The Kingdom of Kush: A proper introduction [Illustrated]

[wowgetoffyourcellphone]

1 hour ago, Sundiata said:

@wowgetoffyourcellphone Nice work on the map!

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What about making a green, more hilly version, during the rain season? Flat areas in the center, hills to the sides. Maybe a little stream?  

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Here are some references for greenery from all over Sudan during the rainy season, including South Sudan, Darfur and Dongola areas:

 

 

 

The game really needs cool new mountain meshes and new rock formations.

[Lion.Kanzen]

I want slave market.

[Lion.Kanzen]

@stanislas69 you like the rocks?

[Stan`]

20 minutes ago, Lion.Kanzen said:

I want slave market.

 

17 minutes ago, Lion.Kanzen said:

@stanislas69 you like the rocks?

What & What ?

[Lion.Kanzen]

A Sudanese traffic slaves and Diamonds, may be tent with the cage and the stage.

try create similar buildings you know tents and primitive structures from mud.

if you can create separate as propp the set can be nice.

with first image get inspirations and take the most humble. We can use this as eyecandy.

dont forget you are making a slave market in Sudan needs be in size similar mercenary camp but like third image without break any copy right.

[Sundiata]

@Lion.Kanzen It is definitely true that slaves were being traded in/from Sudan, but slaves were being traded in every part of the ancient world including by every civilisation in 0AD. It would be very awkward to have the development of this slavery-concept tied to the Kushite faction, because that really just sends out the wrong idea

For historicity and gameplay's sake, I'm actually interested in a slave/serf/indentured labourer-system, to correctly depict a significant portion of the workforce of the ancient world. But it should be either entirely generic (the same for every civ), or entirely unique for every civ. But having a generic slave-system based specifically on Sudanese slave-trading seems like a no-no. Also an ethnic specific system featuring Sudanese, Celtic, Germanic and Thracian slaves, each with specific traits, for example, is just bound to create unwanted controversy. 

A slavery and indentured labour system needs to be entirely generic, or completely civ-specific. 

[Lion.Kanzen]

No, is for the map, no for the faction. There neutral buildings, that's  are preset in maps and represents locals.

some are mercenary camps.

[Stan`]

@Sundiata Pick those you want

 

 

[Sundiata]

@stanislas69 Oooooh, coool! They all look good.

The third one on the top row would be really nice for one of the heroes. It looks like the ceremonial examples for Kings and Queens, used for the ritual execution of prisoners.

The last one on the second row, and the last one on the third row (the flat black and white ones), would be really cool for other units, perhaps Nuba mercs? They look more functional. Maybe they could have a little more length, to give them more reach in an actual combat situation, as opposed to a ritual execution tool.

 

[Sundiata]

The Kingdom of Kush: The Royal Baths of Meroe

Between 1909 and 1914, John Garstang of the University of Liverpool conducted some of the earliest large scale excavations at Meroe. Among the many structures that were excavated, were the so-called Royal Baths, in the Royal City. I will quote several passages from a very informative PDF on the subject:

 

In Meroë, the capital of the Kingdom of Kush in the middle Nile valley, an extraordinary hydraulic facility was built directly next to the royal palaces: the so-called Royal Baths. Dating from around the turn of the first millennium, the complex of buildings is an outstanding example of cultural transfer between the African kingdom and the Hellenistic-Roman cultures of the Mediterranean.

The central feature of the complex is a large basin with an elaborately decorated wall. The water entered the basin through several pipe openings in this wall, cascading down against a backdrop of sculpted figures, green-blue shimmering faience and colourful wall paintings.

...

The architectural design of the Royal Baths (Fig. 6) has no known parallel in the Kingdom of Kush. The centrepiece of the 30 m x 50 m complex is the virtually square water basin with an area of 7 m x 7 m and a depth of 2.4 m (Fig. 1). Shallow steps lead down into the basin (Fig. 7). It was surrounded on three sides by an ambulatory flanked by columns. On the fourth, south-facing side is the water inlet system concealed by a tall decorated wall. A few metres to the north of it an exedra was built with four ceremonial chairs arranged in a quarter-circle (Fig. 8).

