Changes

Another aspect of gold was that it began to be seen as a substance given by the gods, as its purity and shiny luster made it seen as a divine substance. By the 3rd millennium BCE, most likely spanning the Near East and the Indus, gold was used to make statues of gods. One aspect affecting gold was the fact that it was not evenly dispersed. Regions south of the 1st and 2nd cataract in the Nile soon became among the most important sources of gold that Egypt heavily exploited in the 3rd millennium BCE. The security that gold offered as well as its association with the gods increasingly made many objects, including luxury goods such as other precious stones or metals, valued relative to gold. Gold was also a motivator for trade colonization for Egypt, where Punt was famed for its precious items such as gold that Egypt valued for its trade worth as well as the beauty of the substance (Figure 1).<ref>For more on the relevance of gold to ancient societies' economy, religions, and culture, see: Bernstein, Peter L. 2004. <i>The Power of Gold: The History of an Obsession.</i> Illustrated ed. New York: Wiley.</ref>

[[File:Queen Hatshepsut's expedition to Punt, plaster cast of her mortuary temple at Deir el-Bahri, Western Thebes, Egypt - Royal Ontario Museum - DSC09766.JPG|thumbnail|Figure 1. Relief showing Queen Haptshepsut's expedition to Punt.]]