Sudan statue find gives clues to ancient language

[Tyehimba]

Sudan statue find gives clues to ancient language

Tue 16 Dec 2008, 15:11 GMT
By Andrew Heavens

KHARTOUM, Dec 16 (Reuters) - Archaeologists said on Tuesday they had discovered three ancient statues in Sudan with inscriptions that could bring them closer to deciphering one of Africa's oldest languages.

The stone rams, representing the god Amun, were carved during the Meroe empire, a period of kingly rule that lasted from about 300 BC to AD 450 and left hundreds of remains along the River Nile north of Khartoum.

Vincent Rondot, director of the dig carried out by the French Section of Sudan's Directorate of Antiquities, said each statue displayed an inscription written in Meroitic script, the oldest written language in sub-Saharan Africa.

"It is one of the last antique languages that we still don't understand ... we can read it. We have no problem pronouncing the letters. But we can't understand it, apart from a few long words and the names of people," he told reporters in Khartoum.

Sudan has more pyramids than neighbouring Egypt, but few people visit its remote sites, and repeated internal conflicts have made excavation difficult.

Rondot said the dig at el-Hassa, the site of a Meroitic town, had uncovered the first complete version of a royal dedication, previously found only on fragments of carvings from the same period.

He said experts were still trying to work out the meaning of the words by comparing them with broken remnants of similar royal dedications in the same script.

"It's an important discovery ... quite an achievement," Rondot said.

The statues were found three weeks ago under a sand dune at the site of a temple to the god Amun, an all-powerful deity represented by the ram in Sudan.

The site is close to Sudan's Meroe pyramids, a cluster of more than 50 granite tombs 200 kms (120 miles) north of the capital that are one of the main attractions for Sudan's few tourists.

Rondot said the dig, funded by the French foreign ministry, would also provide vital information on the reign of a little-known king, Amanakhareqerem, mentioned in the inscriptions on the rams.

"Before we started the dig we only had four documents in his name ... We don't even know where he was buried," he said. "We are beginning to understand the importance of that king." (Editing by Katie Nguyen and Tim Pearce)

http://africa.reuters.com/wire/news/usnLG432974.html

[nomo8]

"'..one of Africa's oldest languages'",   as yet to be deciphered, Meroite culture and civilization - and how many white people, or for that matter asians, have a clue about any of this.  Interestingly, it coincides with latter classic age of greece, early roman republic and later roman empire, additionally Mede Egypt (Greek).  I always wondered about the dates , is it possible these ruins and the culture are much older than officially recognized?  That would be interesting to study.  Implications of a different perhaps earlier time period would be significant in many ways.  Often, the established dates of many archeological sites were determined over a century ago based often on dubious assumptions.  When complimentary hard science from other fields are brought in to look at evidence, often the old praradigms gleaned from what is basically art history and reliance on biblical texts is sorely tested.  Archeologist/Anthropologists are often very unused to integrated scientific analysis of ruins and artifacts becuase it treads on what they are trained in and there is a great deal of turf boundary in that field jealously gaurding the academic province. 

What were the relationships between Meroe and Greece, Mede Egypt, Rome, Persia?  We know the climate was quite different then.  I think the infamous National Geographic  issued some politically motivated issue entitled "black phaoroes of egypt" showing savage "Nubians" or perhaps Meroite kings, slaughtering "Egyptians" in stylized artistic represetations and "taking over egypt."  The egyptians were shown as reddish whites, hardly much of a tan even.  Even the Medes were darker than that!  Not that it matters that much I suppose but it is curious that no living person in the region today , semite or AFrican, looks anything like the representations of "Egyptians" shown in National Geographic artistic representations.

Well , you can find stuff on the internet alluding to "white pharoes" and recently there was a big hubbub about mumies that had red hair!  the hyperborean pharoes to the rescue.

Seriously, there is a lot more to be discovered, yet the raging proxy wars in the region invite destruction and theft, much like the destruction of Iraq's antiquities.  Where are the African archeologists and scientists on these sites? 

 

[Alafia87]

I also wonder if the Meroitic civilization is not much older than previously thought.

According to the documents of the ancient egyptians, the Sphinx is at least 34,000 years old,
but the oldest that even our african archaeology has dated it at is 10,000 years.  However,
water damage/erosion was found on it and that coincides with greener times on the nile btw
34,000-36,000 years ago.

[Horus]

Most of the archaeologists you see on documentaries don’t really know the origins themselves, they don’t learn cuneiform, they use previous warped writings as guidance thus continuing the deception. 3,700 to 4,000 BC, there were immigration laws that forbid Caucasians from entering Nubian regions, the Caucasian then (not now) were known as TAMAHU ‘Living Filth’ to the original Black Egyptians, FACT !!! So when you see the Caucasian historians and archaeologists parading around as if they had anything to do with the original Egyptian civilisations know it is ONE BIG LIE. In fact if you study Tama-re (Egypt) you will find that FOREIGN GODS were brought in to this region by the Hyskos and Phoenicians. One of the most evident of these gods is SAIS. What’s interesting about this specific god is that in Egyptian Hieroglyphics the word SAIS simply means SIX. SIX ETHER a foreign spiritual force to those original Egyptians / Tama-rean Nubians bearing NINE ETHER. 9 is the opposite to 6 therefore 6 is foreign. The governing Tama-rean gods of nature were of 9,The 9 ENNEADS.The Caucasians were ONLY called Tamahu because as PURE SEED Caucasians (unlike today) they could incur skin diseases very easily and also because of their dieting of raw meat and for living and sleeping with dogs

[nomo8]

Interesting information: I am interested in Phoenecian origins I had read a source some time ago stating that phoenician was originally a maritime trade culture from ethiopia.  supposedly like many ancient peoples, over thousands of years, especially as sea faring peoples, the racial composition and geographical location altred dramatically.  I have interest in contact between african and indus valley civ., also origins of Hebrew.  the boat at the foot of the sphynx says much, a vessel totally capable of sailing into the wind (lateen rig) and of traversing the globe.  maritime history is a special interest of mine.  any thoughts Mr Horus might have on this would be of interestk thanks.

african maritime trade with indus valley and melanesian culture in pacific is interesting.  fijian origin history and their names, physical attributes/race, culture and what they are doing out there is interesting.  solomon islands too.  all my colleagues in fiji were taken out except one who was only ruined after attemppt on his life failed miraculously. n8