Earthquakes in Egypt in the Pharaonic Period 9
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earthquakes in egypt in the pharaonic period 9 EARTHQUAKES IN EGYPT IN THE PHARAONIC PERIOD: THE EVIDENCE AT DAHSHUR IN THE LATE MIDDLE KINGDOM1 Dieter Arnold Metropolitan Museum of Art Mediterranean archaeology is increasingly con- Memnon statue.6 Around that time the same or cerned with the impact of earthquakes on ancient another earthquake destroyed the Iseum (Behbet monuments and cultures, as demonstrated, for el-Hagar). The damage was recorded later by the example, by a conference on Archaeoseismology European traveler Paul Lucas (1664-1737).7 The in 1995 in Athens.2 The fact that ancient Egypt huge pile of fallen blocks does not show heaps of was not represented indicates that Egyptologists debris or other traces of quarrying activity, but the have rarely observed or studied seismic events temple seems to have collapsed on itself, a typical in ancient times. Egypt, however, located at the earthquake scenario (fig. 1). The same event might boundary of the African and the Arabian plates, also have brought down the huge Delta temple of is an earthquake-prone land. An earthquake of Bubastis (Tell Basta).8 1992, during which about 500 people died, is still In a very few cases, an approximate date for an vividly remembered.3 earthquake in pharaonic times can be established. Though ancient Egyptians mentioned earth- For example, the huge funerary temple of Amen- quakes (nwr-tA), it is not as historic and real events hotep III on the Theban west bank was apparently but in a general, symbolic way. Several sites and toppled by a powerful earthquake in the early part monuments attest that disastrous seismic events of the reign of Merenptah (1213-1203 BC), most occurred in pharaonic times,4 though, without likely around 1210 BC.9 One suspects that the careful archaeological observations, it is often dif- nearby Ramesseum was also heavily damaged by ficult to distinguish between earthquake damage the same seismic event, because this building was and wreckage induced by other causes, such as soon afterward used as a quarry to supply stones sagging of buildings or human quarrying activi- for the mortuary temples of succeeding kings.10 ties. It is even more problematic to determine the The same earthquake perhaps also triggered a rock date of a seismic incident. fall that damaged the temple of Mentuhotep at Numerous severe earthquakes in Egypt are Deir el-Bahri (and thereby instigating the repair recorded from the Roman Period through the work of Siptah).11 This temple and the nearby Middle Ages and in modern times.5 For example, a temple of Thutmose III were apparently finally strong earthquake in the year 27 BC caused heavy destroyed by another rock fall in later Rames- damage in the Theban area, destroying, among side times.12 Was this also the earthquake of 1210 other monuments, the upper part of the northern BC that brought down the upper half of one of the 1 This article is dedicated to Jack A. Josephson, a friend Arabic Documents (7th-8th centuries)” Bull. Seism. Soc. Am. of long standing, whose broad interest in ancient Egypt also 70, 218-220. includes the archaeology of the Dahshur monuments. 6 A. Bataille, “Thèbes gréco-romaine,”CdE 26 (1951), 2 S. Stiros and R.E. Jones, eds., Archaeoseismology, Brit- 348. ish School at Athens, Fitch Laboratory Occasional Paper 7 7 C. Favard-Meeks, Le temple de Behbeit el-Hagar (Ham- (Athens, 1996). burg, 1991), 311. 3 For recent damage at Saqqara, see E.D. Johnson, “The 8 I thank Daniela Rosenow for this communication. Need of Seismic Analysis and Planning as Part of Ongoing 9 G. Haeny, Untersuchungen im Totentempel Amenophis’ Archaeological Site Management and Conservation: A Case III., BÄBA 11 (Wiesbaden, 1981), 17-18. Study of the Necropolis of Saqqara,” JARCE 36 (1999), 135- 10 Since several older temples of the 11th, 18th, and early 147. 19th Dynasties served as quarries for buildings of Rameses 4 R. M. Kebeasy, “Seismicity,” in The Geology of Egypt, ed. III and IV, one wonders whether these monuments had all R. Said (Rotterdam, 1990), 51-52, C. Traunecker, “Les restau- been ruined by the earthquake of 1210 BC. rations et les reprises antiques,” in Les Dossiers d’Archéologie 11 D. Arnold, Der Tempel des Königs Mentuhotep von Deir 265 (2001), 70-71. el-Bahari (Mainz, 1974), 69. 5 J.P. Poirier and M.A. Taher, “Historical Seismicity in 12 J. Lipinska, “Sanctuaries Built by Tuthmosis III,” JEA the Near and Middle East, North Africa and Spain from 53 (1967), 29. 10 dieter arnold Fig. 1. The temple ruin of Behbet el-Hagar (Iseum). seated colossi of Rameses II from the façade of his were knocked down by a heavy earthquake. Bor- rock temple at Abu Simbel?13 chardt observed that Greek visitors’ inscriptions An earlier earthquake during the 11th Dynasty had been scratched onto the monument while it seems to have destroyed the pre-11th Dynasty was still standing, which would date the collapse temple on the Thoth Hill of western Thebes, bring- to an unknown later period. ing about a reconstruction under Mentuhotep In Middle Egypt, the 12th Dynasty rock tombs Seankhkare.14 One might assume that this earth- of el-Bersheh17 were crushed most probably in quake occurred in the early years of that king pharaonic times by a powerful earthquake that (about 1995 BC). buried the tombs under enormous masses of col- Other seismic events cannot yet be accurately lapsed rock (fig. 2). The Fraser tombs at Tehneh, dated. For example, severe earthquake damage not far away, northeast of Miniya, were so heavily was observed at the early 4th Dynasty mastaba shaken that whole walls were displaced, perhaps of Nefermaat at Meidum.15 The collapse of the by the same seismic event.18 pyramid temple of Sahure at Abusir was prob- Collapsed ceilings of rock tombs can further ably also a result of such an event: the mono- be observed in many places in Egypt, such as in lithic granite columns and architraves were not the Faiyum19 and at Lisht-South, although not all smashed by stone robbers but fell in one piece, tombs were necessarily ruined by earthquakes, but tumbling over each other,16 suggesting that they by ancient quarrying activity. 13 L.-A. Christophe, Abou Simbel et l’epopée de sa décou- vol. 1, Der Bau (Leipzig, 1910), 105-106, figs. 42-43. Borchardt’s verte (Brussels, 1965), 206-207; K. A. Kitchen, The Life and assumption that the fall was caused by stone robbers who Times of Ramesses II (Warminster, 1982), 135-136. O. Goelet, started pulling out columns from the east portico is not con- “The Blessing of Ptah,” in Fragments of a Shattered Visage, ed. vincing, because such a procedure would not have affected E. Bleiberg and R. Freed, MIEAA I (Memphis, 1991), 70-71. the other columns. 14 G. Vörös and R. Pudleiner, “Preliminary Report of the 17 P. Newberry, El Bersheh (London, 1892, 1894), e.g., vol. Excavations at Thoth Hill, Thebes,” MDAIK 54 (1998), 338. 1, pp. 2, 9-10; vol. 2, pp. 17, 30, 60-62. 15 Y. Harpur, The Tombs of Nefermaat and Rahotep at 18 M. G. Fraser, “The Early Tombs at Tehneh,”ASAE 3 Maidum (Oxford 2001), 42, 240, 283 n. 28, 309, figs. 176- (1902), 74. 77, 179. 19 D. Arnold, “Bericht über Fahrten in das El-Gharaq- 16 L. Borchardt, Das Grabdenkmal des Königs Sahu-Re, Becken (Faijum),” MDAIK 21 (1966), pl. 29a-b..