Now for something completely different

Cassandra Vivian — Wed, 26 Jul 2006 18:26:55 GMT

This 'discovery' of Tut's silica glass pendant is not new. It was reported in my book The Western Desert of Egypt in the 1990 edition. The credit goes to an Italian team, not to anyone else. Here is the quote:
In 2000, the Italian team added the most astounding discovery of all. In October 1998, Vincenzo de Michele of the Centro Studi Luigi Negro was permitted to examine Tutankhamen’s magnificent pectoral jewelry in the Egyptian Museum. The pectoral was an important ceremonial jewel used by the King for his coronation and for the celebration for the birth of his son. In death, it was laid on the chest of the fallen pharaoh. For years the central piece, a giant, well-polished, lime green scarab, has been listed as chalcedone, a stone not as precious as the surrounding gems embedded in the gold. Well, that stone is far more precious than all the gems in Tut’s pectoral combined, for it is silica glass.
This discovery is very significant to the history of the desert for it was the first indication It tells us that ancient Egyptians knew of the Great Sand Sea and its silica glass. They may well have known how rare and special the glass was, perhaps even its celestial origins, for it is given a place of honor in Tutankhamen’s pectoral, a very important ceremonial jewel. How many other ancient Egyptian jewels contain silica glass? How did the ancient Egyptians get it? The questions are endless.
Cassandra Vivian