UCLA Encyclopedia of Egyptology
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UCLA UCLA Encyclopedia of Egyptology Title Wadi el-Hol Permalink https://escholarship.org/uc/item/1sd2j49d Journal UCLA Encyclopedia of Egyptology, 1(1) Author Darnell, John C Publication Date 2013-05-26 Peer reviewed eScholarship.org Powered by the California Digital Library University of California WADI EL-HOL ﻭﺍﺩﻱ ﺍﻟﺤﻮﻝ John Coleman Darnell EDITORS WILLEKE WENDRICH Editor-in-Chief Area Editor Geography University of California, Los Angeles JACCO DIELEMAN Editor University of California, Los Angeles ELIZABETH FROOD Editor University of Oxford JOHN BAINES Senior Editorial Consultant University of Oxford Short Citation: Darnell, 2013, Wadi el-Hol. UEE. Full Citation: Darnell, John Coleman, 2013, Wadi el-Hol. In Willeke Wendrich (ed.), UCLA Encyclopedia of Egyptology, Los Angeles. http://digital2.library.ucla.edu/viewItem.do?ark=21198/zz002dx2tj 8547 Version 1, May 2013 http://digital2.library.ucla.edu/viewItem.do?ark=21198/zz002dx2tj WADI EL-HOL ﻭﺍﺩﻱ ﺍﻟﺤﻮﻝ John Coleman Darnell Wadi el-Hôl Ouadi el-Hôl The Wadi el-Hol is an ensemble of rock inscription sites and caravansary deposits near the mid- point of the Farshut Road, roughly equidistant between ancient Thebes and Hiw. The rock inscriptions range in date between the Predynastic and Coptic Periods, with the majority belonging to the Middle Kingdom. Most inscriptions record names and titles, but others are longer and of more unusual content, including literary texts and references to religious celebrations in the deep desert. Archaeological remains include Predynastic burials of the Tasian culture and debris mounds that represent the detritus of caravans and travelers along the Farshut Road. The largest deposit includes a continuous stratigraphic record of ceramic and organic material from the late Middle Kingdom through the Persian Period. ﺇﻥ ﻭﺍﺩﻱ ﺍﻟﺤﻮﻝ ﻳﺤﺘﻮﻱ ﻋﻠﻰ ﻣﺠﻤﻮﻋﺔ ﻣ�ﻦ ﻣﻮﺍﻗ�ﻊ ﺍﻟﻨﻘ�ﻮﺵ ﺍﻟﺼ�ﺨﺮﻳﺔ ﻭﺑﻘﺎﻳ�ﺎ ﺧﺎﻧ�ﺎﺕ ﺍﻟﻘﻮﺍﻓ�ﻞ (ﺍﻟﻜﺮﻓﺎﻧﺴﺮﺍﻳﺎﺕ) ﺑﺎﻟﻘﺮﺏ ﻣﻦ ﻣﻨﺘﺼﻒ ﻁﺮﻳ�ﻖ ﻓﺮﺷ�ﻮﻁ، ﻭﺗﻘﺮﻳﺒ�ﺎً ﻋﻠ�ﻰ ﻧﻔ�ﺲ ﺍﻟﻤﺴ�ﺎﻓﺔ ﻣ�ﺎ ﺑ�ﻴﻦ ﻁﺒﻴﺔ ﺍﻟﻘﺪﻳﻤﺔ ﻭﻫﻴﻮ. ﺇﻥ ﺗﺄﺭﻳﺦ ﻫﺬﻩ ﺍﻟﻨﻘﻮﺵ ﺍﻟﺼﺨﺮﻳﺔ ﻳﺘﺮﺍﻭﺡ ﻣﺎ ﺑﻴﻦ ﻣﺎ ﻗﺒﻞ ﺍﻷﺳ�ﺮﺍﺕ ﻭﺣﺘ�ﻰ ﺍﻟﻌﺼﺮ ﺍﻟﻘﺒﻄ�ﻲ، ﻭﺃﻛﺜﺮﻫ�ﺎ ﺗﺮﺟ�ﻊ ﺇﻟ�ﻰ ﻋﺼ�ﺮ ﺍﻟﺪﻭﻟ�ﺔ ﺍﻟﻮﺳ�ﻄﻰ. ﺗﺴ�ﺠﻞ ﺃﻏﻠ�ﺐ ﺍﻟﻨﻘ�ﻮﺵ ﺃﺳ�ﻤﺎء ﻭﺃﻟﻘ��ﺎﺏ، ﻭﻟﻜ��ﻦ ﺍﻟ��ﺒﻌﺾ ﻣﻨﻬ��ﺎ ﺃﻁ��ﻮﻝ ﻭﻣﺤﺘ��ﻮﺍﻩ ﻏﻴ��ﺮ ﺗﻘﻠﻴ��ﺪﻱ، ﻣﺜ��ﻞ ﺑﻌ��ﺾ ﺍﻟﻨﺼ��ﻮﺹ ﺍﻷﺩﺑﻴ��ﺔ ﻭﺇﺷﺎﺭﺍﺕ ﺇﻟﻰ ﺇﺣﺘﻔﺎﻻﺕ ﺩﻳﻨﻴ�ﺔ ﻓ�ﻲ ﻗﻠ�ﺐ ﺍﻟﺼ�ﺤﺮﺍء. ﺃﻣ�ﺎ ﺑﺎﻟﻨﺴ�ﺒﺔ ﺇﻟ�ﻰ ﺍﻟﺒﻘﺎﻳ�ﺎ ﺍﻷﺛﺎﺭﻳ�ﺔ، ﻓﺘﺸ�ﻤﻞ ﺩﻓﻨﺎﺕ ﻣﻦ ﻋﺼﺮ ﻣﺎ ﻗﺒﻞ ﺍﻻﺳﺮﺍﺕ ﺗﻌﻮﺩ ﺇﻟﻰ ﺣﻀﺎﺭﺓ ﺩﻳﺮ ﺗﺎﺳﺎ ﻭﺃﻛﻮﺍﻡ ﻣﻦ ﺍﻟﺤﻄﺎﻡ ﺍﻟﺬﻱ ﻳﻤﺜ�ﻞ ﻧﻔﺎﻳ��ﺎﺕ ﺍﻟﻘﻮﺍﻓ��ﻞ ﻭﺍﻟﻤﺴ��ﺎﻓﺮﻳﻦ ﻋﻠ��ﻰ ﻁ��ﻮﻝ ﻁﺮﻳ��ﻖ ﻓﺮﺷ��ﻮﻁ. ﺍﻥ ﺃﻛﺒ��ﺮ ﻣﺠﻤﻮﻋ��ﺔ ﻣ��ﻦ ﺍﻟﻤﺨﻠﻔ��ﺎﺕ ﺗﺸﻤﻞ ﺍﺳﺘﻤﺮﺍﺭﻳﺔ ﺍﻟﺘﺘﺎﺑﻊ ﺍﻟﻄﺒﻘﻲ ﻣﻦ ﺍﻟﻔﺨﺎﺭ ﻭﺍﻟﻤﻮﺍﺩ ﺍﻟﻌﻀﻮﻳﺔ ﺑﺪءﺍً ﻣﻦ ﺍﻟﺪﻭﻟﺔ ﺍﻟﻮﺳﻄﻰ ﻭﺣﺘﻰ ﺍﻟﻌﺼﺮ ﺍﻟﻔﺎﺭﺳﻲ. he southern branch of the main and ascending at Gebel Tjauti—joins the desert road crossing the Qena Farshut Road (fig. 1). From Qarn el-Gir, T Bend between western Thebes branches lead toward Hiw, Abydos, and the and the area of Hiw is the Farshut Road, oases of the Western Desert. The site may ascending the high plateau along the northern also be accessed from the southern Theban ridge of the Valley of the Kings. Near