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LOCATION 1 - PANEL A




Panel A is dominated by a boat of the so-called “sickle shaped” type with “clubbed” ends. In front of the boat there is a possible representation of a prostrate, feather-wearing man, maybe a prisoner or allied. He may represent inhabitants of the desert, often associated with the ostrich feather. This would also explain why Panel A of Location 1 faces the Wadi el-Faras, and why the prostrate figure faces the desert. The imagery of Location 1 would confirm the submission of desert dwellers to anyone entering the Nag el-Hamdulab area from the north.
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LOCATION 1 - PANEL B




Panel B depicts prisoners following a boat of the same shape as that from Panel A. It acquires greater significance in the light of the nearby Location 2, toward which Panel B of Location 1 is oriented. Locations 1 and 2 would reveal to the traveller entering the Nag el-Hamdulab area from the north that violence would be used against those who would stand up against the power of the Egyptian state. The concept of power is displayed not through human representations but through the imagery of boats, which are the main elements of the nautical procession that is essential for the interpretation of the Nag el-Hamdulab scenes. This principle appears already during the Naqada I Period and pervades most panels of the Nag el-Hamdulab cycle.
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LOCATION 1



Location 1 is a protruding rock at the intersection of the Wadi el-Faras and the sandy bay of Nag el-Hamdulab. The rock is a highly visible orientation point in the landscape, marking the northern “entrance” between two hillocks into the Nag el-Hamdulab bay and the beginning of the rock art scenes. The site consists of two panels, the first oriented towards the Wadi el-Faras, the second towards Nag el-Hamdulab.
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LOCATION 2 - PANEL A




The scene consists of two boats, one roughly above the other. Both boats have many oars and an oarsman on the stern, in contrast to most of the other Nag el-Hamdulab boats, indications already of the importance of the scene. The lower boat is of the regular “sickle shaped” type but has as a remarkable element, a bull standard, on its prow. The upper boat has a remarkably high prow and stern, both of which are very narrow, and a single, extremely low, cabin on which stands a king wearing the White Crown. In front of the ruler is a standard with Wepwwet, the “Opener of the Ways,” an early canid god related to warfare and hunting. This second type of boat occurs only once more at Nag el-Hamdulab, where it carries a shrine, indicating that a divine boat is intended. The Nag el-Hamdulab cycle introduces the king as a religious concept rather than as a representation of actual military or political power.
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LOCATION 2 - PANEL B




On the rock face immediately above Panel A is an isolated boat, facing to the left. A crack in the rock served as “base line” and defined the position of the boat, which is of the usual “sickle shape” type with two cabins, roughly equal in size, and with poles extending above the roofs. On top of the prow was most probably the curved double branch, now somewhat difficult to recognize because of a crack in the rock. Contrary to most other representations of boats at Nag el-Hamdulab, no rope hangs from the prow. On the upper contour of the hull are short vertical strokes, continuing in the cabins but not in the space between them. The area around the boat is sufficiently well preserved to ascertain that no other elements occurred in association with the boat.
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LOCATION 2 - PANEL C




The second of the two main panels at Location 2 shows bowmen and prisoners next to a boat in which a figure (holding a staff) stands on top of each of its two cabins. Between the two bowmen behind the boat is a smaller person with one arm bent behind the back and the other upturned before the chest, parallel in appearance to the depiction of a prisoner on the recto of the Battlefield Palette, from whose neck hangs a type of weight. In front of the boat is a single person standing behind a large bow. A close parallel occurs on a fragmentary knife handle from cemetery U at Abydos, the bow being an element of power regularly appearing without human presence.
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LOCATION 2 - PANEL D




A boat, also facing to the left, is present on the northern panel, its stern is heavily eroded by Aeolian abrasion. This boat also has two cabins roughly equal in size, with poles extending above the roofs. On the upper contour line of the hull are vertical strokes, continuing into the cabins but not between them. On the prow is the usual curved double branch, followed by two straight elements. A short rope hangs down from the prow. Despite the effects of erosion, no other elements appear to have been present.
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LOCATION 2 - PANEL E




The panel, located between panels B and C, shows an isolated male person with long hair and a staff. The style is different from the other human representations at Nag el-Hamdulab, this being the only human figure drawn in contour lines only. Although this might indicate that the figure is a later addition to the scene, it has the same patina as that of the nearby panels, and the contour lines are pecked as is always the case at Nag el-Hamdulab. One hand of the figure rests atop a staff, the other arm bent behind the back, similar to the pose of the apparent ruler figure on the boat in nearby Panel A. This is the only human figure in the Nag el-Hamdulab cycle depicted with certainty as wearing a loincloth. The absence of the penis sheath for this figure also points to a date posterior to the Late Predynastic – Early Dynastic period, after which penis sheaths disappear almost entirely from the iconographic record. Due to its manner of execution, particularly apparent in the appearance of the legs, this figure might be a slightly later addition. Because of the long hair, perhaps representing a wig, and the staff, the person depicted must be of considerable importance.
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LOCATION 2




Location 2 is at the northern portion of the central cliffs of the Nag el-Hamdulab bay. Panel A is on a stone slab positioned on the upper part of the slope below the cliff wall were all the other panels are positioned. At this location, the military theme is integrated into a socio-religious context.
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LOCATION 3 - PANEL A




A careful study of the Habachi photograph reveals what appear to be two registers of human figures, one above the other. The upper register seems to start in the right corner with two persons facing to the left, of which only the feet are clearly visible. In front of the first person, and facing toward that figure, is a male figure holding a pole or similar object with both hands. His penis sheath and beard are clearly visible and the attitude by which he carries the long object he holds is identical to that of the fan bearer at Location 7, Panel A. Another, more important person, perhaps a ruler, may therefore have been present still farther to the left, in an area not visible in the photo because the rock surface curves slightly backwards. Space would appear to have allowed for such an additional figure in the panel. The rest of the scene is vaguely visible and cannot be reconstructed with confidence.
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LOCATION 3 - PANEL B




The only preserved panel of Location 3 shows a man leading a (wild?) bull and calf. Behind this is the image of a large knife, indicating that the group concerns sacrificial animals—the ceremony central to the Nag el-Hamdulab cycle is now placed in the context of meat offering, probably of wild animals.
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LOCATION 3 - PANEL C




