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Mirgissa (originally Iken) was a settlement in Northern state,
Sudan Sudan, officially the Republic of the Sudan, is a country in Northeast Africa. It borders the Central African Republic to the southwest, Chad to the west, Libya to the northwest, Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the east, Eritrea and Ethiopi ...
. Situated at the 2nd cataract in
Wadi Halfa (, , ":wikt:esparto, Esparto Valley") is a city in the Northern (state), Northern state of Sudan on the shores of Lake Nasser, Lake Nubia near the Egypt–Sudan border, border with Egypt. It is the terminus of a rail transport in Sudan, rail lin ...
, it contained one of the largest fortresses in
Nubia Nubia (, Nobiin language, Nobiin: , ) is a region along the Nile river encompassing the area between the confluence of the Blue Nile, Blue and White Nile, White Niles (in Khartoum in central Sudan), and the Cataracts of the Nile, first cataract ...
. In the time of
Thutmose II Thutmose II was the fourth pharaoh of the Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt, and his reign is thought to have lasted for 13 years, from 1493 to 1479 BC (Low Chronology), or just 3 years from around 1482 to 1479 BC. Little is known about him, and he ...
, 250 to 450 people inhabited the area. The first European explorer was English
geologist A geologist is a scientist who studies the structure, composition, and History of Earth, history of Earth. Geologists incorporate techniques from physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics, and geography to perform research in the Field research, ...
Sir
Henry George Lyons Colonel Sir Henry George Lyons FRS (11 October 1864 – 10 August 1944) was a British geologist and director of the Science Museum in London. Henry Lyons was born in London, the son of General Thomas Lyons. Lyons was educated at Welling ...
in 1892, and was excavated without Sudanese permission, by the French
Egyptologist Egyptology (from ''Egypt'' and Greek , ''-logia''; ) is the scientific study of ancient Egypt. The topics studied include ancient Egyptian history, language, literature, religion, architecture and art from the 5th millennium BC until the end ...
Jean Vercoutter Jean Vercoutter (20 January 1911 – 16 July 2000) was a French Egyptologist. One of the pioneers of archaeological research into Sudan from 1953, he was Director of the Institut Français d'Archéologie Orientale from 1977 to 1981. Biography B ...
from 1962 to 1969. In addition to the fort, excavations uncovered the remains of two cities, one of which was fortified, a northern enclosure, two cemeteries, a boat slide, and a port. Construction of the
Aswan High Dam The Aswan Dam, or Aswan High Dam, is one of the world's largest embankment dams, which was built across the Nile in Aswan, Egypt, between 1960 and 1970. When it was completed, it was the tallest earthen dam in the world, surpassing the Chatug ...
caused the disappearance of Mirgissa, which now lies under the waters of Lake Nubia.


Geography

Travelers from the north who reached
Abusir Abusir (  ; Egyptian ''pr wsjr'' ' "the resting place of Osiris"; ) is the name given to an ancient Egyptian archaeological pyramid complex comprising the ruins of 4 kings' pyramids dating to the Old Kingdom period, and is part of the ...
had to leave their boats and circumvent the 2nd cataract in order to reach Mirgissa. It was situated from the harbor, where boats from the south could dock in calm waters, the rapids of the cataract preventing them from continuing their journey further north. Its lofty geographic position allowed sentries to observe the movement of troops for miles around.


