Gold in the ancient world
5,000 years ago in Egypt and the Middle East:
Beside the classical function of money in exchange, payment, and value storage, gold was also used to cover dead people like Pharoah, Egyptian kings, mummies...
This is proved by the evidence below: According to the book "Exploiting the Earth", under contract with Johns Hopkins University Press, Richard Cowen recorded that: There is the record of which the King of Mitanni wrote to his father-in-law, the Pharoah of Egypt around 1400 BC: "Send gold quickly, in very great quantities, so that I may finish a project I am undertaking because gold is as dust in [your] land." However, this wasn't just a wishful thinking because because in 1922, Tutankhamen's tomb which contained about twice as much gold as the Royal Bank of Egypt at the time was discovered. => As a result, investigators believe that in 1922, Egypt was perfected in gold mining, purification, and metal-working In 1927, the technology of gold working had reached very high levels of competence by about 2600 BC, proved by:
However, on one site (Tepe Gawra on the Iranian plateau) investigators found out many discovery which proved that gold has yielded worked before 3000 BC. => The origin of gold technology was in Iran/Anatolia rather than Egypt. |
The Tutankhamen Sarcophagus was made of yellow quartzite which was covered with gold leaf.
It contained three gold coffins nested within each other, like Russian dolls. Inside the final coffin which was made entirely of gold, was the mummy Pharaoh Tutankhamen - King Tut wearing a solid gold death mask. Numerous pieces of golden jewelry including amulets, necklaces, bracelets, rings, head jewelry and anklets were also found surrounding the mummy of King Tut. |
Ancient Egypt's " flesh of gods"
According to Linda Alchin
The investigators also found out that in the ancient world, it was believed that Egyptian Gold had magical potency and contained significant religious properties.
This is because gold did not tarnish or deteriorate and more importantly, gold shone like the sun god. Therefore, gold was credited with the powers of the sun god. Egyptian gold was therefore referred to as the Flesh of the Gods. |
Egyptian Gold came from the richest gold supplies in the Ancient World. The two major sources were in Nubia to the South and in the Eastern desert. It was obtained by crushing the white quartz rock which was found in the desert and also panned from silt found in the river beds.
All of the gold that was found, was then stored in linen bags and transported by donkey trains back to the Nile Valley of Egypt and to Pharaohs and the priests. The skills of the Ancient Egyptian goldsmiths transformed the gold into fabulous treasures which were destined for the palaces or the temples. Gold leaf which was paper thin, was also created during this period. Gold leaf was used to cover the furniture, tombs of the Pharaohs and the statues of the gods. Golden jewelry like amulets, necklaces, bracelets, rings, head jewelry and anklets was favored by Ancient Egyptians, men and women alike Moreover, when the people died, their golden jewelry was buried with them, because of their religious customs and beliefs. |
560 BC in Asia Minor ( Anatolia ) - present day Turkey:
In the Middle Ages:
In 1300 hallmarking: A system to check and guarantee the quality of gold was established in London, creating a common standard for gold purity.
In the 14th and 15th century increase of gold value:
The reasons were the decline of European mining, leading to a reduction in new gold supplies. During the same time, coin production decreased by 80%. This made gold in circulation rarer, increased the price for this precious metal, and lead to a continuous deflation.
- Gold was more and more used only as a value storage instead of a means of payment, as this metal was rarer and more valuable than silver.
- The crusades and the expanding long-distance trade helped to reintroduce gold as a means of payment.
- In Mediaeval Europe gold had a value of 10 to 12 times that of silver.
In 1300 hallmarking: A system to check and guarantee the quality of gold was established in London, creating a common standard for gold purity.
In the 14th and 15th century increase of gold value:
The reasons were the decline of European mining, leading to a reduction in new gold supplies. During the same time, coin production decreased by 80%. This made gold in circulation rarer, increased the price for this precious metal, and lead to a continuous deflation.
Reference to:
http://mygeologypage.ucdavis.edu/cowen/~gel115/115CH6.html
http://www.historyembalmed.org/ancient-egyptians/egyptian-gold.htm
http://www.historyembalmed.org/ancient-egyptians/egyptian-gold.htm
http://history2701.wikia.com/wiki/Gold_Coin_of_Croesus
http://goldratefortoday.org/history-gold/
http://mygeologypage.ucdavis.edu/cowen/~gel115/115CH6.html
http://www.historyembalmed.org/ancient-egyptians/egyptian-gold.htm
http://www.historyembalmed.org/ancient-egyptians/egyptian-gold.htm
http://history2701.wikia.com/wiki/Gold_Coin_of_Croesus
http://goldratefortoday.org/history-gold/