Unlike the arid, desert-like environment of the Valley of the Kings in Luxor, much of Lower Egypt consisted of humid, swampy land. The lack of preservation is unsurprising, given the environment that Psusennes was buried in. (Dave Nakayama / CC BY 2.0 ) Reassessing the Third Intermediate Period The mummy of Psusennes itself had not survived the ages, and instead of an intact body Montet only found a pile of bones, black dust and various funerary items, including a gold mummy board and a spectacular solid gold mask which would have covered the pharaoh’s face. Interestingly, the granite sarcophagus once belonged to a 19th Dynasty pharaoh, Merenptah, who was the successor of Ramesses II. Psusennes’ silver anthropoid coffin was found within a pink granite coffin, which in turn was encased within a granite sarcophagus. Furthermore, the exceptional craftsmanship of the metal objects found inside the tomb, including the silver coffin, suggests that Psusennes also commanded the manpower needed to produce such luxurious items. Although gold was more abundant in ancient Egypt, silver was even more valuable as it had to be imported from Western Asia and the Mediterranean.Īs such, the solid silver coffin found in Psusennes' tomb was a testament to his immense wealth and power. In ancient Egyptian culture, gold was considered the flesh of the gods, while silver was believed to be their bones. (Jerzy Strzelecki / CC BY-SA 3.0 ) The Silver and Gold Treasures of Psusennes’ Tomb Silver Antropoid coffin of Psusennes I the Silver Pharaoh. The most remarkable find in the tomb was a solid silver coffin, leading to Psusennes being referred to as the Silver Pharaoh. Nevertheless, the discovery of the tomb of Psusennes I overturned this assumption. It was logically assumed that the pharaohs of the 21st Dynasty did not wield much power. Meanwhile, Thebes was the stronghold of the High Priest of Amun, who presided over Upper Egypt. While the pharaohs of the 21st Dynasty governed from Tanis, their influence was primarily confined to the Lower Egypt delta region. 20 Awesome Sarcophagi of the Ancient Worldĭuring this era, the country's kingship was fragmented, and the country was divided between Upper and Lower Egypt.The Real Reason Tutankhamun, Akhenaten, and Cleopatra are the Superstars of Ancient Egypt.Psusennes was the third ruler of his dynasty, which ascended to power at the onset of the Third Intermediate Period, a time of political turmoil in Egypt. Montet’s discovery on the eve of the Second World War was that of a tomb of a relatively obscure pharaoh of the 21st Dynasty of ancient Egypt by the name of Psusennes I. (John Campana / CC BY 2.0 ) Psusennes the Silver Pharaoh Turns Assumptions On Their Head But, despite the magnitude of this extraordinary revelation, the news failed to create a stir amongst European society, preoccupied with the escalating conflict on the continent.Ī gold and lapis lazuli collar of king Psusennes I originally found in his tomb at Tanis. The find was on par with the legendary discovery of the intact tomb of the ancient Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun, made by Howard Carter two decades earlier. Amidst the chaos of the Second World War in Western Europe, a French archaeologist named Pierre Montet unearthed a stunning treasure in 1940 in Tanis, Egypt.
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