This panel, positioned on a bolder the exact location of which is lost, is the most important one of those recorded by Habachi. A sickle shaped boat in the style of those in Locations 2 and 3, with a markedly high and upturned prow, was a major element of the panel. On the prow is first a double curved branch, followed by a single straight one and finally a standard—facing towards the prow—of a quadruped with a long tail and a remarkable, long, backward curving object on his head, perhaps indicating a desert animal with a backward curving horn such as an oryx, if the object is not a feather. The boat has two cabins and vertical strokes on the top of the contour, continuing into the cabins but interrupted between them. On the first cabin is a standing, bearded man without penis sheath, one leg apparently outstretched in front as if walking. The figure holds a stick in one hand while his other arm is curved with the hand in front of his chest. Behind the stern cabin seems to be another person, this time sitting. Whether this is a member of the vessel’s crew, or a prisoner, is not clear.
Above the boat is a Wepwawet standard bearer. The standard does not have the high upturned front part seen on the two other examples from Location 2, Panel A and Location 7, Panel A. The standard bearer is followed by a fan bearer, holding his fan over his shoulder, the fan orientated towards the depiction of a ruler following him. Both the Wepwawet standard bearer and the fan bearer are bearded but do not wear penis sheaths. The ruler wears the White Crown and has a relatively long beard compared to the other human figures in the panel. He holds in his hand a long staff that could be a heqa sceptre, but the upper end is shown rather as a knob than a crook. His other hand is bent before the chest and his general attitude is most similar to that of the ruler from Location 7, Panel A. Behind the king is a row of eight persons, not all of equal size, the sixth and eighth figures holding some sort of staff. The seventh figure holds an object that resembles the bow in Location 3, Panel A.
Behind the boat, and below followers 5-7 of the upper row, are three more persons. The first seems to have the arms bound behind the back and certainly has a penis sheath and most probably also a beard. The second also has a beard and one arm in front of him, the other seems to hang behind the back. He seems to hold the prisoner before him by the arms, as well as wielding a mace. The last person has the right arm bent before the body. Whether he is bearded is unclear, but he has in his hand a horseshoe shaped object, the opening of which is turned towards the shoulder of the person in front of him. The uncertain object resembles the hieroglyph t which also occurs on the Narmer palette and mace head as identification of the most important person among Narmer’s retinue, generally accepted to be the sm-priest. This could also be the case for the scene under discussion, although the characteristic elements of the sm-priest on the Narmer monuments, such as the leopard skin, the scutiform attachments to his dress, and the long hair, are lacking.
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LOCATION 3




Location 3 occupies an “L-shaped” portion of cliff wall and a bolder nearby and it is now partially destroyed. Unfortunately, the destruction (probably due to quarrying activities) involved the most important panels of this group (A and C), which are now only (incompletely) known through the archival photographs of Labib Habachi. In both scenes, the king appeared in a ceremonial procession with his retinue, including some prisoners. A boat appears in one of the panels, forming a link to the other sites. But despite this symbolic element, the king now clearly appears as an actual ruler, the religious context being of but secondary importance.
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LOCATION 4




The position and aspect of this now destroyed location is unknown. The archival photographs of Labib Habachi do not provide sufficient details of the immediate environs to allow for assigning to the group a more definite position.




LOCATION 4 - PANEL A




Panel A is a small but important addition in which the actual feast on occasion of the festival is referenced through the representation of brewing, and a person sitting and drinking. Next to this, and on a larger scale, is a person apparently identified as a Nubian by a particular type of bow depicted in front of him. Nubia was known as the “Land of the Bow,” the frontier of which was at the First Cataract, immediately south of Nag el-Hamdulab. The southernmost province of Ancient Egypt, including the stretch of Nile Valley reaching northwards from the First Cataract for about 100 km, also was known with that name. Recent research by AKAP has revealed how Predynastic communities living in the cataract region showed a mixed identity, combining elements of Egyptian and Nubian tradition. The presence of an apparent Nubian at Hamdulab, thus, is not surprising. The person may represent a chieftain or military commander of the local denizens of the cataract region, or another area immediately to the south thereof.
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LOCATION 5 - PANEL A




The panel consists of a bull’s head and a female dancer, the latter identified by the long hair braid ending in an oval shape that represents one of the rounded weights (discs or balls?) attached to the braided hair of female dancers during the Old Kingdom. The combination of a bull’s head and a female dancer suggests the combination of hunting, butchering, music, and dance known from the early Old Kingdom onwards through the Ladies of the Acacia House. This ritual context combines well with the reference to the actual feast at Location 4.
To the upper left corner of Panel A there are two stylized figures, another one is placed between the bull head and the dancer, one more is in relative distance to the right of the panel. All drawings are incised and may be slightly younger than the Hamdulab cycle, here represented by the bull head and the dancer.



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LOCATION 5




Location 5 corresponds to a wall at the left of the entrance of a rock shelter present at the central cliff of Nag el-Hamdulab. The small panel is heavily damaged by more recent drawings and inscriptions which are, however, not part of the recent vandalism.
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LOCATION 6 - PANEL A




Two possible interpretations of the scene present themselves, and the proper understanding of the group hinges on the wild or domesticated nature of the animals represented. The theme of catching wild animals and keeping them under human control is most important for Predynastic times. Although archaeozoological studies show that hunting was only of marginal economic importance during Predynastic times, hunting scenes are nevertheless an important element of Predynastic iconography. Hunting was part of the elite lifestyle and slaughtering wild animals on the occasion of religious festivals or elite burials allowed the upper echelons of society to show their importance in real life, confirmed through visual representations which contributed to the establishment of hierarchic structures and ultimately state formation. Alternatively, the animals may represent the wealth of local, probably Nubian, cattle-herding groups, perhaps the economic basis for the power of the subjugated and/or allied Nubian ruler appearing in a scene at Location 4. In support of the latter hypothesis, several dots pecked on the cattle’s bodies could be intended to represent the patched colored coat typical of domesticated animals. If so, the dog atop the back of the uppermost bovid is not attacking, but rather symbolically dominating, the beast.
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LOCATION 6




The panel is located on an isolated hill at the southern end of the Nag el-Hamdulab sandy bay, relatively close to the alluvial plain, and comprises only one panel, consisting of three registers showing cattle controlled by humans and dogs.
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LOCATION 7 - PANEL A




Panel A in Location 7 is probably the largest of the panels at Nag el-Hamdulab, and in many ways the focal scene of all. Five boats dominate the panel, all with high prows, four with almost identical prow decoration and bearing twin cabins and standards, one with a single cabin and neither standard nor prow decoration, aside from an upper hook. The boats cluster into two groups, two vessels with twin cabins to the upper right, two of the same with the fifth, less decorated vessel to the lower left. With the three vessels in the lower left appear three groups of human figures, with an accompanying dog; the vessels to the upper left have no human entourage, but the large image of a giraffe hovers a short distance above the forward (left) vessel, and a rare hieroglyphic inscription appears between the two vessels.
Above the lead boat in the lower pair of ritual vessels is a remarkable image of the early ruler and his entourage. The king wears a pointed version of the White Crown, oriented vertically, not in the tipped back manner in which it appears on the colossal mace heads of Scorpion and Narmer at Hierakonpolis. The ruler holds in one hand a tall staff with curved top, in the other a sceptre similar in shape to that of the early heqa-scepter from Tomb U-j at Abydos. Before the king march two standard bearers, the first holding the standard of the possible royal placenta, the second that of Wepwawet with the shedshed curving up in front of the canid, a pair appearing as the standards preceding the king on the Scorpion mace head, and together with falcon standards on the mace head and palette of Narmer. The dog that walks between and just below the standard bearers and the ruler is a late survival of the canid as image of human order of Predynastic date. A single fan-bearer follows the king, and behind all, above the second of the two ritual vessels, are two probable tribute bearers. The vessel beneath the ruler is rich in royal imagery, with a falcon standard at the bottom of the protruding elements on the prow, two colossal maces atop the cabins, and two bovid-horned standards. In front of the vessel below the king and the royal entourage is a line of four men, holding a rope that is not attached to the vessel. Two offering bearers are on top of the third lower vessel.
Inscription
In the upper right portion of Panel A is a four-sign hieroglyphic inscription, executed in the same style of pecking and comparable patination as the other elements of the Nag el-Hamdulab panels. The signs that reveal a definite orientation (the first and last of the signs) face toward the left, in a somewhat irregular grouping, apparently conceived as three vertical divisions. A plausible transliteration and translation of the text is:


