06e: Queen Hetepheres & Her Mysterious Treasures

A crime scene with no crime? In 1925, archaeologists working at Giza uncovered a remarkable monument. The tomb chamber of Queen Hetep-Heres (c.2630-2580 BCE) contained a wealth of beautiful, high-quality items. But the monument itself was strange, the excavation was a serious challenge, and the results were baffling in many ways. In this episode, we explore the discovery, revelation, the life, and the legacy of Queen Hetep-Heres I... Updated in 2024. Extended version of this episode and digital booklet available at www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. The Tomb of Queen Hetep-Heres: Digital Giza http://giza.fas.harvard.edu/sites/1509/full/. G. A. Reisner and W. S. Smith, A History of the Giza Necropolis Volume II: The Tomb of Hetep-Heres the Mother of Cheops (1955). Available online. M. Lehner, The Pyramid Tomb of Hetep-Heres and the Satellite Pyramid of Khufu (1985). Available online. The treasures of Hetep-Heres: Ancient objects at Digital Giza. Furniture of Hetep-Heres in the Cairo Museum at Wikimedia. Exact replicas at Boston Museum of Fine Arts. Modern reconstruction and replica of a throne at Harvard University. The bracelets of Hetep-Heres – Aegean silver? SCIMEX, ‘Queen Hetepheres’ bracelets reveal new information on trade networks in Old Kingdom Egypt, c 2600 BC’, Scimex, Available online; see also K. Sowada et al., ‘Analyses of Queen Hetepheres’ bracelets from her celebrated tomb in Giza reveals new information on silver, metallurgy and trade in Old Kingdom Egypt, c. 2600 BC’, Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports 49 (2023), 1—9. Available online. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices