Archeologia e storia del Fayyum durante il Nuovo Regno

• Main Author: Gasperini, Valentina <1981>
• Other Authors: Pernigotti, Sergio
• Format: Doctoral Thesis
• Language: it
• Published: Alma Mater Studiorum - Università di Bologna 2010
• Subjects: L-OR/02 Egittologia e Civiltà Copta
• Online Access: http://amsdottorato.unibo.it/2538/

La presente ricerca prende in esame le dinamiche archeologiche e storiche della regione egiziana del Fayyum durante il Nuovo Regno (1552 – 1069 a.C.). L’elaborato è suddiviso in quattro parti: la prima analizza tutti i contesti archeologici che hanno restituito materiale databile al Bronzo Tardo, la seconda riguarda, invece, la catalogazione di tutti i documenti iscritti provenienti dalla regione e databili al medesimo periodo. La terza parte rappresenta la sintesi dei dati acquisiti nelle due precedenti sezioni e descrive il divenire storico regionale tra XVIII, XIX e XX dinastia, mentre la quarta parte, un’appendice prosopografica, chiude l’intero studio. I contesti archeologici fayyumici che hanno restituito materiale databile al Bronzo Tardo sono solamente sette: Gurob, el-Lahun, Haraga, Hawara, Medinet Madi, Shedet e Tebtynis. La distribuzione della documentazione tende a concentrarsi, dal punto di vista territoriale nell’area d’ingresso della regione, mentre dal punto di vista cronologico sono molto ben attestate la seconda metà dell’epoca thutmoside, l’età amarniana e la prima parte dell’epoca ramesside. Per quanto la documentazione regionale pertinente al Nuovo Regno sia estremamente rarefatta, soprattutto se paragonata a quella contestualizzabile cronologicamente ad altri periodi storici, un’attenta analisi delle testimonianze porta a collocare il Fayyum in una fitta trama di rapporti politici, economici e militari non solo con il resto del Paese ma anche con altre aree geografiche, esterne all’Egitto. === This research deals with the archaeology and history of the Fayyum region during the New Kingdom. The purpose of this study is, above all, to outline all the main archaeological characteristics of this region during the Late Bronze Age. The first part of the dissertation regards the funerary areas of the Fayyum, with a particular attention to the necropolis of Gurob, el-Lahun, Hawara and Harageh, not only in relation to their topographical and architectural aspects but also in connection to the material cultures which were attested there. Moreover, this analysis deals with the Near Eastern pottery, found in great quantity in the region and probably in relation with the role of Fayyum as a connecting area for the caravan road from the Valley to the Western Desert. The second level of analysis is the study of the region’s urbanism in the same period, with particular attention to the main town of the area, Gurob, and his most important architectural expressions: the royal harem built there by Thutmosis III, the “Fort” (probably a defensive building dated to the very beginning of the XVIIIth dynasty) and the temple for the worshipping of Thutmosis III himself. In a second moment I underlined the urban characteristics of the other archaeological sites of the area surely attested during the New Kingdom: Kahun, Harageh and Shedet. I studied also all the papyri coming from the Fayyum or related to this region, dated from the very beginning of the XVIIIth dynasty to the end of the XXth, in order to have a complete prospective of the area during this period. A full database for all the inscribed New Kingdom objects found in the area represents the second part of the present work. The third part of this dissertation is completely dedicated to the analysis of Fayyum’s historical events during the same period, whereas the fourth part contains the prosopography of male and female persons attested in the region during the New Kingdom. The purpose of this research is, in particular, to underline the consensus to the royal power in the area. In fact, the Fayyum is usually considered as an unimportant area during Egypt’s Empire Period, in particular if compared with its significant role during the Middle Kingdom. This can be considered just partly true: indeed, during particular moments of the New Kingdom (Thutmoside Period, Amarna Age, and at the beginning of Ramesside Period) the region was strictly linked to the court, as it is attested by the great number of royal objects which were found in the different archaeological contexts. It is possible to underline the will of the Royal Family to create a strong relation with this area because of political, economical and military reasons.