The basin and the exedra, the principal elements of the complex, were surrounded by a garden. There is evidence that this levelled area was flooded with fertile river mud and that plant pits were dug regularly around the basin. The garden was enclosed by corridors and adjoining rooms.

Water was conducted to the basin from the south via open channels. Narrow, surface channels also ran through the garden to the exedra and to the edges of the basin. The point of origin and hence the source of the water for the supply system is still unclear. It can be assumed, however, that a device existed to lift water to the necessary height above the groundwater table or the level of the Nile.

The principal supply of water to the basin was ensured, from the south, by a burnt-brick construction with an open water channel (Fig. 9). The channel is plastered with waterproof lime render which was reapplied twice during the working life of the Royal Baths. This principal inlet channel, on reaching the basin, splits into several branches whose water is conducted via covered pipes through the richly decorated show-wall to the rim of the basin (Fig. 12). From there the water gushed, possibly through spouts, into the basin, which was likewise completely plastered with water- proof lime render.

As a special attraction a column may be imagined in the centre of the basin (Fig. 10). Water was drawn up through an integrated pressure pipe in the column drums and owed from the top back down into the basin.

The basin was drained by means of a massive underground channel that conducted the water westwards to the Nile (Fig. 6 and 11). In an impressive feat of engineering, the drain was laid at a depth of about three metres and passed under the foundations of the centuries-old city wall, which was approx. 5 m thick. On the floor of the very well preserved channel is a collared clay pipe 20 cm in diameter, laid in lime mortar. The channel‘s side walls are formed of solid sandstone blocks upon which lay an elaborate brickwork cover. The imprint of logs testifies to an additional layer covering the construction.

Several water pipes are built into the elaborately decorated south wall of the basin (Fig. 1, 12–17). Water gushed into the basin against a colourful backdrop of wall paintings, faiences and small sculptures. The decor, like the architectural design of the Royal Baths, is without parallel in the Kingdom of Kush.

Here several different cultural traditions, foreign and indigenous, merged to form a unique iconography – striking testimony of the Meroitic elite‘s contacts with and receptivity towards its northern neighbours around the turn of the first millennium.

The iconography for instance includes the genuinely Meroitic god Apedemak, represented as a lion with crown standing on a sickle moon (Fig. 14). In combination with water the native god was worshipped as a guarantor of fertility.

Along with this Egyptian motifs are also shown, such as the sa knot (Fig. 15) and the ankh sign (Fig. 16). These reflect the Kushite kingdom‘s traditionally very close historical and cultural ties with ancient Egypt, and symbolise protection and life.

In contrast the pan pipes are rooted in Graeco-Roman culture (Fig. 12 and 17). They are associated with the retinue of the Greek wine god Dionysus. The foreign instrument will have reached Meroë in the middle Nile valley and entered the cultural sphere of the Kushite ruling dynasty via Egypt, where it had become popular in the 3rd century BC during the reign of the Ptolemies when the new potentates accentuated the Dionysus cult as part of their religious policy.

...

The Royal Baths issue from a context characterized by relations with the outside world and openness to the new: Egyptian and Graeco-Roman forms and ideas are received in an African civilization and modified in combination with local traditions around the time of Christ‘s birth. This represents unique evidence of cultural transfer between Africa and the Mediterranean in antiquity."

 

Another interesting point not brought up by this text in regard to the pipe-lines, is that similar underground pipelines existed at Musawwarat es Sufra, and supplied the complex with water from the nearby hafirs (water-reservoirs). 

Firstly, I will situate the Royal Baths at the Royal City in Meroe with an excellent and detailed map of the excavated parts of the Royal City. Then I will illustrate the "Royal Baths" itself through a much more detailed map, and many pictures of the baths and interesting details.

 

The "Royal City" in Meroe.

