Kingdom of Kerma facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kingdom of Kerma
c. 2500 BCE–c. 1500 BCE
Capital	Kerma
Government	Monarchy
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History
• Established	c. 2500 BCE
• Disestablished	c. 1500 BCE
Succeeded by New Kingdom of Egypt

The Kerma culture or Kerma kingdom was an early civilization centered in Kerma, Sudan. It flourished from around 2500 BCE to 1500 BCE in ancient Nubia, located in Upper Egypt and northern Sudan. The government seems to have been one of a number of Nile Valley states during the Middle Kingdom of Egypt.

In the Kingdom of Kerma's latest phase, lasting from about 1700–1500 BCE, it absorbed the Sudanese kingdom of Sai and became a sizable, populous empire rivaling Egypt. Around 1500 BCE, it was absorbed into the New Kingdom of Egypt, but rebellions continued for centuries. By the eleventh century BCE, the more-Egyptianized Kingdom of Kush emerged, possibly from Kerma, and regained the region's independence from Egypt.

The primary site of Kerma that forms the heart of the Kingdom of Kerma includes both an extensive town and a cemetery consisting of large tumuli. The level of affluence at the site demonstrated the power of the Kingdom of Kerma, especially during the Second Intermediate Period when the Kermans threatened the southern borders of Egypt.

Until recently, the Kerma civilisation was known only from the townsite and cemeteries of its metropolitan centre and smaller sites in Kerma, Sudan. However, recent survey and excavation work has identified many new sites south of Kerma, many located on channels of the Nile, now dry. This pattern of settlement indicates a substantial population and for the first time provides us with some sort of context in which we can place Kerma itself. Egyptian records speak of its rich and populous agricultural regions.

Numerous village communities scattered alongside fields of crops made up the bulk of the realm, but there also seems to have been districts where pastoral (goat, sheep and cattle) and gold processing were important industries. Certain Kerma towns served to centralize agricultural products and direct trade.

Analysis of the skulls of thousands of cattle found in royal Kerma tombs suggest that stock were sometimes brought long distances, from far districts, as a type of tribute from rural communities on the death of Kerma's monarchs. This shows the importance of cattle as royal property in other parts of Africa at later times.

Only the centres of Kerma and Sai Island seem to have had contained sizable urban populations. Possibly further excavations will reveal other regional centres. At Kerma and Sai, there is much evidence of wealthy elites, and a class of dignitaries who monitored trade in merchandise arriving from far-off lands, and who supervised shipments dispatched from administrative buildings. Evidently, Kerma played an important role in the trade of luxury items from the Central African interior to Egypt

Images for kids

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  Tumulus from Kerma c. 2450 BC, National Museum of Sudan

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  Head of a Male; found in Kerma. Granodiorite. Date: 1784–1668 BC. Middle Kingdom of Egypt, Twelfth Dynasty. It probably came from a sanctuary in southern Egypt; possibly taken to Kerma from Elephantine following a Nubian campaign in southern Egypt. Boston Museum of Fine Arts

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  Daggers of bone and copper, 1750-1450 BC, Kerma, British Museum EA55442

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  Ancient Kerma bowl kept at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. "Bowl with Running-Spiral Decoration"

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  Mirror. End of Kerma Period, 1700-1550 BC.

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  Excavations at Kerma.

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  Pottery, Kerma Museum, Kerma, Sudan