Somalia: The Ancient Lost Kingdom of Punt is Finally Found?
and now you know us.
Tourists from all over the world are welcomed in Upper Egypt to admire temples and learn about the fascinating history of ancient pharaohs. However, the pharaohs’ true origins are not told and our literature is lacking adequate information.
Queen Hatshepsut's temple inscriptions at Luxor reveal that her divine mother, Hathor, was from Punt - with strong indications that the pharaohs considered the origin of their culture to be Punt Land. The following is a step in the direction of exploring the pharaohs’ roots and establishing a trip along history and time.
Somalia – Continuing Puntite Traditions
In Hatshepsut’s temple, an expedition shows Punt Land located in present day Somalia. The ancient Somali name for their region was "Bunn", a name referenced in texts related to trade with the pharaohs as "Pwenet" or "Pwene", and the region is known as "Bunni" today. The culture of Punt Land bears several resemblances to that of the ancient Egyptians, such as language, ceremonial dress, and the arts.
Left: Somali youth dancing the “dhaanto.” ( Somali Egyptian-Puntite History ) Right: Ancient Egyptians with similar white clothing in a fresco from the Tomb of Pashedu at Deir el-Medina. (kairoinfo4u/ CC BY NC SA 2.0 ) Pashedu was a "Servant in the Place of Truth on the West of Thebes" and probably began working while Seti I was pharaoh.
Regarding language, a comparison of ancient Egyptian to Somali vocabulary shows remarkable similarities:
- Ancient Egyptian, “Hes” = song, sing with musical instrument/ in Somali, “Hes” = song, sing with musical instrument.
- “AAR” means “lion” in both languages.
- Ancient Egyptian, “Ra” = the Sun God/ in Somali “Qor Rah” means the neck of Rah.
- Ancient Egyptian, Haa – Hey = glad, to be glad/ in Somali, Haa – Hey = glad.
- Ancient Egyptian, “Hun”, Hunnu” = young man, young girl/ in Somali “Hun”, “Hunno” = young man, young girl.
- Ancient Egyptian/ in Somali Awoow = grandfather, old man.
Left: Ancient Egyptian dancers and flutist. ( Public Domain ) Right: Young Somali women and men performing the traditional dhaanto dance-song in Jubaland. (aflaanta std/ CC BY 3.0 )
Punt Land’s Location Found
Based on the evidence of the ancient pharaoh’s inscriptions, Punt/Punt Land is certainly the State of Somalia at the Horn of Africa. The ancient city of Opone in Somalia is identical to the city of Pouen referenced as part of Punt by ancient inscriptions.
As previously mentioned, Hatshepsut's inscriptions also claim that her divine mother was from Punt - and there is evidence that Bes (the goddess of childbirth) came from Punt Land as well. Other inscriptions indicate that the 18th Dynasty pharaohs considered Punt as the origin of their culture.
Egyptian expedition to Punt during the reign of Hatshepsut. (Hans Bernhard/ CC BY SA 3.0 )
Fourth Dynasty reliefs show a Puntite with one of Khufu’s sons, and Fifth Dynasty documents demonstrate trade between the two countries. A tomb inscription of the military commander Pepynakht Heqalb, who served under King Pepy II (2278-2184 BC) of the Sixth Dynasty, narrates how Heqalb was sent to "the land of the Aamu" to retrieve the body of the warden of Kekhen.
Punt Land became a semi-mythical land for the pharaohs, but it was a real place through the New Kingdom (1570-1069 BC). During the reign of Amunhotep II (1425-1400 BC) delegations from Punt were accepted. The reign of Ramesses II (1279-1213 BC) and of Ramesses III (1186-1155 BC) mentioned Punt as well. The pharaohs were fascinated by Punt as a "land of plenty" and it was best known as Ta Netjer – “God’s Land.”
Queen Ati, wife of King Perahu of Punt, as she is depicted on Pharaoh Hatshepsut's temple at Deir el-Bahri. ( Public Domain )
Queen Ati, wife of King Perahu of Punt, as she is depicted on Pharaoh Hatshepsut's temple at Deir el-Bahri. ( Public Domain )Somalia – Continuing Puntite Traditions
In Hatshepsut’s temple, an expedition shows Punt Land located in present day Somalia. The ancient Somali name for their region was "Bunn", a name referenced in texts related to trade with the pharaohs as "Pwenet" or "Pwene", and the region is known as "Bunni" today. The culture of Punt Land bears several resemblances to that of the ancient Egyptians, such as language, ceremonial dress, and the arts.
The Mythical Land of Punt – Will ‘God’s Land’ Ever Be Found?
