How many Amarna letters have been discovered so far?
Answer: 382
The Amarna letters refer to a collection of cuneiform tablets that were discovered at modern-day el-Amarna, the site of the ancient capital of the Egyptian New Kingdom. The letters were written in Akkadian—the language of official and administrative documents—and consist mostly of diplomatic correspondence between Egypt and its representatives in Canaan and Amurru during the reign of Amenhotep IV (1369–1353 B.C.E.).
The first tablets were discovered by local Egyptians in 1887. Several more were excavated by archaeologist William Flinders Petrie in the 1890s, and still others have been recovered since then. The tablets are located in museums in cities all over the world, including Cairo, Berlin, Paris, Moscow and Chicago.
Answer: B. netting bobbin
Made of bone, this netting bobbin comes from Israel (the exact location is unknown) and dates to the mid-to-late Iron Age II (900–586 B.C.E.). According to the Jewish Museum, where it is now housed:
Bone objects with center-dot decoration were frequent finds in the Iron Age tombs at Lachish and in many sites in Israel. Originally called pendants, archaeologists now interpret them as netting bobbins. The thread would have passed through the perforation and been wound around the bobbin. The net weaver would then use the bobbin as a needle, unwinding the thread as he or she wove.
Answer: The krater sold for $56,000, while the kylix fetched $1,766,000—the highest selling price at the auction. Both vessels are painted in the red-figure style and date to approximately 480 B.C.E.
The krater—a large mixing bowl with two vertical handles—is attributed to the so-called Pig Painter and bears the familiar scene of Theseus slaying the Minotaur. At far right Ariadne looks on, and at far left the Minotaur’s last victim falls to the ground, still clutching a stone as a useless weapon in his hand.
On the kylix, which is a wide, shallow drinking cup with two horizontal handles and a stemmed base, is depicted a maenad—a female member of the cult of Dionysos—holding a cultic staff and the tail of a cheetah. This masterful work is attributed to Douris the Painter, who was known for his fine drawings and crisp, clear lines, and Python the Potter.
Answer: 382
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