Transliteration / Translation
ßms<-H≥r> nh≥b B| Nautical Following <of Horus>; taxation of Panther-Skin-Town <<<<For this we will need some sort of transliteration—what will be the best way to do that?>>>


The probable specific reference to the “Following of Horus” suits the depiction of a nautical peregrination of the royal court that appears in the accompanying scene. Palaeographically the signs are consistent with a First Dynasty date, perhaps as early as late Dynasty 0, which would make Narmer a possible candidate for being the king represented in the Nag el-Hamdulab cycle.
Digital Restoration
The main scene (Location 7, Panel A) has recently suffered from vandalism and the tools used to chisel out most of the drawings were found by AKAP during the first reconnaissance at the site. By using the Habachi photographic archive, generosity put at AKAP disposal by the Epigraphic Survey of the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago, and by employing digital technologies, the scene is in the process of being virtually restored. The restauration of the portion with the king, the dog, and the standards/fan bearers, is the one currently completed.
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LOCATION 7 - PANEL B




Starting from the right end of Panel A, the rock surface slopes backwards and exhibits too many irregularities for decoration. After this comes another flat surface, bearing the second large panel, which consists of six animals, to which an Eighteenth Dynasty text was added afterwards. Beginning in the lower left corner are two ostriches close to each other with a large ibex above them; to the right of the ostriches is a large bull, next to which are two enigmatic animals, one above the other. The two peculiar animals to the right have bodies that look rather like those of dogs or lions, but their “heads” bear no comparison to that of any known animal. The images appear to depict a non-existent, “mythological” animal, a well-known aspect of late Predynastic iconography. Already the mere presence of these animals indicates that symbolism plays an important role for interpreting the panel. Also, the orientation is of primary importance. The animals face to the right, into the gulch, except for the bull, which is the only animal in the group that faces in the same direction as the king in the other panel. As the bull is a royal symbol, this allows one to consider the animal as a parallel for the king in Panel A, and as “dominating” the animals around it. As desert animals, the ibex and ostriches are chaotic elements as confirmed by the two mythological animals that represent even more explicit aspects of chaos. Furthermore, these occur at the end of the gulch, which as the most remote/hidden location also refers to chaos. The ultimate meaning of the panel is the royal, human assurance of control, the triumph of order over chaos on a cosmic level, referring eventually also to regeneration.
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LOCATION 7 - PANEL C




A large giraffe is located on the rock face to the far left of the gulch, slightly isolated from Panels D and A, which are at its right side in that order. The giraffe is entirely pecked, a technique also used for most of the elements of Panel A. The giraffe has an elongated, horizontally oriented body with a neck at an angle of nearly 90°. The ears and horns (ossicones) are indicated as four vertical strokes on the very small head. A rendering of both ears and horns is rare for Predynastic rock art scenes but occurs regularly for late Predynastic to Early Dynastic representations of giraffes. Stylistically, the giraffe appears to belong with the rest of the panels of Location 7.
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LOCATION 7 - PANEL D




Panel D is located to the right of Panel C and to the left of Panel A, but at a lower level, in a section where the rock forms a kind of natural shelter, or abri. The panel consists of two parts, without direct interrelationships. On the left side is a boat, much smaller than those in Panel A but also of the “sickle shaped” type, although far less curved. The hull is only drawn in pecked contour line, unlike the boats of Panel A. The vessel has two cabins with poles projecting slightly above their roofs, and rows of rectangles continuing in the cabins but not between them, recalling the boats in Panel A. Above the boat is a long row of small vertical lines, probably counting strokes. Counting from the left 41 strokes are recognizable, the 24th stroke superimposed by a much longer stroke. To the right of these 41 strokes the row continues, although the rest are heavily eroded, the traces appear to represent approximately 15 additional strokes. As the strokes are in direct connection with the boat below it, they should refer to counting of boats. At present, and presumably also in the past, the Nile is visible from the top of the rock above this site.
At some distance to the right of the boat are the fully pecked representations of two human figures, facing to the right, with objects in their hands. Although the figures have suffered only light damage from more recent vandalism, they are heavily eroded. They appear to be male, although neither wears a penis sheath, and the presence of beards is uncertain. In front of itself each figure holds a vertically oriented object, slightly bent at the top, perhaps representing a throw-stick. The style and positions of these two men are like those of the two offering bearers in Panel A.
To the right of the two figures is a heavily damaged hunting scene, for which no archival photos are available. Nevertheless, one may reconstruct the lay-out of the scene in its totality. The figures face to the right, away from the boat with the counting strokes. Beginning from the right is a quadruped with two long, curved horns, the animal’s long neck supporting an identification as a gazelle. Behind the gazelle, a dog jumps from below to bite at its prey’s hind legs. To the left of the gazelle and the dog, at the level of the gazelle, is a hunter with his arms outstretched and upper arms raised. He holds a bow in one hand—towards the gazelle—and a bundle of arrows in the other. Although his legs have been chiseled away, his (bearded?) chin confirms that he also faces right, towards the gazelle. Most probably, he does not wear a penis sheath. A few parallels for the hunter appear in Predynastic images, and this manner of depicting hunters continues into the Old Kingdom. The drawing of the man is fully pecked, while the two animals are only indicated in pecked outline.
Although no direct relationship is apparent between the three scenes within this panel, the panel, with all its constituent elements, appears stylistically to be contemporaneous with Panel A. The main arguments for this are the drawing of the boat, the style of the two figures holding sticks, and the fact that all the human representations are fully pecked. Because the gazelle does not have triangular hips, but rather fluid, slightly undulating lines, a hand other than that of Panel B may be responsible for Panel D.
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LOCATION 7




Location 7 is at the south end of the Nag el-Hamdulab sandy bay, in a narrow natural niche in the rock face, leading from the wadi to the desert plateau. The floor of the niche is elevated above the floor of the bay and partially, though not fully, hidden from the clear view of a visitor standing on the lower surface. The rock face itself is partially covered by a sand dune. Part of the decoration is visible with some difficulty from below and is not really in a “hidden” position. The latter is, however, certainly so for the larger tableau, Panel A, which can only be seen from inside the niche.
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LOCATION 9





