El-Kurru

Reisner thought that the earliest tomb, Tum.1, dated back to the time of Pharaoh Sheshonq I of Ancient Egypt () and predates the Kingdom of Napata by some 200 years. At the present, some scholars (Hakem, Torok) think the early cemetery stretches back to the Ramesside period and date the earliest burials to the end of the Twentieth Dynasty of Egypt (). However, other scholars, including Kendall, more or less agree with Reisner's chronology, and move the date of initial use to 850-830 BC as opposed to Reisner's proposed date of 860 BC. As mentioned previously, not all of the tombs at El-Kurru are pyramids. Tombs Tum. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 (tum. standing for tumulus), and Ku.19 are all Nubian style tumuli that consist of a rock-cut pit covered by a circular mound of gravel, pebbles, and rubble. The following ten tombs built, Ku. 14, 13, 11, 10, 9, 23, 21, 8, 20, 7, also had offering chapels (except for Ku.21 and Ku.20) and had square plan rather than circular. In this period, Christian Nubians carved various graffiti into pyramid Ku. 1, including monograms, Christian symbols and, most remarkably, a multitude of boats, perhaps commemorating "some kind of river procession." ==Pyramids and tombs at El-Kurru==

• Tum. 1, dates to 860-840 BC, no names found associated with the tomb. father of Piye. • Ku.20 – dates to 751-716 BC, no name was found associated with this tomb. • Ku.7 – dates to 751-715 BC, possibly belongs to Queen Pebatjma, sister-wife of Kashta. Located next to the pyramid Ku.8, the possible pyramid of Kashta. • Ku.22 – dates to 751-716 BC, no name was found associated with this tomb. • Ku.17 – dates to 751-716 BC, belongs to King Piye, son of Kashta. • Ku.53 – dates to 751-716 BC, belongs to Queen Tabiry, daughter of Alara, wife of Piye. • Ku.54 – dates to 751-716 BC, possibly belongs to Peksater, daughter of Kashta, wife of Piye. • Ku.55 – dates to 751-716 BC, likely belongs to a queen. • Ku.221-224 – 751-716 BC, tombs contains the horses of King Piye. • Ku.15 – dates to 716-701 BC, belongs to King Shabaka, son of Kashta, brother of Piye. • Ku.51 – dates to 716-701 BC, likely belongs to a queen. • Ku.52 – dates to 716-701 BC, belongs to Queen Nefrukekashta, wife of Piye. • Ku.62 – dates to 716-701 BC, belongs to a queen of unknown name. • Ku.71 – dates to 716-701 BC, likely belongs to a queen. • Ku.201-208 – dates to 716-701 BC, contains the horses of King Shabaka. • Ku.18 – dates to 701-690 BC, belongs to King Shebitku, son of Piye. Located west of the pyramid of Kashta and south of the tumulus tombs. The pyramid still contained a human skull which may have belonged to Shebitku himself. • Ku.72 – dates to 701-690 BC, likely belongs to a queen. • Ku.209-216 – dates to 701-690 BC, contains the horses of King Shebitku. • Ku.3 – dates to 690-664 BC, belongs to Queen Naparaye, daughter of Piye, sister-wife of Taharqa. • Ku.4 – dates to 690-664 BC, belongs to Queen Khensa, daughter of Kashta, sister-wife of Piye. • Ku.16 – dates to 664-653 BC, belongs to King Tantamani, son of Shebitku and Queen Qalhata. It has two well-preserved underground chambers with both wall and roof paintings. • Ku.5 – dates to 664-653 BC, belongs to Queen Qalhata, wife of Shebitku, mother of Tantamani. • Ku.6 – dates to 664-653 BC, possibly belongs to Queen Arty, daughter of Piye and sister-wife of Shebitku. • Ku.217-220 – dates to 664-653 BC, contains the horses of King Tantamani. • Ku.61 – dates to 653-643 BC, possibly belongs to one of Tantamani's queens. • Ku.1 – dates to 362-342 BC, it was built by a king whose name is unknown and is the largest pyramid at El-Kurru, however, the tomb appears unfinished and unused. It is located just south and adjacent to the pyramid of Piye (K.17) • Ku.2 – dates to 362-342 BC, belongs to an unknown queen, likely the queen of the unknown king buried in Ku.1. ==Horse burials==

Some to the north-west of pyramids K.51–K.55, four rows of graves were found which contained horse burials (Ku.201-224). The rows contained four, eight, eight, and four graves respectively. The four graves in the first row likely date to the time of Piye, the tombs in the second row date to the time of Shabaka, the tombs in the third row date to the time of Shebitqo, and the tombs in the fourth and last row date to the time of Tantamani. ==Recent archaeological work==

In 2013 archaeological work once again commenced at El Kurru. In collaboration with the National Council for Antiquities and Museums (NCAM), and partially funded by the Qatar Sudan Archaeological Project (QSAP), Dr. Geoff Emberling (Kelsey Museum of Archaeology, Michigan) and Dr. Rachael J. Dann (Associate Professor, Egyptian & Sudanese Archaeology, University of Copenhagen) co-direct excavation, survey, documentation and conservation work at the site. Much of this work is discussed here: International Kurru Archaeological Project ==Royal cemeteries==

For other royal cemeteries see • Nuri • Gebel Barkal Royal Cemetery • Bagrawiyah Royal Cemeteries • Pyramids of Meroe (Begarawiyah) ==Gallery==

Exterior of one of the ancient Nubian tombs at El-Kurru near Karima.jpg|Exterior of one of the ancient Nubian tombs Burial Chamber of the tomb of Tanutamani (5) (33554932640).jpg|Burial Chamber of the tomb of Tanutamani Burial Chamber of the tomb of Tanutamani (4) (33096700524).jpg|Burial Chamber of the tomb of Tanutamani Painting in the ancient Nubian tombs at El-Kurru near Karima, Sudan.jpg|Burial Chamber of the tomb of Tanutamani Burial Chamber of the tomb of Tanutamani (2) (33809906071).jpg|Burial Chamber of the tomb of Tanutamani ==References==