Chapter 3.5 Cultures of Nubia Prince Taharka was one of the best leaders of Egypt and Nubia, He often would have games and contests like 5hr 30mile races and handed out gifts for the winners like gold and jewelry.

I. Nubia and Egypt Pottery, weapons, and jewelry had been found at ancient burial sites dating back to 6000 B.C. They found that trade at this time had been very extensive but as leadership change in this region so did trade and friendship

A. Land of the Bow For as long as many can remember, Egypt and Nubia were friendly neighbors Egypt gave Nubia the name “ta sety” or land of the bow since Nubians were the most skilled archers in the world

B. Valuable Resources Egypt also valued Nubia for other reasons, they were rich in resources like gold, copper, and iron ore Ore was a combination of metals mined in the region. Nubia acted as a bridge for trade between Egypt and Africa Nubia’s strongest areas were Kerma, Napata, and Meroe

II Kerma Culture The Kushites come to power in Kerma when Egypt was without good leadership

A. Kerma’s wealth Kerma was strong and wealthy They were known for their artisans and craft workers They made pottery that often was a gift to Pharaoh’s and also were known for their burials for the dead. Some burials were in mounds the size of a football field

Burials

Inside the tombs the they gave the dead gold covered tombs surrounded by Jewelry and gold

B. Conflict with Egypt As Egypt regained strength King Thutmose sent armies to Nubia this war lasted nearly 50 years This time Egypt maintained control for over 700 years It was now that many Egyptian cultures began to mix with Nubian cultures Thus making this whole region alike

III. Napata and Meroe Soon the Kushites expanded their power south To Napata and Meroe

A. The Capital of Napata Napatan Kings liked a lot of the Egyptian culture and there for kept much of it They began to build pyramids for their kings but as Egypt continued to spread its power Nubia moved its capital south to Meroe

B. Capital of Meroe After moving the capital here, government was set up The rocky deserts of Meroe were filled with iron ore so they had good trade in this region They used it to make very powerful weapons, good farming plows They also created their own language which even today can’t be translated, its one of the mysteries of Nubia