The tomb of Uriah the Charioteer was found in the hills west
of Karnak in 1908 by a team lead by Dr Howard Parker of the University of North
Durham, and Lord Randolph Farthingdale the eminent Egyptologist and notorious
Tomb Raider. Acknowledging almost immediately
that the tomb had been ransacked in ancient times, and may never have actually
been used, the expedition moved on, but not before Dr Parker recorded the wall
inscriptions in his expedition notebook.
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| Panel from the real charioteer's tomb, Sakhara south of Cairo |
Sensing that these were merely a biography of the tomb`s intended
occupant the Doctor wrote a paper “Tomb XVIII West of Karnak and its
implications for the 18th Dynasty: Archaeology Monthly, Issue 6 1909 ” He then accompanied Lord Charles on the disastrous
expedition among the Nubian Pyramids, where the local tribes accused the pair
of resurrecting the Mummy of Imhotep, finding and destroying the lost Oasis of
Am-Sher and plundering the tomb of the so called Scorpion King.
Both were subsequently accused of starting and finishing an
accidental Mahdist uprising in Abbysinia, and credited with the defeat of the
anarchist “Red Headed League.”
The Inscriptions
The hieroglyphic inscriptions on the walls of the Tomb of
the Charioteer detail the military career of a Sherden Mercenary from Alasiya (Cyprus), an
Officer of the Pharaoh Thutmosis. The
panels are broken up into the various campaigns undertaken by the Charioteer on
behalf of his Pharaoh.
The first panel deals with Uriah’s time among the Libyans
and his subsequent capture by the Egyptians following a raid into the Nile
Delta. As a valuable “Kedjen,” a
Maryannu chariot warrior, Uriah was taken into the Egyptian army, standard practice for warriors with this skilled training.
Dr Parker’s translation of the first series of
inscriptions runs thus:
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| The guy in the middle clearly has some issues. |
My youth in Alasiya
My tribe the Sher-Dana
My People of the Sea
My Father a King
Sailing beaked ships of war
We grew skilled in the bow
Warriors of the chariot.
Yes, I found a hieroglyph font! It appears however that google translates it back into English if your computer does not have the same font installed, so I used a picture of the text instead!
And yes, this is just a framework idea for a few games, beginning with a Libyan raid.
The basis of this as a game framework are the detailed biographical inscriptions in the tomb of Ahmose son of Ebana, a naval/marine Captain who served the 18th Dynasty in many campaigns. It's a fascinating read that gives the flavour of the times. I hope that Uriah can live up to it.
Like it – nice idea!
ReplyDeleteYou may be interested to know that it is thought that Dr Parker avoided any repercussions of the Mahdist uprising by changing his name to Schliemann and relocating to America. There he made his fortune as a prospector and small time conman becoming known as Indiana Schliemann. His continued studies in prehistory and archaeology were not a great success, particularly after his claim that the Ark of the Covenant was a Wilusian spaceship. His gravestone, long since lost, is said to bear the single enigmatic inscription ‘By Vectron’s Claw’.
Lord Randolph returned home to Kirkham Hall, and was involved in the mysterious affair of the Hound of the Farthingdale's. He stored the vast quantity of his Egyptology collection in the outbuildings of the manor. In a later adventure during 1923 he followed the directions on a curious stele translated by Dr Parker, to discover the "gate to the stars" buried at Abydos. According to the diggers at the site Lord Randolph, together with his companion the war hero and aviator Quiggles, vanished through the gate.
ReplyDeleteA later, and probably spurious communication from Lord Randolph to the US Air Force "Stargate" program, claimed that his Lordship ended up as Supreme Galactic Chancellor of the Willusian Space Fleet, and Quiggles as the Grand High Admiral. The message ended with a reference dedicated to "Vectron`s Sacred Pestle."