The Rock-Tombs of Qubbet el-Hawa North. A new Necropolis and its Impact on Upper Egypt and Lower Nubia

这一长期项目的目标包括对最近在阿斯旺地区(上埃及)发现的名为Qubbet el-Hawa North的墓地进行科学挖掘、记录和出版。科学界一直不知道这个发现地点，直到2012年，当地的抢劫者发现了这些岩石墓穴。该项目是在阿拉伯埃及共和国文物部和阿斯旺地方监察局与德国合作伙伴的双边合作的基础上进行的。这家合资企业的邀请函是埃及当局在2014年发出的。该地区位于尼罗河西岸，占地约25.000平方米。这座墓地是该遗址主要墓地在时间和地理上的直接延续，在南面约800米处。十座迄今不为人知的岩石墓穴中的大多数可以追溯到新王国(公元前1550-1100年)。到目前为止，这一重要时期的地区精英墓地尚未确定。新墓地的存在缩小了对阿斯旺地区地方行政模式的理解方面的一大差距。尽管陵墓内的抢劫者造成了严重破坏，但许多现场发现都可以在院子里找到。此外，大量的当代陶器仍被保存下来，这将有助于根据对这一特定地区的详细类型学研究来澄清年代情况。独特的陵墓建筑和不同寻常的精致装饰以及象形文字铭文将突出许多文化方面，如当地石刻陵墓的发展或艺术历史学家和文体问题。与其他上埃及游牧民族和底比斯的民居特征相比，Qubbet el-Hawa北部的墓地将发挥重要作用。关于人名和所描绘人物的人口学研究--结合对骨骼和木乃伊的人类学和遗传学调查--将提供机会，估计新王国时期古埃及地方行政当局内努比亚官员、牧师和高级士兵的定额。新墓地的至少两个岩石切割的墓穴可以追溯到旧王国晚期(公元前2200年左右)，这对进一步的地层学研究非常重要。所有这些全面的研究都将基于科学文献和与Qubbet el Hawa North有关的新的特别系列中的单个墓穴的出版。这座新墓地的发掘结果将为理解公元前2000年该地区许多不同的考古和社会方面提供新的线索。

The objective of this long-term project comprises the scientific excavation, documentation and publication of the recently discovered necropolis called Qubbet el-Hawa North in the region of Aswan (Upper Egypt). The find spot has been unknown to the scientific community until 2012, when the rock tombs had been discovered by local looters. The venture is based on a bilateral cooperation between the Ministry of Antiquities of the Arab Republic of Egypt and the local inspectorate of Aswan together with the German partners. The invitation for this joint venture has been offered by the Egyptian authorities in 2014. The region in question is situated on the west bank of the Nile and covers approximately 25.000 sqm. This cemetery turned out to be the direct chronological and geographical continuation of the main necropolis of the site, some 800 m to the south. Most of the ten – hitherto unknown – rock tombs can be dated to the New Kingdom (1550–1100 BC). A regional elite-necropolis of this important period was unidentified so far. The presence of the new necropolis closes a big gap in terms of the comprehension of local administrative patterns in the region of Aswan. Disregarding the severe damage by the looters inside the tombs, a lot of in-situ findings are traceable in the courtyards. Furthermore a huge amount of contemporary pottery is still preserved, which will help to clarify the chronological situation based on a detailed typological study for this particular region. The unique tomb architecture and the unusual delicate decoration as well as the hieroglyphic inscriptions will highlight many cultural aspects like the local development of rock-cut tombs or art historian and stylistic questions. In comparison with other Upper Egyptian nomes and the residential features at Thebes the necropolis of the Qubbet el-Hawa North will play a significant role. Prosopographical studies regarding the personal names and the depicted persons – in connection with anthropological and genetic investigations of skeletons and mummies – will offer the opportunity to estimate the quota of Nubian officials, priests and high ranking soldiers within the Ancient Egyptian local administration during the New Kingdom. It is of great importance in reference to further stratigraphical studies that at least two rock-cut tombs of the new necropolis can be dated to the late Old Kingdom (ca. 2200 BC).All those comprehensive studies will be based on the scientific documentation and publication of the individual tombs in a new special series related to the Qubbet el Hawa North. The results of the excavations of this new necropolis will shed new light on the understanding of many different archaeological and social aspects of the region in the 2nd millennium BC.