NUBIANS OF PUNT
- Heru
- 3 days ago
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The land of Punt, indigenously known as "pwnt" (pronounced Pwenet) also known as the "Land of the Gods" is traditionally believed to be situated in the region surrounding the southern Red Sea, extending inland into parts of modern-day Sudan and reaching areas of the Horn of Africa, including present-day Somalia. Research by R. Herzog indicates that Punt's location extended from the shores of the Red Sea into the eastern Sudan, reinforcing its significance as a trade hub in ancient times.
In the creation story of Inunu, Nun represents the primordial waters of chaos from which all creation arises and is associated with the inundation of the Iteru (Nile River). Punt is often referred to as, the "Land of the Horizon-Dwellers", which can be interpreted as a metaphorical and geographical representation of the realms that exist beyond the known world, which are often associated with divine order and beginning of creation. This land is depicted as a place of divine presence, where the sun rises and sets, symbolizing rebirth and continuous creation.
The horizon serves as a critical boundary where creation occurs, linking the terrestrial and celestial realms in the fabric of Kemetic belief. Thus, while the Land of Punt is geographically located south of Kemet is so-called sub-saharan Africa, its significance goes beyond mere geography. It represents both a source of wealth and the land of the gods which is intrinsically connected to the source of creation.
In ancient Kemet, the term "horizon dwellers" ("people of the horizon") referred to the "Sand Dwellers" or "Nubians"—a group of people from the region south of Kemet. They were called "horizon dwellers" because their land lay beyond the Kemetic "horizon" or the boundaries of the Kemetican world. The Kemetians often viewed these lands as distant, mysterious, and on the fringes of their known world, hence the term. In some ancient Kemetian texts, the term was used to describe people from areas far beyond Kemet, such as Nubia, who were perceived as living on the other side of the "horizon" of Kemetian civilization. The horizon was not only a literal geographical marker but also had a symbolic meaning in Kemetian culture, often linked to the afterlife and the realm of the gods. It’s possible the term “horizon dwellers” also symbolized people or forces that lay beyond the order and control of Kemet.
These southeastern regions possessed vast resources, including products used in temples—most notably, incense. Older literature maintained that the label "God's Land", when interpreted as "Holy Land" or "Land of the gods/ancestors", meant that the ancient Kemites (Egyptians) viewed the Land of Punt as their ancestral homeland. W. M. Flinders Petrie believed that the Dynastic Race came from or through Punt and that "Punt, was a district at the south end of the Red Sea, which probably embraced both the African and Arabian shores." Moreover, E. A. Wallis Budge stated that "Egyptian tradition of the Dynastic Period held that the aboriginal home of the Egyptians was Punt..."
Sources: A history of Egypt, Vol. I, p. 13, Flinders Petrie, Short History of the Egyptian People, by E. A. Wallis Budge
The association between the horizon and the realm of the gods is crucial. The Kemetyu viewed the horizon as a sacred space where the earth meets the sky, and this boundary is where the sun (Ra) travels each day. The journey of Ra across the sky is a reflection of the cyclical nature of life, death, and rebirth, which is central to the Inunu creation narrative. This ties back to the idea of the horizon as a place of divine action, where order is established from the chaos of Nun.
The Ethnicity of a faction of the inhabitants of the land of Punt was briefly alluded to in the "Festival of Min" at Medinet Habu. A man who takes part in the Festival recites a hymn to Min and he is referred to as "nHs n pwnt" which translates to “Nehesy of Punt". The term "Nehesy" refers to Nubians, a generic term for the various populations and ethnic groups associated with the lands south of Kemet. The Nehesy played a pivotal role in the creation of the nation as intermediaries and traders, facilitated the exchange of goods and cultural practices, and contributed to the economic and cultural wealth of ancient Kemet. This relationship goes back to pre-dynastic times, long before the unification of Upper and Lower Kemet.
