Foreigners may have conquered ancient Egypt without invading it
An analysis of teeth suggests the Hyksos dynasty arose from outsiders marrying into power
By Bruce Bower
CLEVELAND — A mysterious foreign dynasty that ruled ancient Egypt for about a century gained power not by force, as often thought, but by marrying into royalty, new evidence suggests.
Hyksos people, thought to have come from somewhere in West Asia, reigned as Egypt’s 15th dynasty from around 3,650 to 3,540 years ago. Although later, homegrown Egyptian pharaohs described these people as invaders, no remains of battles fought by Hyksos people against Egyptians have been found.