History

Even before the great fort, an open town existed at Mirgissa. It went on to become a frontier post and trade center; it also served as a river control point at the 2nd cataract. The occupation of the region dates back to 7500 BCE as shown by the evidence obtained at Akha, an important
Mesolithic The Mesolithic (Ancient Greek language, Greek: μέσος, ''mesos'' 'middle' + λίθος, ''lithos'' 'stone') or Middle Stone Age is the Old World archaeological period between the Upper Paleolithic and the Neolithic. The term Epipaleolithic i ...
site located a few hundred meters east of the great fortress. Large stone tools, dating from 3500 BCE, were found in several places of the plain. They demonstrate that Mirgissa was occupied in
Neolithic The Neolithic or New Stone Age (from Ancient Greek, Greek 'new' and 'stone') is an archaeological period, the final division of the Stone Age in Mesopotamia, Asia, Europe and Africa (c. 10,000 BCE to c. 2,000 BCE). It saw the Neolithic Revo ...
times. But the occupation was at its height during the Middle Kingdom and
Second Intermediate Period The Second Intermediate Period dates from 1700 to 1550 BC. It marks a period when ancient Egypt was divided into smaller dynasties for a second time, between the end of the Middle Kingdom and the start of the New Kingdom. The concept of a Secon ...
of
ancient Egypt Ancient Egypt () was a cradle of civilization concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in Northeast Africa. It emerged from prehistoric Egypt around 3150BC (according to conventional Egyptian chronology), when Upper and Lower E ...
, and to a lesser extent, during the
New Kingdom New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 ** "New" (Paul McCartney song), 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, 1995 * "New" (Daya song), 2017 * "New" (No Doubt song), 1 ...
. While
Senusret I Senusret I (Egyptian language, Middle Egyptian: wikt:z-n-wsrt, z-n-wsrt; /suʀ nij ˈwas.ɾiʔ/) also anglicized as Sesostris I and Senwosret I, was the second pharaoh of the Twelfth dynasty of Egypt, Twelfth Dynasty of Egypt. He ruled from 1971 ...
probably established the fortification site within the northern enclosure, the great fortress was mainly the work of
Senusret III Khakaure Senusret III (also written as Senwosret III or the hellenised form, Sesostris III) was a pharaoh of Ancient Egypt, Egypt. He ruled from 1878 BC to 1839 BC during a time of great power and prosperity, and was the fifth king of the Twelfth ...
. A
stele A stele ( ) or stela ( )The plural in English is sometimes stelai ( ) based on direct transliteration of the Greek, sometimes stelae or stelæ ( ) based on the inflection of Greek nouns in Latin, and sometimes anglicized to steles ( ) or stela ...
, dated to year 8 of the reign of Senusret III, was discovered near the fortress of
Semna The region of Semna is 15 miles south of Wadi Halfa and is situated where rocks cross the Nile narrowing its flow—the Semna Cataract. Semna was a fortified area established in the reign of Senusret I (1965–1920 BC) on the west bank of the ...
. Its inscription stresses the economic importance of Mirgissa. Its translation reads: :"The southern frontier made in regnal year 8 under the majesty of the King of Upper and Lower Egypt Khakaure (may he live for ever and ever) in order to prevent it being passed by an Nubian journeying north by land or in a kai-boat as well as any livestock belonging to Nubians, with the exception of a Nubian who shall come to traffic at Mirgissa or on an embassy, or on any matter which may lawfully be done with them; but it shall be forbidden for any kai-boat of the Nubians to pass northwards beyond Semna for ever." During the Twelfth Dynasty, it served as a customs post for travels heading north to Egypt. The periods of most intense occupation date from the
Thirteenth Dynasty The Thirteenth Dynasty of ancient Egypt (notated Dynasty XIII) was a series of rulers from approximately 1803 BC until approximately 1649 BC, i.e. for 154 years. It is often classified as the final dynasty of the Middle Kingdom of Egypt, Middle ...
and then the
Hyksos The Hyksos (; Egyptian language, Egyptian ''wikt:ḥqꜣ, ḥqꜣ(w)-wikt:ḫꜣst, ḫꜣswt'', Egyptological pronunciation: ''heqau khasut'', "ruler(s) of foreign lands"), in modern Egyptology, are the kings of the Fifteenth Dynasty of Egypt ( ...
era, as evidenced by the large number of beetles found on the premises. The great fortress was then re-occupied during the
Eighteenth Dynasty The Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt (notated Dynasty XVIII, alternatively 18th Dynasty or Dynasty 18) is classified as the first dynasty of the New Kingdom of Egypt, the era in which ancient Egypt achieved the peak of its power. The Eighteenth Dynasty ...
, followed by a sharp decline until the Twentieth Dynasty. Sporadically occupied at the time Meroitic era, the abandonment of the site was final during the early Christian era. ;City Mirgissa's open city predates its fortification. Situated north-northeast of the great fortress, it stretched over a area. In its early development, the city was protected by a stone wall thick, though the residential area later spread outside the walled section. According to various artifacts unearthed at the site, such as jars, millstones, bread molds, beer mugs, and plates, the city appeared to have been occupied by a strictly Egyptian population during the Middle Empire and the Second Intermediate Period. Of the two older excavated houses, the first was surrounded by a rectangular corrugated brick wall, while the second, a stone hut, was mainly rectangular though it contained circular elements. ;Cemeteries The multiple cemeteries at Mirgissa establish a continuous settlement here from the late Middle Kingdom through the New Kingdom: * M-Fe, late Second Intermediate Period * M-III,
Kerma culture The Kingdom of Kerma or the Kerma culture was an early civilization centered in Kerma, Sudan. It flourished from around 2500 BC to 1500 BC in ancient Nubia. The Kerma culture was based in the southern part of Nubia, or "Upper Nubia" (in parts of ...
, Second Intermediate Period * MX, late Middle Kingdom-Second Intermediate Period * MX-TC, late Twelfth Dynasty-early Thirteenth Dynasty * MX-TD, first half of the 18th Dynasty


