The Decree of Saïs
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Underwater Egypt in Region Canopic the in Archaeology OCMA Underwater Archaeology in the Canopic Region in Egypt The Decree of Saïs The Decree of Saïs of Decree The The cover illustrations show the perfectly preserved stele of Thonis-Heracleion, intact after having spent over 1000 years at the bottom of the sea. It is the second known stele containing the text of the decree promulgated by Nectanebo I,founder of the thirtieth dynasty, and announces a permanent donation to the goddess Neith, ‘Mistress of the Floods’, out of the customs dues received in the town of Thonis- Heracleion and out of the taxes on Greek trade in the town of Naukratis. ISBN 978-1-905905-23-2 Published by the Oxford Centre for Maritime Archaeology at the School of Archaeology, University of Oxford Anne-Sophie von Bomhard The Decree of Saïs The Stelae of Thonis-Heracleion and Naukratis Oxford Centre for Maritime Archaeology Monograph Series Series editors: Franck Goddio and Damian Robinson 1 Topography and Excavation of Heracleion-Thonis and East Canopus (1996–2006) by Franck Goddio 2 Geoarchaeology by Jean-Daniel Stanley et al 3 The Naos of the Decades by Anne-Sophie von Bomhard 4 La stèle de Ptolémée VIII Évergète II à Héracléion by Christophe Thiers 5 Alexandria and the North-Western Delta edited by Damian Robinson and Andrew Wilson 6 Maritime Archaeology and Ancient Trade in the Mediterranean edited by Damian Robinson and Andrew Wilson The Underwater Archaeology of the Canopic Region in Egypt The Decree of Saïs The Stelae of Thonis-Heracleion and Naukratis by Anne-Sophie von Bomhard Oxford Centre for Maritime Archaeology: Monograph 7 School of Archaeology, University of Oxford 2012 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the authors. This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, re-sold, hired or otherwise circulated without the publisher’s prior consent in any binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition, including this condition, being imposed upon the subsequent purchaser. The reproduction of any part of the text or any of the illustrations in whole or in part is forbidden without written permission from the copyright holders. Copyright © The author 2012 Published by the Oxford Centre for Maritime Archaeology School of Archaeology 36 Beaumont Street, Oxford ox1 2pg ISBN 978-1-905905-23-2 British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data. A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. FOUNDATION Front cover: The Thonis-Heracleion stele (photo: Christoph Gerigk © Franck Goddio/Hilti Foundation) Back cover: The Thonis-Heracleion stele (photo: Christoph Gerigk © Franck Goddio/Hilti Foundation) Some images have been obscured in this digital edition to conform to copyright restrictions Designed and produced by Oxford Book Projects Contents List of illustrations vi Foreword viii Preface ix Acknowledgements x Introduction 1 1 The discovery of the stelae of Naukratis and Thonis-Heracleion 5 The Naukratis Stele 5 The Thonis-Heracleion Stele 7 2 Description of the monuments, scenes and captions in the Lunette 15 Dimensions 15 General aspect 15 Scenes and captions in the Lunette 22 The epithets of Neith 25 3 The arrangement of texts and figures of the Decree, symbolism and orientation 29 The horizontal setup: the hierarchy of registers 29 The vertical setup: the axis and the position of the cardinal points 39 4 The Decree 49 The connected translation 54 Translation notes by column 55 Discussion 90 5 Corrections and hammerings 105 Corrections 105 Hammerings 106 Conclusion 113 Appendix I The representation of space and time on Egyptian monuments 117 Appendix II Some representations of the Temple of Neith 125 Bibliography, Classical sources and Abbreviation 131 Index of words discussed 145 Synoptic overview of orthographic and figurative variations 147 Index of Egyptian words 151 List of illustrations Front cover: The Thonis-Heracleion stele. 3.11 Removal of the cast of the Thonis-Heracleion stele Rear cover: The Thonis-Heracleion stele. showing the salient sun and the difference in depth Rear inside cover fold: The Thonis-Heracleion stele. of the various signs in the lunette. 3.12 The axial separation and the course of the sun: 1.1 The site of Naukratis with the Great Temenos and a) the daily course; b) the yearly course. the Great Mound (X). 