Nag el-Hamdulab au seuil de la 1re dynastie

Abstract

The rock art sites of Nag el-Hamdulab (Aswan region) present a unique source of information for understanding the transition between late Predynastic iconography and the more classic representations of the first dynasties. The main themes of the rock art tableaux are boat processions, military victory and hunting. An anonymous king wearing the White Crown is shown in several scenes and defines the context for the individual rock art sites. The Nag el-Hamdulab scenes represent the most extensive iconographic ensemble for late Predynastic - Early Dynastic times, publicly demonstrating royal power on one hand while the king figures on the other hand in the more restrained context of a small rock shrine as maintainer of order over chaos.