Pyramids and elephants: the kingdom of Meroë

A lecture in the Oakwood Centre - NOT ONLINE

Date: Saturday 7^th May 2022 at 2pm
Venue Oakwood Cebtre In-person only No booking required
By Dr Robert Morkot

There were Kingdoms in Kush from the prehistoric to the Christian period, over five thousand years. Some of these are familiar – the kingdom of Kerma, that threatened Egypt in the 17th and early 18th Dynasties; and the kingdom of Napata which ruled Egypt as the 25th Dynasty; but the kingdom of Meroë still remains less well known. Meroë was a major centre for the ‘Napatan’ kings and came to be the focus of the later phases from around 600BC to 400 AD. Meroë City was only one of the royal residence cities, although it was the focus of the royal pyramid cemeteries. Meroë’s wealth derived from trade in exotic commodities such as ivory, incense, elephants and slaves. Its connections spread northwards to Aswan, east to the Red Sea and south to the upper Nile. This lecture will explore some the facets of this remarkable kingdom.

Cost: Free for Members and £4 Visitors.

Biography

Robert Morkot gained both his BA and PhD from University College London. Part of his postgraduate studies were spent at the Humboldt University in Berlin (GDR as it was then) which was the leading centre for Meroitic studies. He held a post-doctoral research position and Oxford and for many years taught in the Archaeology Department of a UK University. He was Chair of the Society for Libyan Studies and worked on the Eastern Marmarica Coastal Survey, and served for a long time on the Committee and Board of the EES. He is currently President of the Friends of the Petrie Museum. As an Ancient Historian, many of his interests are in interconnections in ancient societies. His best-known books are The Black Pharaohs, Egypt’s Nubian Rulers and (along with colleagues) the controversial Centuries of Darkness.