3.13 The northwest offering of vases and breads: a) on 1.2 The Great Temenos reconstructed as a temple the Thonis-Heracleion stele; b) on the Naukratis enclosure: A. Temple; B. Pylon; C. Porch; stele. D. Avenue of sphinxes; E. High temple. 3.14 Detail of the northwest offering and the Maat 1.3 The study area in Aboukir Bay. feather spout of the nmst: a) on the Thonis-Hera- 1.4 Map of the submerged zone in Aboukir Bay. cleion stele; b) on the Naukratis stele. 1.5 The now submerged region of East Canopus and 3.15 The southeast offering of the wsx necklace: a) on Thonis-Heracleion. the Thonis-Heracleion stele; b) on the Naukratis 1.6 The Thonis-Heracleion peninsula with the area of stele. the Amon temple and the site of the stele. 3.16 Detail of the necklace and the king’s head-dress: 1.7 A closer view of the central area of the temple and a) on the Thonis-Heracleion stele; b) on the Nauk- the point of the centre north wall where the stele ratis stele. was found. 3.17 ‘The Uppermost’, Horus Behedety, defended by 1.8 The Thonis-Heracleion stele rising from the the uraei called Neith. bottom of the sea on May 26, 2001. 4.1 Thonis-Heracleion, the text of the decree (photo). 2.1 Table of the dimensions of the two stelae. 4.2 Thonis-Heracleion, the text of the decree 2.2 The Thonis-Heracleion stele (photo). (drawing). 2.3 The Thonis-Heracleion stele (drawing). 4.3 Naukratis, the text of the decree (photo). 2.4 The Naukratis stele (photo). 4.4 Naukratis, the text of the decree (drawing). 2.5 The Naukratis stele (drawing). 4.5 The groups of signs evoking water on the Thonis- 2.6 The lunette of the Thonis-Heracleion stele (photo). Heracleion stele. 2.7 The lunette of the Thonis-Heracleion stele (drawing). 4.6 Column 9: The town of Hunit: a) Thonis; 2.8 The lunette of the Naukratis stele (photo). b) Naukratis. 2.9 The lunette of the Naukratis stele (drawing). 4.7 Column 10: The House of the Port called 2.10 The creation surrounded by the primeval waters of (Nau)kratis: a) Thonis; b) Naukratis. the uncreated. 4.8 The complete name of Thonis: The Thonis stele, column 14. 3.1 The horizontal registers of the various spheres. 4.9 The complete name of Naukratis: The Naukratis 3.2 Comb of king Djet/Wadj. stele, column 13. 3.3 Behedety in the Djoser funerary complex. 4.10 The sources of revenue of the temple of Neith 3.4 The king Nynetjer and the palace of the god. according to the Decree of Saïs, first alternative. 3.5 Nekhbet, the crown goddess: a) second dynasty; 4.11 The sources of revenue of the temple of Neith b) second dynasty. according to the Decree of Saïs, second alternative. 3.6 The signs of the fan: a) Temple of Seti I at Abydos; 4.12 Plaquette from Heracleion no. hx-11303, IEASM. b) Palace of Merenptah. 4.13 The now submerged region of East Canopus and 3.7 Representations of the Royal Ka. Thonis-Heracleion. 3.8 Statue of the ka of king Hor, late twelfth dynasty, 4.14 The Heracleion peninsula. Cairo Museum cg 259. 4.15 Bronze plaque sca 389. 3.9 Hwt-kA of the Horus Anedjib, Louvre e 20545. 4.16 The Grand Canal and the harbour basins of the 3.10 Disposition of the texts and figures expressing the port of Thonis-Heracleion showing the location of divine nature of the king. the plaque with the name of Psamtik I, the plaque vi The Decree of Saïs List of illustrations with the name of the Canopic mouth, and the site a1.6 The daily and the yearly course of the sun. of the Thonis-Heracleion stele. a1.7 The axis line represents the bracketing of the two 4.17 Bas-relief from the funerary temple of Cheops. horizons. New York Metropolitan Museum of Art 22.1.3. a1.8 The perpetual re-creation of the sun from Nun and from Neith (xa m nt). 5.1 Corrections on the foot of the wAs sceptre: a) Thonis; b) Naukratis. a2.1 Neith’s temple, first dynasty, tablet of king Aha. 5.2 Naukratis, columns 8 and 9, corrections: the a2.2 Lanelater notodonta: a) and b) the insect; c) Brussels standard is engraved over the n. MRAH e.6261; d) Brussels MRAH e.578 + Abydos 5.3 Column 5, corrections on the road sign on Thonis, k.1005, two protodynastic objects in Brussels. comparison with Naukratis: a) Thonis; b) Thonis a2.3 Symbol of Neith. detail; c) Naukratis. a2.4 Various different symbols of Neith a–i) Archaic 5.4 Thonis, column 5: the probable steps of the correc- period and Old Kingdom; j–k) Middle Kingdom; tion of the road sign. i) New Kingdom; m–n) thirtieth dynasty. 5.5 Thonis, column 4, hammerings on two hoe signs, a2.5 Old Kingdom pilgrimage scenes: a) tomb of nb- absent on Naukratis: a) Thonis photo; b) Thonis kA.w-Hr; b) tomb of ini-snfrw-iS.t.f; c) tomb of drawing; c) Naukratis.