| Nastasen | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kushite King of Meroe | |||||
 Nastasen (left) making an offering to a God | |||||
| Burial | Nuri 15 | ||||
| Spouse | Sekhmakh | ||||
| |||||
| Father | Harsiotef ? | ||||
| Mother | Pelkha | ||||
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| Nastasen - Ankhkare in hieroglyphs | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Era: Late Period (664–332 BC) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Nastasen was a king of Kush who ruled the Kingdom of Kush from 335 to 315/310 BCE. According to a stela from Dongola, his mother was named Queen Pelkha and his father may have been King Harsiotef. [1] His successor was Aryamani.
Nastasen is known from three types of objects. There is a stela with a long historical inscription, a silver handle of a mirror, [2] and several shabti -figures. The mirror handle and the shabti were found in a pyramid at Nuri (Nu. 15), which was obviously his burial place. He was the last Kushite king to be buried in the royal cemetery at Napata.
The 1.63-metre-high (5.3 ft) granite stela was found at New Dongola and is now in the Egyptian Museum of Berlin (Inv. no. 2268). [3] Originally, it was most likely placed in the Amun temple of Jebel Barkal. In the upper part appear the pictures and name of his mother, Pelkha, and his wife, Sekhmakh, next to the king.
During his reign, Nastasen defeated an invasion of Kush from Upper Egypt. Nastasen's monument calls the leader of this invasion Kambasuten, a likely local variation of Khabbash. Khabbash was a local ruler of Upper Egypt who had campaigned against the Persians around 338 BC. His invasion of Kush was a failure, and Nastasen claimed to have taken many fine boats and other war prizes during his victory. [4]
The tomb of Nastasen is among several in Nuri that are slated for excavation by archaeologist Pearce Paul Creasman and his Nuri Archaeological Expedition using underwater archaeological methods. That is necessary because of rising ground waters in what was the 4th cataract Nubian region. [5] These tombs are under the pyramids and have flooded. Initial excavation reports of his tomb indicate that it may be undisturbed by grave robbers.[ citation needed ] Artifacts not adversely affected by the water could be found, which could add to what is known about Nastasen, along with evidence already found of artifacts mostly damaged or lost due to the action of the water.[ citation needed ] [6]
Explorer Josh Gates participated in a dive with Professor Creasman, which was featured in a May 2023 episode of Expedition Unknown (season 11, episodes 1 & 2 which aired May 24th & 31st). Among the finds uncovered on the dives were gold leaf, and a bone fragment in a gold toe cap, assumed to be from Nastasen. [7]
The Nubian pyramids were built by the rulers of the ancient Kushite kingdoms. The area of the Nile valley known as Nubia, which lies in northern present-day Sudan, was the site of three Kushite kingdoms during antiquity. The capital of the first was at Kerma. The second was centered on Napata. The third kingdom was centered on Meroë. The pyramids are built of granite and sandstone.
Aspelta was a ruler of the kingdom of Kush. More is known about him and his reign than most of the rulers of Kush. He left several stelae carved with accounts of his reign.
Jebel Barkal or Gebel Barkal is a mesa or large rock outcrop located 400 km north of Khartoum, next to Karima in Northern State in Sudan, on the Nile River, in the region that is sometimes called Nubia. The jebel is 104 m tall, has a flat top, and came to have religious significance for both ancient Kush and ancient Egyptian occupiers. In 2003, the mountain, together with the extensive archaeological site at its base, were named as the center of a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The Jebel Barkal area houses the Jebel Barkal Museum.
Kashta was an 8th century BCE king of the Kushite Dynasty in ancient Nubia and the successor of Alara. His nomen k3š-t3 "of the land of Kush" is often translated directly as "The Kushite". He was succeeded by Piye, who would go on to conquer ancient Egypt and establish the Twenty-Fifth Dynasty there.
Harsiotef was a Kushite King of Meroe.
Nuri is a place in modern Sudan on the west side of the Nile, near the Fourth Cataract. Nuri is situated about 15 km north of Sanam, and 10 km from Jebel Barkal.
The Kingdom of Kush, also known as the Kushite Empire, or simply Kush, was an ancient kingdom in Nubia, centered along the Nile Valley in what is now northern Sudan and southern Egypt.
Tabiry was a Nubian queen dated to the Twenty-fifth Dynasty of Egypt.