"Interactions between Nubia and Egypt occurred in the period between 4000 and 3000 BCE. There is evidence for sharing of some cultural traits between Sudan and Egypt in the neolithic. Some items of “material” culture were also shared in the phase called Naqada I between the Nubian A- Group and upper Egypt (3900-3650 BCE). There is good evidence for a zone of cultural overlap versus an absolute boundary. Hoffman (1982) noted cattle burials in Hierakonpolis, the most important of predynastic upper Egyptian cities in the later predynastic. This custom might reflect Nubian cultural impact, a common cultural background, or the presence of Nubians. Whatever the case, there was some cultural and economic bases for all levels of social intercourse, as well as geographical proximity. There was some shared iconography in the kingdoms that emerged in Nubia and upper Egypt around 3300 BCE (Williams 1986)...Pg 235...there is evidence that Nubia may have even militarily engaged upper Egypt before Dynasty I, and contributed leadership in the unification of Egypt (Williams 1986)..... Nubian and upper Egyptian proximity and on some level, shared culture, Nubia’s possible participation in Egyptian state-building, and later partial political absorption in Dynasty I, would have reinforced biological overlap. Pg 238-239
Genetics, Egypt, and History: Interpreting Geographical Patterns of Y Chromosome Variation: https://muse.jhu.edu/article/187884
In the Egyptian Autobiography, Punt is also referred to as the “land of the horizon-dwellers". This epithet is a description of the realm of the Neteru (deities of Kemet) as the lands associated with some of the most revered gods within the ancient Kemetic Pantheon such as Amun the God of Gods, Het-Heru (Hathor) the "Lady of Punt", Bes the "Lord of Punt", Min "Lord of the desert lands (Nubia) and ruler of the Bowmen (Nubians), and the triad of Ausar, Auset and Heru. In the brief hymn on the verso, the god Min is equated with Heru, an identification often made in the Middle Kingdom, which we encounter in the text of the Rock Stela of Mentuhotep IV. This inscription associates Punt as the “nest” or Heru alluding to the land of his origin.
(Mentuhotep IV Stela)
His majesty commanded to erect this stela for his father Min, lord of desert lands, at this celestial mountain, “O Venerable one, primeval god, first ranking, foremost of the position in the land of the horizon-dwellers, the palace of the god is endowed with life, sacred nest of Heru in which this god flourishes, within the pure place of his heart's content, set above the deserts, upon the hills of god’s land. He made it as his monument to his father Min of Coptus, lord of desert lands, ruler of Bowmen, that he may bestow numerous jubilees and live like Ra, forever.”
Source: Lichtheim, M. (1973). Ancient Egyptian literature: A book of readings (Vol. 1). The Middle Kingdom. Page 114.
Punt is significant in ancient Kemetic culture as it was viewed as an ancestral homeland, believed to be the origin of much of the culture and tradition of the Kemetyu. Furthermore, it was regarded as a divine realm where the gods emerged and interacted, enriching the mythology of the land.
"There was a great similarity between the Puntites as represented in the Egyptian monuments and the Egyptians themselves, and it is said that the pre-dynastic Egyptians found their way from Punt, passing up the coast of the Red sea and entering Egypt through Wadi Hammamat, thereafter spreading south into Nubia. As the name Punt is always described in the official Egyptian texts without the determinative of a foreign country or land, the ancient Egyptians regarded the people of Punt as being racially connected with themselves."
R. K. Sinha, 1983, Punt & the Puntities are depicted in the Ancient Egyptian Monuments: https://www.jstor.org/stable/44139909
Genetic Evidence:
"Ehret cited other genetic evidence which had identified the Horn of Africa as a source of a genetic marker “M35 /215” Y-chromosome lineage for a significant population component which moved north from that region into Egypt and the Levant."
Ehret, Christopher (20 June 2023). Ancient Africa: A Global History, to 300 CE. Princeton University Press. pp. 97, 167: https://www.academia.edu/121820837/Ancient_Africa_a_global_history_to_300_ce_by_Christopher_Ehret_Princeton_and_Oxford_Princeton_University_Press_2023_224_pp_27_95_22_00_hardback_ISBN_9780691244099
This connection to Punt fostered a spiritual and cultural identity for the Kemetyu, as it symbolized the source of divine blessings and resources vital to their civilization.
"Punt was also associated with Egyptian ancestry in that it came to be seen as their ancient homeland and, further, the land where the gods emerged from and consorted with each other."
Source: Professor Joshua J. Mark, 2011, www.worldhistory.org/punt
Trade relations with Punt date back to 2613-2498 BCE with the 4th Dynasty, under Nsut Khufu. A 4th Dynasty relief shows a Puntite with one of Khufu's sons, and in the Fifth Dynasty documents show regular trade between the two countries enriching both. Hatshepsut's inscriptions at Deir El-Bahri claim her divine mother, to be Het-Heru known to the Greeks as Hathor. The Nehesy of Punt were quite similar to the ancient Kemites in form and feature, as seen in the relief of King Parahu and Queen Ati shown on the temple walls at Deir al-Bahri.
