Nubian archers and their impact in Egyptian culture

Nubia was known as the land of expert archers in Egypt as early as the Protodynastic period, leading to the designation of Lower Nubia as ‘Land of the Bow’ (Ta-Seti). By extension all states and polities foreign to Egyptians were eventually called by them ‘The Nine Bows’. During the late Old Kingdom and the First Intermediate period, drought instigated migrations. People from Nubia traveled north, where archery and hunting skills could be converted into soldier careers. Many apparently settled in Egypt, forming communities where they were able to retain some of their indigenous customs and practices. Several ‘Nubian stelae’ (see no. 17) and C-Group artifacts are known from Jebelein, El-Rizeiqat and other southern Egyptian sites where garrisons were established. Non-Egyptian funerary customs, such as dog burials and the deposition of cattle remains, are further indications of Nubian cultural influence at these sites. Archers from Nubia were involved in battles that ultimately reshaped Egypt as a unified state in the Middle Kingdom.