Ancient Egyptian records dating back thousands of years have spoken of the Land of Punt, a land of abundance which is believed to have prospered between 2450 BC and 1155 BC and where the Egyptians were able to obtain gold, aromatic resins, African blackwood, ebony, ivory, wild animals and even slaves. In the temple of Athribis, build under Ptolemaios XII, a relief apparently shows the various trees growing in Punt. Punt, so it seems, was a lush, tropical land, very different to the Egyptian desert. However, despite extensive depictions and accounts of this land of paradise, numerous searches and studies have failed to locate it leading some to even doubt its existence.
In the 12th Dynasty, Punt was immortalized in Egyptian literature in the very popular `Tale of the Shipwrecked Sailor’ in which an Egyptian sailor converses with a great serpent who calls himself the `Lord of Punt’ and sends the sailor back to Egypt laden with gold, spices and precious animals:
Suddenly I heard a noise as of thunder, which I thought to be that of a wave of the sea. The trees shook, and the earth was moved. I uncovered my face, and I saw that a serpent drew near…[]…his body was as overlaid with gold, and his colour as that of true lazuli….[]… it was the prince of the land of Punt…
Around 1477 BC, Queen Hatshepsut funded a mysterious overseas expedition to the Land of Punt, which is depicted in a relief at Deir el-Bahri (in modern day Luxor). It shows five ships, each measuring about 70 feet long, carrying 210 men and loaded with gold, trees and exotic animals, like leopards, apes and giraffes – all species found on the African continent. In the sea the relief show various species of fish: zoologist identified some of them living along the coast of Africa, but also along the Arabian Peninsula.
For over a century, archaeologists questioned the ability of Egypt to conduct such an oceanic voyage, with many believing that the Land of Punt was inland. However, evidence emerged in 2011 indicating that the ancient Egyptians weren’t just masters of the land…they were masters of the seas.
The evidence relates to a series of remarkable discoveries on a stretch of the Red Sea coast which proved that the Egyptian’s applied their masterful building skills to ships as well as pyramids.
Archaeologists excavating a dried-up lagoon, known as Mersa Gawasis, unearthed traces of an ancient harbour that once launched early voyages like Hatshepsut’s onto the open ocean. Inside a series of man-made caves they found timber, rigging, limestone anchors, steering oars, reed mats, cedar planks, and the remains of the oldest seagoing ships ever discovered, which offers hard proof of the Egyptians’ nautical roots and important clues to the location of Punt. “These new finds remove all doubt that you reach Punt by sea,” said Egyptologist John Baines. “The Egyptians must have had considerable seagoing experience.”
The evidence suggests that that the Egyptians travelled to Punt by boat down the Nile, through the Wadi Tumilat in the eastern Delta and on to the Red Sea. There is evidence that the Egyptian crews would disassemble their boats, carry them overland, use them in the sea for trade, then carry them back overland to the Nile.
But geology gives us another clue to find the lost land of Punt. Along the gifts brought back from Punt were also living exotic animals, like baboons, as seen on the relief of Deir el-Bahari. In 2010,researchers analysed hair samples from 3,000 years old mummified baboons (the pet animals of important persons, like the family of the Pharaoh) found in the tombs of the Valley of the Kings. By comparing the results of the ancient hair samples with hair samples of modern animals living in Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia, Yemen, Uganda and Mozambique the researchers concluded that most similarity can be found with animals coming from eastern Ethiopia and Eritrea.
So could it be that the mystery has finally been solved? Well not quite yet. Much work is still to be done to find a precise location with supporting evidence. But one thing seems certain; the Land of Punt, which receded into legend and folklore after the 18 th Dynasty, is not a mythical place, but a real location that is still waiting to be uncovered.
Ancient Egyptian records dating back thousands of years have spoken of the Land of Punt, a land of abundance which is believed to have prospered between 2450 BC and 1155 BC and where the Egyptians were able to obtain gold, aromatic resins, African blackwood, ebony, ivory, wild animals and even slaves. In the temple of Athribis, build under Ptolemaios XII, a relief apparently shows the various trees growing in Punt. Punt, so it seems, was a lush, tropical land, very different to the Egyptian desert. However, despite extensive depictions and accounts of this land of paradise, numerous searches and studies have failed to locate it leading some to even doubt its existence.
In the 12th Dynasty, Punt was immortalized in Egyptian literature in the very popular `Tale of the Shipwrecked Sailor’ in which an Egyptian sailor converses with a great serpent who calls himself the `Lord of Punt’ and sends the sailor back to Egypt laden with gold, spices and precious animals:
Suddenly I heard a noise as of thunder, which I thought to be that of a wave of the sea. The trees shook, and the earth was moved. I uncovered my face, and I saw that a serpent drew near…[]…his body was as overlaid with gold, and his colour as that of true lazuli….[]… it was the prince of the land of Punt…
Around 1477 BC, Queen Hatshepsut funded a mysterious overseas expedition to the Land of Punt, which is depicted in a relief at Deir el-Bahri (in modern day Luxor). It shows five ships, each measuring about 70 feet long, carrying 210 men and loaded with gold, trees and exotic animals, like leopards, apes and giraffes – all species found on the African continent. In the sea the relief show various species of fish: zoologist identified some of them living along the coast of Africa, but also along the Arabian Peninsula.
