This country is famous for the famous expedition of Queen Hatshepsut in Egypt 1493 BC 18 BC. This exchange between Egypt and Ponte brought living trees back to Egypt, which was the first known attempt to successfully transplant exotic animals. However, this trip to Ponte is only the most famous one. There is evidence that Egyptians used Ponte's land for trade as early as the reign of the fourth dynasty Pharaoh Khufu (2665438 BC+03-2498 BC).
From the late dynasty (6000-3 BC150 BC), with the increase of trade, Egypt gradually became a country. By the early dynasty (3 150-26 13 BC), trade with Mesopotamia and Phoenicia had been firmly established. In the Fifth Dynasty (2498-2345 BC), Egypt prospered through trade with these areas, especially the Phoenician city of Biblus and countries such as Nubia and Bonte. However, Puntland is not only an important trading partner; It is also the source of cultural and religious influence, and it is also the land regarded by the Egyptians as the birthplace and blessed by the gods.
The location of Bont land
Today, historians, scholars, archaeologists and others still argue about the exact location of Ponte land. For many years, it has been regarded as a part of Somalia or Puntland, Sudan, Eritrea or other inland areas in East Africa in the Horn of Africa. The debate about where Ponte is still going on, and scholars and historians from all sides have provided reasonable support for their claims. The two best possibilities are Eritrea and Somalia, and Eritrea has gained the widest acceptance so far.
However, judging from the expedition relief carved on the Hatshepsut Temple in Deir Bachri, Puntland is likely to be located in today's Puntland region. According to the historian Abdisalam Mahamoud, the ancient Somali name in their area was Bunn, which was called Pwenet or Pwene in the text of trade with Egypt, and this area is called Bunni today. There are many striking similarities between Puntland culture in Somalia and ancient Egyptian culture, including language, etiquette, clothing and art.
Hatshepsut's inscription claims that her Virgin Hassall came from Bonte, while other inscriptions show that Egyptians in the 18 dynasty believed that Bonte was the origin of their culture. John A. Wilson, a scholar, wrote that Hatshepsut was very proud of her expedition to Puntland, and he clearly pointed out that it was "the spice land in the south, which may be mainly located in Somaliland, but there are also * * * Felix" (178). Ponte can't be in * * *, because the Egyptians often trade with areas that are not in the "South", and it can't be Nubia, because the Egyptians know this land like the back of their hands and won't use "mystery" to describe it. In addition, trade is conducted by sea travel, excluding these two situations.
Those who agree to interpret Somali as gondola point out the descriptions of exploration by Hatsehpsut and others. The Egyptians drifted there by boat along the Nile, crossed the Wa Tito Mi Late in the eastern delta, and reached the Red Sea. There is evidence that Egyptian sailors will disassemble their ships, transport them to the Red Sea by land, and then hug the coast on the way to Bonte. Although this description is indeed beneficial to the interpretation of Eritrea, other evidence is largely beneficial to Somalia. Egyptians will always embrace the Horn of Africa along the coast, which is now Puntland, Somalia. Wilson cited the relief of Hatshepsut Temple as evidence to prove how surprised the Ponties were at the arrival of the Egyptians, because they seemed to be on the edge of the world. Wilson wrote:
The people of Ponte marveled at the bravery of Egyptian sailors: "How did you come to this unknown country?" ? Did you come down from the sky, or did you come by land or sea? What a happy God, Land (Punt), now you step on it like Ra! " ( 176)。
Egyptians also think gondolas are strange. The scholar Mark Van de Miyelop wrote:
[Egyptians] arrived in Puntland by boat and found that it was a completely different country from themselves. The performance of houses, animals and plants shows that it is located on the Red Sea coast in northeast Africa, which may be modern Eritrea, although some people suggest that it is located further inland (169).
Some of the most convincing evidence of Somalia as a Bonte comes from the work of archaeologists such as Dr. Juris Zarins, who convincingly believe that the settlers in the Nile valley colonized Somalia in the Neolithic Age, and these two areas were as early as 2000 BC. Ancient architectural and cultural evidence strongly supports Somalia's connection.
