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Uronarti

Uronarti is an island and archaeological site in the Nile just south of the Second Cataract in the north of Sudan. The site features a massive ancient fortress that still stands on its northern end. This fortress is one of many constructed along the Nile in Lower Nubia during the Middle Kingdom, beginning under the reign of Senusret I.

Archaeological research
Uronarti has been researched for over 100 years. Uronarti was first excavated by British archaeologist Noel F. Wheeler under the nominal supervision of George Andrew Reisner in 1924. The results of these excavations were published by Dows Dunham. == Fortress ==
Fortress
The triangular shaped fortress of Uronarti is situated high on a rocky island, where it took advantage of the narrow passage of the Nile River in an area with the modern name Batn-El-Hajar - the Belly of Rocks. Conforming closely to the topography, the fort is an example of the Terrain type of Middle Kingdom forts. It was largely constructed of sun-dried mud brick. The initial mapping of Uronarti was completed by Dows Dunham. Some other items found at Uronarti include seal impressions, mud stamps, pottery, papyrus fragments, and stelae. Discovered in 2012 and partly excavated in 2013 and 2015, it is significantly different from the fort although it appears to be contemporary with it. Some huts were single rooms, some more elaborate groupings of rooms. This site was most likely contemporary with the early phase of the occupation of the fortress. Unfortunately, this area is annually flooded, so studying it can be difficult. The URAP conducted studies at low water to see how much of the "palace" remained, but results were inconclusive. Exterior wall A massive boundary wall runs the length of the exterior, and extends several hundred meters to the south toward the Semna fortress. == Boundary stela of Senusret III ==
Boundary stela of Senusret III
A near-duplicate of the text of the Semna stela of Senusret III was found at Uronarti by Georg Steindorf, Ludwig Borchardt and H. Schäfer. The inscription states that Senusret III was victorious over a Nubian army, however it is not clear what in this record is militaristic propaganda, and what is recounting of historical events. A discussion, transcription, and translation were published by J. Janssen. The stela is currently housed in the National Museum of Sudan. == Similar sites ==
Similar sites
Many similar fortresses, such as Buhen, Mirgissa, Shalfak, Askut, Dabenarti, Semna, and Kumma, were established within signaling distance of each other. Most of the fortresses are now beneath Lake Nasser, however areal surveillance has provided recent views of these sites. == See also ==
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