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A gem-studded “lotus flower” pendant similar to that worn by the ancient Egyptian Queen Nefertiti has been found in a number of tombs in Cyprus. The pendant is one of hundreds of opulent funerary objects from across the Mediterranean uncovered at the site, including gemstones, ceramics and jewelry.
Archaeologists from the New Swedish Expedition to Cyprus first discovered the two Bronze Age tombs, both underground chambers, in the ancient city of Hala Sultan Tekke in 2018. 155 human remains and 500 grave goods were found in the graves, which were arranged in layers on top of each other, which suggests that the grave chambers have been used for several generations.
“The finds suggest that these are family graves of the city’s ruling elite,” said excavation director Peter Fischer, professor emeritus of history at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden. said in a statement. “For example, we found the skeleton of a five-year-old with a gold necklace, gold earrings, and a gold tiara. This was probably the child of a powerful and wealthy family.”
Related: In photos: the life and death of King Tut
The grave goods include jewelry and other mementos gold, Silver-, Bronze and ivory, as well as vessels from different cultures. “We also found a ceramic bull,” said Fischer. “The body of this hollow bull has two openings: one on the back to fill it with a liquid, probably wine, and one on the nose to drink from. Apparently they had feasts in the chamber to honor their dead. “
Meanwhile, other funerary items included a red carnelian gemstone from India, a blue lapis lazuli gemstone from Afghanistan, and amber from the Baltic Sea – valuables that suggest that the people of the Bronze Age in Cyprus participated in a vast trade network. Archaeologists also found evidence of trade in ancient egypt, including gold jewelry, scarabs (beetle-shaped amulets with hieroglyphics) and the remains of fish imported from the Nile Valley, the statement said.
The archaeological team dated the gold jewelry by comparing it to similar finds from Egypt. “The comparisons show that most of the objects date from the time of Nefertiti and her husband Akhenaten [also spelled Akhenaten, the father of King Tutankhamun]“, Around 1350 BC. Said Fischer. “We found it like a gold pendant: a lotus flower with inlaid gemstones. Nefertiti wore similar jewelry. ”
The excavation team also discovered a cylindrical seal made from hematite, a mineral with a metallic hue. The seal has a cuneiform script Mesopotamia (today’s Iraq), which archaeologists have deciphered.
“The text consists of three lines and names three names. One is Amurru, a god worshiped in Mesopotamia. The other two are historical kings, father and son, whom we recently traced in other texts on clay tablets from the same period, that is, the 18th century BC. “We are currently trying to find out why the seal landed on Cyprus, more than 1,000 kilometers away.” [620 miles] from where it was made. “
An analysis of the pottery in the tombs showed that the styles in which they were made changed over time, which also helped date the finds, Fischer said.
Next, the archaeologists want that DNA of the skeletons buried in the graves. “This will show how the different individuals are related to each other and whether there are immigrants from other cultures, which is not unlikely in view of the huge trade networks,” said Fischer.
Originally published on Live Science.
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