The first whistle of its kind was found in an ancient village where workers worked on the tomb of Pharaoh Akhenaten lived, suggesting that the site was strictly guarded and off-limits.
Michelle LangleyA small hole drilled into a whistle.
The whistle was found in what appears to have once been a checkpoint at Stone Village. Based on the remains of roads, small buildings, and lookouts in the area, researchers have suggested that law enforcement officers or guards once patrolled the village, controlling access, especially to the sacred royal tomb. Like some modern police officers, these ancient guards appear to have carried whistles to sound the alarm.
In ancient Egypt, there were special police units during the New Kingdom. The Medjay, for example, are well known from various texts and iconography. Moreover, in Akhetaten there are tombs, for example, of Mahu (who held the title of Chief of Police), with wall paintings of sentries guarding roads and gates, and avengers being apprehended, some of whom apparently tried to break through forbidden areas.
“It appears that this area is carefully guarded to keep the sacred burial site known and to allow access only to those who need it,” Langley said.
Langley called the find “completely unique” because it is the first time archaeologists have found a bone whistle from ancient Egypt. While whistles made from other materials or for other purposes have been found elsewhere, this particular artifact sheds light on how control, surveillance, and security were carried out within royal projects.
However, some details remain unclear.
While the whistle's purpose as a policing tool is plausible and supported by contextual evidence, there are no direct records to support its use in this capacity. Furthermore, this tells researchers little about the precise day-to-day actions of the guards who used these tools, or about the administrative system of Akhetaten as a whole.
Further analysis of such finds and the site as a whole could help fill some of these gaps.
After reading about the discovery of the bone whistle in Egypt, learn when the pyramids were built. Then, study the tomb of King Tutankhamun and the story of its discovery.
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