The Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities and Tourism has announced that archaeologists in Egypt have unearthed beautiful gold jewelry, including a ring depicting “Bes, the god of joy,” in a tomb over 3,300 years old.
This gold ring is engraved with the name Bes, “the god of joy” who protects women during childbirth.
The tomb is located north of the ancient city of Akhetaten (modern-day Amarna), about 300 km south of Egypt’s capital, Cairo. This city was built by Pharaoh Akhenaten, who reigned from around 1353 BC to 1336 BC and attempted to shift Egypt’s polytheistic religion towards the worship of the sun god Aten. He moved Egypt’s capital from Thebes (present-day Luxor) to the newly constructed desert city of Akhetaten. Ultimately, Akhenaten’s religious reforms were reversed by his son, Tutankhamun, and the new city was abandoned shortly after Akhenaten’s death.
The recently discovered jewelry collection includes three rings, according to the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities. One of them is engraved with the image of Bes, known as “the god of joy.”
The joyful god Bes is depicted as a dwarf who, besides playing music and spreading joy, also protects women during childbirth.
The gold ring bears a hieroglyphic inscription with the name “Sat I Plant Tawi”, which means “Lady of the Earth.” It is unclear who this woman was. This ring was found in a burial context and dates back over 3,300 years.
It remains unknown who was buried there, why this jewelry was placed with them, or whether the tomb was discovered in a cemetery or another location north of the city. Excavations at Amarna are ongoing, and detailed information about the findings will be released soon.
Anna Stevens, the assistant director of the Amarna Project excavation and a lecturer at the Centre for Ancient Cultures at Monash University in Australia, stated that her team would announce their discoveries in the coming months, with more information to follow.