For over a century, archaeologists questioned the ability of Egypt to conduct such an oceanic voyage, with many believing that the Land of Punt was inland. However, evidence emerged in 2011 indicating that the ancient Egyptians weren’t just masters of the land…they were masters of the seas.
The evidence relates to a series of remarkable discoveries on a stretch of the Red Sea coast which proved that the Egyptian’s applied their masterful building skills to ships as well as pyramids.
Archaeologists excavating a dried-up lagoon, known as Mersa Gawasis, unearthed traces of an ancient harbour that once launched early voyages like Hatshepsut’s onto the open ocean. Inside a series of man-made caves they found timber, rigging, limestone anchors, steering oars, reed mats, cedar planks, and the remains of the oldest seagoing ships ever discovered, which offers hard proof of the Egyptians’ nautical roots and important clues to the location of Punt. “These new finds remove all doubt that you reach Punt by sea,” said Egyptologist John Baines. “The Egyptians must have had considerable seagoing experience.”
The evidence suggests that that the Egyptians travelled to Punt by boat down the Nile, through the Wadi Tumilat in the eastern Delta and on to the Red Sea. There is evidence that the Egyptian crews would disassemble their boats, carry them overland, use them in the sea for trade, then carry them back overland to the Nile.
But geology gives us another clue to find the lost land of Punt. Along the gifts brought back from Punt were also living exotic animals, like baboons, as seen on the relief of Deir el-Bahari. In 2010,researchers analysed hair samples from 3,000 years old mummified baboons (the pet animals of important persons, like the family of the Pharaoh) found in the tombs of the Valley of the Kings. By comparing the results of the ancient hair samples with hair samples of modern animals living in Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia, Yemen, Uganda and Mozambique the researchers concluded that most similarity can be found with animals coming from eastern Ethiopia and Eritrea.
So could it be that the mystery has finally been solved? Well not quite yet. Much work is still to be done to find a precise location with supporting evidence. But one thing seems certain; the Land of Punt, which receded into legend and folklore after the 18 th Dynasty, is not a mythical place, but a real location that is still waiting to be uncovered.
Out for War or A Shopping Trip? Why Hatshepsut Traveled to the Kingdom of Punt
The walls of the great temple in Karnak depicted the story of an expedition of impressive ships to the mysterious land known as Punt. The fleet of Queen Hatshepsut traveled there for unknown reasons. Traditional interpretations summarized that Hatshepsut wanted to acquire some loot in Punt, but there may be another reason.
Hatshepsut was a famous ruler of the 18th dynasty in Egypt. She lived during one of the most magnificent periods in the history of Egypt, when the country was powerful and the treasury of the royal palaces were full of gold. It is unknown when Hatshepsut started her preparations for the journey to Punt, but it believed to have been a very expensive trip.
The walls of the great temple in Karnak depicted the story of an expedition of impressive ships to the mysterious land known as Punt. The fleet of Queen Hatshepsut traveled there for unknown reasons. Traditional interpretations summarized that Hatshepsut wanted to acquire some loot in Punt, but there may be another reason.
Hatshepsut was a famous ruler of the 18th dynasty in Egypt. She lived during one of the most magnificent periods in the history of Egypt, when the country was powerful and the treasury of the royal palaces were full of gold. It is unknown when Hatshepsut started her preparations for the journey to Punt, but it believed to have been a very expensive trip.
The Road to Punt
The female pharaoh ordered a few ships to be built in the shipyard near the Nile and transported by land to the harbor on the Red Sea. Some researchers believe that Hatshepsut wanted to attack Punt, but this statement brings about other questions.
For one, it is unknown where Punt was really located, but it is possible that it was the territory of modern Ethiopia. There are several pieces of evidence suggesting that Punt was located not far from Egypt. For example, an official of the Sixth Dynasty of the Old Kingdom claimed that he visited Punt and Byblos eleven times. This means that Punt was probably located near Byblos. Apart from this, there is information from the Fifth Dynasty that pharaoh Sahure brought back 80,000 measures of myrrh from Punt. There are also many recordings of trade between Egyptians and Puntians during the Middle Kingdom Period.
Red Sea and major travel routes by land and sea. ( Public Domain )
It seems that shopping travels to Punt were very normal for the pharaohs of Egypt. Why would Hatshepsut want to attack and loot an area which traditionally was a place where Egyptians bought precious items?
