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{{short description|Village and archaeological site in Egypt}}
{{Infobox ancient site
  |name = Gebelein
  |native_name = {{lang|arz|{{script|Arabic|الجبلين}}}}
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  |map_type = Nile#Egypt
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  |map_size = 250
  |relief=yes
  |location = [[Egypt]]
  |region = [[Esna]]-[[Luxor Governorate]]
  |coordinates    = {{Coord|25.483333|N|32.483333|E|display=inline}}
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[[File:Torino Museo Egizio 21072015 10 Linen.jpg|thumb|Painted linen (detail) from a grave in Gebelein, Naqada IIa-b (circa 3600 BC). [[Museo Egizio]], Turin.]]
'''Gebelein'''<ref name="Budge">{{citation |last=Budge|first=Ernest Alfred Thompson Wallis |year=1920 |title=By Nile and Tigris: a narrative of journeys in Egypt and Mesopotamia on behalf of the British Museum between the years 1886 and 1913 |publisher=John Murray: London |oclc=558957855|url=https://archive.org/stream/cu31924088412592#page/n435}}</ref> ([[Egyptian Arabic]]: {{lang|arz|{{script|Arabic|الجبلين}}}}, Two Mountains; [[Egyptian language|Egyptian]]: '''Inerty''' or '''Per-Hathor'''; [[Ancient Greek]]: {{lang|grc|{{script|Grek|Παθυρις}}}} {{transliteration|grc|Pathuris}} or {{lang|grc|{{script|Grek|Ἀφροδιτόπολις}}}} {{transliteration|grc|Aphroditópolis}};<ref name=Bard1999>{{citation | editor-last1=Bard | editor-first1=Kathryn A. | editor1-link=Kathryn A. Bard |year=1999 | title=Encyclopedia of the archaeology of ancient Egypt | editor-last2=Shubert | editor-first2=Steven Blake | publisher=Routledge | isbn=978-0-415-18589-9  | page=338 }}</ref> [[Latin]]: ''Pathyris'' or ''Aphroditopolis'') is an archaeological site and former town in [[Egypt]]. It is located on the [[Nile]], about 40&nbsp;km south of [[Thebes, Egypt|Thebes]], in the [[New Valley Governorate]].

The modern geographic area is known as Naga el-Gherira ([[Egyptian Arabic]]: {{lang|arz|{{script|Arabic|الغريرة}}}}).<ref name=Bard1999/>

==Archaeology==
[[File:Gebelein stela of mercenary.jpg|thumb|Gebelein stela of a mercenary. Dated to 2134-2040 BC.]]
{|class="wikitable" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border: none;"
|{{center|{{hiero|1={{transliteration|egy|jnr.tj}}<br/>"The Two Rocks"<ref>{{cite book |last=Gauthier |first=Henri |date=1925 |title=Dictionnaire des Noms Géographiques Contenus dans les Textes Hiéroglyphiques |volume=1 |url=https://archive.org/details/Gauthier1925_2 |publisher=Societe Royale de Geographie d'Egypte |page=[https://archive.org/details/Gauthier1925_1/page/n49/mode/2up 86]<!-- |era=nk --> }}</ref>
|2=<hiero>i-n:r-t:y-O39:O39</hiero>|align=center|era=nk}}}}
|{{center|{{hiero|1={{transliteration|egy|pr ḥwt-ḥr}}<br/>"House of Hathor"<ref name="Gauthier">{{cite book |last=Gauthier |first=Henri |date=1925 |title=Dictionnaire des Noms Géographiques Contenus dans les Textes Hiéroglyphiques |volume=2 |url=https://archive.org/details/Gauthier1925_2 |publisher=Societe Royale de Geographie d'Egypte |page=[https://archive.org/details/Gauthier1925_2/page/n61/mode/2up 117] }}</ref> |2=<hiero>pr-Hwt-t-Hr:r-G5</hiero>|align=center|era=nk}}}}
|{{center|{{hiero|1={{transliteration|egy|pr ḥwt-ḥr}}<br/>"House of Hathor"<ref name="Gauthier"/> |2=<hiero>pr:Z1-O10-t:niwt</hiero>|align=center|era=pt}}}}
|}

Gebelein is known for its cemetery, where archeological finds stretching from the [[Ancient Egypt#Predynastic period|Predynastic Period]] to the [[Middle Kingdom of Egypt|Middle Kingdom]] have been made.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.britishmuseum.org/research/search_the_collection_database/search_object_details.aspx?objectId=117645&partId=1 |title=Gebelein human mummy, 3400 BC |publisher=British Museum |date= |accessdate=2010-06-05}}</ref><ref name=EA21889>{{cite web|url=https://www.britishmuseum.org/research/search_the_collection_database/search_object_details.aspx?objectId=172669&partId=1 |title=Cosmetic-box, Graeco-Roman |publisher=British Museum |date=2010-05-14 |accessdate=2010-06-05}}</ref> Archaeological interest in the town started in the early 18th century AD and was included in [[Benoît de Maillet]]'s ''Description de l'Egypte''.<ref name=Mascrier1735 >{{citation | last1=Mascrier | first1=Jean Baptiste Le | year=1735 | title=Description de l'Egypte | last2=de Maillet | first2=Benoit | publisher=chez Louis Genneay }}</ref> As well as official excavations, many artifacts from the site were traded on the antiquities market and can be found in the museums of Turin, Cairo, Berlin, Lyons, and the [[British Museum]].<ref name=Bard1999/>

