The Nubian Pharaohs Black Kings on the Nile

by Bonnet, Charles; Valbelle, Dominique; Leclant, Jean

• ISBN13: 9789774160103
• ISBN10: 977416010X
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2007-01-31
• Publisher: The American University in Cairo Press

Summary

In 2003, a Swiss archaeological team working in northern Sudan uncovered one of the most remarkable Egyptological finds in recent years. At the site known as Kerma, near the third cataract of the Nile, archaeologist Charles Bonnet and his team discovered a ditch within a temple from the ancient city of Pnoubs, which contained seven monumental black granite statues. Magnificently sculpted, and in an excellent state of preservation, they portrayed five pharaonic rulers, including Taharqa and Tanoutamon, the last two pharaohs of the 'Nubian' Dynasty, when Egypt was ruled by kings from the lands of modern-day Sudan. For over half a century, the Nubian pharaohs governed a combined kingdom of Egypt and Nubia, with an empire stretching from the Delta to the upper reaches of the Nile. The seven statues, with their exquisite workmanship, transform our understanding of the art of this period. In particular, the colossal statue of Taharqa--almost certainly done by an Egyptian sculptor--is a masterpiece of stone artwork. Beautifully illustrated with over 170 color photographs, The Nubian Pharaohs illuminates the epic history of this little-known historical era, when the pharaohs of Egypt came from Sudan. In this major new book, which combines the latest archaeological research with stunning photography, Charles Bonnet and Dominique Valbelle narrate the incredible story of their discovery--one that will change our understanding of Egypt and Africa in the ancient world.

Author Biography

Dominique Valbelle is president of the French Egyptology Association and professor at the Sorbonne.

Table of Contents

The site	p. 14
The protohistoric town	p. 16
The Nubian town and its necropolis	p. 18
The Egyptian town	p. 27
Kerma after the Egyptians	p. 34
The discovery	p. 46
A temple to Amun of Pnubs	p. 48
Akhenaten at Pnubs	p. 55
The Kushite temples of Pnubs	p. 64
A virgin cache	p. 70
The royal statues	p. 84
The statues of Taharqa and Tanutamun	p. 86
The statues of Senkamanisken, Anlamani, and Aspelta	p. 103
Egyptian sculptors in Nubia	p. 119
Kushite artists of Egyptian inspiration	p. 128
A tumultuous history	p. 140
Taharqa versus the Assyrians	p. 142
Tanutamun and Psamtik I	p. 150
The early years of the Napatan dynasty	p. 155
Psamtik II's military expedition into Nubia	p. 164
Ritual deposits in Egypt and Nubia	p. 172
Caches	p. 174
Egyptian and Nubian statues from Kerma	p. 183
The birth and consecration of statues in the mansion of gold	p. 190
The life and death of statues in the temple	p. 198
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