Scientists at Bournemouth University in England found that the Hyksos, who ruled Egypt in the seventeenth century BC, in fact, were not foreign invaders, and a group that came to power from within the state. Paper, revealing the secret of an ancient people, published in the journal PLoS ONE.
The Hyksos ruled in Egypt from 1638 to 1530 BC, during the XIII-XVII dynasties of the pharaohs. According to historians, they came from the Middle East, but it was unclear how they seized power. According to one version, they invaded Egypt, but this idea was questioned.
The researchers analyzed samples of tooth enamel belonging to 75 people buried in the ancient capital of the Hyksos tell El-Daba in the North-Eastern part of the Nile Delta. They compared the ratio of strontium isotopes in the remains with the ratio of isotopes in Egypt and other places. It turned out that many residents were not local, immigrated from different countries, which emphasizes the multicultural origins of the Hyksos. Over time immigrants have come to power without resorting to violence.
