What were some of the natural resources of ancient Nubia?

Answer 1

Gold is a big one, the Egyptian word for gold is 'nub' which is though to be were the name of the region originated from.

Another would be iron, specifically in meroe though, iron drove that areas economy.

Answer 2

It is acknowledged that there have been at least six female rulers of ancient Egypt who ruled as Pharaoh. I have also included two very likely women who may also have attained the title.

Meryt-Neith (c3000BCE) is the first recorded female ruler of Egypt. It is believed that she was the third Pharaoh of the 1st Dynasty and her rule lasted for 3 years.

As was the custom in her era Meryt-Neith has two sites dedicated to her burial. One at Sakkara and the other at Abydoss. Excavation of both sites indicates that she was buried with the full honours of a king. Each burial site contains a solar boat to ensure her safe passage to the after world and her tombs are surrounded by the graves of many of her advisers and other members and servants of her court.

There is evidence that Queen Khentakause 1,Great Wife of Pharaoh Userkaf ( 5th Dynasty) may have ruled in her own right.

For her titles depicted in hieroglyphs carved in high relief on the doorway of her mortuary temple can be read in two ways mst-nswy-bitwy which reads as Mother of Two Dual Kings or nsw-bity-mwt-nsw-bity ,Dual Mother and Mother of a Duel King.

There is also an image which portrays her with the false beard that was a symbol of Pharaonic rule.This strongly suggests she may have ruled during the minority years of her sons, who each ruled as Pharaoh in succession.

Nitocris (6th Dynasty 2148-44BCE) Nitocris took the throne during very unsettled years when there was no direct heir.

Her rule lasted only the brief span of three years and very little is known about her.

However the Greek traveller of antiquity Herodotus, wrote that she avenged the murder of her brother by killing hundreds of members of her court. Her method was to invite them to a banquet and when they had been plied with beer and food she open the flood gates of the Nile and they were all drowned.

Sobeknofru (12th Dynasty ?1767-1759BCE) Her rule lasted briefly and was troubled throughout by civil unrest. This was followed by a period of anarchy in Ancient Egyptian history. Although she left no known monuments she is mention in the Turin List of Kings. At the Karnak Temple complex there is a carved likeness of her wearing the Nemes headdress of a Pharaoh and a "kilt" over her gown.

There are also references of her reign at Sakkara.

Hatshepsut (18th Dynasty c.1473-1458? BCE) Probably the best known of the female Pharaohs and my personal favourite.

She was the daughter of Thutmose 1 and his Great Wife Ahmes, who came from a line of politically powerful priests of Amun.

On the death of Thutmose I her frail half-brother Thutmose II took the throne,as was the custom he married his sister Hatshepsut. On his death in 1479 BCE Hatshepsut, used the power of the priests of Amun to legitimise her claim to the throne and she included the claim that before her birth Ahmes was visited by the God Amun, who for-told of her divine birth.

Hatshepsut is usually depicted in the male attire of a Pharaoh including the false beard.ruled alone and during her reign she restored many of the earlier monuments and temples and made additions to the Karnak and Luxor Temple complexes.She also sent envoys to Punt and also reopened many earlier trade routes giving Egypt a time of peace and prosperity and stability.

Her personal life was not without interest to her people as Cartoons and graffiti in a cave above her famous temple shows.

There are many who favour the school of thought, that her daughter Neferure was fathered by Senmut. Semut was openly Hatshepsut's most favoured advisor and confidant and he later acted as tutor for Nefurure . He was also overseer for the building of her magnificent temple of Deir el Bahri.

She ruled alone and later as co-regent with her nephew Thutmose III . Strangely she disappears from all record at around 1458BCE when Thutmose III attained his majority.

Nefertiti(18th Dynasty c1336BCE) The beautiful and well known wife of Akhenaton the heretic Pharaoh who was formally known as Amenophis III.

She was involved to a large degree in her husbands revolutionary policies and is quite often depicted wearing the kingly attire and shown openly officiating along side her husband.

There is accumulating evidence that she may have also been the mysterious Pharaoh Smenkhare, although this has not yet been conclusively proven.

Tausert (19th Dynasty c.1187-1185 Like earlier Queens Tausert's reign occurred during a time of great political upheaval in Egypt and was not long enough to have made any lasting contributions.

She was the very much loved wife of Seti II. Although she was not his Great Wife he allowed a magnificent tomb to be built for her in The Valley of The Kings, an honour given to very few Queens.

Tausert ruled as a co-regent with a stepson and it was then sometime after his death(approx 5 years) that she claimed the title of Pharaoh.It is not known why she did not take the title immediately.

Cleopatra VII (c.51BCE) The most famous Egyptian woman in all of history.

Cleopatra was not of Egyptian heritage but of Macedonian lineage descended from Alexander the great.

Cleopatra's story is likely the best known of all the ancient Egyptian Pharaohs and Queens.

She attained sole rule at 17 but there is evidence she may have ruled co-jointly with her father Ptolemy XII and later with her brother Ptolemy XIII.

After her well documented life and loves she committed suicide in 30BCE.

So bringing to a close 3,000 years of continuous Dynastic rule of the Pharaohs of ancient Egypt.

I think I have just broken my own record for longest answer.I really find these questions very hard to just give an answer of ,the number,the name and year.

Source(s):Graduate Egyptologist

Answer 3

One of the main resources were the important gold mines that Nubia had.