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History of Gold Gold was one of the first metals to be mined because it often occurs in its native form, uncombined with other elements. It is beautiful and imperishable, and exquisite objects can be made from it. Ancient artisans used gold lavishly in decorating temples and tombs, and gold objects found in Egypt were made more than 5,000 years ago. The gold treasures discovered by Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon in 1922 in the tomb of Tutankhamun are particularly noteworthy. The PharaohTutankhamun ruled Egypt in the 14th century B.C. The "Treasures of Tutankhamun" exhibit attracted more than 6 million visitors in a 1977-79 tour of the United States. A great variety of gold figurines, masks, cups, diadems, and jewelry, plus hundreds of decorated beads and buttons were discovered by Heinrich Schliemann in 1876 when he excavated the graves of nobles at the ancient Citadel of Mycenae near Nauplion, Greece. These works of art were created by skilled artisans over 3,500 years ago. Ancient civilizations probably obtained their supply of gold from deposits in the Middle East. Mines in the Upper Nile region adjacent to the Red Sea and in the Nubian Desert area supplied much of the gold used by the Egypt's pharaohs. When these mines' supply of gold could no longer meet demand, deposits were found elsewhere, possibly in Yemen and southern Africa. Craftsmen in Palestine and Mesopotamia likely obtained their supplies from Arabia and Egypt. Studies of the Mahd adh Dhahab ("Cradle of Gold") mine in present day Saudi Arabia show that gold, silver, and copper were mined in this region during the reign of King Solomon (961-922 B.C.). The gold in the Aztec and Inca treasuries of Mexico and Peru probably came from Colombia as well as other sources. Conquistadores like Cortez and Pizarro plundered the treasuries of these civilizations and manysilver and gold objects were melted down and cast into coins and ingots, thus destroying the artifacts of the Indian culture. Disclaimer: While Silver-Gold-Prices.com seeks to provide accurate information, it is provided without warranty or claim of reliability. Site visitors must agree that errors or omissions shall not be made the basis for any claim, demand or cause for action. The information has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but we do not guarantee its accuracy. We offer information and links for informational purposes only and do not make recommendations regarding the purchase of gold bullion or other precious metals from any particular business or government entity. This site contains information and news from third party business and government web sites as well as links to advertisers. We make no claim of reliablity or accuracy in regard to these web sites.