Categories
Egyptian Artifacts

The Amarna Letters

The โ€œAmarna Lettersโ€ is the modern designation for a group of over 300 ๐“ฒ๐“ฒ๐“ฒ clay tablets that were found at Tell el-Amarna, Egyptย ๐“†Ž๐“…“๐“๐“Š–ย in the 1880s. Amarna as it is commonly called, is the modern name for โ€œAkhetatenย ๐“ˆŒ๐“๐“‰๐“‡‹๐“๐“ˆ–๐“Š–.โ€ โ€œAkhetatenย ๐“ˆŒ๐“๐“‰๐“‡‹๐“๐“ˆ–๐“Š–โ€ was the capital of Egyptย ๐“†Ž๐“…“๐“๐“Š–ย during the reign ๐“‹พ of Akhenatenย ๐“‡‹๐“๐“ˆ–๐“‡ณ๐“…œ๐“๐“ˆ–.ย 

The โ€œAmarna Lettersโ€ are written on clay tablets in cuneiform script, which was a type of Mesopotamian script! Cuneiform could be used to write many languages, but the language on the โ€œAmarna Lettersโ€™โ€ tablets is Akkadian. This is significant because it shows the reach that cuneiform/Akkadian had throughout the ancient world! Akkadian was probably the lingua franca (common language/trade language) of the time! 

Most of the letters are written from rulers outside of Egyptย ๐“†Ž๐“…“๐“๐“Š–, and they document diplomatic relations between these territories and Egyptย ๐“†Ž๐“…“๐“๐“Š–. This particular Amarna Letter that is pictured is from Abi-milku of Tyre to the pharaohย ๐“‰๐“‰ปย of Egyptย ๐“†Ž๐“…“๐“๐“Š–, Akhenatenย ๐“‡‹๐“๐“ˆ–๐“‡ณ๐“…œ๐“๐“ˆ–ย .ย Abi-milku was asking Egyptย ๐“†Ž๐“…“๐“๐“Š–ย for protectionย in return for his loyalty to the pharaohย ๐“‰๐“‰ปย Akhenatenย ๐“‡‹๐“๐“ˆ–๐“‡ณ๐“…œ๐“๐“ˆ–!