The Pyramids of Meroë are part of the larger group of

Nubian pyramids The Nubian pyramids were built by the rulers of the ancient Kushite kingdoms. The area of the Nile valley known as Nubia, which lies within the north of present-day Sudan, was the site of three Kushite kingdoms during antiquity. The capital of th ...

, built at the time of the Kushite Kingdom over a period close to a millennium. Near

Meroë Meroë (; also spelled ''Meroe''; Meroitic: or ; ar, مرواه, translit=Meruwah and ar, مروي, translit=Meruwi, label=none; grc, Μερόη, translit=Meróē) was an ancient city on the east bank of the Nile about 6 km north-east ...

, three royal cemeteries were constructed: * South Cemetery features nine royal pyramids. Four of the pyramids belonged to Kings and five belonged to queens. One hundred and ninety-five other tombs complete the cemetery. * North cemetery contains forty-one royal pyramids. Thirty belonged to kings, six to queens and five to other royals. The cemetery has three more non-royal tombs for a total of forty-four. * West cemetery is a non-royal site. It contains some one hundred and thirteen tombs.G. A. Reisner, The Meroitic Kingdom of Ethiopia: A Chronological Outline, The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology, Vol. 9, No. 1/2 (Apr., 1923), pp. 34–77 On 8 September 2020, the pyramids were threatened for the first time by floods.

Southern Cemetery at Begarawiyah

The southern cemetery is the burial place of the Meroitic side of the royal family from ca 720 – 300 BCE. Towards the end the cemetery became the main royal burial site for the Kings of Meroë. This cemetery contains several pyramids: * Beg.S 1 – Queen's pyramid (anonymous) * Beg.S 2 – Queen's pyramid (anonymous) * Beg.S 3 – Queen's pyramid (anonymous) * Beg.S 4 – King's sister, King's Mother, Kenreth = Saleran? (or Saluwa?). * Beg.S 5 – King

Amanislo Amanislo was a king of Kush dating to the middle of the third century BCE.László Török, The kingdom of Kush: handbook of the Napatan-Meroitic Civilization, 1997 Monuments and inscriptions Amanislo is mainly known from his pyramid at Meroë. ...

* Beg.S 6 – King

Arqamani Arqamani (also Arkamani or Ergamenes IITörök (2008), p. 393) was a Kushite King of Meroë dating from the late 3rd to early 2nd century BCE. Biography It is believed that Arqamani ruled in Meroë at the time of the Egyptian revolt of Horwen ...

or King Khnum-ib-re(?) * Beg.S 9 – Queen's pyramid (anonymous) * Beg.S 10 – King Kalka * Beg.S 20 – Prince Weteriken (?), son of

Amaniastabarqa Amaniastabarqa (also Amaniastabarqo) was a Kushite king of Meroë who ruled in the late Sixth or early Fifth centuries BC, c. 510–487 BCE.

Siaspiqa Siaspiqa (also Si'aspiqo) was a ruler of the Kushite kingdom of Meroë reigning for close to twenty years in the first half of the 5th century BC. Very little is known of Siaspiqa's activities beyond the construction of his pyramid at Nuri, now k ...

* Beg.S 85 – Princess Mernua, contemp. King

Anlamani Anlamani was a king of the Kingdom of Kush in Nubia, who ruled from 620 BC and died around 600 BC. Under his reign, Kush experienced a revival in its power. Anlamani was the son of Senkamanisken, his predecessor, and the elder brother of ...

–

Aspelta Aspelta was a ruler of the kingdom of Kush (c. 600 – c. 580 BCE). More is known about him and his reign than most of the rulers of Kush. He left several stelae carved with accounts of his reign. Family Aspelta was the son of Senkamanisken a ...

* Beg.S 500 – Prince Kariben, son of King

or King

Nasakhma Nasakhma (Nasakhmaqa) was a Kushite King of Meroe. He was the successor of king Siaspiqa. Nasakhma was succeeded by Malewiebamani, who may have been his eldest son. It is possible that Talakhamani was a younger son of Nasakhma who took the t ...