I can not emphasise enough that this walled city is only the central part of Meroe. The rest of the city comprising of large residential areas, temples and workshops would have spread out to the North, East, and South of the Royal City. The pyramids would have been visible in the distant hinterland to the East of the capital. The Nile and it's fertile riverbanks would have been directly to the West of the Royal City. The Royal City itself was enclosed by a massive brick and stone masonry wall, approximately 5 to 8 meters thick, and reaching considerable heights, featuring bastions and stone gateways. It comprises of royal palaces and residences, the Royal Baths (pictured in red), the "temple of Augustus" (where the bronze head of Augustus was found buried beneath its steps) and presumably the royal workshops, where gold, silver and bronze was worked. Directly adjacent to the Royal City is the great Temple of Amun of Meroe, approached via a processional avenue lined with smaller temples. Large areas still need to be excavated.

 

 

The Royal Baths:

The black and white photographs are all from the Garstang excavations from around 1912.

Spoiler

 

"The main water tank and adjoining chambers of the royal baths during excavation with a complex system of sluices built into it."

 

"The main watertank in the royal baths"

 

"John and Marie Garstang examine statue fragments with a workman in the tank of the royal baths at Meroë."

 

"The discovery a life-size statue of a female figure at site 295 at Meroë."

 

"Decorative carvings and pieces of statuary were found fixed into the plastered walls around the main tank of the royal baths at Meroë."

 

Hellenistically inspired figurines, including a syrinx player.

 

Auluoi player

 

"Statue of a reclining man found in a bath house at Meroe"

 

The main basin in the bath house today, with a protective structure built over it. The pillars in the basin are modern additions to support the roof. Remains of ancient water pipes can be seen in the corner next to the steps.

 

If you look closely, the outlines of the four feet of an elephant can be made out in the central fresco. This central depiction of an elephant in the central area of the Royal Baths in Meroe is a testimony to the importance of elephants in Meroitic society. The water outlets can also be seen clearly. 

 

A clear rendition of the remains of fresco's on the show-wall of the baths, from where water would have entered the basin. The use of the colors red, yellow, green and blue are clearly shown, on a mix of Kushite, Egyptian and Hellenistic influenced statuary.

 

 

These peoples' bathroom was twice the size of my house 

 

My conclusion:

"Royal Baths" should be a special tech researched at the CC to give heroes a special health bonus. Either giving heroes higher health, quicker regeneration times or health aura of some kind for nearby champion units. Any thoughts?

 

 

Edited September 9, 2017 by Sundiata

[wowgetoffyourcellphone]

A Royal Baths tech would be groovy. In DE there's a Public Baths tech which adds +5% health to all organic units. What if Royal Baths adds health for all heroes and Fortress champions. 

 

(Temple champs are boosted by fanatical techs each).

Edited September 9, 2017 by wowgetoffyourcellphone

[Stan`]

Kush_maces.7z

Texture is prop_weap.dds. @wowgetoffyourcellphone

Edited September 13, 2017 by stanislas69

[wowgetoffyourcellphone]

On 9/12/2017 at 9:58 AM, stanislas69 said:

Kush_maces.7z

Texture is prop_weap.dds. @wowgetoffyourcellphone

Synced.

[Sundiata]

The Kingdom of Kush: New Kingdom Egyptian depictions of Kushites

As I said before, I have a collection of large reference posts to make. I'm desperately trying to round off my research, but every time I try to get out, it pulls me back in  I'm just fact checking and arranging everything according to subject. It's a lot, so brace yourself!

I will begin this new series of reference posts with a modest collection of New Kingdom Egyptian depictions of Kushites. These predate 0AD's timeframe by more than 500 years, but, you might have noticed a staggering level of cultural continuity in the Southern Nile Valley, one that is visible when comparing Meroitic reliefs to Napatan and even earlier New Kingdom examples. This continuity will be clarified more elaborately in future posts. It makes these references useful, especially in regard to the color palette and designs used in various Kushite attires. 

