ABSTRACT
One of the few recorded events of the later Napatan period is a war between Kush and Egypt in 593 BC, in which Psammatik II invaded Kush, the course of which is recorded in fragmentary stele at Tanis and Karnak (Sauneron and Yoyotte 1952) and another at Shellal. An army of both Egyptian troops and Greek mercenaries was dispatched south, defeating the Kushites and taking prisoners. Various interpretations of the course of the campaign have been suggested based on the slightly different texts. Possible links with archaeological data have also been suggested, in particular associating a number of destruction episodes in the Napata region, probably during the reign of Aspelta, with this campaign, although doubts have been expressed that the Egyptian army actually reached that area (Török 1997a; FHN II: 279ff), and in consequence the dating of Aspelta on this basis remains insecure. However, indications of similar episodes of destruction have been found recently at Kerma where a cache of broken statues (of Taharqo, Tenwatamani, Senkamanisken, Anlamani, and Aspelta) have been found (Mayell 2003). A good case can also be made that the text of the Tanis stele (Manuelian 1984) does refer to Barkal and it may be premature to abandon the link between Aspelta and Psammatik II and the significance of the Egyptian campaign against Kush (Kendall 1997a, 2002).