Fortress

The great fortress dominated the western
Wadi Wadi ( ; ) is a river valley or a wet (ephemerality, ephemeral) Stream bed, riverbed that contains water only when heavy rain occurs. Wadis are located on gently sloping, nearly flat parts of deserts; commonly they begin on the distal portion ...
. It was built by the
pharaoh Pharaoh (, ; Egyptian language, Egyptian: ''wikt:pr ꜥꜣ, pr ꜥꜣ''; Meroitic language, Meroitic: 𐦲𐦤𐦧, ; Biblical Hebrew: ''Parʿō'') was the title of the monarch of ancient Egypt from the First Dynasty of Egypt, First Dynasty ( ...
s of the Middle Kingdom to defend their southern border and control trade routes that passed through the
Nile The Nile (also known as the Nile River or River Nile) is a major north-flowing river in northeastern Africa. It flows into the Mediterranean Sea. The Nile is the longest river in Africa. It has historically been considered the List of river sy ...
from Sudan and Africa. From a strategic and commercial standpoint, Mirgissa was of importance as it ensured economic exchanges between the
Kingdom of Kush The Kingdom of Kush (; Egyptian language, Egyptian: 𓎡𓄿𓈙𓈉 ''kꜣš'', Akkadian language, Assyrian: ''Kûsi'', in LXX Χους or Αἰθιοπία; ''Ecōš''; ''Kūš''), also known as the Kushite Empire, or simply Kush, was an an ...
and
Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...
. Together with Dabenarti, situated on a rocky islet measuring , the two fortresses formed a barrier to prevent invasions from the south. During excavations, only the foundation remained of the smaller Dabenarti fort, dating from the
Twelfth Dynasty The Twelfth Dynasty of ancient Egypt (Dynasty XII) is a series of rulers reigning from 1991–1802 BC (190 years), at what is often considered to be the apex of the Middle Kingdom (Dynasties XI–XIV). The dynasty periodically expanded its terr ...
, its purpose having been to protect the harbor and dock located at the southern end of The Boat Slide. The great fortress was abandoned during the reign of
Neferhotep I Khasekhemre Neferhotep I was an Ancient Egypt, Egyptian pharaoh of the mid Thirteenth dynasty of Egypt, Thirteenth Dynasty ruling in the second half of the 18th century BCKim Ryholt, Ryholt, K.S.B: The Political Situation in Egypt During the Se ...
. While eleven forts were built during the reign of Senusret III in the region between the 2nd and 3rd cataracts, including
Shalfak Shalfak (originally ''Waf-Chastiu'', "subduing the foreign lands") is an Ancient Egyptian fortress once built up on the western shore of the Cataracts of the Nile, Second Cataract of the Nile#In Sudan, Nile River on what is now an island in Lake ...
,
Uronarti Uronarti is an island and archaeological site in the Nile just south of the Cataracts of the Nile, Second Cataract in the north of Sudan. The site features a massive ancient fortress that still stands on its northern end. This fortress is one of ...
, Askut,
Semna The region of Semna is 15 miles south of Wadi Halfa and is situated where rocks cross the Nile narrowing its flow—the Semna Cataract. Semna was a fortified area established in the reign of Senusret I (1965–1920 BC) on the west bank of the ...
, Kumma, and Sumna South, Mirgissa was the largest of them. The great fortress covered more than . Its double wall with
bastion A bastion is a structure projecting outward from the curtain wall of a fortification, most commonly angular in shape and positioned at the corners of the fort. The fully developed bastion consists of two faces and two flanks, with fire from the ...
s and square-cornered towers, high, protected the city. The walls were more than thick and over high. Both entrances were protected by a ditch. The south side, facing the Nile, was protected by a fortified wall, which perfectly fit the rocky peaks on which it was underpinned. Two enormous gates were flanked to the north and near the southeast corner of the river. The north gate had a narrow passage, its access blocked by two massive wooden doors and a
portcullis A portcullis () is a heavy, vertically closing gate typically found in medieval fortifications. It consists of a latticed Grille (architecture), grille made of wood and/or metal, which slides down grooves inset within each jamb of the gateway. ...
. Angled bedding-planes enabled the uphill brickwork. Excavations revealed a small temple dedicated to the goddess
Hathor Hathor (, , , Meroitic language, Meroitic: ') was a major ancient Egyptian deities, goddess in ancient Egyptian religion who played a wide variety of roles. As a sky deity, she was the mother or consort of the sky god Horus and the sun god R ...
and a
stele A stele ( ) or stela ( )The plural in English is sometimes stelai ( ) based on direct transliteration of the Greek, sometimes stelae or stelæ ( ) based on the inflection of Greek nouns in Latin, and sometimes anglicized to steles ( ) or stela ...
mentioning this goddess as the mistress of Iken; this discovery enabled positive identification of the fortress.