Spoiler

A restored mural depicting kneeling Kushites. Curiously, the lighter skinned bearded fellow in the middle (Egyptian/North Nubian?) is wearing a type of garment that is identical to the type of garment worn by later Napatan and Meroitic Kings and Queens. This might be the "King's son of Kush", a vizier to the Pharaoh, overlooking his dominions in Kush, during the Egyptian colonisation. If so, it would lend credence to the idea that the Napatan Kingship evolved from this office after the Egyptian withdrawal.

 

Kushite Noblemen

 

More Kushite Noblemen

 

Even more Kushite noblemen

 

Kushite captives being offered to the gods by the Pharaoh.

 

More Kushite captives

 

The execution of a Kushite noble/royal (?), by the Pharaoh.

 

Kushite mercenary archers

 

A "Nubian" archer, betrayed by the feather in his hair (Egyptian archers don't use the feather). It wouldn't be much of a leap to think the epsilon axe wielding soldier to his left is also of Nubian origin. He's wearing something similar to the archers in the above picture.

 

A chariot team, and heavy infantry axe/spearmen in the New Kingdom army. Their comparatively dark skin-tones and hairstyles betray a southern origin. The Kushite association with chariot making and horse-handling strengthens this notion.

 

What's interesting is that the features of the men in the last image are literally identical to those of modern Afar men. Their hairstyles, skin-tones, shape of nose, right down to the barely discernible moustache, are exactly the same. Afar currently inhabit the Danakil desert between Eritrea, Ethiopia and Djibouti, but are known to have lived as far north as the port of Suakin in Sudan, as late as the Middle Ages. Their ancestors would have been frenemies of both Egyptians and Kushites.

 

And finally, some Kushites trying to chat up a young lady in a playful scene

 

 

Edited September 16, 2017 by Sundiata

[wowgetoffyourcellphone]

@stanislas69: Are you willing to try your hand at some "hair" helmets for the Kushite units? I know you tried some earlier when we talked via PM, but they weren't quite right. Up for trying again? 

 

@Sundiata

What kind of fabric is this? I am very curious! Did they have the ability for such sheer fabrics in that time? I always thought it was some Hollywood convention!

Edited September 17, 2017 by wowgetoffyourcellphone

[Sundiata]

9 hours ago, wowgetoffyourcellphone said:

What kind of fabric is this? I am very curious! Did they have the ability for such sheer fabrics in that time? I always thought it was some Hollywood convention!

Lol, that's something Hollywood actually got right. It would have been used only by the wealthy, but sheer fabrics were definitely produced by both Egyptians and Kushites. They were made from an extremely finely woven linen. Also noteworthy, is that silk was being imported in to Egypt, possibly as early as a 1000BCE, through Persian traders and their predecessors. Kushites also traded heavily with Persians, through Egypt, but I suspect through the Red Sea trade as well.

Edited September 17, 2017 by Sundiata

[Sundiata]

The Kingdom of Kush: The Lepsius Collection

Kushite Reliefs of the Highest Quality

"Karl Richard Lepsius (1810-1884) was a pioneering Prussian Egyptologist, linguist and a pioneer of modern archaeology. In 1842, Lepsius was commissioned  by King Frederich Wilhelm IV of Prussia to lead an expedition to Egypt and the Sudan to explore the remains of the Ancient Egyptian civilisation. The Prussian expedition was modelled after the earlier Napoleonic mission, with surveyors, draftsmen and other specialists.
The chief result of this expedition was the publication of Denkmäler aus Aegypten und Aethiopien (Monuments from Egypt and Ethiopia), a massive twelve volume compendia of nearly 900 plates of ancient Egyptian inscriptions, as well as accompanying commentary and descriptions. These plans, maps, and drawings of temple and tomb walls remained the chief source of information for Western scholars well into the 20th century, and are useful even today as they are often the sole record of monuments that have since been destroyed or reburied." -Wikipedia-

I was able to acquire almost 70 high quality plates, from the book Denkmäler aus Aegypten und Aethiopien (Monuments from Egypt and Ethiopia), which depict a large amount of Kushite reliefs from the Napatan and Meroitic period. Some are from Gebel Barkal, the site of Napata, and some are from Naqa and Musawwarat es Sufra. The majority of them however, come from the royal necropolis at Meroe. They offer invaluable insights into Meroitic society, religion, funerary customs and the culture of royals and and their nobles.

