Harkhuf's Story

Between 2500-2200 BCE, Egyptian inscriptions sometimes mention a southern land called Yam. Many years ago, archaeologists discovered the tomb of an Egyptian caravan leader named Harkhuf at Aswan. In a long inscription carved on its walls, Harkhuf boasts that he made four journeys to Yam to bring back precious products from there: ivory, leopard skins, ostrich eggs and feathers, ebony logs, various vegetable products, boomerangs, and other things. On his way to Yam, Harkhuf traveled on the desert roads in order to avoid the chiefs of Lower Nubia who might have robbed him.

On his way south, his 300 donkeys carried not only the gifts sent by the pharaoh for the king of Yam, but also all the food and water needed by the animals and handlers. On his way back, his donkeys were fully loaded with rich Nubian products and were unable to carry any food and water, so they had to travel along the Nile. Because of the danger of attack along this route, Harkhuf hired an army from Yam to protect the caravan until it arrived safely in Egypt.

Archaeologists believe that Yam was near the modern town of Kerma, Sudan, where many ancient Egyptian objects from this time have been found.

Foundations of a round building at Kerma thought to be an early palace. It dates to about the time of Harkhuf's travels. Possibly this was the residence of the king of Yam whom Harkhuf visited. Like many important royal African palaces of only a century ago, this building was made of mud brick and had an overhanging pointed roof supported by wooden posts.

Photo courtesy of the Sudan Archaeological Mission of the University of Geneva, Switzerland.

On his last journey to Yam, Harkhuf brought back to Egypt a pygmy from the "land of the horizon-dwellers", far beyond Nubia. Pygmies were rarely seen in Egypt since they came from Central Africa, but they were well known for their wonderful dancing. This picture shows an Egyptian ivory toy representing three pygmy dancers connected to a string. The figures "danced" when the string was pulled. Dynasty 12, about 1990-1780 BCE.

Courtesy the Egyptian Museum, Cairo.