Origins & Early Life

Nastasen was a king of Kush who ruled the Kingdom of Kush from 335 to 315/310 BCE. According to a stela from Dongola, his mother was named Queen Pelkha and his father may have been King Harsiotef. His successor was Aryamani. Nastasen is known from three types of objects.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

There is a stela with a long historical inscription, a silver handle of a mirror, and several shabti-figures. The mirror handle and the shabti were found in a pyramid at Nuri (Nu. 15), which was obviously his burial place. He was the last Kushite king to be buried in the royal cemetery at Napata. The 1.63-metre-high (5.3 ft) granite stela was found at New Dongola and is now in the Egyptian Museum of Berlin (Inv.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

no. 2268). Originally, it was most likely placed in the Amun temple of Jebel Barkal. In the upper part appear the pictures and name of his mother, Pelkha, and his wife, Sekhmakh, next to the king. During his reign, Nastasen defeated an invasion of Kush from Upper Egypt. Nastasen's monument calls the leader of this invasion Kambasuten, a likely local variation of Khabbash.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

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