Marjorie Hilton
Tales of Traded Materials in the Ancient Near East
Traders were important agents for the transmission of ideas and materials in the ancient Near East. This session presents a short overview of the role of the trader. It will focus on interesting questions such as:
How could an ancient blue bead from the time of Pharaoh Tutankhamen be found in a 7000-year-old Danish woman’s grave? What role did the Abora IV play in the fleshing out of this ancient journey? What is that central stone in the famous pectoral of Pharaoh Tutankhamen? What were some of the games played in ancient times? What was the ancient trade of ostrich shell beads, How did the ostrich feather become an important part of the Egyptian religion?
[Recorded August 12, 2023]
Marjorie Hilton, MEd (Harvard) is a retired teacher and a museum, library, and historic society designer/exhibitor. She has worked with many museums in the Boston area and is now an archivist at the Old Schwamb Mill (Arlington, MA.). She has a strong sense of curiosity and has attended many sessions within the Near Eastern department of Harvard University. Her interest in the ancient Near East prompted her to write a book about trade in the ancient Near East for high-school and YA readers.
