Researchers Continue Search for the Roots of the Hyksos

POOLE, ENGLAND—Chemical analysis of teeth collected from Hyksos cemeteries suggests the Hyksos lived in Egypt for generations before ruling from 1638 to 1530 B.C., according to a Live Science report. In a history of Egypt written in the early third century B.C. by a Ptolemaic priest named Manetho, the Hyksos were described as invaders from the northeast who swept into Egypt during a time of turmoil. Hyksos architecture, artifacts, and burials resemble those found in the Near East, explained Chris Stantis of Bournemouth University. The study revealed, however, that 36 of the 75 people tested had lived in Egypt before the Hyksos came to power in 1638 B.C. The study also suggests that those who grew up somewhere other than Egypt probably came from a variety of places, and 30 of the immigrants were found to be female, Stantis added. “We need to look more into who these women were and why they moved, but the fact that there’s more women than men changes a lot of interpretations,” Stantis said. For more on the Hyksos, go to "The Rulers of Foreign Lands."