Jewellery in the Middle Kingdom (about 2025-1700 BC) and Second Intermediate Period
(2025-1500 BC )

Detail of stela UC 14334 . Roll-over the image to highlight the jewellery shown on the monument (or click here). Similar jewellery has been found in Middle Kingdom burials as illustrated below.

The broad collar is very often shown in two and three dimensional art. It is common in elite burials, but not in tombs of people of lower status.

Simple necklaces are very often found in tombs but only rarely shown in art.

Strings of beads and amulets were often worn at the ankles and wrists.

Semi-precious stones (amethyst) are very popular in the Middle Kingdom (about 2025-1700 BC).

The quality of jewellery produced in the Middle Kingdom (about 2025-1700 BC) was not surpassed in earlier or later times. New techniques for gold working were introduced such as granulation (most probably from the Near East).

	Gold cylinder from Harageh. The decoration is made in granulation. It is one of the earliest examples of this technique found in Egypt.
	Gold fish amulet from Harageh. A typical object type found in late Middle Kingdom tombs. Similar amulets were represented in art and one is even mentioned in literature (the Egyptian word being nekhkha).

compare:

hairpins