South of the First Cataract lay Nubia, along the Nile in what is now southern Egypt and Sudan. You have met it several times: Harkhuf's journeys, the Middle Kingdom forts, the kingdom of Kerma and the Kushite pharaohs. Now we look at the whole relationship, and at Nubia's own history.
Key idea
| Time | In Nubia | Egypt and Nubia |
|---|---|---|
| Old Kingdom | the A-Group and then C-Group peoples in Lower Nubia | trading expeditions and raids; Harkhuf's journeys |
| Middle Kingdom | the rise of Kerma | Egyptian forts at the Second Cataract |
| Second Intermediate | Kerma at its height | Kerma takes the forts and allies with the Hyksos |
| New Kingdom | Kerma defeated | Egyptian rule under a viceroy; temples like Abu Simbel |
| Third Intermediate | the kingdom of Napata | the 25th Dynasty: Kushite kings rule Egypt |
| Late to Roman | Napata, then Meroë | trade and occasional war; Meroë flourishes |
Why it works
Meroë
After the Assyrians drove them out of Egypt, the Kushite kings ruled on from Napata and later from Meroë, far to the south. Meroë had iron working, temples to both Egyptian and Nubian gods (such as the lion god Apedemak), steep pyramids for its rulers, and its own script, Meroitic. The script can be read aloud, but the Meroitic language is still only partly understood. The kingdom lasted until about the 4th century AD.
Worked example: Whose eyes?
- It is a stock phrase of Egyptian royal ideology, applied to foreign enemies.
- Archaeology shows Kerma and Meroë as rich, organized kingdoms.
- So the word tells us about Egyptian propaganda, not about Kush.
Answer: It reflects the Egyptian point of view; it is not a fair description.
Common mistake