Shalfak

Shalfak (originally Waf-Chastiu, "subduing the foreign lands")^[1] is an Ancient Egyptian fortress once built up on the western shore of the Second Cataract of the Nile River on what is now an island in Lake Nubia in the north of Sudan.

Shalfak in hieroglyphs
Waf-Chastiu Wʾf-ḫ3s.wt

History

Set up in the Middle Kingdom under Senusret III, Shalfak is one of a chain of 17 forts which the pharaohs of the 12th Dynasty established to secure their southern frontier during a time when they sought to expand Egypt's influence. Shalfak, along with the forts of Buhen, Mirgissa, Uronarti, Askut, Dabenarti, Semna, and Kumma, were established within signalling distance of each other.^[2]

Description

Situation plan of Shalfak

The fortress occupies a roughly triangular area of about 1,800 square metres (0.44 acres), adapted to the available ground. Its massive mudbrick wall still stands up to 6 metres (20 ft) high and 8 metres (26 ft) thick. Three spur walls, towards the north, west and east, complete the fortification system. The eastern wall protects a stairway leading down to the river to ensure access to a water supply in the case of siege.^[3] The internal structures are very well preserved, including a command building, barracks, workshops, storerooms and a granary arranged in a grid plan.^[4]

Excavations

Excavations were conducted in February and March 1931 by a team of the Harvard University and the Museum of Fine Arts Boston under Noel F. Wheeler. In 2017, a team under Claudia Näser from University College London began excavating again, with excavations ongoing as of 2018^[update].^[5]