Heracleopolis the Great (Latin: Heracleopolis Magna) is the Greek name for the capital of the 20th prefecture (administrative division) of ancient Egypt, and is located about 15 km west of the modern city of Beni Suef. In ancient Egyptian it was known as Henen nesut, Nen NeÅŸu, or Hwt nen NeÅŸu which means "the house of the royal child". During the Roman period it was known as Echnasia which comes from the Coptic "Hnas" and the Arabic "Ahnas", today the archeological site is known as "Ichnasiyah um el Kimam" and "Ichnasiyah el Mantina"
The city is unknown when it was founded, the Palermo Column mentions Pharaoh Den that he visited Lake Harrishev near the city. This shows that it was already inhabited during the 1st dynasty and in 2970 BC. Heraklion first came to the fore and was at the height of its power during the first interim period, between 2181-2055 BC. Eventually after the collapse of the Old Kingdom where Egypt was divided into Upper and Lower Egypt it became the capital of Lower Egypt and was able to exercise control over most of the region. He exercised so much control over Lower Egypt during this period that Egyptologists and Egyptian archaeologists sometimes refer to the period between the 9th and 10th dynasties (2160-2025 BC) as the Heraclopolitan period. During this period it was often found in conflict with the de facto capital of Upper Egypt, ancient Thebes.
Between the last part of the first interim period and the beginning of the Middle Kingdom, the city became a religious center of the worship of Heryshaf, where a temple was built. By the time of the third interim period (1069-747 BC) Heraklion had grown again in importance. Many renovations and new constructions took place in temples and it again became an important religious and political center.
During the time of Ptolemy (332 - 30 BC) it was still an important religious and cultural center in Egypt. The Greek lords of this period identified the local god Herishev with Hercules, hence the name often used by modern scholars for Heraklion
The city continued to exist in the Roman period where houses and necropolises of this period have been found.
The first excavations were started by the Swiss Egyptologist Henri Edouard Navil who brought to light the temple of Herissef believing that there was nothing else important to dig. This view was refuted by Petrie Flinders, who said in 1879 that he had excavated only a part of the temple and that much remained to be discovered in Heraklion. Then the settlement was excavated and another temple that has been attributed to the 19th dynasty. The findings from Petrie during its excavation are numerous and extend throughout the chronological range of the settlement. Concerning special objects found at the end of the first interim period and the beginning of the Middle Kingdom, he revealed many ceramic shells associated with the 11th Dynasty. From the later Roman period, he found many objects related to many of the morgue sites he brought to light including iron tools, clay pots and more.
There have been several recent excavations that have increased the knowledge of the site. During the 1980s a Spanish team excavated and unearthed objects such as an altar for weights and a pair of decorated eyes probably from a statue, all attributed to a temple.
A Spanish team also carried out excavations in 2008, under the direction of Carmen Perez of the National Archaeological Museum of Madrid. Their efforts revealed a previously unknown burial with various false doors dating back to the first interim period, as well as bounties, which had not been vandalized.
Between the last part of the first interim period and the beginning of the Middle Kingdom, the city became a religious center of the worship of Heryshaf, where a temple was built. By the time of the third interim period (1069-747 BC) Heraklion had grown again in importance. Many renovations and new constructions took place in temples and it again became an important religious and political center.
During the time of Ptolemy (332 - 30 BC) it was still an important religious and cultural center in Egypt. The Greek lords of this period identified the local god Herishev with Hercules, hence the name often used by modern scholars for Heraklion
The city continued to exist in the Roman period where houses and necropolises of this period have been found.
The first excavations were started by the Swiss Egyptologist Henri Edouard Navil who brought to light the temple of Herissef believing that there was nothing else important to dig. This view was refuted by Petrie Flinders, who said in 1879 that he had excavated only a part of the temple and that much remained to be discovered in Heraklion. Then the settlement was excavated and another temple that has been attributed to the 19th dynasty. The findings from Petrie during its excavation are numerous and extend throughout the chronological range of the settlement. Concerning special objects found at the end of the first interim period and the beginning of the Middle Kingdom, he revealed many ceramic shells associated with the 11th Dynasty. From the later Roman period, he found many objects related to many of the morgue sites he brought to light including iron tools, clay pots and more.
There have been several recent excavations that have increased the knowledge of the site. During the 1980s a Spanish team excavated and unearthed objects such as an altar for weights and a pair of decorated eyes probably from a statue, all attributed to a temple.
A Spanish team also carried out excavations in 2008, under the direction of Carmen Perez of the National Archaeological Museum of Madrid. Their efforts revealed a previously unknown burial with various false doors dating back to the first interim period, as well as bounties, which had not been vandalized.
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