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Nubians in the 1st Millennium BC in Egypt

  • Julia Budka
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Handbook of Ancient Nubia
This chapter is in the book Handbook of Ancient Nubia

Abstract

It goes without saying that the Kushite kings ruling Egypt during the 25th Dynasty came to Egypt together with their royal households. High ranking Kushites and members of the royal court are traceable by several sources, especially statues, stelae and tomb monuments. But apart from these highest elite officials and family members, Nubians in the 1st millennium BC Egypt are difficult to trace. The main reason for this is not the missing evidence, but rather the problem of identifying Kushites as Kushites in Egyptian contexts. The exact number of people who migrated from Nubia into Egypt - accompanying the king, working for the court, acting as soldiers or trading products - remains therefore very tentative. A good percentage probably settled in Egypt, together with their families, or founded new families by marriage with Egyptian women (cf. Morkot 2000, 289). One can assume that a large number of ‘second generation Kushites born in Egypt’ (Morkot 2000, 289) existed and stayed in their new homeland after the retreat of the Kushite rulers. Again, these people are difficult to trace in the material evidence. In the following, I will first present possible sources with associated problems and then outline the significance of Nubians during 25th and 26th Dynasties Egypt.

Abstract

It goes without saying that the Kushite kings ruling Egypt during the 25th Dynasty came to Egypt together with their royal households. High ranking Kushites and members of the royal court are traceable by several sources, especially statues, stelae and tomb monuments. But apart from these highest elite officials and family members, Nubians in the 1st millennium BC Egypt are difficult to trace. The main reason for this is not the missing evidence, but rather the problem of identifying Kushites as Kushites in Egyptian contexts. The exact number of people who migrated from Nubia into Egypt - accompanying the king, working for the court, acting as soldiers or trading products - remains therefore very tentative. A good percentage probably settled in Egypt, together with their families, or founded new families by marriage with Egyptian women (cf. Morkot 2000, 289). One can assume that a large number of ‘second generation Kushites born in Egypt’ (Morkot 2000, 289) existed and stayed in their new homeland after the retreat of the Kushite rulers. Again, these people are difficult to trace in the material evidence. In the following, I will first present possible sources with associated problems and then outline the significance of Nubians during 25th and 26th Dynasties Egypt.

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter i
  2. Preface vii
  3. Contents ix
  4. Volume 1
  5. I. General
  6. Introduction 1
  7. Geologically Induced Raw Materials Stimulating the Development of Nubian Culture 15
  8. Topography and Regional Geography of Nubia: River, Cataract and Desert Landscapes 39
  9. A Short Story of Human-animal Relationships in Northern Sudan 63
  10. The Archaeobotany of Nubia 83
  11. The Role of Physical Anthropology in Nubian Archaeology 103
  12. Languages of Ancient Nubia 129
  13. II. From Palaelithicum to 2nd Millennium BC
  14. The Palaeolithic / Stone Age 155
  15. The Mesolithic and Neolithic in Sudan 171
  16. Eastern Saharan Prehistory during the 9th to 5th Millennium BC: The View from the ‘Libyan Desert’ 195
  17. The Holocene Prehistory of Upper Nubia until the Rise of the Kerma Kingdom 217
  18. Holocene Lithic Industries in Nubia 239
  19. The Later Prehistory of Nubia in its Interregional Setting 259
  20. Cultural Diversity of Nubia in the Later 3rd–Mid 2nd Millennium BC 293
  21. Eastern Sudan in the 3rd and 2nd Millennia BC 335
  22. Middle Kingdom Fortresses 367
  23. Pharaonic Rock Inscriptions in Nubia – The 3rd and 2nd Millennia BC 393
  24. The Religious Architecture of Kerma and Dokki Gel from the 3rd to the 1st Millennium BC 413
  25. Settlements of the Second Intermediate Period and New Kingdom 433
  26. Pottery of the Middle and the New Kingdom from Lower and Upper Nubia 465
  27. Nubian Leatherwork 491
  28. Egyptian Temples in Nubia during the Middle and the New Kingdom 511
  29. New Kingdom Tombs in Lower and Upper Nubia 541
  30. Nubians in Egypt in the 3rd and 2nd Millennium BC 567
  31. Volume 2
  32. III. 1st Millennium BC–2nd Millennium AD
  33. Settlements of the Early Kushite Period 591
  34. Napatan Necropoleis and Burial Customs 621
  35. The Sacred Architecture of the Napatan Period 643
  36. The Cache of Dukki Gel (Pa-nebes) 667
  37. Early Kushite Ceramics of the Earlier 1st Millennium BC in Lower and Upper Nubia 675
  38. Nubians in the 1st Millennium BC in Egypt 697
  39. Settlement in the Meroitic Kingdom 713
  40. Tomb Architecture and Burial Custom of the Elite during the Meroitic Phase in the Kingdom of Kush 783
  41. Meroitic Temples and their Decoration 811
  42. Art of the Meroitic Kingdom 847
  43. Ceramic Industries of Meroitic Sudan 875
  44. Defending the Indefensible. Nubian Fortifications in the Middle Ages 897
  45. The Sacral Architecture in the Kingdom of Makuria 921
  46. Post-Meroitic Nubia 943
  47. Islamic Archaeology in Nubia 965
  48. IV. Surveys and Fringes
  49. Archaeological Surveys at the Third, Fourth and Fifth Cataract Regions 987
  50. Living and Travelling in the Bayuda: The Wadi Abu Dom 1019
  51. Recent Research Work at the Western and Southern Fringes of Nubia 1029
  52. Rock Art 1051
  53. Fending off the Desert Dwellers – The Gala Abu Ahmed Fortress and other fortified Places in the South Libyan Desert 1069
  54. Indices 1093
https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110420388-030

