UNESCO Ancient Civilizations of Africa (Editor G. Mokhtar)

Ancient Civilizations of Africa
FIG. 10.2 Saqia (from Archaeology, Autumn 1977, Vol. 17, no. 3)
the revolts in the south of Ptolemaic Egypt at the end of the third century
before our era may have been backed by the Nubian kinglets: Ptolemy V had
to campaign in the country and Ptolemy VI established colonies in the
Triacontaschone. 2 7
The Meroitic language and form of writing
With Queen Shanakdakhete (around 170 to 160) we appear to get the
accession to full power of a typically local matriarchy.28 It is on an
edifice in her name at Naga that we find inscriptions engraved in Meroitic
hieroglyphs which are among the most ancient known.
27. The Greeks gave the name Dodecaschene to the area south of Philae, some '12
schenes' long, i.e. approximately 120 kilometres. There has been some argument as to
whether the 320-odd kilometres of the 'Triacontaschene' should also be counted starting
from Philae, or on the contrary starting from the southernmost end of the area previously
defined.
28. cf. B. G. Haycock, pp. 461-80; I. S. Katznelson, 1966, pp. 35-40 (in Russian);
M. F. L. Macadam, 1966, pp. 46-^7; J. Desanges, 1968, pp. 89-104; July 1971, pp. 2-5.
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