the Darb Baiyrat (Winkler 1938: 8). Although middle of the Qena Bend, the route descends archaeological material is plentiful at many into the Wadi el-Hol, continuing toward the points along the Farshut Road, notably at northwest until it reaches the caravansary Gebel Antef atop the Theban ascent (Darnell remains at the base of Gebel Qarn el-Gir, 2002a: 132; Eder 2002: 143; Polz 2007: 34 - where the Wadi Alamat Road—leading 37, 86 - 87, and 305 - 306) and at the Qarn el- northwest from the northern fringe of Thebes Gir outpost, the greatest concentration of Wadi el-Hol, Darnell, UEE 2013 1 Figure 1. Map of sites and roads of the Theban Western Desert. ancient material on the Farshut Road—and Thutmose III, is possible (see Darnell 2002b: one of the most extensive Pharaonic sites in 90). The modern name, when written, is the Western Desert—is the Wadi el-Hol site, generally Wadi el-Hôl, the “narrow wadi,” where the road ascends and descends the high although the most common pronunciation, plateau near the middle of the Qena Bend of and that adopted by the author, is Wadi el- the Nile. The Wadi el-Hol site comprises two Ḥôl, the “wadi of terror.” extensive caravansary deposits and four major concentrations of rock inscriptions, with Location and Layout of the Site several subsidiary sites in the vicinity, such as The rock inscription concentrations (Sections Winkler’s site 31 (Winkler 1938: 9, pls. 30 - A, B, C, and D) are at the base of the aqaba 31), a Predynastic rock art site to the north of (ascent/descent of the road; figs. 2 and 3). the Wadi el-Hol sites proper. Section A is opposite the aqaba, B and C are the two sides of the prong of gebel on which Etymology the aqaba is located, section D is somewhat No ancient name survives at the site, although more distant to the southwest, though in sight an identification with 7mbw or aA-bAw, two of the road. The Gebel Roma caravansary is Medjay outposts known from the reign of atop the plateau where the aqaba reaches the Wadi el-Hol, Darnell, UEE 2013 2 Figure 2. A view from the aqaba of the Farshut Road, with rock inscription Section C in the middle right and Section A visible across the wadi. Figure 3. View of the aqaba of the Farshut Road at the Wadi el-Hol site, on the prong of gebel in the center of the photograph are rock inscription Section B (to the left) and Section C (to the right); the ascent to Gebel Roma is in the upper right. high plateau; the Wadi el-Hol caravansary is at 2008, amongst others]). The majority of the the base of the Section A concentration of inscriptions are hieratic and lapidary hieratic inscriptions. Another caravansary is located at texts, most dating to the Middle Kingdom. the end of a long prong of the gebel by which Later inscriptions are rare, with but one the northwest portion of the Farshut Road Demotic inscription (Darnell 2002b: 151 passes, roughly halfway between the Wadi el- [WHRI 36]). A few Coptic inscriptions Hol and the edge of cultivation. appear, including one mentioning the rarely attested ’απαιτητής official of a monastery (fig. Historical Context/Significance 