Der Abu Ballas-Weg. Eine pharaonische Karawanenroute durch die Libysche Wüste

阿布巴拉斯之路。

• 批准号: 248331518
• 负责人: Dr. Frank Carsten Förster
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: Abteilung Ägyptologie
• 依托单位国家: 德国
• 项目类别: Publication Grants
• 财政年份: 2013
• 资助国家: 德国
• 起止时间: 2012-12-31 至 2015-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gepris.dfg.de/gepris/projekt/248331518?language=en
• 关键词: Der; Abu; Ballas; Weg.; Eine

The thesis presents the finds and features of a Pharaonic caravan route, only discovered in 1999, which leads from the Dakhla Oasis in Egypt deep into the Libyan Desert, and therefore brings this area into the focus of Egyptological research for the first time. The route, well-signposted by stone markers and partially well-preserved donkey tracks, is mainly characterised by several supply stations consisting of large deposits of storage jars, most of which contained water. Without the logistically most demanding creation of such chains of artificial "filling stations" it would have been impossible to conduct large-scale caravan traffic across hundreds of kilometres through barren desert regions in a time when no camels, but only donkeys were available. Based on archaeological investigations carried out within the scope of the Collaborative Research Centre 389 ACACIA at Cologne, the finds and features are thoroughly analyzed (part I of the thesis), followed by studies on the practical use of the trail (part II), and on the possible purpose and historical significance of the caravan route (part III). As the main result it turned out that the so-called Abu Ballas Trail was an extremely difficult Pharaonic caravan route through the Libyan Desert that was used over many centuries, and repeatedly took a greater significance under very specific geopolitical circumstances. It appears to have served, at least temporarily from the late third millennium BC onwards, as a trade route in order to import luxury items – such as incense, ivory, skins of exotic animals, valuable oils, and others – from sub-Saharan regions first to Dakhla and then further on to the Egyptian Nile Valley, probably in cooperation with 'Libyan' nomadic groups. The route therefore represents the earliest evidence of trans-Saharan trade currently known. Its existence proves that the known world of the ancient Egyptians did not end beyond the oases of the Western Desert. This fact therefore demands a broadening of the Egyptological scope of view at least up to the point where the modern borders of Libya, Egypt, and Sudan converge. Pharaonic contacts to inner Africa, both cultural and commercial, and their impact and significance to both sides will have to be reevaluated. The same holds true for the extent of the ancient Egyptians' capabilities, both in terms of organization and logistics, to render such contact possible, without camels, across vast arid wastes.

本文介绍了1999年才发现的一条法老商队路线的发现和特点，这条路线从埃及的达赫拉绿洲深入利比亚沙漠，因此首次将该地区纳入埃及考古学研究的重点。这条路线以石碑和部分保存完好的驴印为标志，主要特征是几个补给站，由大量储藏罐组成，其中大部分是水。如果没有这种对后勤要求最高的人工“加油站”链的建立，就不可能在没有骆驼、只有驴子的时代，在贫瘠的沙漠地区进行跨越数百公里的大规模大篷车交通。在科隆389 Acacia合作研究中心范围内进行的考古调查的基础上，彻底分析了发现和特征(论文第一部分)，随后研究了这条小径的实际用途(第二部分)，以及大篷车路线的可能目的和历史意义(第三部分)。其主要结果是，所谓的阿布巴拉斯小径是一条穿越利比亚沙漠的极其困难的法老商队路线，使用了许多个世纪，并在非常特殊的地缘政治情况下反复发挥更大的作用。至少从公元前三千年后期开始，它似乎一直是一条贸易路线，以便从撒哈拉以南地区进口奢侈品--如香、象牙、外来动物的皮、贵重的油等--首先到达赫拉，然后再到埃及尼罗河流域，可能是与利比亚游牧民族合作的。因此，这条路线是目前已知的跨撒哈拉贸易的最早证据。它的存在证明了古埃及人的已知世界并没有结束于西部沙漠的绿洲之外。因此，这一事实要求拓宽埃及学的视野，至少扩大到利比亚、埃及和苏丹的现代边界汇合的程度。法老与内非的文化和商业接触及其对双方的影响和意义将不得不重新评估。同样的道理也适用于古埃及人在组织和后勤方面的能力，使这种在没有骆驼的情况下，跨越广袤的干旱荒野的接触成为可能。