===Predynastic mummies===
{{Main article|Gebelein predynastic mummies}}
The Gebelein predynastic mummies are six naturally mummified bodies, dating to approximately 3400 BC from the Late Predynastic period of Egypt, and were the first complete pre-dynastic bodies to be discovered. The well-preserved bodies were excavated at the end of the nineteenth century by Wallis Budge, the British Museum Keeper for Egyptology, from shallow sand graves near Gebelein (modern name Naga el-Gherira) in the Egyptian desert.<ref name="Budge"/>

A Pre-dynastic mummified body dated to 3400 BC, excavated from this site, has been on display in the British Museum since 1901.<ref name=gu1987>{{cite news|newspaper=The Guardian (London)|date=October 14, 1987|title=Ancient Egyptian given new lease of life: Maev Kennedy goes down among the dead men at the British Museum to see a mummy made up|author=Maev Kennedy}}</ref>

===Temple of Hathor===
[[File:Schiaparelli's excavations - Gebelein, Southern hill, Excavation of the fortress, 1910, photo 40 of 45 - Archivio fotografico Museo Egizio, Turin C00728.jpg|thumb|left|Summit of the southern hill in Gebelein, remains of the temple dedicated to the goddess Hathor. Two stone column bases are visible. In the background, the northern hill. [[Ernesto Schiaparelli|Schiaparelli]] excavations, 1910.]]

The site includes the remains from a temple to [[Hathor]] with a number of [[cartouches]] on mud bricks and a royal [[stela]] from the [[Second Dynasty of Egypt|Second]] to [[Third Dynasty of Egypt|Third]] Dynasties.<ref name="PM5">Porter, Bertha and Moss, Rosalind. ''Topographical Bibliography of Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphic Texts, Reliefs and Paintings, V Upper Egypt: Sites (Volume 5)''. Griffith Institute. 2004.</ref>
The temple is located on the east hill of the site. Items of several [[Second Intermediate Period of Egypt|Second Intermediate Period]] rulers include  a stele of [[Dedumose II]], a block of [[Djedankhre Montemsaf]], and a stela of a ruler named Sekhemtawy. [[Hyksos]] rulers mentioned are [[Apepi (pharaoh)|Apophis]] (on a lintel) and [[Khyan]] (on a black granite block).<ref name="PM5"/>

Later period finds include a brick naming the [[High Priest of Amun]] [[Menkheperre]] and his wife Isetemkheb. The brick likely came from the Fort that enclosed the temple.<ref name="PM5"/>
From the Ptolemaic period came fragments of a statue of [[Ptolemy VIII Physcon|Ptolemy VIII Euergetes II]] Limestone fragments from the shrine that would have held the statue were also found.<ref name="PM5"/>

===Ptolemaic period military camp===
[[File:Schiaparelli's excavations - Gebelein, Southern hill, Excavation of the fortress, 1910, photo 24 of 45 - Archivio fotografico Museo Egizio, Turin C00714.jpg|thumb|Excavations along the slopes on the western side of the southern hill of Gebelein. Significant constructions brought to light, perhaps related to the nearby storage houses or a logistical support point for the personnel connected to the fortress. [[Ernesto Schiaparelli]] excavations, 1910.]]

During the reign of [[Ptolemy VI Philometor]], a military camp was established at Gebelein after the Theban rebellion of 186 B.C.<ref name="Manning">J. G. Manning, Land and Power in Ptolemaic Egypt: The Structure of Land Tenure, Cambridge University Press, May 29, 2003 (Via Google books)</ref> The camp was destroyed by rebel forces 88 BC and the site was never again inhabited on a larger scale. Several hundred Demotic and Greek papyri and [[ostraca]] pertaining to the soldiers and the local temple were found at the ruins between 1890 and 1930. These including the archive of the mercenary [[Horos son of Nechoutes]] and the [[Dryton and Apollonia Archive]].<ref name="Manning"/>

==External links==
*[http://www.museedesconfluences.fr/fr/node/492 Egyptian artefacts at the Musée de Confluences, Lyon]
*[http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/search.aspx?place=36452&plaA=36452-3-1 Egyptian artefacts from Gebelein at the British Museum, London]
*[https://collezioni.museoegizio.it/en-GB/search/?action=s&provenance=Gebelein Egyptian artefacts from Gebelein at the Museo Egizio, Turin] and [https://archiviofotografico.museoegizio.it/en/archivio/gebelein/ historical photographs of excavations]

{{Commons category multi | Gebelein | Ancient Egyptian art from Gebelein| align=left}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{coord|25|29|N|32|29|E|source:eswiki_region:EG_scale:10000|display=title}}

[[Category:Archaeological sites in Egypt]]
[[Category:Populated places in Qena Governorate]]