Dows Dunham and M. F. Laming Macadam, Names and Relationships of the Royal Family of Napata, The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology, Vol. 35 (Dec., 1949), pp. 139–149 * Beg.S 503 – Queen Khennuwa, approximately time of

Nastasen Nastasen was a king of Kush (335 – 315/310 BC). According to a stela from Dongola his mother was named Queen Pelkha and his father may have been King Harsiotef. His successor was Aryamani. He is known from three types of objects. There is a ...

File:Meroe Südfriedhof.JPG, The Southern Cemetery of Meroë File:Meroe Südfriedhof (cropped).JPG, Detail of the Southern Cemetery. The large pyramids belong to Kings

and

North Cemetery at Begarawiyah

After the southern cemetery was full, the burials continued in the north. This site contains the royal burials of the Kings and Queens of Meroë from ca 300 BCE to about 350 CE. The northern cemetery contains many royal pyramids: Meroe at sun rise, Sudan

* Beg. N1 – Queen

Amanitore Amanitore (early or mid-1st century CE), also spelled Amanitere or Amanitare, was a Nubian Kandake, or queen regnant, of the ancient Kushitic Kingdom of Meroë, which also is referred to as Nubia in many ancient sources. Alternative spellings inc ...

* Beg. N2 – King

Amanikhabale Amanikhabale (also transliterated Astabarqaman) was a King of Kush Kush or Cush may refer to: Bible * Cush (Bible), two people and one or more places in the Hebrew Bible Places * Kush (mountain), a mountain near Kalat, Pakistan Balochistan * ...

George A. Reisner, The Pyramids of Meroë and the Candaces of Ethiopia, Museum of Fine Arts Bulletin, Vol. 21, No. 124 (Apr., 1923), pp. 11–27 * Beg. N3 – Queen's Pyramid (unidentified) * Beg. N4 – King

Amantekha Amantekha was a little known king of Nubia. He most likely ruled in the Third Century BCE Common Era (CE) and Before the Common Era (BCE) are year notations for the Gregorian calendar (and its predecessor, the Julian calendar), the world's mo ...

* Beg. N5 – Prince

Arikhankharer Arikhankharer was a crown-prince of Kush (''circa'' AD 15?). Arikhankharer was the eldest son of Natakamani Natakamani was a King of Kush who reigned from around or earlier than 1 BC to c. AD 20.Oliver, Roland and Brian M. Fagan ''Africa in the ...

, son of

* Beg. N6 – Queen

Amanishakheto Amanishakheto was a Kandake of Kush. She seems to have reigned from 10 BC to 1 AD, although most dates of Kushite history before the Middle Ages are very uncertain. In Meroitic hieroglyphs her name is written "Amanikasheto" (''Mniskhte'' or ''(Am ...

* Beg. N7 – King

(Merqetek) * Beg. N8 – Nahirqa(?) (Nayakhensan-mery-Isis ?). * Beg. N9 – King Tabirqo (=

Adikhalamani __NOTOC__ Adikhalamani was a Kushite King of Meroe dating to the 2nd century BCE. Adikhalamani was the successor of King Arqamani and was later succeeded by a king whose name has only partially survived: (...)mr(...)t. He is said to be contemp ...

?) * Beg. N10 – King

Shorkaror Shorkaror (also transliterated Sherkarer, Sherakerer) was a king of Kush (ca. 20–30 AD). Shorkahor was the third son of Natakamani and Amanitore. His older brothers Arikhankharer and Arikakahtani had been crown-prince before Shorkahor. Wh ...

* Beg. N11 – Queen

Shanakdakhete Shanakhdakheto or Shanakdakhete was a Queen of the Kingdom of Kush, when the polity was centered at Meroë, an ancient city in north Sudan. She is the earliest known ruling African queen of ancient Nubia, and reigned from c. 170–150 BC, althoug ...

* Beg. N12 – King's Pyramid (unidentified) * Beg. N13 – King NaqyrjinsanFontes Historiae Nubiorum II, p.686 * Beg. N14 – King Teriteqas * Beg. N15 – King Pisakar * Beg. N16 – King Amanitaraqide * Beg. N17 – King Amanitenmemide, Nebmaatre I * Beg. N18 – Queen Amanikhatashan * Beg. N19 – King Tarekeniwal * Beg. N20 – King

Tanyidamani Tanyidamani was a Kushite king of Meroë who ruled around 100 BCE. László Török, in: ''Fontes Historiae Nubiorum, Vol. II'', Bergen 1996, pp. 662–672, . He was most liklely the son of king Adikhalamani and Nahirqo.Kuckertz, Josef ...

