Semna Boundary Stela of Senwosret III
Returned to lender
This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.This object is not part of The Met collection. It was in the Museum for a special exhibition and has been returned to the lender.
The conquest of gold-rich Lower Nubia, an area that is now southern Egypt and northern Sudan, was a major achievement of Senwosret I that was later consolidated by Senwosret III. To guard the frontier against the Kerma kingdom farther south, a string of fortresses was built south of the Second Nile Cataract. In conjunction with these, Senwosret III set up a pair of monumental stelae at the forts of Semna and Uronarti, proclaiming Egypt’s supremacy over Nubia and calling on his successors to preserve the boundary.
The conquest of gold-rich Lower Nubia, an area that is now southern Egypt and northern Sudan, was a major achievement of Senwosret I that was later consolidated by Senwosret III. To guard the frontier against the Kerma kingdom farther south, a string of fortresses was built south of the Second Nile Cataract. In conjunction with these, Senwosret III set up a pair of monumental stelae at the forts of Semna and Uronarti, proclaiming Egypt’s supremacy over Nubia and calling on his successors to preserve the boundary.
Artwork Details
- Title: Semna Boundary Stela of Senwosret III
- Period: Middle Kingdom
- Dynasty: Dynasty 12
- Reign: Senwosret III
- Date: ca. 1878-1840 B.C.
- Geography: From Sudan, Lower Nubia, Semna
- Medium: Quartzite
- Dimensions: H. 160 cm (63 in.); W. 97 cm (38 3/16 in.); D. 28 cm (11 in.)
- Credit Line: Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Ägyptisches Museum und Papyrussammlung
- Curatorial Department: Egyptian Art