Relations between indigenous people and colonists at Askut

Nestled on a secure island on the Nile next to a rich gold mine, Askut held a strategic position. It had accommodated a thriving A-Group community well before the Egyptian invasion. Initially the fort had limited interactions with the local population, which rarely incorporated Egyptian artifacts in their material culture. This has been described in scholarship as ‘intentional cultural contrast’ (Smith 1995). Towards the end of the Middle Kingdom military garrisons were replaced by permanent Egyptian settlers, and C-Group wares started to appear in Egyptian contexts. Receptivity to a variety of cultural products became greatly accentuated in the Second Intermediate period. At that time Askut came under Kerma’s control in what appears to have been a peaceful transition. The fort interior was reconfigured into a settlement with regular houses, while C-Group, Pan-Grave and Kerma material culture alike became ubiquitous along with Egyptian artifacts. It is thought that some colonists remained, switching their allegiance to the Kerman rulers and coming in closer everyday contact with local groups.