* Beg. N21 – Queen

Amanirenas Queen Amanirenas (also spelled Amanirena), described by Strabo as being blind in one eye, was queen of the Kingdom of Kush from c. 40 BC to c. 10 BC. Her full title was ''Amnirense qore li kdwe li'' ("Ameniras, qore and kandake"). Meroitic, the in ...

* Beg. N22 – King

Natakamani Natakamani was a King of Kush who reigned from around or earlier than 1 BC to c. AD 20.Oliver, Roland and Brian M. Fagan ''Africa in the Iron Age'' "Cambridge University Press". p. 40. . Natakamani is the best attested ruler of the Meroitic period ...

* Beg. N24 – King Yesbokheamani * Beg. N25 – Queen's Pyramid (unidentified) * Beg. N26 – Queen's Pyramid (unidentified) * Beg. N27 – King Maleqorobar * Beg. N28 – King Teqorideamani * Beg. N29 – King Takideamani * Beg. N30 – King Aritenyesbokhe * Beg. N32 – King Amanikhalika * Beg. N34 – King Tamelerdeamani * Beg. N35 – Maniterara(ze), Teraramani. * Beg. N36 – King Aryesbokhe * Beg. N37 – King Amanikhareqerem * Beg. N38 – King Teritedakhatey * Beg. N40 – King Teritnide * Beg. N41 – King Adeqetali * Beg. N51 – King's Pyramid (unidentified) * Beg. N52 – Unknown * Beg. N53 – King

Arnekhamani Arnekhamani was a Nubian king of the Kushite Kingdom in the third century BC. The king is mainly known from his building activity at the Musawwarat es-Sufra temple complex. The main temple complex at this place was built by Arnekhamani, but was ne ...

* Beg. N55 – Unknown * Beg. N56 – Prince Arikakahtani, son of

Treasures and artifacts of the North Cemetery

Numerous treasures were discovered in the pyramids since the 19th century. File:Lamp met handvat in de vorm van een paard uit de piramide van Koningin Amanikhatashan te Meroë. MFA, Boston.jpg, Lamp with handle in the shape of a horse, from the pyramid of Queen Amanikhatashan in Meroë (c.62-c.85 CE).

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston The Museum of Fine Arts (often abbreviated as MFA Boston or MFA) is an art museum in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the 20th-largest art museum in the world, measured by public gallery area. It contains 8,161 paintings and more than 450,000 works ...

File:Aegyptisches Museum Berlin InvNr22877 20080313 Halskette Amanishakheto 2.jpg,

Usekh collar As early as the Old Kingdom (circa 2670–2195 B.C.), Egyptian artisans fashioned images of gods, kings, and mortals wearing broad collars made of molded tubular and teardrop beads. The Usekh or Wesekh is a personal ornament, a type of broad col ...

of queen

File:Aegyptisches Museum Berlin InvNr22877 20080313 Schulterkragen Amanishakheto.jpg, Bracelet from the tomb of

File:Aethiopen. Begerauîeh (Begrawiya). Pyramidengruppe A. Pyr. 15. Gold- und Silber- Schmuck aufgefunden von Ferlini 1830. ( jetzt im K. Museum zu Berlin.) (NYPL b14291191-44190).tiff, Some of the treasures found by Ferlini in the pyramid of queen

File:Wall of Meroe Pyramid chapel Amanitenmomide Dez2005.jpg, Wall of the Pyramid chapel of Amanitenmemide File:MeroePyramidChapelDetail.jpg, Detail of Pyramid Chapel Beg. N1

West Cemetery at Begarawiyah

* Beg. W14 – Nasapanasap * Beg. W18 – Taktidamani * Beg. W19 – Tedeqen * Beg. W105 – Amanipilde * Beg. W113 – King Mashadeakhel * Beg. W342 – Atedekey

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pyramids of Meroe Archaeological sites in Sudan Pyramids in Sudan Kingdom of Kush

Southern Cemetery at Begarawiyah

North Cemetery at Begarawiyah

Treasures and artifacts of the North Cemetery

West Cemetery at Begarawiyah

See also

References