A Neolithic settlement has been identified at Sais recently (1999), dating to 5000 BC. Agriculture appears here during this period, as well as at another similar site, Merimde Beni Salama, which is located about 80km south of Sais.[5]
The Neolithic period at Sais consists of three phases. The earliest phases are Early Neolithic (Sais I) and Late Neolithic (Sais II).[6] During the Early Neolithic, the site started as a fishing camp but later, in the Middle to Late Neolithic Period, it was settled by agriculturalists for the cultivation of the floodplain.[7]
The evolution of activity from fish processing to a settled hunting and agricultural phase may be connected to gradual changes in climatic conditions from 4600 BC onwards. It is believed that the Middle Holocene Moist phase started at that time.[8]
Antiquity
Herodotus wrote that Sais is where the grave of Osiris was located and that the sufferings of the god were displayed as a mystery by night on an adjacent lake.[9]
The city's patron goddess was Neith, whose cult is attested as early as the First Dynasty of Egypt (c. 3100–3050 BC).[3] The Greeks, such as Herodotus, Plato, and Diodorus Siculus, identified her with Athena and hence postulated a primordial link to Athens. Diodorus recounts that Athenians built Sais before the deluge. While all Greek cities were destroyed during that cataclysm, including Athens, Sais and the others Egyptian cities survived.[10]
There are today no surviving traces of this town prior to the Late New Kingdom (c. 1100 BC) due to the extensive destruction of the city by the sebakhin (farmers removing mudbrick deposits for use as fertilizer) leaving only a few relief blocks in situ.[3]
Though the proposed Sa El Hagar site has little evidence of this city, Obelisks in Piazza della Minerva and Urbino Italy are claimed to originate from Sais.
The 1885 Census of Egypt recorded Sa el-Hagar as a nahiyah under the district of Kafr az-Zayyat in Gharbia Governorate; at that time, the population of the town was 4,474 (2,250 men and 2,224 women).[12]
Medical school
The Temple of Sais had a medical school associated with it, as did many ancient Egyptian temples. The medical school at Sais had many female students and apparently women faculty as well, mainly in gynecology and obstetrics. An inscription from the period survives at Sais, and reads, "I have come from the school of medicine at Heliopolis, and have studied at the woman's school at Sais, where the divine mothers have taught me how to cure diseases".[13]
Cultural depictions
In Plato's Timaeus and Critias (around 395 BC, 200 years after the visit by the Greek legislator Solon), Sais is the city in which Solon receives the story of Atlantis, its military aggression against Greece and Egypt, its eventual defeat and destruction by gods-punishing catastrophe, from an Egyptian priest. Solon visited Egypt in 590 BC. Plato also notes the city as the birthplace of the pharaohAmasis II.[14]
Plutarch said that the shrine of Athena, which he identifies with Isis, in Sais carried the inscription "I am all that hath been, and is, and shall be; and my veil no mortal has hitherto raised."[15]
Sais is depicted in the video game Assassin's Creed Origins. Here it is depicted as under the control of a member of the Order of the Ancients named "The Scarab".[16]
^ abcIan Shaw & Paul Nicholson, The Dictionary of Ancient Egypt, British Museum Press, 1995. p.250
^Snape, Steven (2014). The Complete Cities of Ancient Egypt. Thames & Hudson. ISBN978-0-500-77240-9.
^Rowland, Joanne M.; Bertini, Louise C. (2016). "The Neolithic within the context of northern Egypt: New results and perspectives from Merimde Beni Salama". Quaternary International. Elsevier BV. 410: 160–172. Bibcode:2016QuInt.410..160R. doi:10.1016/j.quaint.2016.02.014. ISSN 1040-6182.
