A site south of the first cataract of the Nile, near modern ASWAN. Inscriptions dating to MONTUHOTEP II (r. 2061–2010 B.C.E.) were discovered at Abisko. These inscriptions detailed Montuhotep II’s Nubian campaigns, part of his efforts to unify and strengthen Egypt after the First Intermediate Period (2134–2040 B.C.E.) and to defeat local southern rulers who could threaten the nation’s borders. During Montuhotep II’s reign and those of his Middle Kingdom successors, the area south of Aswan was conquered and garrisoned for TRADE systems and the reaping of natural resources available in the region. Canals, fortresses, and storage areas were put into place at strategic locales.