This unique scene, partially damaged by an ongoing deterioration of the rock surface, is composed of two clusters of drawings. The largest to the right comprises a group of three giraffes, an elephant, and a bovid, surrounded by several male figures all represented attached to or holding a bow. Many counting strokes, of as yet uncertain significance, are positioned to the right and left of the cluster. Prominently visible at the left end of the scene is an ithyphallic male figure in the act of shooting an arrow. Four animals, three of which are possibly leopards, surround the hunter. Surprisingly, those animals are part of the hunting party, rather than being its prey. One of the leopards seems to be attacking the nearest of a group of three men, each associated with a bow, apparently making those three men the objects of the hunt. To the left of the hunter appears one of those mythological animals already encountered elsewhere at the site; it stands in isolation separated from the main scene by a crack in the rock. The domination of the mighty hunter over men and wild beasts appears to be the focal point of the depiction, which symbolizes the control of order over chaos. The mythological creature behind the hunter might be overseeing the act. The leopards as part of the hunting party may relate to the apparent toponym, involving the sign of the leopard's head, in the early hieroglyphic inscription accompanying the main panel at the site. The completion of the ongoing study will provide further clues on the meaning.
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The Aswan - Kom Ombo Archaeological Project


Archaeology, Heritage Management and the Local Communities



The Aswan-Kom Ombo Archaeological Project (AKAP) is a joint venture between the University of Bologna and Yale University, directed by Maria Carmela Gatto and Antonio Curci. Since 2005, AKAP has been working in selected areas in the region between Aswan and Kom Ombo, with the aim to reconstruct the deep history of the Nile First Cataract region. The region has served as a natural and cultural, though not always political, border between ancient Egypt and Nubia throughout much of their history. AKAP has already discovered a great number of archaeological sites, which range from isolated finds to cemeteries, villages, temples, and monasteries. They cover a time period that goes as far back as the Early Palaeolithic period.
Rock art sites are some of the most intriguing. Isolated or large clusters of rock drawings mostly representing animals, humans and boats, usually mark the landscape at specific natural of human-made spots, such as desert routes, rocky outcrops along the river, or quarry areas. The majority are dated to the Predynastic/Early Dynastic period (fourth to early-third millennia BCE), which in Egyptian history corresponded to the time of state formation. Unique among them is the site of Nag el-Hamdulab.
The significant increase in construction, land reclamation, and mining activities, along the Nile and in the desert hinterland, is threatening most of the archaeological sites, creating an urgent need for documenting as many as possible before complete destruction. For years AKAP has been using ground-breaking 2D and 3D digital technologies not only to enhance and improve site recording but also to provide exceptional new opportunities to experience the beauty of these places from afar through a Digital Interactive Book (DIB).
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The Rock Art site of Nag el-Hamdulab


Introduction



The rock art site of Nag el-Hamdulab (labelled NH1) is situated on the west bank of the Nile, about 6 km north of Aswan, in a sandy bay that opens to the Nile Valley west of the homonymous village. The bay is at all other sides surrounded by rocky cliffs. Two small saddles to the north and the west of the semi-closed basin give way to the large valley of Wadi el-Faras, while a third small saddle connects the basin with the area to the south.
A series of important rock art scenes, arranged in eight discreet groups of images and ranging in size from a few small figures to large and complex tableaux, represent an extended festival scene dating from the cusp of Dynasty 0 and the First Dynasty (c.3100 BCE). An early hieroglyphic annotation accompanies the main panel (Location 7, Panel A) of the ensemble, and supports, along with the iconography, a possible date during the reign of Narmer. The four signs making up the early text appear to describe a ritual, apparently the “Following of Horus,” that involved both the confirmation of royal ritual power and the physical taxation and incorporation of what at the time would have been a still somewhat loosely defined border area between pharaonic Egypt and A-Group Nubia. In the Nag el-Hamdulab cycle, the king appears prominently for the first time as both overseer and object of a celebration incorporating ritual, administrative, and fiscal elements. The entire assemblage forms the largest iconographic cycle surviving from the Protodynastic Period. Besides the Dynasty 0/First Dynasty cycle, a few other rock art scenes have been found at Nag el-Hamdulab, some likely dated to the Early Dynastic/Old Kingdom, while others seem to be modern creations (the latter were found in a shelter labelled Locality 8, which for now is not included in this Digital Interactive Book). During the New Kingdom, an inscription was centrally positioned within the early drawings of Locality 7, Panel B.
From the tops of the inscribed hills modern visitors, like the ancient participants in the activities depicted, have spectacular views of the Nile, the cultivated land, and the surrounding deserts.
The first record of the Nag el-Hamdulab rock art site, pertaining only its main tableau (current Location 7, Panel A), dates already to the end of the 19th century. The site was then visited again sometime between 1962 and 1969 by the Egyptologist Labib Habachi, who discovered the other clusters of scenes, took a detailed photographic documentation (currently part of the Labib Habachi Archive preserved at Chicago House in Luxor), but never published the finding. About a decade ago, the late Nabil Swelim noticed a scene with a king wearing the White Crown (Location 7 Panel A) in the Habachi’s photographic archive and enquired to colleagues for more information on the possible location of the unknown drawing. In the same years, the rock art locales within NH1 were relocated by two archaeological projects working in the area: the QuarryScapes Project and the Aswan-Kom Ombo Archaeological Project-AKAP. It is only with this rediscovery that the full scope and significance of the Nag el-Hamdulab cycle became apparent. AKAP has taken charge of the systematic investigation and final publication of the site, which are still ongoing. In 2019, a previously unknown large panel representing a unique hunting scene was discovered by looters and it is currently under study. Field work is still ongoing at NH1 and more drawings could be found.
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Tutorial and Keys
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Men at work


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The site (dyqx8b23een9823xume'0è
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LOCATION 1 - PANEL A




Panel A is dominated by a boat of the so-called “sickle shaped” type with “clubbed” ends. In front of the boat there is a possible representation of a prostrate, feather-wearing man, maybe a prisoner or allied. He may represent inhabitants of the desert, often associated with the ostrich feather. This would also explain why Panel A of Location 1 faces the Wadi el-Faras, and why the prostrate figure faces the desert. The imagery of Location 1 would confirm the submission of desert dwellers to anyone entering the Nag el-Hamdulab area from the north.
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LOCATION 1 - PANEL B




Panel B depicts prisoners following a boat of the same shape as that from Panel A. It acquires greater significance in the light of the nearby Location 2, toward which Panel B of Location 1 is oriented. Locations 1 and 2 would reveal to the traveller entering the Nag el-Hamdulab area from the north that violence would be used against those who would stand up against the power of the Egyptian state. The concept of power is displayed not through human representations but through the imagery of boats, which are the main elements of the nautical procession that is essential for the interpretation of the Nag el-Hamdulab scenes. This principle appears already during the Naqada I Period and pervades most panels of the Nag el-Hamdulab cycle.
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LOCATION 1



Location 1 is a protruding rock at the intersection of the Wadi el-Faras and the sandy bay of Nag el-Hamdulab. The rock is a highly visible orientation point in the landscape, marking the northern “entrance” between two hillocks into the Nag el-Hamdulab bay and the beginning of the rock art scenes. The site consists of two panels, the first oriented towards the Wadi el-Faras, the second towards Nag el-Hamdulab.
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LOCATION 2 - PANEL A




