38. Fly Amulets, Beads, and Silver Coils

These jewelry pieces were found around the neck of a male burial. The silver coils were probably hair rings or earrings. The finds and customs attested in this cemetery, like other sites in New Kingdom Nubia, heavily leaned towards Egyptian culture. However, continuities in the use of earlier cemeteries and the use of traditional techniques (such as stone-glazing) suggest an undercurrent of Nubian practices persisted. Fly amulets made of various materials (e.g. ivory, faience, gold, stones) were common in both Egypt and Nubia. First known from an A-Group (Qustul, Tomb L17) and Predynastic assemblages (Abydos, Tomb x3), they are also attested in  Kerman tombs. In Egypt, archer bracelets of leather or silver were shaped into a fly form, while gold flies were also given as official gifts . Due to these connections, fly pendants were initially thought of as symbols of military persistence and valor. Being that they are found with different kinds of burials and not just warrior assemblages, however, they are now interpreted as symbols with a broader significance. The motif likely emanated from Nubia but was used in Egypt too.