The first article by our intrepid trio (in AE120) concentrated on the desert birds of ancient Gebel el- Silsila. This time they focus solely on raptors, those majestic, highly-skilled birds that arouse feelings of incredulity, awe, reverence, love, fear and even terror in equal measure. Of all the types of avian depictions in these ancient quarries, those of raptors or possible raptors were perhaps the most frequent. Why? Were raptors particularly common in this area? What, apart from being very visible and active, made them so important to local residents over a period of some two thousand years from the Middle Kingdom right through to Roman times?
It is estimated that some 15-20 species of raptor overall may have been resident in, or breeding visitors to, the Gebel el-Silsila area in ancient times with another 15-20 passing though on migration and/or wintering. The Nile Valley serves as one of the major bird migration routes linking Europe to Africa and huge thermals, which are regularly used by the larger migrating species such as pelicans, storks and raptors, sometimes in many hundreds, still occur here. But such assemblies are seasonal and for short periods so, most of the time, only one or two birds would have been around daily.
RAPTORS
Denne historien er fra September / October 2020-utgaven av Ancient Egypt.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra September / October 2020-utgaven av Ancient Egypt.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
INSIDE THE STEP PYRAMID OF DJOSER
Sean McLachlan explores the recently reopened interior of this iconic Third Dynasty Saqqara monument.
PER MESUT: for younger readers
She Who Loves Silence
Highlights of the Manchester Museum 29: An Offering by Queen Tiye for her Husband
Campbell Price describes an offering table with a touching significance.
Highlights Of The Manchester Museum 28: Busts Of Jesse And Marianne Haworth
Campbell Price describes the significance of two statue busts on display in the Museum.
TAKABUTI, the Belfast Mummy
Rosalie David and Eileen Murphy explain how scientific examination of the ‘Belfast Mummy’ is revealing much new information about her life and times.
Lost Golden City
An Egyptian Mission searching for the mortuary temple of Tutankhamun has discovered a settlement – “The Dazzling of Aten” – described as the largest city ever found in Egypt (see above). Finds bearing the cartouches of Amenhotep III (see opposite, top) date the settlement to his reign, c. 1390-1352 BC – making it about 3400 years old.
Jerusalem's Survival, Sennacharib's Departure and the Kushite Role in 701 BCE: An Examination of Henry Aubin's Rescue of Jerusalem
BOOK REVIEWS
Golden Mummies of Egypt: Interpreting Identities from the Graeco-Roman Period by Campbell Price
BOOK REVIEWS
Old And New Kingdom Discoveries At Saqqara
An Egyptian team working on a Sixth Dynasty pyramid complex near the Teti pyramid at Saqqara has made a series of important discoveries.
Map Of Egypt
What’s in a name? It is easy for us to forget that the names we associate with the pyramids – such as the Meidum Pyramid, the Bent Pyramid or the Black Pyramid – would have been meaningless to their builders.