The scene consists of two boats, one roughly above the other. Both boats have many oars and an oarsman on the stern, in contrast to most of the other Nag el-Hamdulab boats, indications already of the importance of the scene. The lower boat is of the regular “sickle shaped” type but has as a remarkable element, a bull standard, on its prow. The upper boat has a remarkably high prow and stern, both of which are very narrow, and a single, extremely low, cabin on which stands a king wearing the White Crown. In front of the ruler is a standard with Wepwwet, the “Opener of the Ways,” an early canid god related to warfare and hunting. This second type of boat occurs only once more at Nag el-Hamdulab, where it carries a shrine, indicating that a divine boat is intended. The Nag el-Hamdulab cycle introduces the king as a religious concept rather than as a representation of actual military or political power.
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LOCATION 2 - PANEL B




On the rock face immediately above Panel A is an isolated boat, facing to the left. A crack in the rock served as “base line” and defined the position of the boat, which is of the usual “sickle shape” type with two cabins, roughly equal in size, and with poles extending above the roofs. On top of the prow was most probably the curved double branch, now somewhat difficult to recognize because of a crack in the rock. Contrary to most other representations of boats at Nag el-Hamdulab, no rope hangs from the prow. On the upper contour of the hull are short vertical strokes, continuing in the cabins but not in the space between them. The area around the boat is sufficiently well preserved to ascertain that no other elements occurred in association with the boat.
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LOCATION 2 - PANEL C




The second of the two main panels at Location 2 shows bowmen and prisoners next to a boat in which a figure (holding a staff) stands on top of each of its two cabins. Between the two bowmen behind the boat is a smaller person with one arm bent behind the back and the other upturned before the chest, parallel in appearance to the depiction of a prisoner on the recto of the Battlefield Palette, from whose neck hangs a type of weight. In front of the boat is a single person standing behind a large bow. A close parallel occurs on a fragmentary knife handle from cemetery U at Abydos, the bow being an element of power regularly appearing without human presence.
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LOCATION 2 - PANEL D




A boat, also facing to the left, is present on the northern panel, its stern is heavily eroded by Aeolian abrasion. This boat also has two cabins roughly equal in size, with poles extending above the roofs. On the upper contour line of the hull are vertical strokes, continuing into the cabins but not between them. On the prow is the usual curved double branch, followed by two straight elements. A short rope hangs down from the prow. Despite the effects of erosion, no other elements appear to have been present.
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LOCATION 2 - PANEL E




The panel, located between panels B and C, shows an isolated male person with long hair and a staff. The style is different from the other human representations at Nag el-Hamdulab, this being the only human figure drawn in contour lines only. Although this might indicate that the figure is a later addition to the scene, it has the same patina as that of the nearby panels, and the contour lines are pecked as is always the case at Nag el-Hamdulab. One hand of the figure rests atop a staff, the other arm bent behind the back, similar to the pose of the apparent ruler figure on the boat in nearby Panel A. This is the only human figure in the Nag el-Hamdulab cycle depicted with certainty as wearing a loincloth. The absence of the penis sheath for this figure also points to a date posterior to the Late Predynastic – Early Dynastic period, after which penis sheaths disappear almost entirely from the iconographic record. Due to its manner of execution, particularly apparent in the appearance of the legs, this figure might be a slightly later addition. Because of the long hair, perhaps representing a wig, and the staff, the person depicted must be of considerable importance.
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LOCATION 2




Location 2 is at the northern portion of the central cliffs of the Nag el-Hamdulab bay. Panel A is on a stone slab positioned on the upper part of the slope below the cliff wall were all the other panels are positioned. At this location, the military theme is integrated into a socio-religious context.
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LOCATION 3 - PANEL A




A careful study of the Habachi photograph reveals what appear to be two registers of human figures, one above the other. The upper register seems to start in the right corner with two persons facing to the left, of which only the feet are clearly visible. In front of the first person, and facing toward that figure, is a male figure holding a pole or similar object with both hands. His penis sheath and beard are clearly visible and the attitude by which he carries the long object he holds is identical to that of the fan bearer at Location 7, Panel A. Another, more important person, perhaps a ruler, may therefore have been present still farther to the left, in an area not visible in the photo because the rock surface curves slightly backwards. Space would appear to have allowed for such an additional figure in the panel. The rest of the scene is vaguely visible and cannot be reconstructed with confidence.
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LOCATION 3 - PANEL B




The only preserved panel of Location 3 shows a man leading a (wild?) bull and calf. Behind this is the image of a large knife, indicating that the group concerns sacrificial animals—the ceremony central to the Nag el-Hamdulab cycle is now placed in the context of meat offering, probably of wild animals.
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LOCATION 3 - PANEL C




This panel, positioned on a bolder the exact location of which is lost, is the most important one of those recorded by Habachi. A sickle shaped boat in the style of those in Locations 2 and 3, with a markedly high and upturned prow, was a major element of the panel. On the prow is first a double curved branch, followed by a single straight one and finally a standard—facing towards the prow—of a quadruped with a long tail and a remarkable, long, backward curving object on his head, perhaps indicating a desert animal with a backward curving horn such as an oryx, if the object is not a feather. The boat has two cabins and vertical strokes on the top of the contour, continuing into the cabins but interrupted between them. On the first cabin is a standing, bearded man without penis sheath, one leg apparently outstretched in front as if walking. The figure holds a stick in one hand while his other arm is curved with the hand in front of his chest. Behind the stern cabin seems to be another person, this time sitting. Whether this is a member of the vessel’s crew, or a prisoner, is not clear.
Above the boat is a Wepwawet standard bearer. The standard does not have the high upturned front part seen on the two other examples from Location 2, Panel A and Location 7, Panel A. The standard bearer is followed by a fan bearer, holding his fan over his shoulder, the fan orientated towards the depiction of a ruler following him. Both the Wepwawet standard bearer and the fan bearer are bearded but do not wear penis sheaths. The ruler wears the White Crown and has a relatively long beard compared to the other human figures in the panel. He holds in his hand a long staff that could be a heqa sceptre, but the upper end is shown rather as a knob than a crook. His other hand is bent before the chest and his general attitude is most similar to that of the ruler from Location 7, Panel A. Behind the king is a row of eight persons, not all of equal size, the sixth and eighth figures holding some sort of staff. The seventh figure holds an object that resembles the bow in Location 3, Panel A.
Behind the boat, and below followers 5-7 of the upper row, are three more persons. The first seems to have the arms bound behind the back and certainly has a penis sheath and most probably also a beard. The second also has a beard and one arm in front of him, the other seems to hang behind the back. He seems to hold the prisoner before him by the arms, as well as wielding a mace. The last person has the right arm bent before the body. Whether he is bearded is unclear, but he has in his hand a horseshoe shaped object, the opening of which is turned towards the shoulder of the person in front of him. The uncertain object resembles the hieroglyph t which also occurs on the Narmer palette and mace head as identification of the most important person among Narmer’s retinue, generally accepted to be the sm-priest. This could also be the case for the scene under discussion, although the characteristic elements of the sm-priest on the Narmer monuments, such as the leopard skin, the scutiform attachments to his dress, and the long hair, are lacking.
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LOCATION 3




Location 3 occupies an “L-shaped” portion of cliff wall and a bolder nearby and it is now partially destroyed. Unfortunately, the destruction (probably due to quarrying activities) involved the most important panels of this group (A and C), which are now only (incompletely) known through the archival photographs of Labib Habachi. In both scenes, the king appeared in a ceremonial procession with his retinue, including some prisoners. A boat appears in one of the panels, forming a link to the other sites. But despite this symbolic element, the king now clearly appears as an actual ruler, the religious context being of but secondary importance.
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LOCATION 4




The position and aspect of this now destroyed location is unknown. The archival photographs of Labib Habachi do not provide sufficient details of the immediate environs to allow for assigning to the group a more definite position.




