Long seen as the "invaders" of Egypt, the name of the Hyksos has only been rehabilitated for twenty years. Recent data sheds a little more light on their potential origin, although it still remains imprecise despite the studies devoted to it.
The Hyksos ruled Lower Egypt during the 14th and 15th Dynasties.
Many hypotheses hover around the Hyksôs, the first men of foreign origin to have reigned over the eastern delta of the Nile, in northern Egypt. These probably remained in power between 1638 and 1530 BC, during what were later named the 14th and 15th Dynasties of Ancient Egypt. But where did the Hyksôs come from, these "rulers of foreign lands" in the Egyptian language?
A mistaken version of history
The most common version of this piece of history states that the Hyksos invaded the Nile Delta towards the end of the 13th Dynasty. But "in reality, the Hyksos 'invasion' theory has not been accepted since at least the late 1990s", explains to Sciences et Avenir Egyptologist Julien Siesse, specialist in the Middle Kingdom and the Second Intermediate Period.
"It is rather a gradual immigration into the eastern delta of the Nile, from the current of the 12th dynasty, of Syrian-Palestinian populations, perhaps Levantine merchants, in the port city of Tell el -Dab' a" continues Julien Siesse. The Hyksos would therefore have settled in the region several generations before their takeover, and not by force as the version of the invasion suggests.
This historical error is due to the tradition reported by the Egyptian priest Manetho. Although written several centuries after Hyksos rule, his History of Egypt is indeed one of the only written records of this period, which he describes as the invasion of a foreign dynasty wishing to rule Egypt. But his account was itself likely biased by post-Hyksos period sources, which purposely portray the people as powerful and dangerous to magnify the exploits of the Theban kings who succeeded them.
One thing, however, remains true:the Hyksos originated in a region located in the Near East, whose exact location is still disputed today.
Many hypotheses hover around the Hyksôs, the first men of foreign origin to have reigned over the eastern delta of the Nile, in northern Egypt. These probably remained in power between 1638 and 1530 BC, during what were later named the 14th and 15th Dynasties of Ancient Egypt. But where did the Hyksôs come from, these "rulers of foreign lands" in the Egyptian language?
A mistaken version of history
The most common version of this piece of history states that the Hyksos invaded the Nile Delta towards the end of the 13th Dynasty. But "in reality, the Hyksos 'invasion' theory has not been accepted since at least the late 1990s", explains to Sciences et Avenir Egyptologist Julien Siesse, specialist in the Middle Kingdom and the Second Intermediate Period.
"It is rather a gradual immigration into the eastern delta of the Nile, from the current of the 12th dynasty, of Syrian-Palestinian populations, perhaps Levantine merchants, in the port city of Tell el -Dab' a" continues Julien Siesse. The Hyksos would therefore have settled in the region several generations before their takeover, and not by force as the version of the invasion suggests.
This historical error is due to the tradition reported by the Egyptian priest Manetho. Although written several centuries after Hyksos rule, his History of Egypt is indeed one of the only written records of this period, which he describes as the invasion of a foreign dynasty wishing to rule Egypt. But his account was itself likely biased by post-Hyksos period sources, which purposely portray the people as powerful and dangerous to magnify the exploits of the Theban kings who succeeded them.
One thing, however, remains true:the Hyksos originated in a region located in the Near East, whose exact location is still debated today. If some lean towards the northern Levant (northern Syria and present-day Lebanon) or the southern Levant (Palestine), no archaeological evidence is yet precise enough to answer with certainty.
Isotopic analyzes to confirm the hypothesis of a gradual arrival
This is the question that a team from Bournemouth University in the United Kingdom tried to answer. In a study published July 15, 2020 in the open access journal PLOS ONE , the researchers studied remains of the population of the northeast of the Nile delta to check, first, if their origin was local or non-local.
To do this, the researchers analyzed enamel samples from molars of 75 individuals buried at the site of Tell el-Dab'a, the ancient capital of the Hyksos. They were thus able to compare the isotopic ratios of strontium (87Sr/86Sr) of the teeth with the isotopic signatures of the environment:if the isotopic ratios of the individual and the environment are similar, this means that the individual lived on the territory in the first years of his life. Conversely, mismatched isotopic ratios mean that individuals buried at the site only arrived as adults in the city, and are therefore not "local".
Two answers were drawn from the analyzes of the international team. On the one hand, the researchers were able to show that a large percentage of the population was of non-local origin… which should normally support the invasion theory. But this percentage was higher in the 12th dynasty (pre-Hyksôs period) than during the 15th dynasty, which seems to prove that most of the Hyksôs arrived at Tell el-Dab'a at this period, well before their capture. to be able to. For the first time, scientific data invalidates the theory of a rapid invasion during the 15th dynasty.
The question of the origin of the Hyksos soon to be elucidated?
On the other hand, the isotopic signatures noted reflected various non-local origins. In other words, the study confirms the theory of gradual arrival in the territory; but the inhabitants of Tell el-Dab'a would in fact have a wide variety of origins - including the still unlocated Hyksôs.
The Bournemouth University team is planning wider research in the coming years to identify this famous origin. "I would like to use other isotopic techniques such as carbon and oxygen to study mobility, and look at sites in the eastern Mediterranean and the Levant […] to think about movement between these regions", explains to Sciences et Avenir Chris Stantis, PhD in Bioarchaeology at Bournemouth University and lead author of the study.
Julien Siesse confirms:"Only comparative analyzes with bodies found in contemporary tombs in the Levant will allow us to learn more". The leads look promising for unraveling one of the greatest mysteries of the 15th Dynasty of Egypt.