Tombos (Nubia)

Template: Infobox Island / Maintenance / image missing template: Infobox Island / Maintenance / surface missing template: Infobox Island / Maintenance / height missing

Tombos is a place and an island in modern Sudan on the third cataract of the Nile. The place is so far the southernmost settlement in Nubia, in the Egyptians as colonizers lived around 1550 BC. In the rocks of the Nile, there were several historically important Egyptian inscriptions and petroglyphs.

History

The area around the third cataract was inhabited since the Kerma period, which certainly lies on the major strategic importance of the place. In the area of the previous four Kermasiedlungen and three Kermafriedhöfe could be localized. In the Egyptian New Kingdom was established here an Egyptian settlement, which includes two cemeteries. From Napatan period of the Kingdom of Kush comes a large cemetery, which even has grave sites in pyramid form.

Excavation results

At one of the cemeteries found in 1991, and then since 2000 excavations instead. It was able to be studied in the Egyptian style, especially a large grave that belonged to the writer of gold and head of the foreign countries Siamun. This was obviously a high official in the provincial administration and the management of the exploitation of Nubian employs raw materials. Other finds have revealed that the Egyptian colonizers subjugated their neighbors participating in their management tasks. In particular graves for dignitaries deceased Egyptian Nubian descent and were buried side by side. The Egyptians were buried in a supine position sometimes in a small pyramid and the Nubians usually in the fetal position on a cowhide.