Kerma

Kerma is an ancient city in Nubia, located in what is now Sudan.

Location

The present town of Kerma is located south of the third Nilkataraktes in the state of al- Schamaliyya, about 53 kilometers north of Dongola on the eastern side of the Nile. The former, now Doukki gel called City plant is located about 5 kilometers south of the town and a few 100 meters east of the main road surrounded by fields and Dattelpalmenwäldern. The remains of an Egyptian city located half a kilometer northeast of here. About 3 kilometers to the east outside the irrigated fields in the desert of the great cemetery with an area of ​​1.5 km in north-south direction.

History

At the beginning of the 2nd millennium BC, the city was the center of the Kerma culture, a prehistoric culture that developed into a kingdom with a significant influence. Central system of the city was a big massive adobe structure, which today as the lower or western Deffufa ( Nubian " brick ruins " ) is called. The function of the 19 -meter-high and highly visible building is controversial, it was either a palace or a temple. In addition to numerous residential and large grave sites were excavated from this period, which served apparently the kings. These systems were round. There were evidence of human sacrifice. A great number of Egyptian objects have been found which have been traded on the one hand certainly, on the other hand might have been captured in war campaigns. At the decline of the empire of Kerma was conquered by the Egyptians.

The Egyptian city flourished until the end of the Meroitic period. It is known from the sources Pnubs.

Center of the city was a temple of Amun which was built under Thutmose IV, although it probably already was older cultivations here. Under Akhenaten, the building was converted into a Atontempel. In the 25th Dynasty, the temple was completely rebuilt under Shabaka. From the time of Aspelta comes a hiding place in which there were seven statues of Nubian rulers. More construction work took place under Arikamaninote.

In the Meroitic period, the entire temple complex was again completely rebuilt. It now mainly burnt bricks were used as building material. The place was abandoned around 400 AD.

Research

In Kerma are now in the middle of, surrounded by a mudbrick wall modern excavation area the remains of a brick building, which was probably the ruler's palace or an Egyptian commercial establishment. This Deffufa and the entire system has been proposed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site Sudan. In addition, they found large tombs, where the princes Kerma are buried. In the tombs of the Mitbestattung could be detected by subordinates; was found painted pottery and amulets from selenite. The uncovered in the research foundation walls were covered to protect them again. Visible are also built low walls that reveal the basic plan.

Karl Richard Lepsius held in June 1844 in Kerma (of Kerman called him ) on.

Excavations at Kerma were conducted in 1913 and 1916 by George Andrew Reisner and Matthieu Honegger. Recent excavations at Dokki Gel will take place under the guidance of the University of Geneva since the mid- 1990 years.

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