Hatshepsut's Exploration of gondola
Although the trade between Egypt and Ponte has long been established, the Hatshepsut expedition in BC 1493 was given special significance. This may only be because this transaction is bigger than any other transaction, but there is evidence that the road to Ponte has been lost, and Hatshepsut has been re-established by the gods. Wilson described her first commissioned voyage according to the relief of Hatshepsut's temple:
In the secret room of the temple, Amon Rakanak talked about the commercial exploration of Bont's land with Red Hat director Shepsut. "Your majesty on the steps of the palace of the Lord of the gods request. I heard the command from the great throne, which is the Oracle of God. Find the way to Ponte and explore the way to the myrrh platform "(169).
Hatshepsut then ordered the execution of God's will, equipped five ships for this journey, and collected goods for trading. Historian Barbara Watson described this journey according to the inscription of Hatshepsut's reign:
Five ships set out from a port in the Red Sea (probably Courcel) and sailed south to Sujain, where the expedition got off. The voyage lasts for 20 to 25 days, with an average of about 50 kilometers per day. The ship is close to the coast instead of venturing in the deep waters of the Red Sea. Su Yajin's route to Puntland is to cross the Red Seamount by land (10 1).
This description of the land voyage along the Red Sea to Puntland can provide a defense for Eritrea or Somalia, but again, it must be weighed against other evidence. No matter where its exact location is near the Horn of Africa, it is highly valued. It is so different from Egypt that it becomes mysterious. Bont village is described as a house built on stilts, ruled by a king who may take the advice of the elders. The inscription shows that the relationship between the two countries is very close, and the Ponti people are an extremely generous people. Egyptian scribes often praised Bont's wealth and "the beauty of the land".
Trade between Egypt and gondolas
The relief of the fourth dynasty shows a Ponty, who is one of the sons of Pharaoh Khufu, while the documents of the fifth dynasty show that the regular trade between the two countries benefits both sides. The tomb of Pepi Nacht Hekabu, a military commander, served under Pepy II (2278-2 BC184 BC) of the Sixth Dynasty. His inscription tells how Hekabu was sent by Pepy II to the "land of Eminem" to retrieve the body of Warden Kaiken. When Aamu and the residents of the sandy land killed him, he was "building a reed boat there to go to Bont" (van de Mieroop, 99). Aamu people are * * * Asians, while the residents of Sandy Land are Sudanese. They advocated establishing the starting point of Egyptian trade around Suakin Port on the west coast of the Red Sea (as Watson pointed out earlier). The Egyptians gained many of the most precious possessions by trading with Ponte.
The treasures brought to Egypt from Ponte include gold, ebony, wild animals, hides, ivory, ivory, spices, precious wood, cosmetics, frankincense and myrrh trees. Watson wrote, "In return for some Egyptian weapons and some trinkets, Ponte gave their tourists bags of fragrant gum, gold, ebony, ivory, leopard skin, living apes and fragrant trees" (10 1). However, the trade between Egypt and Ponte is not one-sided as Watson said, because the inscription clearly shows the fair trade between the two sides. Wilson reported how the Egyptians arrived in Ponte with "jewels, tools and weapons" and returned with "fragrant trees, ivory, myrrh and rare wood" (176). There is also evidence that even though Egypt has its own gold mines, Egyptians still exchange the existing metals in their country for gold in Bont.
The mentioned fragrant tree is a particularly impressive trade product. As mentioned above, this exchange is the first time that animals (plants and trees) have been successfully transplanted to another country. The transplant was very successful, and the trees flourished in Egypt for centuries. In BC 1493, the roots of frankincense trees brought back from Bonte by Hatshepsut's expedition can still be seen outside her building complex in Deir Bachri. The inscription on the wall of the site explains the relationship between Egypt and Ponte in detail, and makes it clear that this is a mutually beneficial relationship, and both sides deeply respect each other. The relief on the temple wall shows that the Ponte leader and his wife received the envoys from Egypt with various honors. These descriptions are so accurate that modern scholars have been able to diagnose the medical problems of the wife of Pontite Chief Artie. According to historian Jimmy Dunn, the Queen "has signs of dyslipidemia or diabetes. Her spine is obviously bent. The inscription mentions King Perehu of Bonte and his generosity. Judging from the goods brought back to Egypt, his generosity is enormous.