LOCATION 4 - PANEL A




Panel A is a small but important addition in which the actual feast on occasion of the festival is referenced through the representation of brewing, and a person sitting and drinking. Next to this, and on a larger scale, is a person apparently identified as a Nubian by a particular type of bow depicted in front of him. Nubia was known as the “Land of the Bow,” the frontier of which was at the First Cataract, immediately south of Nag el-Hamdulab. The southernmost province of Ancient Egypt, including the stretch of Nile Valley reaching northwards from the First Cataract for about 100 km, also was known with that name. Recent research by AKAP has revealed how Predynastic communities living in the cataract region showed a mixed identity, combining elements of Egyptian and Nubian tradition. The presence of an apparent Nubian at Hamdulab, thus, is not surprising. The person may represent a chieftain or military commander of the local denizens of the cataract region, or another area immediately to the south thereof.
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LOCATION 5 - PANEL A




The panel consists of a bull’s head and a female dancer, the latter identified by the long hair braid ending in an oval shape that represents one of the rounded weights (discs or balls?) attached to the braided hair of female dancers during the Old Kingdom. The combination of a bull’s head and a female dancer suggests the combination of hunting, butchering, music, and dance known from the early Old Kingdom onwards through the Ladies of the Acacia House. This ritual context combines well with the reference to the actual feast at Location 4.
To the upper left corner of Panel A there are two stylized figures, another one is placed between the bull head and the dancer, one more is in relative distance to the right of the panel. All drawings are incised and may be slightly younger than the Hamdulab cycle, here represented by the bull head and the dancer.



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LOCATION 5




Location 5 corresponds to a wall at the left of the entrance of a rock shelter present at the central cliff of Nag el-Hamdulab. The small panel is heavily damaged by more recent drawings and inscriptions which are, however, not part of the recent vandalism.
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LOCATION 6 - PANEL A




Two possible interpretations of the scene present themselves, and the proper understanding of the group hinges on the wild or domesticated nature of the animals represented. The theme of catching wild animals and keeping them under human control is most important for Predynastic times. Although archaeozoological studies show that hunting was only of marginal economic importance during Predynastic times, hunting scenes are nevertheless an important element of Predynastic iconography. Hunting was part of the elite lifestyle and slaughtering wild animals on the occasion of religious festivals or elite burials allowed the upper echelons of society to show their importance in real life, confirmed through visual representations which contributed to the establishment of hierarchic structures and ultimately state formation. Alternatively, the animals may represent the wealth of local, probably Nubian, cattle-herding groups, perhaps the economic basis for the power of the subjugated and/or allied Nubian ruler appearing in a scene at Location 4. In support of the latter hypothesis, several dots pecked on the cattle’s bodies could be intended to represent the patched colored coat typical of domesticated animals. If so, the dog atop the back of the uppermost bovid is not attacking, but rather symbolically dominating, the beast.
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LOCATION 6




The panel is located on an isolated hill at the southern end of the Nag el-Hamdulab sandy bay, relatively close to the alluvial plain, and comprises only one panel, consisting of three registers showing cattle controlled by humans and dogs.
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LOCATION 7 - PANEL A




Panel A in Location 7 is probably the largest of the panels at Nag el-Hamdulab, and in many ways the focal scene of all. Five boats dominate the panel, all with high prows, four with almost identical prow decoration and bearing twin cabins and standards, one with a single cabin and neither standard nor prow decoration, aside from an upper hook. The boats cluster into two groups, two vessels with twin cabins to the upper right, two of the same with the fifth, less decorated vessel to the lower left. With the three vessels in the lower left appear three groups of human figures, with an accompanying dog; the vessels to the upper left have no human entourage, but the large image of a giraffe hovers a short distance above the forward (left) vessel, and a rare hieroglyphic inscription appears between the two vessels.
Above the lead boat in the lower pair of ritual vessels is a remarkable image of the early ruler and his entourage. The king wears a pointed version of the White Crown, oriented vertically, not in the tipped back manner in which it appears on the colossal mace heads of Scorpion and Narmer at Hierakonpolis. The ruler holds in one hand a tall staff with curved top, in the other a sceptre similar in shape to that of the early heqa-scepter from Tomb U-j at Abydos. Before the king march two standard bearers, the first holding the standard of the possible royal placenta, the second that of Wepwawet with the shedshed curving up in front of the canid, a pair appearing as the standards preceding the king on the Scorpion mace head, and together with falcon standards on the mace head and palette of Narmer. The dog that walks between and just below the standard bearers and the ruler is a late survival of the canid as image of human order of Predynastic date. A single fan-bearer follows the king, and behind all, above the second of the two ritual vessels, are two probable tribute bearers. The vessel beneath the ruler is rich in royal imagery, with a falcon standard at the bottom of the protruding elements on the prow, two colossal maces atop the cabins, and two bovid-horned standards. In front of the vessel below the king and the royal entourage is a line of four men, holding a rope that is not attached to the vessel. Two offering bearers are on top of the third lower vessel.
Inscription
In the upper right portion of Panel A is a four-sign hieroglyphic inscription, executed in the same style of pecking and comparable patination as the other elements of the Nag el-Hamdulab panels. The signs that reveal a definite orientation (the first and last of the signs) face toward the left, in a somewhat irregular grouping, apparently conceived as three vertical divisions. A plausible transliteration and translation of the text is:


Transliteration / Translation
ßms<-H≥r> nh≥b B| Nautical Following <of Horus>; taxation of Panther-Skin-Town <<<<For this we will need some sort of transliteration—what will be the best way to do that?>>>


The probable specific reference to the “Following of Horus” suits the depiction of a nautical peregrination of the royal court that appears in the accompanying scene. Palaeographically the signs are consistent with a First Dynasty date, perhaps as early as late Dynasty 0, which would make Narmer a possible candidate for being the king represented in the Nag el-Hamdulab cycle.
Digital Restoration
The main scene (Location 7, Panel A) has recently suffered from vandalism and the tools used to chisel out most of the drawings were found by AKAP during the first reconnaissance at the site. By using the Habachi photographic archive, generosity put at AKAP disposal by the Epigraphic Survey of the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago, and by employing digital technologies, the scene is in the process of being virtually restored. The restauration of the portion with the king, the dog, and the standards/fan bearers, is the one currently completed.
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LOCATION 7 - PANEL B