Many of these reliefs have now been lost, or are heavily deteriorated. Comparing today’s remaining reliefs with the plates in Lepsius’ work, shows us that we are dealing with the highest quality renditions of Meroitic and Napatan reliefs ever produced! The value of his work can not be overstated… The plates on these Kushite monuments from Sudan seem to be mostly unknown to modern academics: they’re from 1842-1845, are extremely poorly tagged in digital collections, use archaic nomenclature for place names and are often conflated with Egyptian work by amateur historians. 

As I have mentioned in previous posts, the cultural continuity in the Southern Nile Valley for over 2500 years of history is remarkable. These reliefs were produced between 300 years and 1300 years after the collapse of the New Kingdom! They illustrate the survival and adaptation of Pharaonic culture in Sudan for over a millennium, all the way through 0AD’s timeframe. 

As well as following Egyptian conventions, Kushites developed their own styles, symbology, pantheon, language and script, unique from the Egyptians. This makes the reliefs all the more interesting. 

I will sum up some of the most interesting/relevant and clearly identifiable elements:

• Horses, sometimes decorated, offered to the ruler
• Large herds of cattle paraded before kings and gods, sometimes sacrificed 
• Often recurring, symbolic use of the bow, but other weapons include the spear, sword, mace and battle-axe
• A number of interesting staffs/standards are depicted, topped by different animal forms (representing army divisions?)
• Ruling queens were depicted just as dominant as their male counterparts 
• Male princes (co-regents?) are subordinate to the ruling queens 
• Depictions of dogs, loyally guarding bound prisoners
• Many depictions of lions, some of them on leashes, many of them devouring enemies/captives
• Depictions of elephants, some of them on a leash
• The first depiction of a camel in official state-art I’ve seen to date
• The Kings and Queens of Kush loved the burning of ritual incense. Kush, incense, anyone? Chuckles softly…
• Virtually all the rulers are seated on a lion shaped stool/throne
• A very large variety of clothing styles, but Kings and Queens are often depicted wearing a particular type of garment 
• Libation is poured often, as it is still being done in many African cultures today
• Departure from strict Egyptian norms, re-imagination of Egyptian symbology
• Many depictions of (ritual) boats and funerary barges. 
• Kush was clearly a heavily stratified society, with a large aristocracy/many nobles

Necessary clarification of terms:

• Aethiopen:         Refers to the area’s directly to the south of Egypt
• Begerauich:       Begrawiya, the Royal Necropolis of Meroe
• Naga:                 Naqa, the Meroitic city
• Wadi E’ Sofra:   The site of Musawwarat es Sufra, the Kushite cult-place
• Barkal:               Jebel, or Gebel Barkal (the pure mountain) and the site of Napata, the old Kushite capital

Let me reiterate, that these are all Kushite reliefs from the Napatan and Meroitic period. First hand references. Depictions of Kushites, by Kushites, for Kushites. Some of the strongest primary sources you could possibly work with. Take the opportunity to download them and zoom in on the details, these are HQ images. Maybe you'll notice something I didn't. I decided to post all of them, because of their rarity/general research purposes. 

 

The Lepsius Collection: 

Spoiler

Meroe:

Queen Amanishakheto, together with Queen Amanirenas or Amanitore, executing bound prisoners with a weapon that looks very much like a sarissa (shortened for artistic purposes) on the pylon of a pyramid chapel. The queen on the left is also holding a bow and arrow. The prisoners are all wearing unique head-dreasses, different helmets referring to different enemies.

 

Some ritual incense for Osiris

 

A quadruple false doorway, with a large barge on top flanked by Ba figurines (birds with human heads)

 

Meroitic royal with Osiris and accompanying meroitic inscription 

 

King and Queen. A dog with elaborate collar guards over bound prisoners. A majestic looking horse being offered to the royal couple.