"It is the sacred region of Gods Land (Punt). It is my place of distraction. I have made it for myself in order to cleanse my spirit. Along with my mother, Hathor, the Lady of Punt."
- Mortuary Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, Deir El-Bahri
The Land of Horizon Dwellers is best known from inscriptions regarding Queen Hatshepsut's famous expedition in 1493 BCE in the 18th Dynasty of Kemet. This exchange between the two countries brought back living trees to Kemet, marking the first known successful attempt at transplanting foreign fauna. This voyage to Punt is only the most famous, however, and evidence suggests that the Kemites were trading and engaging in cultural fusion with the Land of Punt as early as the reign of the pharaoh Khufu in the Fourth Dynasty of Kemet (2613-2498 BCE) and probably earlier.
"Master of the Land of the South, Lord of the Matchau, Governor of Punt, King of heaven, first-born son of earth, Lord of Truth, father of the gods, They love the essence of him, when he cometh from Punt. Maker of all things celestial & terrestrial, he illumineth Kemet. Prince of the dew, he traverseth the lands of the Nubians. Beautiful of face, he cometh from the Land of the Gods."
- Victory Stele of King Piye, Kushite King of the 25th Dynasty
The Ancient Maritime Nation of Punt and the Eythraean Sea
Punt, in ancient Egyptian and Greek geography, the southern coast of the Red Sea and adjacent coasts of the Gulf of Aden, corresponding to modern coastal Eritrea and Djibouti. To Europeans Punt was a place of legend and fable, illustrated by Herodotus’ account (in Book II of his History, 5th century BC) of the exploits of an Egyptian pharaoh, one Senusret, who took a fleet of ships and made conquests along the shores of the Erythraean Sea (the Red Sea and adjacent waters) and then traversed “the whole continent of Asia.”
In times of antiquity the Indian Ocean was known to the Greeks as the Erythraean Sea. A name which modern Eritrea derives its name from. An eighteenth century map Drawn by James Rennell (1799) shows the Erythraean Sea stretching from the Horn of Africa to the shores of the Indian sub-continent. In times of Antiquity the Land of Punt comprised of the modern countries of Yemen, Somalia, Eritrea, and Djibouti.
History also records that the ancient land of Nubia known as Ta-Nehesy, Land of the Nubains or Aethiopia to the Greeks, and the kingdom of Axum used to trade with India since evidence was found indicating that ships from Northeast Africa sailed back and forth between India and Nubia trading goods. Some evidence even says that their sea voyages also reached Persia, Himyar and Rome. Moreover, the Greeks knew the Aksumites to have seaports for their ships which were known to travel from both Yemen to Greece.
The Periplus of the Red Sea also known as the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea, is a manuscript that describes ports, landmarks, navigation and trading opportunities from Roman Egyptian ports along the Red Sea coast, The Horn of Africa, the Sindh region of Pakistan and the southwestern regions of India. This manuscript reports that Somalis were trading frankincense along with other items through their northern ports such as Berbera and Zeila with the people of the Arabian Peninsula long before the arrival of Islam in the region. They also used to trade with Egypt, which at the time was Roman-controlled.
Ancient pyramidical structures, mausoleums, ruined cities and stone walls found in Somalia are evidence of an old sophisticated civilization that once thrived in the Somali peninsula. The findings of archaeological excavations and research in Somalia show that this civilization enjoyed a lucrative trading relationship with Ancient Kemet and Mycenaean Greece since the second millennium BCE. This supports the hypothesis of Somalia and/or the adjacent Horn territories corresponding with the ancient Land of Punt. The Puntites traded myrrh, spices, gold, ebony, short-horned cattle, ivory and frankincense with the Ancient Kemites (Ancient Egyptians), Phoenicians, Babylonians, Indians, Chinese and Romans through their commercial ports located along the coastline of Northeast Africa.
The maritime trade networks of the ancient world were vast and interconnected, and the regions around the Red Sea and the Horn of Africa played a pivotal role in linking Africa, Asia, and Europe. As a central hub for trade, the ancient nation of Punt, located in the northeastern corner of Africa, became synonymous with luxury goods like myrrh, frankincense, spices, gold, and ivory. These commodities, highly valued by the Egyptians, Phoenicians, Babylonians, and Romans, circulated through an intricate web of maritime routes connecting the civilizations of the Mediterranean to the farthest reaches of India and beyond.
