Tell el-Dab'a / Avaris

Avaris

Egypt

Ancient cityExcavation ongoing
Approximate period2,000 BCE — 1,070 BCEMiddle Kingdom, Second Intermediate Period and New Kingdom See on the map ↓

In brief

The site in the eastern Nile Delta has been identified as Avaris, the Hyksos capital. Excavations have documented palaces, temples, houses and burials within the settlement.

What was found?

  • 1Hyksos palace

    The palace, investigated through its throne room and the courtyard in front of it, is an architectural trace of Hyksos rule. Finds in the courtyard provide context for understanding practices carried out at the palace.

  • 2Remains of right hands in three pits

    The remains of severed right hands belonging to at least 12 adults have been examined in three pits in the palace courtyard. Researchers associate them with the practice of presenting war trophies; it is unknown whether the hands were removed while the individuals were alive or after their deaths.

  • 3Near Eastern-style temples

    Two Near Eastern-style temples were found alongside Egyptian-style funerary chapels in the sacred precinct in the eastern section. They show that different building traditions were used side by side.

  • 4Syro-Palestinian amphorae

    These amphorae, prominent among imported vessels of the Hyksos period, originally carried wine or olive oil. They document the exchange of goods with the eastern Mediterranean.

  • 5Cypriot pottery

    These are Cypriot vessels imported into the settlement. They constitute another tangible trace of overseas connections during the Hyksos period.

What does it point to?

Avaris was a city where Egyptian and Near Eastern traditions met, with strong foreign trade connections. According to researchers, the human remains in the palace courtyard point to a practice connected with presenting military achievements before the ruler.

What did it teach us?

  1. It shows that communities of Near Eastern origin were present in the settlement even before Hyksos rule.
  2. It documents the coming together of Egyptian and Near Eastern religious architecture in the same sacred precinct.
  3. It provides the first osteological evidence for the practice of presenting right hands independent of inscriptions and reliefs.

Record

Culture
Ancient Egypt, the Hyksos and the Levant
First modern dig
1885
Team / historical
Irene Forstner-Müller; Avusturya Arkeoloji Enstitüsü
Coordinates
30.7833°, 31.8333°

Sources

  1. auaris.at
  2. nature.com
  3. oeaw.ac.at

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