DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.49517#0670
546
HARVARD AFRICAN STUDIES
at Soleb on the west bank, the Egyptians appear never to have fortified the east bank be-
tween Semna and Kerma. Sahathor was vice-overseer of the seal, or “assistant treasurer”
(Breasted), and his duties as inspector for the treasury are probably referred to on his stela.
There is nothing inconsistent with the presence in Kerma of a permanent governor. The
titles of Sarenpuwt and Hepzefa are much higher than those of Sahathor. Such an official
sent from the central home administration and probably acting more or less as a secret con-
troller or spy, would be nominally at least under the governor of the South. On his funerary
stela, he or his relatives would be at no trouble to make a historical statement of his tem-
porary relations to other officials.
The inscriptions at Wady Hammamat and in Sinai dated to these reigns are not so nu-
merous as under the other kings of Dynasty XII,1 but nevertheless sufficient to show that the
royal expeditions in these regions went on much as usual. The inscription found at Wady
Gasus on the Red Sea, records an expedition to Punt in the year 28 of Amenemhat II, car-
ried out by an official named Khentkhetwer. Punt, Ethiopia, Sinai, and the Easetrn Desert
were the only regions visited by Egyptian officials in order to gather raw materials during
this period, and all our evidence indicates that the expeditions to all these regions were car-
ried out in peace and safety.
In Ethiopia, the long period of quiet trading appears to have been interrupted by more
serious attacks on the caravans about the year 8 of Sesostris III; for in that year the king
led a military expedition to Kash, or Ethiopia. The records are as follows:
(m) Rock inscription on the Island of Sehel (Assuan):2
“Year 8 under the Majesty of the king of Upper and Lower Egypt, Khakauwra (Sesostris
III), living forever. His Majesty commanded to make a new canal. The name of
this canal is Beautiful-are-the-ways-of-Khakauwra-forever. Afterwards His Majesty pro-
ceeded upstream to overthrow wretched Kash. The length of this canal is 150 ells (78
meters); its width 20 ells (10.5 meters); its depth 15 ells (7.88 meters); begun . . .”
(gives the time taken in making the canal). Behind the figure of the king is the figure
of a foreman of ... , overseer of the banks (?), director of works in his ... , over-
seer of sealers, named Senankh; and this may be the name of the official who carried out
the excavation of the canal.
(n) Rock inscription on the Island of Sehel (Assuan): ‘
Anqet offering “life” to Sesostris III, below:
“He made it as his monument for Anquet mistress of Ethiopia (Ta-khenty) .... There
was made for her the canal named Beautiful-are-the-roads-of-Khakauwra. He made
himself to live forever.”
(o) Stela in the British Museum:4
“Year 9, third month of the third season under the majesty of the king of Upper and Lower
Egypt, Khekure (Sesostris HI) beloved of Satet mistress of Elephantine, living forever.
Command of his majesty to the Magnate of the South, Ameny, [to make] a doorway in
the fortress of Elephantine, to make [ . . . ] (a building) for the crown-possessions of
the South . . . the . . . people in the region of Elephantine; when [my lord, life, pros-
perity, he]alth, journeyed to overthrow the wretched Kush.”
The date may be year 8, instead of year 9.
1 See Couyat and Montet, Ou&dy Hamm^m^t, no. 104: Gardiner and Peet, Inscriptions of Sinai, nos. 47-49,
71-80.
2 De Morgan, Cat. des mon. I, p. 86, no. 20. 3 L.c., P. 87, no. 39.
4 Breasted, A. R. E. I, p. 293: translated by Breasted.
HARVARD AFRICAN STUDIES
at Soleb on the west bank, the Egyptians appear never to have fortified the east bank be-
tween Semna and Kerma. Sahathor was vice-overseer of the seal, or “assistant treasurer”
(Breasted), and his duties as inspector for the treasury are probably referred to on his stela.
There is nothing inconsistent with the presence in Kerma of a permanent governor. The
titles of Sarenpuwt and Hepzefa are much higher than those of Sahathor. Such an official
sent from the central home administration and probably acting more or less as a secret con-
troller or spy, would be nominally at least under the governor of the South. On his funerary
stela, he or his relatives would be at no trouble to make a historical statement of his tem-
porary relations to other officials.
The inscriptions at Wady Hammamat and in Sinai dated to these reigns are not so nu-
merous as under the other kings of Dynasty XII,1 but nevertheless sufficient to show that the
royal expeditions in these regions went on much as usual. The inscription found at Wady
Gasus on the Red Sea, records an expedition to Punt in the year 28 of Amenemhat II, car-
ried out by an official named Khentkhetwer. Punt, Ethiopia, Sinai, and the Easetrn Desert
were the only regions visited by Egyptian officials in order to gather raw materials during
this period, and all our evidence indicates that the expeditions to all these regions were car-
ried out in peace and safety.
In Ethiopia, the long period of quiet trading appears to have been interrupted by more
serious attacks on the caravans about the year 8 of Sesostris III; for in that year the king
led a military expedition to Kash, or Ethiopia. The records are as follows:
(m) Rock inscription on the Island of Sehel (Assuan):2
“Year 8 under the Majesty of the king of Upper and Lower Egypt, Khakauwra (Sesostris
III), living forever. His Majesty commanded to make a new canal. The name of
this canal is Beautiful-are-the-ways-of-Khakauwra-forever. Afterwards His Majesty pro-
ceeded upstream to overthrow wretched Kash. The length of this canal is 150 ells (78
meters); its width 20 ells (10.5 meters); its depth 15 ells (7.88 meters); begun . . .”
(gives the time taken in making the canal). Behind the figure of the king is the figure
of a foreman of ... , overseer of the banks (?), director of works in his ... , over-
seer of sealers, named Senankh; and this may be the name of the official who carried out
the excavation of the canal.
(n) Rock inscription on the Island of Sehel (Assuan): ‘
Anqet offering “life” to Sesostris III, below:
“He made it as his monument for Anquet mistress of Ethiopia (Ta-khenty) .... There
was made for her the canal named Beautiful-are-the-roads-of-Khakauwra. He made
himself to live forever.”
(o) Stela in the British Museum:4
“Year 9, third month of the third season under the majesty of the king of Upper and Lower
Egypt, Khekure (Sesostris HI) beloved of Satet mistress of Elephantine, living forever.
Command of his majesty to the Magnate of the South, Ameny, [to make] a doorway in
the fortress of Elephantine, to make [ . . . ] (a building) for the crown-possessions of
the South . . . the . . . people in the region of Elephantine; when [my lord, life, pros-
perity, he]alth, journeyed to overthrow the wretched Kush.”
The date may be year 8, instead of year 9.
1 See Couyat and Montet, Ou&dy Hamm^m^t, no. 104: Gardiner and Peet, Inscriptions of Sinai, nos. 47-49,
71-80.
2 De Morgan, Cat. des mon. I, p. 86, no. 20. 3 L.c., P. 87, no. 39.
4 Breasted, A. R. E. I, p. 293: translated by Breasted.