In the fall of 2011, an archaeologist and his team working at Egypt’s ancient palace of Avaris discovered the remains of a total of 16 human hands in four tombs. Apart from the pits in front of the throne room, where there was one hand in each pit, 14 hands were found elsewhere. The archaeologist and his team stated that all the bones date back about 3,600 years, and they estimated that they all came from the same ritual. All hands appear abnormally long or larger than normal. Scientists believe that the hands, classified with four different tombs, belonged to the real Hyksos.
The Hyksos is a period when an Asian-origin tribe that started the Second Middle Period of Ancient Egypt ruled Egypt by occupying the Nile Delta during the Twelfth Dynasty. The Hyksos are a tribe of Hurrian origin and they established the Fifteenth Dynasty in this region. In the 17th century BC, they defeated the Egyptians because they entered into an alliance with the Nubians in the south. In addition, they brought war techniques such as harnessed horses and new types of armor to Egypt. Although the Hyksos added cultural richness to the region, the Egyptians never consented to this occupation. In the 15th century BC, Thebe chief Ahmose started to fight the Hyksos and exiled them to Palestine. Thus began the New Kingdom Period in Egypt. This period between the 17th and 15th centuries is called the “Second Intermediate Period”. The Egyptians viewed the barbarians from Syria as robbers and plunderers. Since the Syrians were the kings who invaded and plundered some cities of Egypt, the Egyptians called them “hyksos” (Syrian – thief kings).
The Cause of Hands in the Pits
Austrian archaeologist Manfred Bietak, who is responsible for the excavations of the ancient city of Avaris, said in a statement to the Egyptian Archeology newspaper that the human hands found support the stories mentioned in ancient Egyptian writings and art. As the first physical proof of this, he explained that the soldiers cut off the right hands of the enemies to get gold coins in return. The amputation of an enemy hand was a symbolically used method of eliminating enemy forces and was also part of a ritual performed in a holy place or temple. Therefore, the meaning of this ceremony was extraordinary.
So far, there is no conclusive evidence as to who the found hands belonged to. It has not yet been determined whether the hands belong to the Hyksos or the Egyptians. When asked why this ritual was performed, archaeologist Bietak said, “You are depriving him of his power forever. Our finding is the first and only physical evidence. Each moat represents a different ceremony.” replied as.
The hands in both pits are placed directly in front of the throne room. It is thought that this ritual may have something to do with the occupation, as this area was once controlled by an invading power. Other hands were found on the outer grounds of the palace and may have been buried at the same time or at a later date. The sacrifices of the people exposed to foreign occupation in this region are not surprising. The Egyptians often invoked their gods to punish their invading armies with plague, famine, or general misfortune. It is possible that these sacrifices are part of a curse against the invading armies.
Larger-than-normal hands
While there is much more to be investigated regarding the giant hands in the pits, many signs indicate that the event was a god or a ritual for the gods. It is not known who these hands belong to. However, the abnormally large hands indicate that these people were specially selected. This is a sign of sacrifice rather than the killing of an invading army. The separate burial of the two hands may indicate that these offerings were incredibly satisfying to the gods. In addition, the Hyperborean civilization can be hypothesized in some ancient writings, which is interpreted to mean that this civilization was very extensive, that the waters of the Indian Sea flooded this continent and that they came from Lemuria.
This discovery may reveal the true story of a large-scale civilization. The discovery of these giant hands may not be just the stories or inventions of conspiracy theorists, besides shedding light on the old stories discussed earlier. This discovery could help reveal the true story of a great civilization that once existed. The discovery of gigantic hands could also shed light on conspiracy theories or ancient stories discussed earlier. Examining these findings can provide more insight into the history of Ancient Egypt and the political, social and cultural factors of its time.