^Penelope Wilson, Gregory Gilbert & Geoffrey Tassie (2014), Sais II: the prehistoric period at Sa el-Hagar. (EES Excavation Memoir 107). xvii+280 pages. 2014. London: Egypt Exploration Society; 978-0-85698-218-7
^Wilson, P. (2007), Prehistoric settlement in the Western Delta : a regional and local view from Sais (Sa el-Hagar)., Journal of Egyptian archaeology., 92 . pp. 75-126
^Penelope Wilson (2014), THE PREHISTORIC SEQUENCE AT SAIS: TEMPORAL AND REGIONAL CONNECTIONS. The Nile Delta as a centre of cultural interactions between Upper Egypt and the Southern Levant in the 4th millennium BC. Studies in African Archaeology 13
sais, egypt, sais, redirects, here, other, uses, sais, disambiguation, hagar, redirects, here, confused, with, hagar, sais, ancient, greek, Σάϊς, coptic, Ⲥⲁⲓ, ancient, egyptian, city, western, nile, delta, canopic, branch, nile, known, ancient, egyptians, sꜣw,. Sais redirects here For other uses see Sais disambiguation Sa el Hagar redirects here Not to be confused with San al Hagar Sais Ancient Greek Sais Coptic Ⲥⲁⲓ was an ancient Egyptian city in the Western Nile Delta on the Canopic branch of the Nile 1 known by the ancient Egyptians as Sꜣw 2 It was the provincial capital of Sap Meh the fifth nome of Lower Egypt and became the seat of power during the Twenty fourth Dynasty of Egypt c 732 720 BC and the Saite Twenty sixth Dynasty of Egypt 664 525 BC during the Late Period 3 On its ruins today stands the town of Sa el Hagar 2 4 Arabic صا الحجر or Sa El Hajar SaisMap of Sais ruins drawn by Jean Francois Champollion during his expedition in 1828SaisLocation in EgyptCoordinates 30 57 53 N 30 46 6 E 30 96472 N 30 76833 E 30 96472 30 76833Country EgyptGovernorateGharbiaTime zoneUTC 2 EST Ruins of Sais Sais in hieroglyphsSau Zau SȝwGreekSais Sais Contents 1 Neolithic period 2 Antiquity 2 1 Medical school 3 Cultural depictions 4 See also 5 References 6 External linksNeolithic period EditA Neolithic settlement has been identified at Sais recently 1999 dating to 5000 BC Agriculture appears here during this period as well as at another similar site Merimde Beni Salama which is located about 80km south of Sais 5 The Neolithic period at Sais consists of three phases The earliest phases are Early Neolithic Sais I and Late Neolithic Sais II 6 During the Early Neolithic the site started as a fishing camp but later in the Middle to Late Neolithic Period it was settled by agriculturalists for the cultivation of the floodplain 7 The evolution of activity from fish processing to a settled hunting and agricultural phase may be connected to gradual changes in climatic conditions from 4600 BC onwards It is believed that the Middle Holocene Moist phase started at that time 8 Antiquity EditHerodotus wrote that Sais is where the grave of Osiris was located and that the sufferings of the god were displayed as a mystery by night on an adjacent lake 9 The city s patron goddess was Neith whose cult is attested as early as the First Dynasty of Egypt c 3100 3050 BC 3 The Greeks such as Herodotus Plato and Diodorus Siculus identified her with Athena and hence postulated a primordial link to Athens Diodorus recounts that Athenians built Sais before the deluge While all Greek cities were destroyed during that cataclysm including Athens Sais and the others Egyptian cities survived 10 There are today no surviving traces of this town prior to the Late New Kingdom c 1100 BC due to the extensive destruction of the city by the sebakhin farmers removing mudbrick deposits for use as fertilizer leaving only a few relief blocks in situ 3 Though the proposed Sa El Hagar site has little evidence of this city Obelisks in Piazza della Minerva and Urbino Italy are claimed to originate from Sais During the Islamic conquest of Egypt a battle was fought at Sais between the Rashidun Caliphate and the Byzantine Empire according to John of Nikiu It remained a pagarchy and Christian bishopric at least through the early 700s Medieval writers like Yaqut al Hamawi al Maqrizi and al Qalqashandi attributed the city s foundation to one Sa ibn Misr Ibn Iyas called the founder Sa ibn Marqunus The site was used as a stone quarry during this period By the time of Ibn Iyas the city had fallen almost completely into ruin 11 The 1885 Census of Egypt recorded Sa el Hagar as a nahiyah under the district of Kafr az Zayyat