CATARACTS AS BOUNDARIES

Hussein, Angela MurockCalliope 03-01-2012 In ancient times, nature was Egypt's est protection! "#e lan$s t#e Egyptians calle$ #ome or$ere$ t#e great, li%e-gi&ing 'ile (i&er! "o t#e nort# lay t#e Me$iterranean )ea* to t#e east an$ west were &ast $eserts* an$ to t#e sout# were t#e cataracts! "#e tra$itional sout#ernmost oun$ary was at Aswan, w#ere t#e natural or$er t#at kept t#e country sa%e in t#is $irection was t#e %irst cataract, a rocky area t#at slowe$ ri&er tra%%ic! "#e wor$ $eri&es %rom t#e +reek term katanaktes, w#ic# means ,somet#ing t#at comes rus#ing or smas#ing $own!, Along t#e 'ile, t#is meant water%alls or ri&er rapi$s! "#e Mig#ty )i"#ere are si- cataracts etween Aswan an$ mo$ern .#artoum, t#e capital o% )u$an! At eac#, t#e 'ile is rocky or #a$ a signi%icant c#ange in ele&ation! "#e cataract at Aswan was an area %ille$ wit# small islan$s an$ rocky outcroppings! "#e secon$ /0) sout#west o% present-$ay 1ake 'asser! "o$ay, it is un$erwater, as t#e construction o% t#e Hig# 2am at Aswan cause$ t#e waters upstream to rise su stantially! "#e t#ir$ lies $ownstream %rom t#e mo$ern town o% 2ongola in )u$an! 3pstream o% t#e t#ir$ cataract, t#e 'ile %irst turns nort# an$ t#en sout# again, %orming a #ori4ontal )-s#ape! "#e %ourt# an$ %i%t# cataracts are on eit#er si$e o% t#is great en$! "#e si-t# cataract is a out #al%way etween t#e %i%t# cataract an$ .#artoum, w#ere t#e two ma5or ranc#es o% t#e 'ile, t#e /#ite an$ t#e 6lue, 5oin toget#er! "o t#e ancient Egyptians, t#e area o% t#e %irst cataract was consi$ere$ t#e source o% t#e 'ile %loo$ an$ t#e origin point o% t#e ri&er! "#ey knew t#at t#e 'ile continue$ sout#, ut it was t#e %irst cataract t#at %orme$ t#eir $e%inite oun$ary line! "#ey saw t#eir lan$, lying etween Aswan an$ t#e Me$iterranean, as an area w#ere 5ustice an$ or$er rule$! /#at lay eyon$ w#at nature pro&i$e$ as natural oun$aries, suc# as t#e $eserts or %oreign lan$s, t#ey consi$ere$ $angerous an$ c#aotic! 'a&igating t#e 'ile )ince oats were t#e most common mo$e o% tra&el in t#e 'ile 7alley in ancient times, t#e 'ile was t#e country's super#ig#way! All types o% tra%%ic use$ t#e 'ile, inclu$ing commercial an$ military! "#e cataracts were natural stopping places on t#at #ig#way! "#e a sence o% cataracts %rom Aswan to t#e Me$iterranean #elpe$ keep Egypt uni%ie$ an$ connecte$ %or muc# o% its #istory, especially since e&en t#e largest oats coul$ tra&el t#e $istance smoot#ly an$ swi%tly! At t#e same time, t#e cataracts sout# o% t#e or$er protecte$ Egypt against woul$- e in&a$ers! "o na&igate cataracts, oats #a$ to slow $own! In a$$ition, large oats or %leets o% oats, suc# as t#ose t#at woul$ e re8uire$ to transport troops an$ supplies, woul$ #a&e #a$ to go t#roug# in single %ile, making t#em &ulnera le to attack! 6ecause t#e same was true o% merc#ant &essels, Egypt grew ric# y controlling t#e tra$e t#at passe$ t#roug#! 9rom t#e time w#en 3pper an$ 1ower Egypt were uni%ie$ into one king$om, t#e

