Nubia: Land of the Bow

Many early Egyptian inscriptions, dating between 3200 and 2600 BCE, mention Nubia, which is called "Land of the Bow." At least five of these seem to be about Egyptian military raids on Nubia. Because hieroglyphic writing of this time does not give us detailed history, we know little of these events.

Nubia was famous throughout ancient history as a land of expert and feared archers. Pictures from as early as 3200 BCE show Nubians carrying bows. The Egyptians even used a bow as the hieroglyphic spelling for the name "Nubia." Throughout history, pictures and drawings of Nubian gods, kings, and warriors show them holding bows. In graves of Nubian men, archaeologists often find their skeletons holding bows and lying beside quivers of arrows. In later centuries, men were sometimes buried wearing stone rings on their thumbs. These rings allowed them to pull back the bowstrings without cutting or hurting themselves.

About 2600 BCE, the Egyptians began hiring thousands of Nubian men as archers for their armies.

	A Nubian bowman on the "Lion Hunt Palette," Egypt, Predynastic Period, ca. 3400-3200 BCE.
	Courtesy of the Musée de Louvre, Paris.

The Egyptians usually called Nubia the "Land of the Bow." They wrote the name with hieroglyphs representing the bow and a strip of land (as at right). In a monument of the Egyptian pharaoh Khasekhem (about 2700 BCE), the land sign has grown a head to make it look like a fallen enemy.

Painted wooden model of a company of black-skinned Nubian bowmen, hired as soldiers for the Egyptian army. Egyptian, Dynasty 11-12, ca. 2040-1780 BCE.

Courtesy of the Egyptian Museum, Cairo.

Matching wooden model of a company of Egyptian spear men, painted red-skinned to contrast with the black Nubians. Egyptian, Dynasty 11-12, ca. 2040-1780 BCE.

Courtesy of the Egyptian Museum, Cairo.

Gravestone of the Nubian soldier Nenu, his wife and son, which also depicts his servants and pet dogs. Nenu was a Nubian who had come to Egypt to work as a professional bowman. He can be seen holding his bow and a quiver of arrows. In Egypt he took a wife, who has an Egyptian name and has lighter skin. There he lived and died and was buried with an Egyptian stele or grave marker. Found at Gebelein in southern Egypt. About 2250-2060 BCE.

Courtesy of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.