 |
Al-Ahram Weekly 12 - 18 August 1999 Issue No. 442 
|
||
Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
| ||
|
Al-Ahram Weekly 12 - 18 August 1999 Issue No. 442
|
||
| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
| ||
Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Profile Books Features Travel Living Sports Time Out Chronicles People Cartoons Letters Search for past glories
By Samir Naoum
Ihnasia, or Ihnasia Al-Medina as it has been known since the time of the Ayyubids, is located 17 kilometres to the west of Beni Suef. It is one of Egypt's 'non-sites' from the tourist point of view, which is to say that little remains today. But I was curious to learn why illustrious scholars from Britain and Italy, a German mission from Berlin Museum and the current mission of the Spanish Antiquities Museum of Madrid continued to show interest in the area. I decided to go sightseeing, but not before doing my homework!
I learned that the area first drew the attention of archaeologists at the beginning of the 19th century. Among them was Britain's Flinders Petrie, who excavated Pharaonic and Graeco-Roman ruins. I read that the city was an important Christian centre from the end of the third century as it features prominently in the works of the medieval church historian, Abul-Makarem. And I was interested to learn that Ihnasia was the centre of a weaving industry at the time of the Arab conquest.
I don't really know what I expected. Maybe to see the ruins of a great temple of Ramses II because the records showed that this active builder of huge monuments did not ignore the area. Or the standing columns of a vast basilica such as the one that exists at Ashmunein. After all, one has come to expect the survival of large-scale architecture at important sites in Egypt. But I soon realised that great monuments are not what Ihnasia has to offer. The evidence is more obscure and interesting.
Hennen-Nswt was the ancient name of the city and Mustafa Zoheri, director of antiquities in Beni Suef and Middle Egypt, accompanied me on my tour and helped lift the curtain on ancient history. "The area came to prominence after the fall of the Great Pyramid Age," he said. For nearly two centuries, between 1242 to 1052 BC, a dynasty of powerful leaders emerged.
The kings left no significant monuments; hopefully further excavation will unearth temples, palaces and government buildings. But it was a golden age of literature and one of the most important texts, written by the 'Eloquent Peasant', reveals the state of turbulence that existed.
The text is fascinating. It is a series of complaints, nine in all, against a rich and powerful overlord called Bebit Tegouti who exploited his position, laid hands on whatever he fancied and even took possession of a peasant's donkeys.
The poor man, who obviously used a learned scribe to help him vent his feelings addressed Tegouti as "Saviour of the Great House, you Greatest of the Great, a father of the fatherless, a husband to the widow, and a brother to the abandoned." He went on, "Let me exalt your name in this earth, you are above all laws, you are the ruler who commits no wrong, who is honest, above petty errors, who abhors lies, and upholds justice." An eloquent peasant indeed! He knew how to curry favour with the provincial leader. A true sycophant. I was delighted to learn the rest of the text which Zoheri translated:
"Is it not a grave evil to tilt the scales," the eloquent peasant went on, "to place the weights sideways, and to see the righteous deviate from the straightforward path? Deliberate on what would happen if justice no longer upholds you, because it has been cast away. Thus there are troublemakers. Merchants alone speak, the judges split between them the spoil."
As we wandered beyond Ihnasia Al-Medina to the east I pondered on how clearly the past came to light through such surviving records. And I began to realise why Egyptologists are so preoccupied with literary evidence.
Zoheri explained that the next period of great importance came after the fall of the New Kingdom when, in 1085 BC, the priests of Amun seized power and a period of decline began. "Foreign powers were able to take over the throne of Egypt," said Zoheri, "among them a powerful family of Libyan origin who had been granted land in return for military service under Ramses II. Shishonk I founded a dynasty and an inscribed stone shows that taxes were levied on cities and villages in his time. It is another important relic because it casts light on the religious and geographic conditions of the country as well as the cities and villages in the area. Twenty-four have been identified."
The Spanish mission who have been excavating the area since 1966 discovered a necropolis which dates back to this period. When we reached the site I noted that the mission concentrated its activities on the restoration of the tombs so far unearthed. Protective covering has been provided and the architectural elements have been reinforced with iron supports. "The antiquities were transferred to the new museum in Beni Suef, and plas are being finalised to study the statues, tombs and architectural plan of the site for publication," Zoheri explained.
Ihnasia will never become a site of tourist interest. Not only is it off the beaten track but there are meager material remains compared to other sites. This is, of course, what pleases archaeologists. They continue to search for blocks of inscribed stone and papyri that might fill the gaps in the historical record.
As for me, I came away with thoughts of the 'eloquent peasant' echoing in my mind and the vision of the Pharaoh Kheti who wrote a treatise on kingship. He wrote advice to his son, Meri Kari, on the duties of a monarch towards his people. Unlike Bebit Tegouti who exploited the poor, Kheti wrote about the responsibilities facing a leader, his need to guard his frontiers and the obligation to serve his people.
