Forgotten Fortress: Returning to Uronarti

Abstract

The kings of the ancient Egyptian Middle Kingdom (ca. 2055–1650 B.C.E.) conquered and subsequently administered a large territory in Lower Nubia, south of the First Cataract. Monumental fortresses that were built along the banks of the Nile were excavated in the early twentieth century, but largely destroyed by the floodwaters from the damming of the Nile in the 1960s. Recent discovery that two of these fortresses have survived has led to new archaeological work, including survey and excavation at the site of Uronarti. Preliminary work there shows the complexity of lifestyle and cultural interaction at this ancient colonial outpost.