Punt, with its fabled ports and skilled seafarers, was both a cultural and economic bridge between ancient African kingdoms and the rest of the known world. Archaeological evidence suggests that the Puntites navigated the treacherous waters of the Red Sea, creating established sea routes that enabled the transport of goods, people, and ideas. The Egyptians, in particular, maintained a strong relationship with Punt, sending expeditions that returned laden with goods that were prized not only in Egypt but throughout the ancient world. The expeditions to Punt, immortalized in the tomb of Queen Hatshepsut, provide a clear indication of the wealth and sophistication that defined this enigmatic civilization.
Beyond Punt, the land of Nubia (Ta-Nehesy) and the Kingdom of Axum (Aksum) were similarly integral to the transcontinental trade networks. These ancient kingdoms, situated to the south of Egypt, acted as vital intermediaries between Egypt, the Red Sea, and the African interior. The Aksumites, for example, are known to have controlled key ports on the Red Sea, facilitating trade between the Arabian Peninsula, the Mediterranean world, and India. The Aksumite Empire, at its zenith, became a powerful maritime and commercial force, with their coins and inscriptions found in distant lands, attesting to their far-reaching influence.
The Periplus of the Erythraean Sea offers another invaluable perspective on the role of the Horn of Africa in the broader ancient world. It provides a detailed account of the seafaring routes that connected ports in Egypt, the Arabian Peninsula, and India, all of which were vital to the flourishing of trade. The manuscript highlights the diversity of goods traded through these regions, including frankincense, which was sourced from Somalia, and luxury items such as silk, ivory, and spices, which traveled the length of the Red Sea and beyond.
As the evidence suggests, the ancient world’s interconnected maritime trade was not simply about the exchange of goods but also the exchange of culture, technology, and religion. The coastal regions of the Horn of Africa, particularly Somalia, were home to advanced civilizations long before the arrival of Islam. These early societies left behind remarkable remnants of their architectural achievements, such as ancient tombs, pyramidal structures, and stone walls, which serve as a testament to their sophisticated culture. Furthermore, the archaeological findings in Somalia, particularly the trading ports of Zeila and Berbera, indicate that the Somali peninsula was a center of commerce with nations as far as China and India.
The trade routes that passed through the Horn of Africa were likely the precursors to later maritime exchanges during the medieval period, reinforcing the region's historical importance in global trade. In addition to the material goods exchanged, the people of these ancient lands were also known for their knowledge of navigation, shipbuilding, and astronomy. These advancements in seafaring technology allowed them to traverse vast distances, connecting distant civilizations and contributing to a shared cultural and economic legacy that spanned continents. The ancient maritime nations of Punt, Nubia, Axum, and the peoples of the Horn of Africa played crucial roles in shaping the interconnected world of antiquity. Through their trade, they facilitated the exchange of goods, ideas, and culture, linking Africa to Asia and Europe in ways that would leave lasting legacies. The Periplus of the Erythraean Sea and archaeological evidence from the region provide a glimpse into a thriving network of ancient maritime civilizations whose contributions to world history are often overlooked but essential to understanding the complex web of global trade that existed long before the rise of modern empires.
The decline of Punt and the broader Nile Valley civilizations can be attributed to a combination of internal and external factors. Environmental changes, such as shifts in climate and the gradual desertification of the region, led to the depletion of key resources like water and arable land, making it increasingly difficult to sustain large populations and agricultural production. Additionally, invasions and incursions by external powers, including the Sea Peoples and later foreign empires like the Assyrians, Persians, and Romans, weakened the stability of these once-great civilizations. Internal political instability, economic struggles, and a breakdown in trade networks further contributed to their decline. A significant driver of this downfall was the disruption and eventual commandeering of their vital trade routes.
As foreign powers expanded their empires, they increasingly took control of the trade routes that had once connected these regions to the rest of the world. The loss of these trade routes, crucial for the flow of goods like myrrh, frankincense, gold, and ivory, severely impacted the economic stability of Punt and the Nile Valley civilizations. With these trade routes cut off or commandeered, these nations were left economically vulnerable, further accelerating their decline and eventual absorption into larger imperial structures. By the end of the New Kingdom and the fall of the Middle Kingdom, Kemet, along with Punt and other neighboring regions, saw a fragmentation of power, signaling the end of their golden age and the loss of their independent maritime and trade dominance.
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