Hatshepsut's rule was one of the most prosperous periods in Egyptian history, but obviously, she thought her exploration of Ponte was one of her greatest successes. Watson described the importance of Ponte to the Queen when discussing the reliefs of Deir Bahri Temple:
Relief depicting important themes in Hatshepsut's life adorns the walls of the colonnade: her birth, the transportation of the obelisk in the Temple of Amon in Thebes, and Ponte's great exploration (16 1).
Mark van de Miyelop also commented on this, and he wrote:
Imported goods include whole incense tree and scattered incense, which is an expensive incense tree extract used for [religious service] to worship gods. The expedition collected a large number of it, and the accompanying inscription claimed that it had never been obtained before. The prominence of the relief shows how proud Hatshepsut is of the achievements of the expedition (169).
In addition to all other valuables mentioned above, 3 1 incense tree (frankincense) was brought back to Egypt, but it seems that visiting Ponte is as important as exchanging trade goods.
Bonte's land has long been associated with the past of gods and Egyptian legends, partly because many materials of Bonte are used in temple ceremonies. Pant's leopard skin was put on by priests, gold was made into statues, and incense was burned in temples. However, the deeper connection stems from the belief that the Egyptian gods are blessed and have the same feelings for Ponte. As mentioned above, Hatshepsut claimed that Hassall came from Ponte, and there is evidence that one of the most popular fertility gods in Egypt, Beth (known as the Dwarf God), came from Ponte just like others.
Gambling legend and modernity
In the 12 dynasty (BC 199 1- BC 1802), Ponte was immortalized in Egyptian literature because of the very popular story of shipwrecked sailors. One of the abandoned Egyptian sailors talked with a giant snake calling itself "King Ponte" on the island and filled the sailors with gold, spices and precious things. The sailor in the story told his master the story and cheered him up after an expedition failed. He pointed out that his master may be disappointed with his recent failure, but he himself has experienced similar failures. To make matters worse, his boat has actually been lost, and he is worried about his life.
In this story, the land of gondola was chosen as the mysterious place where sailors were washed away, because it was related to God in the past. The sailor told his master that although life may seem dull at some time, even the darkest moment in life can bring beauty. He gave an example: when the master of Bonte sent him home, he was richer than when he embarked on a doomed voyage, because the name of Bonte would remind his master of the gods and their blessings; And will remind the audience to listen to the story.
Ponte's land eventually became a semi-mythical land of the Egyptians, but it was still considered a very real place during the New Kingdom period (BC 1570- 1069). Vizier Lake Milla mentioned that during the reign of Amenhotep II (BC 1425- 1400), he accepted the tribute of foreign delegations from Bonte. During the reign of gondola, Ramses II (emperor, from 1279 to 12 13 BC) and Ramses III (from 1 186- 155 BC) were mentioned. Ponte, as a "land of plenty", has a deep fascination with the Egyptian people, and is called Te Netjer, the country of gods, from which all good things come to Egypt. Ponte is also related to Egyptian descent, because it is regarded as their ancient hometown and the land where the gods appeared and combined with each other. Why Ponte was promoted from reality to myth is still unknown, but after the rule of Ramses III, this land became more and more distant in the eyes of Egyptians until it disappeared into legends and folklore.
Today, the Somali people respect their ancient relations with Egypt by preserving their language and customs. Historian Abdiram Mahmoud quoted British linguist Charles Barber as saying that the language of ancient Egypt belongs to the language family still used in most parts of North Africa, including Somalia. Mahmoud commented on this, citing how modern Somalis continue to name their children after the ancient Egyptian gods. The modern "Oraxthy" in the ancient Egyptian "Horakhty" is an example. Although Ponte's land slowly disappeared into myth in ancient Egypt, its rich heritage continues and has been preserved by those who remember and respect the past.