A Bioarchaeological Perspective on Egyptian Colonialism in Nubia During the New Kingdom Michele Buzon Purdue University
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Purdue University Purdue e-Pubs Department of Anthropology Faculty Publications Department of Anthropology 2008 A bioarchaeological perspective on Egyptian colonialism in Nubia during the New Kingdom Michele Buzon Purdue University Follow this and additional works at: http://docs.lib.purdue.edu/anthpubs Part of the Anthropology Commons Recommended Citation Buzon, Michele, "A bioarchaeological perspective on Egyptian colonialism in Nubia during the New Kingdom" (2008). Department of Anthropology Faculty Publications. Paper 2. http://docs.lib.purdue.edu/anthpubs/2 This document has been made available through Purdue e-Pubs, a service of the Purdue University Libraries. Please contact [email protected] for additional information. Egypt Exploration Society A Bioarchaeological Perspective on Egyptian Colonialism in Nubia during the New Kingdom Author(s): Michele R. Buzon Source: The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology, Vol. 94 (2008), pp. 165-181 Published by: Egypt Exploration Society Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/40345866 Accessed: 11-01-2016 16:44 UTC Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at http://www.jstor.org/page/ info/about/policies/terms.jsp JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. Egypt Exploration Society is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology. http://www.jstor.org This content downloaded from 128.210.206.145 on Mon, 11 Jan 2016 16:44:56 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions A BIOARCHAEOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE ON EGYPTIAN COLONIALISM IN NUBIA DURING THE NEW KINGDOM* By MICHELE R. BUZON Duringthe New Kingdom,Egypt began a militarycampaign to regaincommand over Nubia. Extremelysuccessful, their control extended to thefourth cataract by the time of ThutmoseIII. The circumstancesof thispower, however, are notwell known. It is unclearwhether Egyptian colonists or localsadministered Nubia duringthis time. Using a bioarchaeologicalapproach via thestudy of humanskeletal remains and archaeologicaldata fromthe New Kingdomsite of Tombosin Nubia and comparativeEgyptian and Nubianskeletal samples, this paper addresses these long-standing questions.Analyses suggest that the Tombos individuals were an ethnicallyand biologicallymixed group.The examinationof healthindicators suggests that the people of Tombosendured a relatively highdegree of physiologicalstress, despite possible resources obtained through trade networks. Additionally,the Egyptianisation of Nubiansat Tombosmay have provided a peacefulenvironment in whichfew traumatic injuries were seen. The precise natureand extentof the presence of Egyptianpopulations in Lower and Upper Nubia during the New Kingdom and the role of indigenousNubian populationsremains a livelyarea of discussionand research,1yet is hamperedby the lack of archaeologicalevidence and skeletalremains. The Universityof California Santa BarbaraDongola Reach Expedition(led by StuartTyson Smith)has begun to addressthese questions of Egyptianand Nubian colonial activitiesand involvement throughsurvey and excavationat the site of Tombos (located at the thirdcataract of the Nile).2 Tombos is one of only threeclearly defined Egyptian sites in Upper Nubia (in additionto Kawa and Gebel Barkal).No Egyptiancolonial sites were found duringthe 1997 surveyon thewest bank of theNile thatbegan at thethird cataract (at Hannek)and ended 140 kmto thesouth. In addition,no significantevidence from this surveyor othershas been foundto suggesta substantialEgyptianised imperial culture or colonial occupationsouth of the thirdcataract.3 This paper addressesthe issues concerningthe New Kingdomcolonial agents using a bioarchaeologicalapproach. * This paper is based on workpublished in M. R. Buzon, 'Biological and Ethnic Identityin New Kingdom Nubia: A Case Study fromTombos', CurrentAnthropology 47/4 (2006), 683-95. I am gratefulto the editorsof CurrentAnthropology and JEA forthe opportunityto presentthis workdirectly to an Egyptologicalaudience. This researchwas supported,in part,by the NSF grantno. 0313247. 1 Contrastthe general accounts of D. B. O'Connor, AncientNubia: Egypt'sRival in Africa (Philadelphia, 1993), 134,who suggeststhat towns were developed with largely Egyptian populations in Lower and Upper Nu- bia, and S. T. Smith,Wretched Kush: EthnicIdentities and Boundariesin Egypt'sNubian Empire(London, 2003), 87, who contendsthat it is not clear whetherEgyptians occupied thesetowns. 2 Convenientsummary in Smith,Wretched Kush, Chapter 6. I drawheavily on thiswork for presenting the Tombosmaterial in this paper. 