 

Ritual barges/boats and a seated King, to whom offerings are made, including the slaughter of cattle

 

Horus in scale armor, accompanied by a dog. Fragment of a lion can be seen, as well as the only example of a camel in official state art I've ever seen.

 

Noblemen and noblewomen on a cut stone doorway

 

Seated King and Queen. Bound captives under the king's chair. Dog under the queen's chair. The winged goddess Isis protects the royal couple, a recurring theme.

 

Herds of cattle being led by Anubis, Thot and Horus. Bound prisoners in lower register, one is wearing a mediterranean type helmet.

 

Elaborate royal scenes, with offerings, pouring of libation and many nobles and gods present

 

Offerings being made to Queen Amanishakheto

 

Amanishakheto's treasure, plundered by Guiseppe Ferlini in 1830

 

On the left lower side of the doorway, a pair of horses can be seen, with cloth on their backs. Ritual barge on top of the doorway

 

Ritual incense for the queen. Unusually intimate embrace between the goddess and prince to the left of the queen. These intimate embraces between deities and royalty seem to be a thing in Kushite art.

 

A classic scene from the book of the dead, the "weighing of the heart", on the scales against ma'at, closely watched by Anubis, and recorded by Thot. Horus also plays a part. Osiris looks on.

 

The body of a king. The Falcon has flown to heaven!

 

Partaking in incense burning...  Meroitic script slowly replacing hieroglyphs, though the two scripts  coexisted for a while 

 

King Tarekeniwal, in full scale armor, executing prisoners with a hooked battle-axe. He is also seen with bow and arrow, as well as a spear

 

King Tarekeniwal receiving offerings, holding on to a spear, bow and arrows.

 

On the left upper image, we see a richly decorated horse, with elaborate headpiece, feathers and nose-guard, as well as a cloth draped over an animal skin covering it's back. Below that, we see an elephant, in between the feet of a ruler. Rulers in this position are always about to smite their enemies, placing this elephant in a clearly militaristic context. The only other animals that ever shown in between the feet of a ruler are lions and dogs, also associated with this military context. Another clear example of the importance of elephants in Meroe, not just Musawwarat, as has been suggested by some academics, unaware of these plates.

 

Queen Amanishakheto enjoying some incense. In the upper left corner, two, wheeled vehicles can be made out. 

 

Two pairs of horses can be seen on the bottom left part, accompanied by two spearmen.

 

An elaborate royal scene with many nobles, men and women, gods and offerings of food, drink and cattle

 

Gebel Barkal:

Columns in the shape of the god Bes, from the Amun temple at Napata

 

Osiris has a boner 

 

Large numbers of noblemen and noblewomen present themselves separately, to the incense-enjoying queen.  

 

In the following two plates, the Kings' bow has a curious attachment to it. 

 

About that Kush

Musawwarat es Sufra:

A very interesting piece showing Amun, Apedemak, Sebiumeker (?), Horus, Arensnuphis (?), and other gods, royals(?). Horus is seen carrying a round shield decorated with someone's face, a spear and a sword. Apedemak also carries a sword, along with a bow. A third sword can be seen on the far right.

 

Column drum showing Apedemak (middle of the first row) with a monkey on a leash. A king stands on a platform supported by the back of an elephant. In the second row two sphinxes maul enemies, as a lion smells some flowers.

 

Third image from the left, top row, depicts two lions on a leash, and Amun with a short sword. In the second row, sphinxes maul enemies, a god plays the harp for a lion, and an elephant just kind of stands there, doing nothing.

 

In the lowest row, a sphinx and a lion maul enemies

 

Third image from the left, Amun holds an elephant on a leash. I hope you realise the proportions in this type of art are all symbolic, denoting importance of the figure, not the actual size. On the second row a god rides an elephant, Apedemak, the lion god rides a lion (...), as it mauls enemies, Horus rides a sphinx knocking out some defenceless gazelles, and a vulture pecks away at the corpses of defeated enemies.

