Mastaba symbol underground structure
Mastaba symbol underground structure
The pyramids represented the rising sun and resurrection The shaped tombs would allow the deceased pharaoh to return to life from the dead. The pharaoh would assume the form of Osiris the god of the afterlife descending in the boat of the sun god Ra united with him and sail through the darkness The pyramids were a staircase to heaven that allowed the souls of the deceased pharaohs to travel and reunite with the gods in heaven at night
From the northern tombs at Meroei in the 3rd to 4th centuries BC southern cultures gradually replaced the cultural heritage of Egypt. The Kushite pharaohs migrated south to the Sudanese savannah establishing their capital at Meroei In terms of the afterlife it was believed that this was due to the continued existence of life on earth in the past In the construction of large tombs as permanent abodes for the dead the godly status on earth was reflected in the tomb of the pharaoh the son of Amun-Pa the sun god His life followed a cyclical plan his youth being likened to the rising and setting of the sun
The late Middle Kingdom the black pharaohs of the Kushite dynasty stopped building pyramids in the late Middle Kingdom of the New Kingdom. Burial pits in caves with underground chambers and corridors symbolized the nighttime residence of the sun god The number of pyramids in Nubia with 223 pyramids is more than the number in Egypt The remains of 16 pyramids and tombs under their bases were discovered in a cemetery near the ancient city of Gematon in Sudan These pyramids are more than 2,000 years old during the reign of the kingdom known as Kush in Sudan. Some of the pyramids were not built as tombs but in some tombs buried under simple rectangular structures called mastaba some with piles of stones on top called tumuli At the same time other tombs have no burial marks left.
The pyramids were popular among the Kushans They built them until their empire fell in the 4th century AD The team, along with Derek Welsby, have been excavating at Gematon since 1998 and have uncovered 16 pyramids and many other finds from that time The largest pyramid found at Gematon is 10.6 meters high on each side and about 13 meters above the ground Three major sections of the pyramid contain underground burials symbolizing the underworld where the mummies lay. The mummies of the pharaohs and queens were laid out on beds according to the ancient custom of Kerma filled with small statues of people who would rise to life when called upon by the gods to perform their duties. The large steep pyramid at the top symbolizing the stairway to heaven is richly decorated The small chapels on the east side were used to place offerings to the deceased pharaohs and were a place of prayer and funeral rites The church door which overlooks the sunrise provides light to the altars on the back wall of the church
The 12th Dynasty 1991-1786 BC Many pharaohs of Nubian origin played an important role in the area during different periods of Egyptian history reflecting the close cultural influence between the two regions. Originating from the Aswan region the distinctive Nubian features and dark coloration are evident in the sculptures and bas-reliefs of the period when the Nubians of the Kushite kingdom passed at the southern end of the Second Nile Nubians and Egyptians were often closely related and thus had a wholly Nubian ethnic identity As the two cultures blended the Nubians were completely assimilated into Egyptian society