natural sout#ern or$er o% t#e country #a$ een in Aswan! Here were t#e 8uarries o% re$ granite t#at was use$ in uil$ing t#e royal tom s! "o t#e sout# lay t#e lan$ o% 'u ia, w#ic# #a$ a long #istory o% interacting wit# its nort#ern neig# or an$ w#ic#, like Egypt, grew wealt#y %rom its control o% t#e tra$e route! Egypt tra$e$ wit# 'u ia %or suc# pro$ucts as gol$, i&ory, animal skins, an$ ostric# eggs#ells, w#ic# were use$ %or $rinking &essels! In Control-'ort# an$ )out# "#e 'u ians were %ierce warriors an$ well-known %or t#eir skill as arc#ers :see opposite;! In %act, 'u ian arc#ers sometimes %oug#t as mercenaries in t#e Egyptian army! At $i%%erent times in anti8uity, Egypt in&a$e$ 'u ia to claim more $irect control o&er its lan$s an$ wealt#! As a result, t#roug# t#e centuries, t#e sout#ern or$er o% Egypt s#i%te$ sometimes %art#er sout# an$ sometimes to t#e nort#! "#e cataracts, #owe&er, always %unctione$ as stations w#ere ri&er tra%%ic coul$ e controlle$ y t#e king$oms o% ot# Egypt an$ 'u ia! In Aswan, t#ere was an islan$ calle$ Elep#antine, so name$ ecause i&ory was tra$e$ t#ere! At t#e secon$ cataract was t#e e-tensi&e walle$ town o% 6u#en, w#ic# was %oun$e$ as a military installation in t#e Mi$$le .ing$om an$ grew larger $uring t#e course o% its 200-year li%e! 'ear t#e t#ir$ an$ %ourt# cataracts were .erma an$ 'apata, w#ic# were, at $i%%erent times, t#e capitals o% t#e 'u ian king$om o% .us#! "#e si-t# cataract was close to Meroe, w#ic# also ser&e$ as a .us#ite capital! )o it was t#at t#e most important cities o% 'u ia, as well as t#e comman$ posts o% its central aut#ority, were centere$ near t#e cataracts nature #a$ positione$ along t#e 'ile! )I2E6A( "#e sun sets on t#e 'ile, win$ing its way t#roug# some roug# terrain in 'ort#ern )u$an! )I2E6A( <ust look at t#e terrain= A narrow strip o% %ertile lan$ or$ers t#e waterway, w#ic# o%%ers clear tra&eling in some areas an$ islan$s, rocks, an$ rapi$s in ot#ers! "#en, 5ust a it inla%l$, lie &ast stretc#es o% san$ an$ rock! )I2E6A( Hats#epsut, an 1>t# 2ynasty Egyptian ruler, #a$ relie%s o% 'u ian arc#ers a$orn a wall in #er temple at 2eir el 6a#ri! )I2E6A( HA7E A 03E)"I?'@ A). MEA CA11I?BE, 30 +ro&e )t!, Beter orug#, 'H 03CD> or e-mail= askcalliopeEcarspu !com A3"H?(FA99I1IA"I?' Angela Murock Hussein is an arc#aeological consultant an$ a cataloger %or t#e Mac#ios E-ca&ations in East Crete! CA"A(AC") A) 6?3'2A(IE) 6yline= Hussein, Angela Murock 7olume= 22 'um er= G

I))'= 10D0H0>G Bu lication 2ate= 03-01-2012 Bage= G "ype= Berio$ical 1anguage= Englis# Copyrig#t Co lestone Bu lis#ing Company Mar 2012

Citation for your reference: Hussein, Murock, Angela!! ,CA"A(AC") A) 6?3'2A(IE)!, Calliope! 01 Mar! 2012= G! eLibrary! /e ! 30 <an! 201C! Hussein, Murock, A! :2012, Marc# 01;! CA"A(AC") A) 6?3'2A(IE)! Calliope, :G;, G, (etrie&e$ %rom #ttp=IIeli rary! igc#alk!com