Researchers from the Sikait Project, directed by UAB Professor Joan Oller Guzmán, recently published new findings from the excavations of the Berenike site, a Greco-Roman seaport in the Egyptian Eastern desert.

來自Sikait計劃，由西班牙巴塞隆納自治大學(UAB：Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona)教授Joan Oller Guzmán指導的研究人員們，最近發表了，來自貝雷尼克(Berenike)遺址(埃及東部沙漠中，希臘與羅馬的一處古代海港市)的挖掘新發現。

The study results, published in the American Journal of Archaeology, describes the excavation of a religious complex from the Late Roman Period (between the fourth and sixth centuries) with unprecedented discoveries linked to the presence of the Blemmyes, a nomadic people.

此些發表於《美國考古學雜誌》的研究結果，描述了來自羅馬晚期(四世紀至六世紀間)具有與布萊米人(Blemmyes：一支游牧民族)存在有關，於宗教建築群之挖掘，史無前例的發現。

圖1. 研究團隊。從左到右：Delia Eguiluz Maestro、Joan Oller Guzmán、David Fernández Abella 和 Vanesa Trevín Pita。  (圖援用自原文)

The Sikait Project research team, directed by Professor Joan Oller Guzmán from the Department of Antiquity and Middle Age Studies at the UAB, with financial support from the Fundación PALARQ and the necessary permits from the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities, recently published in American Journal of Archeology the results obtained from the January 2019 excavation season at the ancient seaport of Berenike, located in Egypt’s Eastern desert.

該在獲得Fundación PALARQ(位於西班牙馬德里的一個基金會)財務支援及埃及古物部的必要許可下，由來自巴塞隆納自治大學，古物暨中世紀研究系教授Joan Oller Guzmán指導的Sikait計劃研究團隊，最近於《美國考古學雜誌》發表了，從2019年1月，在位於埃及東部沙漠中，貝古代雷尼克(Berenike)海港市之挖掘季節，獲得的結果。

The paper describes the archaeological dig of a religious complex from the Late Roman Period (4th to 6th centuries CE) named the “Falcon Shrine” by researchers, and located within the Northern Complex, one of the most important buildings of the city of Berenike at that time.

該論文描述了，來自羅馬晚期(公元4至6世紀)一處，位於北部建築群(Northern Complex)內，當時是貝雷尼克市最重要的建築物之一，被研究人員們命名為“獵鷹神殿”之宗教建築群的考古挖掘。

The site, which was excavated by the Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology and the University of Delaware, was a Red Sea harbour founded by Ptolomy II Philadelphus (3rd century BCE) and continued to operate into the Roman and Byzantine periods, when it was turned into the main point of entrance for commerce coming from Cape Horn, Arabia and India.

該由波蘭地中海考古中心及美國德拉瓦大學挖掘的遺址，是由托洛米二世·菲拉德爾菲斯(Ptolomy II Philadelphus，公元前3世紀)建立的一處紅海港口，且繼續運營到羅馬及拜占庭時期。當時被轉變成，來自合恩角(南美洲智利火地群島南端的陸岬)、阿拉伯及印度之商務的主要入口點。

Within this chronological period, one of the phases yielding the most new discoveries was the one corresponding to the Late Roman Period, from the fourth to sixth centuries CE, a period in which the city seemed to be partially occupied and controlled by the Blemmyes, a nomadic group of people from the Nubian region who at that moment were expanding their domains throughout the greater part of Egypt’s Eastern desert.

在此年代期間內，產生此些最新發現的階段之一，是與羅馬晚期相對應的一個階段，從公元四世紀到六世紀。在那時期，這座城市似乎部分被一群，來自努比亞地區(位於埃及南部與蘇丹北部之間沿著尼羅河沿岸的地區)的游牧民族，布萊米人所佔領及控制。當時他們正在埃及東部沙漠的較大部分地區，到處擴大其版圖。

In this sense, the Northern Complex is fundamental in providing clear evidence of a link with the Blemmyes people, thanks to the discover of inscriptions to some of their kings or the aforementioned Falcon Shrine.

從此意義上說，在提供與布萊米人有關聯性的明確證據上，由於發現了其一些國王或上述獵鷹神殿的銘文，因此北部建築群是基礎。

Researchers were able to identify a small traditional Egyptian temple, which after the 4th century was adapted by the Blemmyes to their own belief system.

研究人員們能夠識別出一座，在4世紀後，被布萊米人改裝為，他們自己之信仰體系的埃及傳統小神廟。

 “The material findings are particularly remarkable and include offerings such as harpoons, cube-shaped statues, and a stele with indications related to religious activities, which was chosen for the cover of the journal’s current  issue”, highlights UAB researcher Joan Oller.

巴塞隆納自治大學研究員，Joan Oller強調：「此些物質的發現，特別值得注意。包括魚叉、立方體形雕像及一塊，被選為該期刊本期封面，具有與宗教活動有關聯之跡象的石碑。」

The most remarkable consecrated element found was the arrangement of up to 15 falcons within the shrine, most of them headless. Although burials of falcons for religious purposes had already been observed in the Nile Valley, as had the worshipping of individual birds of this species, this is the first time researchers discovered falcons buried within a temple, and accompanied by eggs, something completely unprecedented.

被發現之最顯著的神聖元素，是神殿內多達15隻獵鷹的排列，其中大多數是無頭。雖然，在尼羅河谷已經被注意到，與具有攸關此物種之個別鳥類的崇拜一樣，獵鷹的葬禮是為了宗教目的。這是首度研究人員們發現，伴隨有雞蛋(前所未有之物)被埋於神廟裡的獵鷹。

In other sites, researchers had found mummified headless falcons, but always only individual specimens, never in group as in the case of Berenike.

在其他遺址中，研究人員們曾發現，經木乃伊化的無頭獵鷹。不過，一直只有單一樣本，從未有像在古代貝雷尼克市那樣成群的獵鷹。

The stele contains a curious inscription, reading: “It is improper to boil a head in here”, which far from being a dedication or sign of gratitude as normally corresponds to an inscription, is a message forbidding all those who enter from boiling the heads of the animals inside the temple, considered to be a profane activity.  

石碑上具有一種令人感到好奇的銘文，上面寫著：「在此烹煮頭是不適當的。」這遠非通常對應於銘文之奉獻或感激的表記，這是一則，禁止所有進入者，於此神廟內烹煮這些動物頭顱的神諭。這被認為是一種褻瀆的行為。

According to Joan Oller, “all of these elements point to intense ritual activities combining Egyptian traditions with contributions from the Blemmyes, sustained by a theological base possibly related to the worshipping of the god Khonsu”. He goes on to say, “The discoveries expand our knowledge of these semi-nomad people, the Blemmyes, living in the Eastern desert during the decline of the Roman Empire”.

根據Joan Oller的說法：「所有此些元素皆指向，由可能與崇拜孔蘇神(Khonsu，古埃及的月神)有關的神學基礎所支撐，將埃及傳統與來自布萊米人之諸多促成作用，相結合的極端儀式活動。」他續言：「此些發現擴展了，我們對羅馬帝國衰微期間，生活在東方沙漠之此些半游牧民族，布萊米人的了解。」

網址：https://www.uab.cat/web/newsroom/news-detail/shrine-discovered-with-rituals-never-seen-to-take-place-before-in-an-egyptian-temple-1345830290613.html?detid=1345870351966

翻譯：許東榮