Starting from the right end of Panel A, the rock surface slopes backwards and exhibits too many irregularities for decoration. After this comes another flat surface, bearing the second large panel, which consists of six animals, to which an Eighteenth Dynasty text was added afterwards. Beginning in the lower left corner are two ostriches close to each other with a large ibex above them; to the right of the ostriches is a large bull, next to which are two enigmatic animals, one above the other. The two peculiar animals to the right have bodies that look rather like those of dogs or lions, but their “heads” bear no comparison to that of any known animal. The images appear to depict a non-existent, “mythological” animal, a well-known aspect of late Predynastic iconography. Already the mere presence of these animals indicates that symbolism plays an important role for interpreting the panel. Also, the orientation is of primary importance. The animals face to the right, into the gulch, except for the bull, which is the only animal in the group that faces in the same direction as the king in the other panel. As the bull is a royal symbol, this allows one to consider the animal as a parallel for the king in Panel A, and as “dominating” the animals around it. As desert animals, the ibex and ostriches are chaotic elements as confirmed by the two mythological animals that represent even more explicit aspects of chaos. Furthermore, these occur at the end of the gulch, which as the most remote/hidden location also refers to chaos. The ultimate meaning of the panel is the royal, human assurance of control, the triumph of order over chaos on a cosmic level, referring eventually also to regeneration.
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LOCATION 7 - PANEL C




A large giraffe is located on the rock face to the far left of the gulch, slightly isolated from Panels D and A, which are at its right side in that order. The giraffe is entirely pecked, a technique also used for most of the elements of Panel A. The giraffe has an elongated, horizontally oriented body with a neck at an angle of nearly 90°. The ears and horns (ossicones) are indicated as four vertical strokes on the very small head. A rendering of both ears and horns is rare for Predynastic rock art scenes but occurs regularly for late Predynastic to Early Dynastic representations of giraffes. Stylistically, the giraffe appears to belong with the rest of the panels of Location 7.
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LOCATION 7 - PANEL D




Panel D is located to the right of Panel C and to the left of Panel A, but at a lower level, in a section where the rock forms a kind of natural shelter, or abri. The panel consists of two parts, without direct interrelationships. On the left side is a boat, much smaller than those in Panel A but also of the “sickle shaped” type, although far less curved. The hull is only drawn in pecked contour line, unlike the boats of Panel A. The vessel has two cabins with poles projecting slightly above their roofs, and rows of rectangles continuing in the cabins but not between them, recalling the boats in Panel A. Above the boat is a long row of small vertical lines, probably counting strokes. Counting from the left 41 strokes are recognizable, the 24th stroke superimposed by a much longer stroke. To the right of these 41 strokes the row continues, although the rest are heavily eroded, the traces appear to represent approximately 15 additional strokes. As the strokes are in direct connection with the boat below it, they should refer to counting of boats. At present, and presumably also in the past, the Nile is visible from the top of the rock above this site.
At some distance to the right of the boat are the fully pecked representations of two human figures, facing to the right, with objects in their hands. Although the figures have suffered only light damage from more recent vandalism, they are heavily eroded. They appear to be male, although neither wears a penis sheath, and the presence of beards is uncertain. In front of itself each figure holds a vertically oriented object, slightly bent at the top, perhaps representing a throw-stick. The style and positions of these two men are like those of the two offering bearers in Panel A.
To the right of the two figures is a heavily damaged hunting scene, for which no archival photos are available. Nevertheless, one may reconstruct the lay-out of the scene in its totality. The figures face to the right, away from the boat with the counting strokes. Beginning from the right is a quadruped with two long, curved horns, the animal’s long neck supporting an identification as a gazelle. Behind the gazelle, a dog jumps from below to bite at its prey’s hind legs. To the left of the gazelle and the dog, at the level of the gazelle, is a hunter with his arms outstretched and upper arms raised. He holds a bow in one hand—towards the gazelle—and a bundle of arrows in the other. Although his legs have been chiseled away, his (bearded?) chin confirms that he also faces right, towards the gazelle. Most probably, he does not wear a penis sheath. A few parallels for the hunter appear in Predynastic images, and this manner of depicting hunters continues into the Old Kingdom. The drawing of the man is fully pecked, while the two animals are only indicated in pecked outline.
Although no direct relationship is apparent between the three scenes within this panel, the panel, with all its constituent elements, appears stylistically to be contemporaneous with Panel A. The main arguments for this are the drawing of the boat, the style of the two figures holding sticks, and the fact that all the human representations are fully pecked. Because the gazelle does not have triangular hips, but rather fluid, slightly undulating lines, a hand other than that of Panel B may be responsible for Panel D.
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LOCATION 7




Location 7 is at the south end of the Nag el-Hamdulab sandy bay, in a narrow natural niche in the rock face, leading from the wadi to the desert plateau. The floor of the niche is elevated above the floor of the bay and partially, though not fully, hidden from the clear view of a visitor standing on the lower surface. The rock face itself is partially covered by a sand dune. Part of the decoration is visible with some difficulty from below and is not really in a “hidden” position. The latter is, however, certainly so for the larger tableau, Panel A, which can only be seen from inside the niche.
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LOCATION 9





This unique scene, partially damaged by an ongoing deterioration of the rock surface, is composed of two clusters of drawings. The largest to the right comprises a group of three giraffes, an elephant, and a bovid, surrounded by several male figures all represented attached to or holding a bow. Many counting strokes, of as yet uncertain significance, are positioned to the right and left of the cluster. Prominently visible at the left end of the scene is an ithyphallic male figure in the act of shooting an arrow. Four animals, three of which are possibly leopards, surround the hunter. Surprisingly, those animals are part of the hunting party, rather than being its prey. One of the leopards seems to be attacking the nearest of a group of three men, each associated with a bow, apparently making those three men the objects of the hunt. To the left of the hunter appears one of those mythological animals already encountered elsewhere at the site; it stands in isolation separated from the main scene by a crack in the rock. The domination of the mighty hunter over men and wild beasts appears to be the focal point of the depiction, which symbolizes the control of order over chaos. The mythological creature behind the hunter might be overseeing the act. The leopards as part of the hunting party may relate to the apparent toponym, involving the sign of the leopard's head, in the early hieroglyphic inscription accompanying the main panel at the site. The completion of the ongoing study will provide further clues on the meaning.
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The Aswan - Kom Ombo Archaeological Project


