While excavating a 3,600-year-old palace in the city of Avaris, a team of archaeologists discovered four pits filled with severed hands of very large size. This is the first physical evidence of a practice widely represented in ancient Egyptian art. Severed right hands were offered by soldiers to their commanders as a sign of victory over their enemies. Archaeologists speculate that in this case the enemies were giants.
Palace of King Hayan of the Hyksos
The palace of King Hayan of Hyksos is located in the once great city of Avaris, which is located in the northeast of modern Egypt. Hayan was the ruler of the West Asian people who once ruled part of Northern Egypt. The palace was built between 1650 and 1550 BC and was destroyed in the late 17th century BC.
Excavations of the palace began in 2014 and continue to this day. Archaeologists have already discovered many interesting artifacts, including the carcass of a lion, but the most surprising was finding pits with severed hands.
Severed hands
All of the hands found in the pits were right handed and quite large in size. Some of them were very large, confirming legends of giants who lived in ancient Egypt.
The practice of chopping off hands was widespread in ancient Egypt and was often depicted on the walls of temples and pyramids. Soldiers would cut off the right hands of their enemies and bring them to their commanders, who would throw the hands into a pit and then throw each soldier a handful of gold in exchange.
Some scholars suggest that chopping off hands was not only a symbol of victory, but also a practice that helped keep order in society. For example, if someone was found guilty of stealing, his right hand would be cut off so that he could no longer commit crimes.
Giants in Ancient Egypt
However, one important question remains: with whom did the army of Egypt fight? Judging by the size of the hands found in the pits, they were giants.
The idea that Ancient Egypt was inhabited by giants is not new. In ancient Egyptian mythology, there are references to giants who lived alongside humans. Some researchers suggest that these myths may be based on real creatures.
However, most scientists are skeptical of this idea. They argue that the size of the hands found can be explained not only by the presence of giants, but also by simpler reasons, such as genetic abnormalities or other diseases provoking abnormal growth.
