E_adama

July 3, 2018

On 6/29/2018 at 1:07 PM, Sundiata said:

The Kingdom of Kush: A Random Visual Reference Update

You might have noticed that I'm taking a break from the Kushites, but that doesn't mean the research has ended. After the re-release of alpha 23, I'll post a list of some further suggestions to get this faction from 95% to 100%. In the meantime, have a look at some new finds, and a handful of higher quality versions of images shared before:

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2018, updated archaeological site of Jebel Barkal. New excavations reveal two more temples lining the main avenue connecting the Great Amun Temple to the Nile. Temple B570 and B580 were previously unknown to me, so that got me excited . Please take note of the puny human figurines walking on the avenues, to understand the true scale of this site...

Beautiful cutaway of the Great Amun Temple, Gebel Barkal, Napata. The Two Pylons (monumental gateways to the successive inner section of the temple) on the far right, were originally built by Ancient Egyptian pharaohs like Ramesses II and Tutankhamun. The 2 massive pylons and outer courtyards on the left were later additions, by pharaoh Piye of the 25th Dynasty. The inner and the outer kiosks were added in the Meroitic period by Queen Amanitore, King Natakamani and possibly Queen Amanishakheto, after a full restoration of the ancient temple after the Roman sack of the site. Almost all of the temples at Jebel Barkal were restored and rebuilt several times over the course of Kushite history.

Gebel Barkal, palace (B 1500) inner courtyard, Napata:

The remains of a massive Napatan "treasury" at Sanam. I shared an image of a beautiful reconstruction of another excavated treasury at Sanam before, not realizing it was only one of a few. The Treasury SA.C 400, pictured below was absolutely huge, measuring approximately 267 m long by 68 m wide. Finds of gold, ivory, copper alloy, faience, carnelian precious stones, alabastron, pottery and cowry shells illustrate that this was no simple storehouse.

Homat el Hamadab, 3km from Meroë (higher resolution images):

Typical Kushite pottery in situ in a grave at Hamadab

A fine example of extremely thin Kushite "eggshell ware", a speciality of Meroitic potters, Hamadab:

A Roman style glass vase, Hamadab

Small seated lion pendant, Hamadab:

Hamadab gateway (higher resolution image):

Central temple of Hamadab (original location of the Hamadab stelae). The rooms on the left side of this structure were later additions, resulting in this awkward non-symetrical temple (which is somewhat rare).

A rare image of the large scale excavations at the Royal City in Meroë, 1910's. This entire site is currently buried by sand, and only small scale excavations take place today..

Copy of a fresco in one of the temples in the Royal City, Meroë

Funerary lintel with Meroitic inscriptions, Sedeinga:

Sedeinga, stele with Meroitic inscriptions (left), lintel bearing the image of the goddess Ma'at, right:

New lion statues excavated at Musawwarat es Sufra:

Sudanese archaeologists restoring what remains of the small lion statues lining the ramp to temple 300 (the Kushite wonder in-game):

Ancient Egyptian depictions of Kushite prisoners:

Egypt, Thebes, 25th Dynasty Opet Festival at Karnak (modern day Luxor). Together with the New Year's festivities at Gebel Barkal, Napata, the Opet Festival in Karnak were the most important religious ceremonies of the Egyptian and Kushite Empires alike, and helps explain the Kushite obsession with retaining some authority in Thebes long after their expulsion by the Assyrians. The massive kiosk in front of the main temple was built by Taharqa, and is known as the Kiosk of Taharqa, with a single column still standing today (the Column of Taharqa).

Remains of the temple of Osiris in Karnak, Thebes, built by Pharaoh Taharqa of the 25th Dynasty:

Kushites with Hellenistic tunics in Ptolemaic Egypt, based on Ptolemaic figurines and the Praeneste Nile Mosaic (Nile mosaic of Palestrina, Italy):

Finally, an Islamic period Arab castle on the Nile, Sudan. The reason I share this image is because of the obvious similarity with the Kushite, post-Kushite and Christian Makurian period fortifications. Same construction techniques and materials seem to be used, but because this one is much more recent, it's much better preserved, including the mud brick upper floor: