Egypt has always been renowned for its gold. Statues, buildings and royal heirlooms have been made from the lustrous metal for centuries. It is said that even the gods were made of gold. However, Egypt has never been known for mining its own gold. Very little of the gold found in museums across the world is said to actually be from Egypt itself. So where did the ancient pharaohs and queens get the gold for their jewels and statues? Several years ago, an ancient mine was discovered on the Nile that shed some light on where, in fact, the possible major source of Egypt’s gold came from.
Located along the Nile region of Sudan, an ancient Nubian kingdom of Kush was unearthed. The Nubia people were known for their gold reserves and may have fled south all those centuries ago to escape persecution and slavery from the pharaohs of Egypt. Where were they getting the gold from, though? Further south along the Nile, they had found plentiful sources of the precious metal. Archeologists discovered the site and date it as far back as 1500 B.C. Here, new-found colonies mined and panned for gold along the river. In turn, they sold their findings to the royal houses of Egypt where the gold was fashioned into the pieces and statues we see displayed in museums today.
Located along the Nile region of Sudan, an ancient Nubian kingdom of Kush was unearthed. The Nubia people were known for their gold reserves and may have fled south all those centuries ago to escape persecution and slavery from the pharaohs of Egypt. Where were they getting the gold from, though? Further south along the Nile, they had found plentiful sources of the precious metal. Archeologists discovered the site and date it as far back as 1500 B.C. Here, new-found colonies mined and panned for gold along the river. In turn, they sold their findings to the royal houses of Egypt where the gold was fashioned into the pieces and statues we see displayed in museums today.