in Gharbia Governorate at that time the population of the town was 4 474 2 250 men and 2 224 women 12 Medical school Edit The Temple of Sais had a medical school associated with it as did many ancient Egyptian temples The medical school at Sais had many female students and apparently women faculty as well mainly in gynecology and obstetrics An inscription from the period survives at Sais and reads I have come from the school of medicine at Heliopolis and have studied at the woman s school at Sais where the divine mothers have taught me how to cure diseases 13 Cultural depictions EditIn Plato s Timaeus and Critias around 395 BC 200 years after the visit by the Greek legislator Solon Sais is the city in which Solon receives the story of Atlantis its military aggression against Greece and Egypt its eventual defeat and destruction by gods punishing catastrophe from an Egyptian priest Solon visited Egypt in 590 BC Plato also notes the city as the birthplace of the pharaoh Amasis II 14 Plutarch said that the shrine of Athena which he identifies with Isis in Sais carried the inscription I am all that hath been and is and shall be and my veil no mortal has hitherto raised 15 Hector Berlioz L enfance du Christ The Childhood of Christ in part Three has Sais as the setting for the youth of Jesus until age 10 after his parents leave their homeland to escape the Massacre of the Innocents by Herod the Great Sais is depicted in the video game Assassin s Creed Origins Here it is depicted as under the control of a member of the Order of the Ancients named The Scarab 16 See also EditList of ancient Egyptian towns and cities List of historical capitals of Egypt Apries Sonchis of Sais Elephant and Obelisk Urbino ObeliskReferences Edit Mish Frederick C Editor in Chief Sais Webster s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary 9th ed Springfield MA Merriam Webster Inc 1985 ISBN 0 87779 508 8 ISBN 0 87779 509 6 indexed and ISBN 0 87779 510 X deluxe a b Mysliwiec Karol 2001 Sais In Redford Donald B ed The Oxford Encyclopedia of Ancient Egypt Volume 3 Oxford Oxford University Press pp 173 4 ISBN 978 0 19 510234 5 a b c Ian Shaw amp Paul Nicholson The Dictionary of Ancient Egypt British Museum Press 1995 p 250 Snape Steven 2014 The Complete Cities of Ancient Egypt Thames amp Hudson ISBN 978 0 500 77240 9 Rowland Joanne M Bertini Louise C 2016 The Neolithic within the context of northern Egypt New results and perspectives from Merimde Beni Salama Quaternary International Elsevier BV 410 160 172 Bibcode 2016QuInt 410 160R doi 10 1016 j quaint 2016 02 014 ISSN 1040 6182 Penelope Wilson Gregory Gilbert amp Geoffrey Tassie 2014 Sais II the prehistoric period at Sa el Hagar EES Excavation Memoir 107 xvii 280 pages 2014 London Egypt Exploration Society 978 0 85698 218 7 Wilson P 2007 Prehistoric settlement in the Western Delta a regional and local view from Sais Sa el Hagar Journal of Egyptian archaeology 92 pp 75 126 Penelope Wilson 2014 THE PREHISTORIC SEQUENCE AT SAIS TEMPORAL AND REGIONAL CONNECTIONS The Nile Delta as a centre of cultural interactions between Upper Egypt and the Southern Levant in the 4th millennium BC Studies in African Archaeology 13 Herodotus II 171 Diodorus Siculus Historical Library Book V 57 Maspero Jean Wiet Gaston 1919 Materiaux pour servir a la geographie de l Egypte Cairo Institut francais d archeologie orientale p 116 Egypt min of finance census dept 1885 Recensement general de l Egypte p 279 Silverthorne Elizabeth and Geneva Fulgham 1997 Women Pioneers in Texas Medicine Texas A amp M University Press pp xvii ISBN 978 0 89096 789 8 Plato Timaeus Plutarch Isis and Osiris ch 9 1 IGN Assassin s Creed Origins The Scarab s Sting walkthrough External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sais Egypt Archeological description of Sais Official site at the University of DurhamPreceded byTanis Historical capital of Egypt732 720 BC Succeeded byNapata MemphisPreceded byNapata Memphis Historical capital of Egypt664 525 BC Succeeded byPersepolis Achaemenid Empire Preceded byBabylon Achaemenid Empire Historical capital of Egypt404 399 BC Succeeded byMendesCoordinates 30 57 53 N 30 46 6 E 30 96472 N 30 76833 E 30 96472 30 76833 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Sais Egypt amp oldid 1117151331, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