 

On the first row, once again Amun is holding an elephant on a leash. On the third row, a lion smells flowers, then mauls an enemy, listens to some harp music and mauls another enemy.

 

Naqa:

 

One of the strangest depictions of a deity (?) in Kush I've seen yet. He's depicted twice, frontally, in a naturalistic style, completely departing from Egyptian convention. But he wears typically Kushite royal attire, and the royals surrounding him are depicted in the classical way.

 

A procession of the Gods

 

A procession of the Goddesses 

 

King Natakamani and a prince, a lion standard impaling an enemy, and a rare serpent form of Apedemak, from the lion temple in Naqa

 

Apedemak, King Natakamani, Queen Amanitore and a prince

 

King Natakamani and Queen Amanitore, both holding a sword over the head of bound captives about to be smithed. The King has a hooked axe-mace. Yes you read that correctly, part axe, part mace. Amanitore sticks to a second sword. Both of them have pet lions tearing away at their enemies. This is to be the relief for the Lion Temple in 0AD.

 

Isis offers bound captives to Natakamani and Amanitore

 

Queen Amanitore and a prince, receiving blessings from a unique, triple headed Apedemak

 

Ram statues from the processional avenue to the Amun temple in Naqa. Decorated column from Musawwarat. On the lowest part a round shield can just be made out.

 

Congratulations if you went through all of that. You've now officially seen more details of Kush than many of the academics writing about the subject.

 

 

Source:
Denkmaeler aus Aegypten und Aethiopien nach den Zeichnungen der von seiner Majestat dem Koenige von Preussen Friedrich Wilhelm IV nach diesen Landern gesendeten und in den Jahren 1842-1845 ausgefuhrten wissenschaftlichen Expedition:

https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/collections/denkmaeler-aus-aegypten-und-aethiopien-nach-den-zeichnungen-der-von-seiner#/?tab=about

More specifically: Aethiopen:
https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/search/index?utf8=✓&keywords=lepsius+aethiopen

 

 

 

[wowgetoffyourcellphone]

Looks like they enjoyed the ganj. 

[Sundiata]

Well, they did have that obscure Indian connection, so who knows... The Kings of Kush, partaking in Kush from the Hindu Kush.

Hehehehe... 

[Lion.Kanzen]

Kushites and Kushians.

[Sundiata]

The Kingdom of Kush: Battle Scene, Horses and Chariots

A few more relevant reliefs

As you might have noticed, there is an absolutely spectacular lack of militaristic artwork from Kush, almost to the point of frustration. I have come to understand that this is due to the fact that the vast majority of surviving reliefs come from funerary and religious monuments, which don't often depict fighting scenes and warriors. This doesn't mean that such scenes don't exist. The existing ones are just very poorly documented. Other reliefs/murals/fresco's of fighting scenes and warriors might have been found in the more secular households and palaces of warriors and nobles, built of mud-brick  and have since completely deteriorated, and many of the scenes in temples were on the upper parts of the temple walls, which have also since deteriorated.

Luckily, there are exceptions, and I found some reliefs I've been looking for for months! I've read about them, and quoted some of those descriptions in previous posts, but was never able to actually locate them, until now. Some date to the 25th dynasty, some to the Napatan and others to the Meroitic period. These examples all come from Napata (specifically from the temple complex at Gebel Barkal) and Meroe. 

Important elements:

• Fragmented battle scene of 25th dynasty conquest of Egypt, showing Egyptian chariots and horseman
• Many Kushite horses 
• Fragment of relief depicting Kushite chariots
• Fragment of relief depicting boats on the river (of the same shape as some graffito of boats at Musawwarat) 
• Depictions of spear, bow, battle axe, axe/mace, sword and scabbard,
• Squarish oval shield as well as round shields carried on the shoulder 

 

Spoiler

 

25th Dynasty, Napatan reliefs:

A battle scene, with Kushite spearmen and archer chasing of Egyptian horsemen and chariots, killing infantry. 