El-Kurru was the first of the three royal cemeteries used by the Kushite royals of Napata, also referred to as Egypt's 25th Dynasty, and is home to some of the royal Nubian Pyramids. It is located between the 3rd and 4th cataracts of the Nile about 1 mile (1.6 km) west of the river in what is now Northern state, Sudan. El-Kurru was first excavated by George Reisner in 1918 and 1919 and after his death his assistant Dows Dunham took over his work and published the excavation report on El-Kurru in 1950. The El Kurru cemetery was primarily used from about 860 BC until 650 BC. The first tomb with a name attached to it is that of King Piye dating to about 750 BC, the sixteen earlier tombs possibly belong to Piye's royal predecessors. The last 25th dynasty king, Tantamani, was buried at El Kurru around 650 BC. The subsequent Napatan rulers chose to be buried at the royal cemetery at Nuri instead. However, in the mid-4th century the 20th king, whose name is unknown, chose to have his tomb, as well as that of his queen, built at El Kurru.
Siaspiqa was a ruler of the Kushite kingdom of Meroë reigning for close to twenty years in the first half of the 5th century BC. Very little is known of Siaspiqa's activities beyond the construction of his pyramid at Nuri, now known as Nuri 4. The pyramid and its chapel have yielded several inscribed stelas bearing his name as well as numerous artefacts suggesting a once rich burial. Nothing is known for certain on the relations between Siaspiqa and his predecessor Amaniastabarqa and successor Nasakhma. Equally uncertain is the identity of his consort, with queen Pi'ankhqewqa buried in the nearby Nuri 29 conjectured for that role.
Amaniastabarqa was a Kushite king of Meroë who ruled in the late Sixth or early Fifth centuries BC, c. 510–487 BCE.
Nubia is a region along the Nile river encompassing the area between the first cataract of the Nile as well as the confluence of the blue and white Niles or, more strictly, Al Dabbah. Nubia was the seat of several civilizations of ancient Africa, including the Kerma culture, the kingdom of Kush, Nobatia, Makuria and Alodia.
Madiqen was a Nubian queen with the Egyptian titles king's wife, king's wife of the living and king's sister. Her mother was queen Nasalsa. Her father was most likely king Senkamanisken. Her royal husband is not known for sure, but Aspelta and Anlamani are most likely options. Madiqen is known from her burial at Nuri. Her burial consisted of a pyramid with a small chapel in front of it. There is a staircase going down to the two burial chambers that were found looted. Gold foil and alabaster vessels were found. There were also 80 shabtis providing her name and title. On a stela of Aspelta is mentioned that she was promoted by the king to the position of a songtress of Amun at Napata. This position was then given to her daughter Henuttakhebit.
Yeturow (Iretiru) was a Nubian queen with the Egyptian titles king's wife, king's wife of the people of Egypt, king's daughter and king's sister. Her father was most likely king Taharqa. Her royal husband was her brother Atlanersa.
Asata was a Nubian queen with the Egyptian titles king's wife and Person of Egypt. She was presumed to have been the wife of the king Aspelta. Asata is mainly known from her burial at Nuri . Her burial consisted of a pyramid with a small chapel in front of it. The pyramid was found heavily destroyed, and the chapel was completely gone. There is a staircase going down to two burial chambers that were found to have been looted, but still contained a high number of objects, including the heart scarab of the queen, at least 270 shabtis, several stone vessels, amulets and other fragments that must have covered the mummy.
Batahaliye was the wife and the sister of Nubian king Harsiotef. She is known from stela of her husband and from her burial at Nuri. Her main title was big king's wife, Hmt-niswt aAt.. Other titles are king's wife and king's sister.
Atasamale was the mother of the Nubian king Harsiotef. She is known from a stela of her son and from her burial at Nuri. Her titles are mother of the kings, sister of the king and Lady of Kush. She might have been the wife of Amanineteyerike, although this is only a guess.
Akheqa was a Nubian queen with the Egyptian titles king's wife and king's sister. Her royal husband is not known for sure. Perhaps she was the daughter of Aspelta and wife of Aramatle-qo, as proposed by Dows Dunham and M. F. Laming Macadam.
Henuttakhebit was a Nubian queen with the Egyptian titles king's wife, king's daughter and king's sister. Her royal husband is not known for sure. Perhaps she was the wife of Aspelta and daughter of Senkamanisken, as proposed by Dows Dunham and M. F. Laming Macadam. This is not certain. She was the daughter or adopted daughter of queen Madiqen and followed her as songstress of Amun in Napata.
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