Port and boat slide

During excavations, few traces of the port were evident, probably due to an exceptional flood. However, the French expedition identified the remains of a boat
slipway A slipway, also known as boat ramp or launch or boat deployer, is a ramp on the shore by which ships or boats can be moved to and from the water. They are used for building and repairing ships and boats, and for launching and retrieving smal ...
,Nicholson (2000), p. vii over in length. It extended to the natural harbor in the south. It served as a slide for hauling boats who wanted to pass the 2nd cataract. Composed of evenly spaced wooden cross beams set in silt and spread mud layers, it was low enough to wet the clay and make it very slippery, thus reducing friction between the boat hull and the track.


Archaeological finds

The expedition of
Jean Vercoutter Jean Vercoutter (20 January 1911 – 16 July 2000) was a French Egyptologist. One of the pioneers of archaeological research into Sudan from 1953, he was Director of the Institut Français d'Archéologie Orientale from 1977 to 1981. Biography B ...
made a discovery in the surrounding desert, west and not far from the city open, of a grave filled with some 3,500 fragments of pottery sherds; some were inscribed. The
Execration texts Execration texts, also referred to as proscription lists, are ancient Egyptian hieratic texts, listing enemies of the pharaoh, most often enemies of the Egyptian state or troublesome foreign neighbors. The texts were most often written upon stat ...
listed the names of foreign countries and their leaders, their purpose apparently being a form of ritual magic designed to curse the enemies of Egypt. It is highly likely that once the text was written on a vase, it was broken and its fragments buried in the grave. Near this place, three statues dating from the Twelfth Dynasty were also unearthed, as well as a seal from
Nebiryraw I Sewadjenre Nebiryraw (also Nebiriau I, Nebiryerawet I) was an ancient Egyptian king of the Theban-based 16th Dynasty, during the Second Intermediate Period. Attestations His main attestation is in the Thebaid region, the Juridical Stela prese ...
of the
Sixteenth Dynasty The Sixteenth Dynasty of ancient Egypt (notated Dynasty XVI) was a dynasty of pharaohs that ruled the Theban region in Upper Egypt for 70 years. This dynasty, together with the 15th and 17th dynasties, are often combined under the group title ...
.


See also

*
List of Egyptian castles, forts, fortifications and city walls Many buildings in Egypt can be put under the classification of castles, citadels, forts, and fortifications. List by age Pharaonic Lower Egypt * Fortification of Memphis, Egypt, Memphis * Fort of Walls of the Prince (inebw heka), Eastern ...


References

;Bibliography * Jean Vercoutter, ''Mirgissa I'', Librairie orientaliste Paul Geuthner, 1970 (French). * Jean Vercoutter, "Deux mois de fouilles à Mirgissa en Nubie soudanaise", ''Bulletin de la société française d'égyptologie'', pp. 37–38, 1963 (French). * Jean Vercoutter, "Nouvelles fouilles de Mirgissa", ''Bulletin de la société française d'égyptologie'', pp. 40, 1964 (French). * Jean Vercoutter, "Fouilles de Mirgissa (1964- 1965)", ''Bulletin de la société française d'égyptologie'', pp. 43, 19?? (French). * Jean Vercoutter, "État des recherches à Mirgissa", ''Bulletin de la société française d'égyptologie'', pp. 49, 19?? (French). * Jean Vercoutter, "Six années de fouilles à Mirgissa", ''Bulletin de la société française d'égyptologie'', pp. 52, 19?? (French).


External links

{{Coord, 21.48, 30.97, display=title Archaeological sites in Sudan Populated places in Northern State (Sudan) Lake Nasser Fortifications in Africa