The Great Nubian Gold Rush (of the Second Millennium BCE?), or, Gold Bugs of the Bronze Age

About this episode

The episode discusses the surprising findings of gold production in Nubia during the Second Millennium BCE and questions the current archaeological evidence.

How much gold was mined in antiquity anyway? A new economic analysis suggests that second millennium BCE Nubia produced hundreds of tons of the stuff, which is way more than anyone ever thought. Mining expeditions were super profitable too. So where’s the archaeological and textual evidence? Screw that, where’s all the gold now dammit?

Topics covered

• Nubian gold mining
• economic analysis
• archaeological evidence
• Bronze Age
• gold production

Keywords

• Nubia
• gold mining
• Second Millennium BCE
• economic analysis
• archaeological evidence
• Bronze Age

Mentioned in this episode

Products: gold

Places: Nubia

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