Gold in Ancient Egypt

• In ancient Egyptian culture, everyone from peasants to royalty wore jewelry, which signified one's social status. Understandably, those of higher social status wore more jewelry, and no material was more highly prized than gold. Egyptians mined gold from alluvial deposits found in the Nubian Desert, located between the Nile and the Red Sea. When these surface deposits were exhausted, the Egyptians developed underground mining techniques. Such mining was done by slaves, and historical accounts from the first century B.C. indicate that working conditions in these gold mines were horrible.
  
  

Archeological Evidence

• In 2007 archeologists discovered a gold-processing and panning camp along the Nile, the first physical evidence of an area where ancient Egyptians may have obtained gold. Among the artifacts found at the site are 55 two-foot grindstones that were most likely used to crush gold ore. Archeologists believe that this riverside camp, located about 800 miles south of Cairo, was operated by non-Egyptians called Kushites, who ruled the region from 2000 to 1500 B.C. The Kushites likely gathered gold from this location and used it to trade with the Egyptians.
  
  

Refining Techniques

• The process for refining gold was crude but effective. Rocks that were embedded with gold first had to be broken into smaller pieces that were ground down into a fine powder. The powder was then poured onto a marble slab set at gradual incline. A continuous stream of water was poured over the gold so the heaviest elements settled. Using a sponge, workers would pick up any rock particles until all that remained was gold dust. The gold dust was then placed in an earthen jar containing a lump of lead, lumps of salt, some tin and barley bran. The jar was then sealed with mud and baked in a kiln for five days. The ultimate result was pure gold.
  
  

Religious Signifance

• Ancient Egyptians were sun-worshipers, and the highest god in their pantheon of deities was Ra, the sun god. The golden shine of gold was equated with the light of the sun, and gold was considered to be the skin of the gods. In fact, during the earliest period of Egyptian history, only kings were permitted to wear gold, although this rules was subsequently relaxed. The religious significance of gold led to its use in funerary art, such as the sarcophagus and mask of Tutankhamun.