Kush 1
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Welcome to The Nile Valley Level 1 Lesson 5: Kush
In this lesson, you will learn about:
The location of the kingdom
The similarities between Kemet and Kush
The rivalry between Kemet and Kush
Objectives
By the end of this lesson, you will understand:
When this kingdom began
Where this kingdom was located
The importance of gold in the region
The relationship between Kush and the Queen Mothers of Kemet
Where the Kushite Empire expanded
What writing script was used in Kush
Kush was a kingdom that existed to the south of Kemet in Nubia. This nation succeeded the first kingdom of Ancient Nubia and began over 6000 years ago.
The Kushites worshipped the same gods as the people of Kemet, and both societies shared many cultural customs such as modes of dress and pharaonic leadership. Despite this, however, both Kush and Kemet came to war several times, vying for control over the Nile Valley’s gold mines. These gold mines were a great source of wealth, and access to them gave one the power to control the entire economy of North Africa and Eastern Asia. Ancient documents describe the gold in this region as being as common as dust!
During Kemet’s New Kingdom period, Queen Mothers from Kemet were placed on the throne of Kush and ruled the kingdom as part of the Kemetic Empire. However, as this empire began to crumble, Kush regained self-governance and eventually came to rule Kemet. The Kushites expanded their borders into North-West Africa and even into Europe, forming the Kushite Empire.
Kush had a similar writing script to Kemetic hieroglyphics called the Meroitic script. However, unlike Kemetic hieroglyphics, this script has never been deciphered. It is known however that Meroitic had 23 letters and a numerical system. Writing was done on pieces of wood, animal skins, the walls of temples and tombs, and vases.
The Kushites built pyramids throughout their kingdom and there are more pyramids in this area of Africa than in Egypt. They also built huge obelisks and temples dedicated to the gods and the pharaohs. Astronomical observatories were also built as the Kushites studied the stars and linked the cosmos to their spiritual beliefs. After the fall of Kemet, Kush preserved the culture and customs of Africa’s pharaohs.