Construction of the Aswan High Dam caused the disappearance of Mirgissa, which now lies under the waters of Lake Nubia. Mirgissa (originally Iken) was a settlement in Northern Sudan. Situated at the 2nd cataract in Wadi Halfa, it contained one of the largest fortresses in Nubia. In the time of Thutmose II, 250 to 450 people inhabited the area. The site was first explored by the English geologist Sir Henry George Lyons in 1892 and was excavated by the French Egyptologist Jean Vercoutter from 1962 to 1969. In addition to the fort, excavations uncovered the remains of two cities, one fortified, a northern enclosure, two cemeteries, a boat slide, and a port.
Geography of Mirgissa
Mirgissa (originally Iken) was a Northern Sudan settlement at the 2nd cataract in Wadi Halfa. It was located 300 feet (91 m) from the harbour, where ships from the south could dock in calm waters, the rapids of the cataract preventing them from continuing their journey further north. Its lofty geographic position allowed sentries to observe the movement of troops for miles. Therefore, travellers from the north who reached Abusir had to leave their boats and circumvent the 2nd cataract to get to Mirgissa.
History of Mirgissa
Even before the great fort, an open town existed at Mirgissa. It became a frontier post, trade centre, and river control point at the second cataract. The region’s occupation dates back to 7500 BCE, as shown by the evidence obtained at Akha, a crucial Mesolithic site located a few hundred meters east of the great fortress. Enormous stone tools, dating from 3500 BCE, were found in several places on the plain. They indicate that Mirgissa was occupied in Neolithic times. However, the occupation was at its height during the Middle Kingdom and Second Intermediate Period of ancient Egypt and, to a lesser extent, during the New Kingdom.
While Senusret I probably established the fortification site within the northern enclosure, the great fortress was mainly the work of Senusret III. A stele, dated to year 8 of the reign of Senusret III, was discovered near the fort of Semna. Its inscription stresses the economic importance of Mirgissa. Its translation reads:
“The southern frontier made in regnal year eight under the majesty of the King of Upper and Lower Egypt Khakaure (may he live forever and ever) to prevent it being passed by a Nubian journeying north by land or in a kai-boat as well as any livestock belonging to Nubians, except for a Nubian who shall come to traffic at Mirgissa or on an embassy, or on any matter which may lawfully be done with them; but it shall be forbidden for any kai-boat of the Nubians to pass northwards beyond Semna forever.”
It served as a customs post for travelling north to Egypt during the Twelfth Dynasty. The periods of most intense occupation date from the Thirteenth Dynasty and then the Hyksos era, as evidenced by many beetles on the premises. The great fort was re-occupied during the Eighteenth Dynasty, followed by a sharp decline until the Twentieth Dynasty. Sporadically occupied during the Meroitic era, the site’s abandonment was final during the early Christian period.
City
Mirgissa’s open city predates its fortification. Situated 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) north-northeast of the great fortress, it stretched over 75,000 square metres (810,000 sq ft). In its early development, the city was protected by a thick stone wall of 1 metre (3 ft 3 in), though the residential area later spread outside the walled section. According to various artefacts unearthed at the site, such as jars, millstones, bread moulds, beer mugs, and plates, the city appeared to have been occupied by a strictly Egyptian population during the Middle Empire and the Second Intermediate Period. Of the two older excavated houses, the first was surrounded by a rectangular corrugated brick wall, while the second, a stone hut, was mainly rectangular, though it contained circular elements.
Cemeteries
The multiple cemeteries at Mirgissa establish a continuous settlement here from the late Middle Kingdom through the New Kingdom:
- M-Fe, late Second Intermediate Period
- M-III, Kerma culture, Second Intermediate Period
- MX, late Middle Kingdom-Second Intermediate Period
- MX-TC, late Twelfth Dynasty-early Thirteenth Dynasty
- MX-TD, the first half of the 18th Dynasty
Fortress
The great fortress dominated the western Wadi. It was built by the pharaohs of the Middle Kingdom to defend their southern border and control trade routes from Sudan and Africa that passed through the Nile. From a strategic and commercial standpoint, Mirgissa was vital as it ensured economic exchanges between the Kingdom of Kush and Egypt. Together with Dabenarti, situated on a rocky islet measuring 2.5 square kilometres (0.97 sq mi), the two fortresses formed a barrier to prevent invasions from the south. During excavations, only the foundation of the smaller Dabenarti fort, dating from the Twelfth Dynasty, its purpose has been to protect the harbour and dock located at the southern end of The Boat Slide. The great fortress was abandoned during the reign of Neferhotep I.
While eleven forts were built during the reign of Senusret III in the region between the 2nd and 3rd cataracts, including Shalfak, Uronarti, Askut, Semna, Kumma, and Sumna South, Mirgissa was the largest of them. The great fortification covered over 40,000 square metres (430,000 sq ft). Its double wall with bastions and square-cornered towers, 12 metres (39 ft) high, protected the city. The walls were thick and 6 metres (20 ft) tall and over 10 metres (33 ft) tall.
The south side, facing the Nile, was protected by a fortified wall, which perfectly fit the rocky peaks on which it was underpinned. Two enormous gates were flanked to the north and near the southeast corner of the river. The north gate had a narrow passage, its access blocked by two massive wooden doors and a portcullis. Angled bedding planes enabled the uphill brickwork—a ditch covered both entrances. Excavations revealed a small temple dedicated to the goddess Hathor and a stele mentioning this goddess as the mistress of Iken; this discovery enabled the identification of the fortress.
Port and boat slide
Few port traces were evident during excavations, probably due to an exceptional flood. However, the French expedition identified the remains of a boat slipway over 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) in length. It extended to the natural harbour in the south. It was a slide for hauling boats that wanted to pass the 2nd cataract. Composed of evenly spaced wooden cross beams set in silt and spread mud layers, it was low enough to wet the clay and make it very slippery, thus reducing friction between the boat hull and the track.
Archaeological finds
The expedition of Jean Vercoutter discovered in the surrounding desert, west and not far from the city open, a grave filled with 3,500 fragments of pottery sherds; some were inscribed. Near this place, three statues from the Twelfth Dynasty were also unearthed as a seal from Nebiryraw I of the Sixteenth Dynasty. The Execration texts listed the names of foreign countries and their leaders, their purpose being a form of ritual magic designed to curse the enemies of Egypt. It is likely that once the text was written on a vase, it was broken, and fragments were buried in the grave.