Ancient Egyptian Civilization and its International Relations over 3500 Years Ago"

An Egyptian farmer in Minya stumbled upon clay tablets adorned with mysterious inscriptions and writings while tending to her land in 1885. She gathered some of them and, after a few days, sold them for a meager sum to a merchant who then presented them to antiquities experts. The experts were astounded by the contents of the tablets.

This discovery sparked worldwide interest, leading to further excavations at the site, ultimately revealing more than 382 additional tablets, including those lost and broken ones. These artifacts were subsequently distributed among museums worldwide, with the Germans acquiring the largest share.

The location of the discovery turned out to be the archive of royal correspondence, akin to a royal mailbox, in Akhet-Aten, the city of Tel el-Amarna, the capital of Akhenaten's reign.

The tablets contained legends, epics, lexicons, and syllabic writings, with the most significant being official correspondence between the Egyptian kings, such as Amenhotep III, Akhenaten, Tutankhamun, and the rulers of the Near Eastern powers, including Babylon, Assyria, Mitanni, and the Hittite Kingdom, among others. These letters also included messages exchanged with rulers of states affiliated with Egypt in Palestine and Syria.

Upon examination of the letters, it was found that most were received, with only a few originating from Egypt. The exchanges between Egypt and the Great Powers at the time covered various topics, including royal marriage negotiations, strategic matters, gift exchanges, and trade agreements. Egyptian scribes translated the letters into the Egyptian language and compiled a dictionary of Akkadian terms.

One notable letter involved a king requesting gold from Amenhotep III, who promptly sent 60 kilograms of gold. However, the recipient objected, deeming the amount insufficient for the messenger's reward, highlighting the abundance of gold in Egypt at the time. In exchange for gold, Egypt received horses, clothing, perfumes, and precious stones.

Another letter from the king of Babylon proposed a marriage alliance with an Egyptian princess, a proposition typically rejected by Egyptian kings, who preferred to marry their daughters to foreign princes rather than sending Egyptian princesses abroad. In response, Amenhotep III firmly refused, stating that Egyptian princesses had never been given to outsiders. Embarrassed, the king of Babylon sent another message, requesting any woman for marriage, assuring that no one would know she was not a princess.

The accidental discovery of the Amarna letters offers valuable insights into ancient life and international relations more than 3,500 years ago.