Obeying their pharaoh, they left behind a treasure trove in Egypt's 'lost golden city'
In Egypt, ancient treasure dating back 3,300 years is being So'oud Aten. Dubbed the lost golden city, its residents left at the whim of Pharaoh Akhenaten.
SO’OUD ATEN, Egypt — It’s a familiar story: The whim of a leader upends citizens’ lives and leads them into the wilderness.
In ancient Egypt, Pharaoh Akhenaten was no different. Determined that his population should stop from worshipping multiple gods, more than 3,300 years ago he told residents to seal up their homes and workshops in the city of So’oud Aten with mud and clay bricks and move to a new home, a leading Egyptologist, Zawi Hawass, told NBC News last month.
“When the king makes a decision, everyone has to obey the decision,” Hawass said. “This is the pharaoh.”
The Colossi of Memnon represent King Amenhotep lll, father of Akhenaten.Charlene Gubash / NBC NewsSo quick was their exodus that many left behind an array of items including jewelry, pottery, children's shoes and toys, as well as a pizza peel similar to those used to make bread by their modern day descendants — a treasure trove that is now being recovered by archeologists. NBC News was given exclusive access to the latest findings.
But much is still a mystery in a city that was only discovered four years ago by archeologists searching for a mortuary temple where animal skeletons were arranged for religious rites. Egyptologists may never figure out why a fish was covered in gold.
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