The sacred treasure of Queen Amanishakheto (original) (raw)

2021, Ancient Egypt Magazine, vol. 21, No.5

I n the course of history, various peoples have left an aesthetic imprint on the fields of architecture, sculpture, goldsmithing, painting or decorative arts as a result of their internal development and their vision of the world, all of which would come to shape their own culture. However, as kingdoms and empires expanded and came into contact with each other, cultural exchanges gave rise to hybridizations of all kinds, especially notable in the field of the arts. This fact is especially evident in the expansion of Pharaonic Egypt beyond the Second Cataract, in the region of present-day Nubia, formerly known as Kush, and which was home to three successive kingdoms-Kerma (2600-1520 BC), Napata (1000-300 BC) and Meroë (300 BC-300 AD)-creating one of the most exciting hybrid cultures in human history.. Thus, while most books on the history of Egyptian art have traditionally focused on the study of the northern, pharaonic culture, there is also a rich and little known Sudanese heritage to explore-a legacy resulting from the contact between two peoples who were tacit partners, friends and rivals. And there is one particular discovery that stands out: a treasure that caught the attention of the world even before the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb. Housed in the Ägyptisches Museum in Berlin, the jewellery collection of the mighty Queen Amanishakheto takes visitors back to a land where pharaonic Egypt met tribal Africa-a world of alliances, wars, intrigues and luxury.