3 Smith,Wretched Kush, 136-7; D. N. Edwards,The Nubian Past: An Archaeologyof theSudan (London, 2004), 94. TheJournal of Egyptian Archaeology 94 (2008), 165-81 ISSN 0307-5133 This content downloaded from 128.210.206.145 on Mon, 11 Jan 2016 16:44:56 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions 166 MICHELE R. BUZON JEA 94 Bioarchaeologycombines the information produced in archaeologicaland historical researchwith biological data (human skeletalremains excavated from archaeological sites)in orderto gainfurther insight into human history.4 The analysisof thismaterial can provideimportant data on age and sex,health, activity patterns, as well as cultural and biologicalidentities. The bioarchaeological approach is particularlyappropriate in investigating questions surroundingthe New Kingdom Egyptianoccupation of Nubia, and the site of Tombos is particularlywell suited for investigatingNubian and Egyptian interactions.Owing to its location(fig. 1), Tombos was an importantstrategic point of controlfor the Egyptiansand Nubians. At Tombos, culturallydiagnostic burial associationsare suggestiveof a populationthat is ethnicallyEgyptian. However, the Egyptianisationduring this time makes a determinationof identitybased solelyon artefactsdifficult. As the status of Nubian nativesfor most of the New Kingdom remainsunknown, the excavationof the Tombos cemeteryof bureaucratsand their communityprovides a unique opportunityto testtheories concerning the origins and historyof the colonial agentsof Egypt'sempire. Biological identityin the Nile Valley Biologicalidentity A person's biologicaland culturalidentities are both inextricablylinked to the past and can only be understoodwithin their historical context. Biological identityis a resultof a longhistory of interactionsthat occur between that person's ancestors and earliernatural and socioculturalenvironments. Tracing these biological relationships can offerinsight into the importantarchaeological and biohistoricalquestions.5 The biological identitiesof peoples fromthe past can be investigatedthrough skeletalstudies. Generally,biological affinitiesare assessed throughthe analysisof cranialand dentalmeasurements. Although factors such as climate,diet, and nutrition can have importantinfluences, groups withsimilar cranial shape tend to be related moreclosely to each otherthan groups that show moredivergence.6 Biologicalrelationships in theNile Valley AlthoughEgyptian depictions of themselvesand foreignersreveal perceived physical differences,with Egyptians tending to be representedas havingred-brown skin and black hair,and Nubians withblack skin,broad flatnoses, and shorthair in ringlets,7 the numerousinvestigations into the biologicalaffinities of variouspast and present populationsin theNile Valleyreveal that demonstrating differences between Egyptian and Nubian populationsis far fromstraightforward. Often called the Corridorto Africa,it seemsevident that the Nile Valleywould have been a passagewayfor human migrationfrom sub-Saharan Africa to the Mediterranean, going back to the beginnings 4 M. R. Buzon, J.T. Eng, P. M. Lambert,and P. L. Walker,'Bioarchaeological Methods', in H. D. G. Maschner and C. Chippindale(eds), Handbookof ArchaeologicalMethods (Walnut Creek. 2ooO. 871. 5 C. S. Larsen,Bioarchaeology : Interpreting Behavior from the Human Skeleton (Cambridge Studies in Biological and EvolutionaryAnthropology 21; Cambridge,1907), 302-5. 6 J. Buikstra and D. Ubelaker, Standardsfor Data Collectionfrom Human Skeletal Remains (Arkansas ArchaeologicalResearch Series 44; Favetteville,1004). 6o. 7 See convenientlySmith, Wretched Kush, 21-4. This content downloaded from 128.210.206.145 on Mon, 11 Jan 2016 16:44:56 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions 2008 A BIOARCHAEOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE 167 Fig. i. Location of skeletalcollection sites (dark circle). SJE = ScandinavianJoint Expedition sites area. of the spreadof humans.Anatomically modern humans should have passed through the Nile Valleyon theirway 'out of Africa'.The Nile is a constantsource of water and it seems a likelypath to have followed.8However, some archaeologicalevidence suggeststhat there was a significantfrontier zone betweennorthern and southernareas of Lower Nubia. The Nile Valleypathway has been consideredby some researchers as moreof a cul-de-sacthan a corridorbased on archaeologicalinterpretations.9 Some researcherssupport the idea of gene flowthrough the Nile Valleythrough the analysisof DNA fromliving populations. For example,Lalueza Fox10suggests 8 C. Lalueza Fox, 'MtDNA Analysisin AncientNubians Supportsthe Existenceof Gene Flow betweenSub- Sahara and NorthAfrica in the