introduced into the mortuary rituals in that era. She was
discovered in an adzed coffin.
Nofret (1) (fl. 26th century B.C.E.) Royal woman of the
Fourth Dynasty
She was the wife of Prince RAHOTEP(1), a son of SNEFRU
(r. 2575–2551 B.C.E.). A limestone statue of Nofret, one
of a pair surviving as portraits of the couple, was found in
their mastaba tomb in MEIDUM. The statue, realistic and
lifelike, depicts a prosperous, amiable woman in the
court dress of the time.
Nofret (2) (fl. 19th century B.C.E.) Royal woman of the
Twelfth Dynasty
A consort of SENWOSRET III(r. 1878–1841 B.C.E.), Nofret
was buried in the pyramidal complex at el-LAHUN.A
black quartzite statue of her survives.
nomarchs The hereditary aristocracy of the Egyptian
nomes, or provinces, called the heri-tep a’a,these nobles
raised their own armies, served as representatives of the
pharaoh, and defended their borders. The nomarchs of
ASSIUT and BENI HASAN were famed for their military
prowess as well. In historical periods of weak rulers, the
nomarchs became more independent and involved them-
selves in provincial feuds. Most nomarchs were heredi-
tary princes or counts.
When ’AHMOSE(r. 1550–1525 B.C.E.) undertook the
reorganization of Egypt after the expulsion of the HYKSOS
(Asiatics), he punished the nomarchs that had served the
foreigners. In time, ’Ahmose invited many such nome
aristocrats to reside in the royal residence at Thebes, the
capital. This deprived the nomarchs of their indepen-
dence and made them hostages for the continued loyalty
of their provinces. The nomarchs were also called djadjet.
They and their expanded families maintained their own
lifestyles and traditions, even in eras of strong centralized
rule. The cliff tombs of Assiut and Beni Hasan and other
monuments testify to the continuing strength and
dynamism of the nomes.
In the later eras of Egypt, the nomes assumed impor-
tance again as the people centered on their homelands
and strengthened their territories. During the Ptolemaic
Period (304–30 B.C.E.), for example, the legal systems of
the nomes became paramount in maintaining judicial
order, as the Ptolemies used one set of laws for the
Greeks and Hellenized populations and another system
for the native Egyptian populations. The Ptolemies relied
upon the traditions of the nomes to clarify and conduct
the legal requirements within the various provinces. The
system proved effective, as the nomes carried on their
normal court and council routines and proved stable in
all instances. When the Romans occupied Egypt, the
nation proved one of the most reliable provinces of the
empire, as the nome system and the spirit of cooperation
and joint projects were continued successfully.nome This was a province or administrative region of
ancient Egypt, called sepator the qahin Egyptian and
nomosby the Greeks. Some nomes date to Predynastic
(before 3000 B.C.E.) times, and all were governed by a
heri-tep a’a,or NOMARCH, a “Great Overlord,” a hereditary
title roughly equivalent to a prince or count. Such over-
lords were responsible for military levies demanded by
the rulers and for taxes and tributes assessed for their ter-
ritories. Each nome had a capital city and a cult center
dedicated to the god of the region, as well as totems, but
these changed in the course of Egyptian history. The total
number of nomes was altered as well, standardized only
in the Greco-Roman Period, A grid, called a spat,was
used to designate the nomes.
The first recorded mention of such nomes dates to
the reign of DJOSER(2630–2611 B.C.E.), although the
armies marching with NARMER(c. 3000 B.C.E.) carried
totems depicting nome symbols. By the reign of NIUSERRÉ
(2416–2392 B.C.E.), Egypt was divided into the standard
22 nomes in Upper Egypt and 20 nomes in Lower Egypt.noon meal This was a repast called “time to perfume
the mouth” by the ancient Egyptians.Nub(fl. 24th century B.C.E.)Royal woman of the Fifth
Dynasty
She was a consort of NIUSERRÉ(r. 2416–2392 B.C.E.). Nub
was not the ranking queen of the reign and not the
mother of the heir.Nubhotepti(fl. 17th century B.C.E.)Royal woman of the
Thirteenth Dynasty
She was called “the Child” in mortuary inscriptions.
Nubhotepti was provided with a royal tomb at DASHUR,
near the funerary complex of AWIBRÉ HOR. Her mummi-
fied remains indicate that she was 44 years of age or older
when she died, and her portrayal as “the Child” remains
a mystery.Nubia This was the land composing modern Sudan
below the first cataract of the Nile, called Ta-seti, WAWAT,
and Kush in reference to specific regions over the various
historical eras. The prehistoric period (c. 6000–3100
B.C.E.) culture of the area was based at modern Khar-
toum. Nomadic cattle herders settled there, and evidence
of pottery and other industries demonstrate a cultural
development. From 4000 to 3100 B.C.E., the culture
of Nubia was contemporaneous with Egypt’s Nagada I
and II.
The A Group of Nubia is evident c. 3100–2800 B.C.E.
in some areas. The rulers buried by this culture had elab-280 Nofret