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People Called Asiatic or Nubian in Middle Kingdom Written Sources: A Comparison

    Wolfram Grajetzki

Ägypten und Levante 34, pp. 223-232, 2025/02/05

Internationale Zeitschrift für ägyptische Archäologie und deren Nachbargebiete
International Journal for Egyptian Archaeology and Related Disciplines

doi: 10.1553/AEundL34s223

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doi:10.1553/AEundL34



doi:10.1553/AEundL34s223


Abstract

In many late Middle Kingdom written sources, there appear people labelled “Asiatic” or “ female Asiatic” (aAmw/aAmt), while the term “Nubian” (nHsy/nHsyt) is extremely rare as a marker for single individuals. This contrasts with the archaeological record, which provides good evidence for Nubians (C-Group) living in Egypt, whereas there is little evidence for people from the Levant in Egypt proper, apart from the Eastern Delta. It can be shown that at least some people from the Levant were labelled in documents and monuments as “Asiatic,” indicating a certain social status and perhaps expressing a specific form of dependency. For Nubians, however, no such label is attested.

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Keywords: Asiatic, Nubian, Workforce, social category, Middle Kingdom, Pan-grave, C-Group