 

A pair of Kushite horses being led by a handler (tribute to Piye)

 

Upper part of temple wall showing two Kushite chariots, with a span of decorated horses, reminiscent of New Kingdom style chariots.

 

Lower part of the same wall, showing a horse led by his handler, above which we can see fragments of boats traveling down the Nile.

 

No less than 9 pairs of horses can be seen delivered to Piye as tribute.

 

 

Napatan period:

King Senkamanisken executing rebel nations with a weapon that's part axe, part mace. It's similar, but different from later Meroitic examples of the weapon, which feature a much larger, hooked blade.

 

Tiny piece of a golden ornament from a royal garment in the form a hawk headed warrior-god, carrying an elongated/squarish oval shield, spear and sword. 

 

Meroitic Period:

Fragments of a relief depicting two chariots pulled by teams of horses in a royal/religious procession, from a 1st century BCE relief on Kiosk B 560 at Napata

 

A battle scene from temple 250 (the "sun temple") in Meroe, depicting an axeman and a swordsman striking down enemies. The axe is identical to some Central African examples from more than a millennium later, which is remarkable. Part of the blade of the swordsmen is on a now lost fragment, but it's length is easily deducible from the length of the scabbard, swung around his back, hanging from a strap. They both wear typical skullcaps. 

 

Much more recent African battle axes: 

Spoiler

Shona battle axes:

 

 

 

 

Edited September 20, 2017 by Sundiata

[LordGood]

@Sundiata

[Loki1950]

Here kitty kitty they look kind of cuddly as in stuffed toys.But I do like the composition.

Enjoy the Choice

[Sundiata]

@LordGood Hohohooo!!! Amazing! I really love it! Thank you  

Spoiler

I think the lions could use a little more contrast/shading and detail (just a little), especially the left one (because it's closer to the viewer). Perhaps the pyramids in the background could have a darker, greyish colour or something, because they're quite inconspicuous right now. At a first glance, the right ear-guard of the Roman soldiers makes it look as if he has a giant lower lip, perhaps a more defined line or something could make it more clear, or remove it (doesn't need to stick out like that). 

It's so funny I was watching a video on Roman military equipment explaining those metal studs underneath their sandals just yesterday. Lovely detail! 

 

reference for the curious:

Spoiler

Queen Amanitore (successor of Queen Amanirenas) smiting her enemies with swords and a pet lion:

 

The Roman captive from the temple to victory in Meroe's Royal City:

 

The context of the now lost fresco, showing the prisoners (including a Roman, 2 Egyptians and 2 Nubians) underneath the feet of a Meroitic ruler, very possibly Amanirenas, a prince (Akinidad?) standing behind the throne. This is where the Meroe head was found (bronze head of Augustus). The skull in the wall was a morbid joke by the photographer.

 

The remains of the structure where the reliefs were found. Garstang built a modern structure on top for protection, in vain, as this structure seems to have disappeared since then.

 

 

Edited October 1, 2017 by Sundiata

[Sundiata]

I was actually surprised to find so many depictions of lions in Kushite art, including in a domesticated context, on a leash, or attacking captives. It's similar to earlier Egyptian examples, who actually imported lions from Kush. It's also very similar to the tradition of keeping lions in the Abyssinian empire (modern day Ethiopia). Haile Selassie is the most famous example, who had as many as 30 lions "guarding" his palace in Addis Ababa. These lions belonged to a genetically and phenotypically distinct subspecies of lion, smaller, and with a darker mane, which also runs across their underbelly (probably related to  Barbary lions), now thought to be (nearly) extinct in the wild. I imagine that these were the same species of lion used by Kushites, and by extension Egyptians. Perhaps, like the North African Elephant, these were easier to handle due to their smaller size, and a longer/intenser exposure to human populations than their larger cousins?

Spoiler

Emperor Tewodros' lions, one of Haile Selassie's predecessors:

 

Haile Selassie's palace guards:

 

Modern descendants from Haile Selassie's lions at the Addis Ababa Lion Zoo

 

 

It seems to be an East African thing...