, natural skincare line with products derived from ancient Egyptian sources. Use the checkout code EGYPT to enjoy 30% off your order! Cover image adapted from Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin FRCP(Glasg), CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Select Bibliography: Additional references in the bibliographies of Episode 123 and Episode 124. V. Cordani, ‘Aziru’s Journey to Egypt and its Chronological Value’, in J. Mynářová (ed.), Egypt and the Near East – The Crossroads (Prague, 2011), 103–16. W. L. Moran, The Amarna Letters (Baltimore, 1992). W. J. Murnane, The Road to Kadesh: A Historical Interpretation of the Battle Reliefs of King Sety I at Karnak (Chicago, 1985). W. J. Murnane, Texts from the Amarna Period in Egypt (Atlanta, 1995). J. Mynářová, Language of Amarna – Language of Diplomacy: Perspectives on the Amarna Letters (Prague, 2007). J. Mynářová, ‘Egypt Among the Great Powers and Its Relations to the Neighboring Vassal Kingdoms in the Southern Levant According to the Written Evidence’, in B. Eder and R. Pruzsinszky (eds.), Policies of Exchange Political Systems and Modes of Interaction in the Aegean and the Near East in the 2nd Millenium B.C.E: Proceedings of the International Symposium at the University of Freiburg Institute for Archaeological Studies, 30th May – 2nd June 2012, 2 (2015), 157–66. N. Naʼaman, Canaan in the Second Millennium B.C.E: Collected Essays, Volume 2 (Winona Lake, 2005). A. F. Rainey, The El-Amarna Correspondence: A New Edition of the Cuneiform Letters From the Site of El-Amarna Based On Collations of All Extant Tablets (Leiden, 2015). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Interlude: Warlords and Adventurers. In the second millennium BCE, a new power rose to the north of Egypt. The Kingdom of Hatti (aka the land of the Hittites) emerged as a significant political, economic, and military force. In this episode, we introduce the Hittite state and its early deeds before the reign of Tut'ankhamun. Date c.1790 – 1350 BCE. Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments. Music by Michael Levy. Music by Keith Zizza. Episode logo adapted from a photo by Carole Raddato via Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 2.0. Image cropped/enhanced. Check out the new Hittite series on The Ancient World Pocast. Select Bibliography:  M. Alparslan and M. Dogan-Alparslan, ‘The Hittites and their Geography: Problems of Hittite Historical Geography’, European Journal of Archaeology 18 (2015), 90–110. T. Bryce, The Routledge Handbook of the Peoples and Places of Ancient Western Asia: The Near East from the Early Bronze Age to the Fall of the Persian Empire (London, 2009). E. Devecchi, ‘Suppiluliuma’s Syrian Campaigns in Light of Documents from Ugarit’, in S. de Martino and J. L. Miller (eds.), New Results and New Questions on the Reign of Suppiluliuma I (Florence, 2013). H. Güterbock, ‘The Deeds of Suppiluliuma as Told by His Son, Mursili II’, Journal of Cuneiform Studies 1041–68, 75–98, 107–30. W. L. Moran, The Amarna Letters (Baltimore, 1992). W. J. Murnane, The Road to Kadesh: A Historical Interpretation of the Battle Reliefs of King Sety I at Karnak (Chicago, 1985). W. J. Murnane, Texts from the Amarna Period in Egypt (Atlanta, 1995). W. J. Murnane, ‘Imperial Egypt and the Limits of Her Power’, in R. Cohen and R. Westbrook (eds.), Amarna Diplomacy: The Beginnings of International Relations (Baltimore, 2000), 101–11. J. Mynářová, Language of Amarna – Language of Diplomacy: Perspectives on the Amarna Letters (Prague, 2007). A. F. Rainey, The El-Amarna Correspondence: A New Edition of the Cuneiform Letters From the Site of El-Amarna Based On Collations of All Extant Tablets (Leiden, 2015). A. Spalinger, ‘Egyptian-Hittite Relations at the Close of the Amarna Period and Some Notes on Hittite Military Strategy in North Syria’, Bulletin of the Egyptological Seminar 1 (1979), 55–89. A. Spalinger, War in Ancient Egypt: The New Kingdom (Malden, 2005). M. Van de Mieroop, A History of the Ancient Near East ca. 3000-323 BC (West Sussex, 2016). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A remarkable discovery. In April 2021, Egyptologists working in Luxor announced a major discovery. A new “lost” city, associated with Amunhotep III (and probably Akhenaten as well). In this brief roundup, we discuss the details, the context, and the significance of the find. Date c.1350 BCE and 2021 CE. Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments. Music by Keith Zizza.  Music by Ancient Lyric. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Egypt on the offensive. King Tutankhamun's government had to deal with major threats in the north. Instability and regional warfare had spread through Syria and Canaan. To tackle these, pharaoh despatched his most prominent general. Horemheb, representative of the King, led the soldiers of Egypt into battle... Date c.1340 BCE Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments. Music by Keith Zizza. Music by Ancient Lyric. Music by Jeffrey Goodman. Hear the trumpets of Tutankhamun on BBC Radio. The History of Egypt Podcast is supported by RA EGYPTIAN, the natural skincare line with products derived from ancient Egypt. Visit www.ra-egyptian.com and use the checkout code EGYPT to receive a massive 30% discount on your order. Select Bibliography:  Dodson, Amarna Sunset: Nefertiti, Tutankhamun, Ay, Horemheb, and the Egyptian Counter-Reformation (2nd edn, Cairo, 2017). Eaton-Krauss, The Unknown Tutankhamun (London, 2016). Gabolde, D’Akhenaton à Toutânkhamon (Paris, 1998). Gabolde, Toutankhamon (Les Grands Pharaons; Paris, 2015). R. Johnson, ‘Tutankhamun’s Life, Death, and Afterlife: New Evidence from Thebes’, November 6th, 2020. https://youtu.be/JuHCL88qpFw Kawai, ‘Studies in the Reign of Tutankhamun’, Unpublished PhD. Thesis, Johns Hopkins University (2005). T. Martin, The Memphite Tomb of Ḥoremḥeb, Commander-in-Chief of Tutʻankhamūn, 1 (London, 1989). T. Martin, The Hidden Tombs of Memphis: New Discoveries From the Time of Tutankhamun and Ramesses the Great (London, 1991). J. Murnane, Texts from the Amarna Period in Egypt (Atlanta, 1995). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices