Ramesses’ new queen took up residence in a palace at the Egyptian capital. Hittite ladies-in-waiting served her, and a detachment of Hittite charioteers formed an honor guard for her. It was also here that she received the emissaries of her father (Edel 1994: vol. 1, 214-15, vol. 2, 321-22).44 Excavations undertaken in the palace area since 1980 by the Pelizaeus Museum of Hildesheim have revealed a large installation associated with a chariotry garrison at Pi-Ramesse, including an armory, stables, workshops for repairing chariots and shields, and a training and exercise yard for horses. The most significant finds for our immediate purpose are several large limestone molds employed in forming the bronze fittings to be attached to Hittite figure-eight shields and Anatolian trapezoidal shields (Pusch 1989, 1991, 1996; Gore 1991: 16-17). “And if one finds not only the weapons of the fiercest enemy of Egypt, but also the tools of their production..., then their presence can only be understood as proof that the Egyptians and the Hittites were working side by side in a spirit of friendship. This leads inevitably to the conclusion that Hittites were producing or repairing Hittite shields to be used by Hittite contingents within Pi-Ramesses” (Pusch 1996: 143).
Letters continued to be exchanged between the courts, mostly cordial, while a few are a bit testy in tone. The international renown of Egyptian medical skills is referred to more than once. In replying to a request from Hattusili that a gynecologist might be sent to prepare potions for enhancing the fertility of his sister, Ramesses - obviously taken aback somewhat at the thought - responds: “She is said to be fifty or sixty years old. It is not possible to prepare medicines for a woman who has completed fifty or sixty years so that she might still be caused to give birth” (Beckman 1999: 137-38). He believes that only a miracle could accomplish what Hattusili wants! Nevertheless, he graciously consents to send her a physician - accompanied by a priest.
World History