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter i
  2. Preface vii
  3. Contents ix
  4. Volume 1
  5. I. General
  6. Introduction 1
  7. Geologically Induced Raw Materials Stimulating the Development of Nubian Culture 15
  8. Topography and Regional Geography of Nubia: River, Cataract and Desert Landscapes 39
  9. A Short Story of Human-animal Relationships in Northern Sudan 63
  10. The Archaeobotany of Nubia 83
  11. The Role of Physical Anthropology in Nubian Archaeology 103
  12. Languages of Ancient Nubia 129
  13. II. From Palaelithicum to 2nd Millennium BC
  14. The Palaeolithic / Stone Age 155
  15. The Mesolithic and Neolithic in Sudan 171
  16. Eastern Saharan Prehistory during the 9th to 5th Millennium BC: The View from the ‘Libyan Desert’ 195
  17. The Holocene Prehistory of Upper Nubia until the Rise of the Kerma Kingdom 217
  18. Holocene Lithic Industries in Nubia 239
  19. The Later Prehistory of Nubia in its Interregional Setting 259
  20. Cultural Diversity of Nubia in the Later 3rd–Mid 2nd Millennium BC 293
  21. Eastern Sudan in the 3rd and 2nd Millennia BC 335
  22. Middle Kingdom Fortresses 367
  23. Pharaonic Rock Inscriptions in Nubia – The 3rd and 2nd Millennia BC 393
  24. The Religious Architecture of Kerma and Dokki Gel from the 3rd to the 1st Millennium BC 413
  25. Settlements of the Second Intermediate Period and New Kingdom 433
  26. Pottery of the Middle and the New Kingdom from Lower and Upper Nubia 465
  27. Nubian Leatherwork 491
  28. Egyptian Temples in Nubia during the Middle and the New Kingdom 511
  29. New Kingdom Tombs in Lower and Upper Nubia 541
  30. Nubians in Egypt in the 3rd and 2nd Millennium BC 567
  31. Volume 2
  32. III. 1st Millennium BC–2nd Millennium AD
  33. Settlements of the Early Kushite Period 591
  34. Napatan Necropoleis and Burial Customs 621
  35. The Sacred Architecture of the Napatan Period 643
  36. The Cache of Dukki Gel (Pa-nebes) 667
  37. Early Kushite Ceramics of the Earlier 1st Millennium BC in Lower and Upper Nubia 675
  38. Nubians in the 1st Millennium BC in Egypt 697
  39. Settlement in the Meroitic Kingdom 713
  40. Tomb Architecture and Burial Custom of the Elite during the Meroitic Phase in the Kingdom of Kush 783
  41. Meroitic Temples and their Decoration 811
  42. Art of the Meroitic Kingdom 847
  43. Ceramic Industries of Meroitic Sudan 875
  44. Defending the Indefensible. Nubian Fortifications in the Middle Ages 897
  45. The Sacral Architecture in the Kingdom of Makuria 921
  46. Post-Meroitic Nubia 943
  47. Islamic Archaeology in Nubia 965
  48. IV. Surveys and Fringes
  49. Archaeological Surveys at the Third, Fourth and Fifth Cataract Regions 987
  50. Living and Travelling in the Bayuda: The Wadi Abu Dom 1019
  51. Recent Research Work at the Western and Southern Fringes of Nubia 1029
  52. Rock Art 1051
  53. Fending off the Desert Dwellers – The Gala Abu Ahmed Fortress and other fortified Places in the South Libyan Desert 1069
  54. Indices 1093
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