UNESCO Ancient Civilizations of Africa (Editor G. Mokhtar)

The civilization of Napata
and Meroe
children's or infants' graves with funerary objects showing that they were
of court status. There is a marked absence of such graves at the other royal
cemeteries at El-Kuru and Nuri. Hence one may conclude that the royal
family lived at Meroe and this must have been the permanent residence of
the king.
The central administration was run by a number of high officials whose
Egyptian titles are preserved in two stelae of Asyelta. Among them we find
- apart from army commanders - the chiefs of the treasury, seal bearers,
heads of archives, chiefs of granaries, the chief scribe of Kush and other
scribes. 21 Whether these titles corresponded to the real functions of their
bearers or whether they reflect only Egyptian models is difficult to decide.
Whatever the case these officials played an important role in the election
of a new king as well as in the administration of the kingdom. Perhaps
the deciphering of Meroitic writing will throw light on this important
question.
Military leaders appear several times on these inscriptions at critical
points. They were charged with proclaiming the succession of a new king
and carrying out the traditional ceremonies of coronation. In fact, they may
have had some significant role in the choice of the successor. From this
one can suppose that most probably the majority were members of the royal
family, and perhaps even senior members. 22 It was customary for the king
not to go into battle but to stay in his palace assigning the conduct of the
war to one of the generals. This was the case in Piankhi's campaign in
Egypt, Amani-nete-yerike's war against the Reherehas in the Butana and
Nastasen's campaign. Yet we do not know what happened to these generals.
Even after a successful campaign they disappeared and the king reaped all
the honours of victory.
As for the administration of the provinces, there are traces of royal palaces
to be found in many localities. Each palace formed a small administrative
unit headed perhaps by a chief seal bearer who kept the stores and accounts
of the residence. 23
However, in the later period starting perhaps towards the end of the first
century before our era, we have enough records of provincial administrators
to reconstruct at least the skeleton of the northern province of the kingdom
which seems to have developed very fast in response to the unsettled conditions
following the Roman conquest of Egypt and their unsuccessful
attempt to advance farther south into Nubia. To meet this situation on the
frontier a special administration for Lower Nubia was created. At its head
was the Paqar, qar, a prominent court personality, possibly a royal prince,
if the firstholder may be considered to have established the rule. The first
was Akinidad, the son of Teritiqas and Amanirenas, who fought against the
2i. G. von Steindorff, Vol. Ill; H. Schäfer, 1905-8, pp. 86, 103, 104.
22. E. A. T. Wallis Budge, 1912, pp. 105ft.
23. M. F. L. Macadam, 1949, Vol. I, p. 58.
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