Archaeology, Heritage Management and the Local Communities



The Aswan-Kom Ombo Archaeological Project (AKAP) is a joint venture between the University of Bologna and Yale University, directed by Maria Carmela Gatto and Antonio Curci. Since 2005, AKAP has been working in selected areas in the region between Aswan and Kom Ombo, with the aim to reconstruct the deep history of the Nile First Cataract region. The region has served as a natural and cultural, though not always political, border between ancient Egypt and Nubia throughout much of their history. AKAP has already discovered a great number of archaeological sites, which range from isolated finds to cemeteries, villages, temples, and monasteries. They cover a time period that goes as far back as the Early Palaeolithic period.
Rock art sites are some of the most intriguing. Isolated or large clusters of rock drawings mostly representing animals, humans and boats, usually mark the landscape at specific natural of human-made spots, such as desert routes, rocky outcrops along the river, or quarry areas. The majority are dated to the Predynastic/Early Dynastic period (fourth to early-third millennia BCE), which in Egyptian history corresponded to the time of state formation. Unique among them is the site of Nag el-Hamdulab.
The significant increase in construction, land reclamation, and mining activities, along the Nile and in the desert hinterland, is threatening most of the archaeological sites, creating an urgent need for documenting as many as possible before complete destruction. For years AKAP has been using ground-breaking 2D and 3D digital technologies not only to enhance and improve site recording but also to provide exceptional new opportunities to experience the beauty of these places from afar through a Digital Interactive Book (DIB).
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The Rock Art site of Nag el-Hamdulab


Introduction



The rock art site of Nag el-Hamdulab (labelled NH1) is situated on the west bank of the Nile, about 6 km north of Aswan, in a sandy bay that opens to the Nile Valley west of the homonymous village. The bay is at all other sides surrounded by rocky cliffs. Two small saddles to the north and the west of the semi-closed basin give way to the large valley of Wadi el-Faras, while a third small saddle connects the basin with the area to the south.
A series of important rock art scenes, arranged in eight discreet groups of images and ranging in size from a few small figures to large and complex tableaux, represent an extended festival scene dating from the cusp of Dynasty 0 and the First Dynasty (c.3100 BCE). An early hieroglyphic annotation accompanies the main panel (Location 7, Panel A) of the ensemble, and supports, along with the iconography, a possible date during the reign of Narmer. The four signs making up the early text appear to describe a ritual, apparently the “Following of Horus,” that involved both the confirmation of royal ritual power and the physical taxation and incorporation of what at the time would have been a still somewhat loosely defined border area between pharaonic Egypt and A-Group Nubia. In the Nag el-Hamdulab cycle, the king appears prominently for the first time as both overseer and object of a celebration incorporating ritual, administrative, and fiscal elements. The entire assemblage forms the largest iconographic cycle surviving from the Protodynastic Period. Besides the Dynasty 0/First Dynasty cycle, a few other rock art scenes have been found at Nag el-Hamdulab, some likely dated to the Early Dynastic/Old Kingdom, while others seem to be modern creations (the latter were found in a shelter labelled Locality 8, which for now is not included in this Digital Interactive Book). During the New Kingdom, an inscription was centrally positioned within the early drawings of Locality 7, Panel B.
From the tops of the inscribed hills modern visitors, like the ancient participants in the activities depicted, have spectacular views of the Nile, the cultivated land, and the surrounding deserts.
The first record of the Nag el-Hamdulab rock art site, pertaining only its main tableau (current Location 7, Panel A), dates already to the end of the 19th century. The site was then visited again sometime between 1962 and 1969 by the Egyptologist Labib Habachi, who discovered the other clusters of scenes, took a detailed photographic documentation (currently part of the Labib Habachi Archive preserved at Chicago House in Luxor), but never published the finding. About a decade ago, the late Nabil Swelim noticed a scene with a king wearing the White Crown (Location 7 Panel A) in the Habachi’s photographic archive and enquired to colleagues for more information on the possible location of the unknown drawing. In the same years, the rock art locales within NH1 were relocated by two archaeological projects working in the area: the QuarryScapes Project and the Aswan-Kom Ombo Archaeological Project-AKAP. It is only with this rediscovery that the full scope and significance of the Nag el-Hamdulab cycle became apparent. AKAP has taken charge of the systematic investigation and final publication of the site, which are still ongoing. In 2019, a previously unknown large panel representing a unique hunting scene was discovered by looters and it is currently under study. Field work is still ongoing at NH1 and more drawings could be found.
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Tutorial and Keys
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Men at work


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The site (dyqx8b23een9823xume'0è
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LOCATION 3 - PANEL D




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LOCATION 3 - PANEL D




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Credits



PROJECT DIRECTORS
Maria Carmela Gatto, Antonio Curci



CREATION OF THE DIGITAL INTERACTIVE BOOK
Alberto Urcia, Alessia Brucato



ICONOGRAPHIC AND PALAEOGRAPHIC STUDY
Stan Hendrickx, John C. Darnell



ARCHAEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION
Maria Carmela Gatto



ROCK ART RECORDING
John C. Darnell, Stan Hendrickx, Lauren Lippiello, Stefano Caruso, Hannah Joris, Merel Eykerman



DIGITAL DOCUMENTATION
Alberto Urcia, Antonio Curci, Alessia Brucato



PHOTOGRAPHIC DOCUMENTATION
Daniel Libens, Alberto Urcia



TEXTS TRANSLATION
Arabic: Fatma Keshk, Ashraquet Bastawrous



FUNDING
The William K. and Marilyn M. Simpson Egyptology Endowment at Yale University
Research Foundation - Flanders
University of Bologna
Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs



ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities
Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago - Labib Habachi Archive at the Chicago House in Luxor



ICONS ATTRIBUTION FROM THE NOUN PROJECT
Ben Davis, Adrien Coquet, Faris Ma'ruf, Martin Chapman, vigorn, Valeriy, Rainbow Designs



Contacts and info
info@akapegypt.org
www.akapegypt.org
HTMLText_3D914801_1F04_BE26_41BE_9454D2E6FEF4.html =


Credits



PROJECT DIRECTORS
Maria Carmela Gatto, Antonio Curci



CREATION OF THE DIGITAL INTERACTIVE BOOK
Alberto Urcia, Alessia Brucato



ICONOGRAPHIC AND PALAEOGRAPHIC STUDY
Stan Hendrickx, John C. Darnell



ARCHAEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION
Maria Carmela Gatto



ROCK ART RECORDING
John C. Darnell, Stan Hendrickx, Lauren Lippiello, Stefano Caruso, Hannah Joris, Merel Eykerman



DIGITAL DOCUMENTATION
Alberto Urcia, Antonio Curci, Alessia Brucato



PHOTOGRAPHIC DOCUMENTATION
Daniel Libens, Alberto Urcia



TEXTS TRANSLATION
Arabic: Fatma Keshk, Ashraquet Bastawrous



FUNDING
The William K. and Marilyn M. Simpson Egyptology Endowment at Yale University
Research Foundation - Flanders
University of Bologna
Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs



ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities
Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago - Labib Habachi Archive at the Chicago House in Luxor



ICONS ATTRIBUTION FROM THE NOUN PROJECT
Ben Davis, Adrien Coquet, Faris Ma'ruf, Martin Chapman, vigorn, Valeriy, Rainbow Designs



Contacts and info
info@akapegypt.org
www.akapegypt.org
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