When the Amarna Letters were first discovered in Egypt, many scholars thought they were fake. They were not written on papyrus, but clay tablets—a material that wasn’t used in the region. Nor were they written in ancient Egyptian, but a cuneiform version of Akkadian, a language spoken by neighboring civilizations like the Assyrians and Babylonians.

Though found in and named after the ancient Egyptian city of Amarna or Akhetaten, these tablets didn’t originate from the land of the pharaohs. As their material and writing system indicate, their messages were composed elsewhere—in the courts of vassal rulers and rival kings. Each was addressed to the head of the Egyptian state, pointing to the existence of a vast, sophisticated diplomatic network.

Heqanakht Letter I, Egyptian, Middle Kingdom (ca. 1961–17 B.C.E.). Photo courtesy the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Most of the 382 Amarna Letters discovered so far date to 14th century B.C.E., a unique period in ancient Egyptian history, when the pharaoh Amenhotep IV relocated his court from Thebes to Amarna, a city devoted to the solar deity Aten. The relocation was of religious significance, as Amenhotep sought to distinguish Aten—with whom he personally identified, changing his name to Akhenaten early on in his reign—from the other gods and goddesses that made up the Egyptian pantheon.

Excepting the inscriptions of a few dozen myths, epics, and syllabaries—used, presumably, as training material for royal scribes—most of the Amarna Letters are, well, letters. A majority of these were written on behalf of vassal lords who ruled over cities and small kingdoms in the pharaoh’s name, and communicated concerns about local trade and governance up the chain of command. Indicative of their position, their authors address the pharaoh as “my lord” and “the Sun” while referring to themselves as his servants. “I fall at your feet 7 times and 7 times,” reads one letter from Abi-milku of Tyre, who wrote to inform his superior of an apparent military operation. “What the king, my lord, ordered, that I have done. The entire land is afraid of the troops of the king, my lord.”

Amarna letter, New Kingdom, Amarna Period (ca. 1353–1336 B.C.E.). Photo courtesy the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

A handful of letters were written not by the pharaoh’s underlings but his equals: rival kings who presided over vast, powerful empires. In keeping with the power of their positions, these authors were less deferential in tone, typically addressing the pharaoh as “brother.” They don’t deal with disputes, but announce gifts and royal marriage proposals. “Do not delay the messenger whom I have sent to you for a visit,” reads a letter from Ashur-uballit I, the first king of the Middle Assyrian Empire. “He should visit and then leave for here. He should see what you are like and what your land is like, and then leave for here.”

As the Metropolitan Museum of Art pointed out in an article, the Amarna Letters appear to have been equal parts practical and ceremonial in purpose. They were not read, but spoken aloud as part of courtly rituals, and their varying sizes, shapes, and colors suggests that rulers used personalized templates.

Reasons for their excellent preservation may have been practical and ceremonial, too. First and foremost, the letters—some of which appear to have been moved to and from different archives over time—were probably stored so as to keep a record of appeals, invitations, and bribes for future use. At the same time, the messages—many of them mementos from cherished or esteemed relations—might have been stored for their sentimental value and status also. Today, the Amarna Letters are, above all, reminders of an unprecedented system of geopolitical relations based on a set of codified rules and customs.

The Hunt explores art and ancient relics that are—alas!—lost to time. From the Ark of the Covenant to Cleopatra’s tomb, these legendary treasures have long captured the imaginations of historians and archaeologists, even if they remain buried under layers of sand, stone, and history.