From Al Ahram Weekly - Link to full article
Which country has the largest collection of pyramids? Think again, for it is not Egypt, but Sudan. Join Mohamed El-Hebeishy as he visits north Sudan in search of answers
Our great grandfathers called it Ta-Seti, Land of the Bow. They were referring to the area south of the First Cataract at Aswan, and the reason behind the name was the unparalleled skill its inhabitants demonstrated when using the bow as a method of arm. Those excellent bowmen were actually the Kushites.
At first, Egyptians, as back as the First Dynasty, would send expeditions to the area in pursuit of slaves as well as the exploration of new sites where copper and gold could be mined. Egyptian influence grew and by the Middle Kingdom, a series of strongholds and fortresses controlled the Nile at the Second Cataract. Their influence over the area grew further through the New Kingdom; Pharaoh Tuthmoses III marched as far south as the Fifth Cataract. But change is a question of time, and by the end of the New Kingdom, Kush began to rise.
May 1, 2008 at 7:11 pm
Where is it documented that expeditions into the area was meant to pursue slaves??!
By the way, Hebeishy is a friend who recently published an interesting book.. “Egypt Rediscovered”.. about things rarely mentioned in mainstream travel books.. geography-wise and human-wise.. I know he has a group about the book on facebook but not sure if elsewhere on the net.. I can ask him for a link or something if youre interested..
May 2, 2008 at 7:26 pm
Personally, I think that the article is a little.. speculative… in that area, to say the least. It harks back to what I wrote about stereotyping Egyptian culture.
I think it’s quite clear that captives were brought back from the south, for much was written about it at the time, but I’m sceptical that was the main aim. Manpower wasn’t in short supply (certainly not in the Early Dynastic anyway), but some raw materials were. My personal view is that the expeditions were conducted first and foremost to obtain raw materials, and to keep an eye on the neighbours. If any captives were obtained, I imagine that would have been considered a bonus, but not the be all and end all of the mission.
Whilst I accept the theory that slavery did exist to some extent in AE (much of which was penal), I do not support the Greco-Roman myth that the Ancient Egyptians had huge slave armies building the pyramids. Sadly, this myth still seems to be widely regarded as fact amongst many people (even in Egypt), despite many documents written by the Egyptians directly, at the time, explaining to us in detail the use of paid corvee/conscription labour, which was completely different to slavery.
I included mention of this article as it relevant to the subject of this blog, and it’s quite rare to see articles on Napata, Meroe, and the Kushites. I don’t agree with everything the author says, however, and honestly did not mean to imply that.
I havn’t had a chance to get my hands on a copy of Hebeishy’s “Rediscovered” yet. I read a review on it last year and it sounded facinating, especially as I would love to get out to the Gt. Sand Sea and to the ancient sites in Sinai. I’ve not got out to either, yet. If you can ask about any links I’d really appreciate it if you could forward them.
May 2, 2008 at 7:27 pm
Apologies for bold text. Formatting error on my part!
October 5, 2009 at 5:27 pm
Salamm alaykum = ሳላአም አላይኩ , Hotep ! = ሆተፕ , Shalom ! = ስሃሎም and Greetings to All….
I share ancestry with Egyptians,Ethiopian , Nubians and Hebrews..
http://billygambelaafroasiaticanthropology.wordpress.com/