- The Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahri
- Hatshepsut: The Queen who became King
- Did Hatshepsut, Number-One Female Pharaoh, Have a Secret Lover?
During the 18th dynasty, pharaoh Thutmose III conquered Punt during the first year of his reign. The same year also brought him the lands of Palestine, Nubia, and Third Cataract (near Napata). All of the lands were close to Egypt, so it shouldn't be any different in the case of Punt. On the inscriptions discovered in Deir el-Bahri the name of Punt was written as a part of Egypt, not a foreign land.
The female pharaoh ordered a few ships to be built in the shipyard near the Nile and transported by land to the harbor on the Red Sea. Some researchers believe that Hatshepsut wanted to attack Punt, but this statement brings about other questions.
For one, it is unknown where Punt was really located, but it is possible that it was the territory of modern Ethiopia. There are several pieces of evidence suggesting that Punt was located not far from Egypt. For example, an official of the Sixth Dynasty of the Old Kingdom claimed that he visited Punt and Byblos eleven times. This means that Punt was probably located near Byblos. Apart from this, there is information from the Fifth Dynasty that pharaoh Sahure brought back 80,000 measures of myrrh from Punt. There are also many recordings of trade between Egyptians and Puntians during the Middle Kingdom Period.
Red Sea and major travel routes by land and sea. ( Public Domain )
It seems that shopping travels to Punt were very normal for the pharaohs of Egypt. Why would Hatshepsut want to attack and loot an area which traditionally was a place where Egyptians bought precious items?
- The Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahri
- Hatshepsut: The Queen who became King
- Did Hatshepsut, Number-One Female Pharaoh, Have a Secret Lover?
During the 18th dynasty, pharaoh Thutmose III conquered Punt during the first year of his reign. The same year also brought him the lands of Palestine, Nubia, and Third Cataract (near Napata). All of the lands were close to Egypt, so it shouldn't be any different in the case of Punt. On the inscriptions discovered in Deir el-Bahri the name of Punt was written as a part of Egypt, not a foreign land.
Women Have Almost Always Loved Shopping
Punt was well known as a paradise for anyone who loved luxurious goods. The reliefs from Karnak show the goods which Hatshepsut brought back to Egypt. There were animals, food, precious stones, and other treasures. It is also believed that Punt had an oracle who was respected by the female pharaoh. However, the translation of the relief’s inscription isn't clear and may be read in two ways:
''She has no enemies among the southerners
she has no antagonists among the northerners.
Heaven and all foreign lands created by the god are completely subservient to her
They come to her with fearful heart, their chiefs bowing their heads,
with tributes on their backs. They present her with their children,
so that they may be given the breath of life,
because of the greatness of the might of her father Amun,
who placed every land under her feet,
the king himself, the king of Upper and Lower Egypt Maatkare.
The majesty of the palace beseeched the stairs of the lord of the gods
and instructions were heard from the Great Throne, an oracle from the god himself:
Explore the routes to Punt, open the roads to the Myrrh-terraces,
and lead an expedition on water and on land to bring exotic goods from the God's Land
to this god who created her beauty.''
Some still believe that Hatshepsut went to Punt to conquer it once more, or to steal the goods and plunder the capital. However, it seems more reasonable to conclude that her visit was of a more peaceful nature. The pharaoh, called ‘Maatkare’ in the ancient inscriptions, doesn't sound like an invader.
Punt was well known as a paradise for anyone who loved luxurious goods. The reliefs from Karnak show the goods which Hatshepsut brought back to Egypt. There were animals, food, precious stones, and other treasures. It is also believed that Punt had an oracle who was respected by the female pharaoh. However, the translation of the relief’s inscription isn't clear and may be read in two ways:
''She has no enemies among the southerners
she has no antagonists among the northerners.
Heaven and all foreign lands created by the god are completely subservient to her
They come to her with fearful heart, their chiefs bowing their heads,
with tributes on their backs. They present her with their children,
so that they may be given the breath of life,
because of the greatness of the might of her father Amun,
who placed every land under her feet,
the king himself, the king of Upper and Lower Egypt Maatkare.
The majesty of the palace beseeched the stairs of the lord of the gods
and instructions were heard from the Great Throne, an oracle from the god himself:
Explore the routes to Punt, open the roads to the Myrrh-terraces,
and lead an expedition on water and on land to bring exotic goods from the God's Land
to this god who created her beauty.''
Some still believe that Hatshepsut went to Punt to conquer it once more, or to steal the goods and plunder the capital. However, it seems more reasonable to conclude that her visit was of a more peaceful nature. The pharaoh, called ‘Maatkare’ in the ancient inscriptions, doesn't sound like an invader.