4; Darnell 2002b: 153 - 154 [WHRI 38]). The numerous rock inscriptions at the Wadi Archaeological material similarly spans the el-Hol range in date from the early fifth millennium BCE through the Coptic Predynastic through the Ptolemaic and Period, with some ceramic material continuing Roman Periods (see Darnell 2002b [and note into the Islamic Era. The large caravan the reviews of Franke 2006, and Grajetzki deposits at Gebel Roma, the Wadi el-Hol, and Wadi el-Hol, Darnell, UEE 2013 3 Gebel Qarn el-Gir provide a nearly Friedman et al. 1999: 20 - 23 and 27 - 29). continuous ceramic sequence from the late Several Middle Kingdom visitors to the Wadi Middle Kingdom through the late New el-Hol vividly describe their visit as “spending Kingdom, in one portion of the Gebel Roma the day beneath this mountain on holiday” (wrS Xr Dw pn Hr hrw nfr; figs. 8 and 9; Darnell 2002b: 129 - 138 [WHRI 17 - 20]). In combination with other inscriptions depicting singers and the goddess in her bovine form (Darnell 2002b: 93 - 94 [WHRI 3], 126 - 127 [WHRI 15], and note also 120 [WHRI 10], a priest of Hathor), the “spending the day” inscriptions provide some of the only Figure 4. WHRI 38 (no scale available), a Coptic evidence of Hathoric worship in the remote text with name, title, and date. desert (for Hathoric hrw nfr, see Darnell 2002b: 130 - 132; Depauw and Smith 2004: 81 caravansary extending through the Persian - 82, 86 - 89; Husson 1977: 222, n. 14; Kessler Period. Several kilometers northwest of the 1988: 171 - 196; von Lieven 2003; Manniche Wadi el-Hol, overlooking the Farshut Road, is 2003: 44; see also Darnell 2010: 99 - 101 et a three-chambered cave, preserving evidence passim, and Schneider 2007), perhaps an early of use for several millennia. Four intact manifestation of the Ptolemaic desert burials and the associated leather and ceramic procession in honor of the goddess described objects provide an important assemblage for in a Ptolemaic stela from Hiw (Collombert the Tasian culture—known from the Nile 1995: 63 - 70). A group depicting an Egyptian Valley, the Eastern Desert (Friedman 2002), in festal garb, a feather-wearing foreigner and other Western Desert sites. (Libyan?), and Hathoric cow (fig. 10; Darnell The Wadi el-Hol inscriptions provide titles 2002b: 126 - 127 [WHRI 15]) may serve as a and personal names (cf. figs. 5 and 6, fig. 7, visual annotation to physical evidence at Mentuhotep III as a prince; see Darnell Hierakonpolis for the interaction of Egyptians 2002b: 128 - 129 [WHRI 16]), transmit names and denizens of the Western Desert in the of institutions and individuals of Middle worship of the wandering goddess of the solar Kingdom Hiw (cf. Darnell 2002b: 107 - 119 eye (for site Hk64, see Friedman 1999; [WHRI 8], 136 - 137 [WHRI 19]; Darnell et Friedman et al. 1999). The Wadi el-Hol site al. 2005: 106), and indicate the presence of a would also have been a stopping point for number of military men at the site—and those traveling between Thebes and the perhaps the presence of a garrison at this sacred sites of Hiw and Abydos; a priest of “back door” to Thebes (cf.