3,500 year-old city, which gave us Horse Cart Found.

Hyksos, who ruled ancient Egypt for a little over 100 years and their civilized city was found by a team of Austrian archaeologists at Nile Delta.

The ancient Egyptians so reviled the Hyksos- the people who introduced horsedrawn carriages into the world-that they obliterated all traces of their rich civilisation.

Archaeological discovery of the Hyksos capital, Avaris, led by Irena Mueller, deputy director of the Austrian Archaeological Institute, Cairo, will cast muchneeded light on an empire that flourished from 1664 to 1569 BC.

They introduced new tools of warfare into Egypt, notably the composite bow, made from disparate materials laminated together, and the horse-drawn chariot.

So who were the Hyksos?

They were a multi-ethnic people comprising warlords, farmers, skilled tradesmen, professionals, doctors, lawyers, scribes, priests, diplomats and accountants.

Reproduced From Mail Today. Copyright 2010. MTNPL. All rights reserved.

3,500 year-old city, which gave us Horse Cart Found.