Dakhla Oasis cartouche of Petubastis III (524-518 BC) suggests Cambyses II's army was defeated there, not lost in a Siwa sandstorm. Herodotus was wrong about location.
Petubastis IV cartouche found at Dakhla Oasis, reinterprets lost army story
Site mentioned
📍 Dakhla Oasis🌍 Show on the globe
Key facts
- Excavations at Haida in Dakhla Oasis uncovered a cartouche of Petubastis IV in 2005
- Further digging in 2014 confirmed the cartouche belonged to Petubastis IV
- Archaeologists now believe Cambyses II sent the army to Dakhla Oasis, not Siwa Oasis
- The army was likely defeated by Petubastis IV's forces rather than lost in a sandstorm
- Herodotus was correct about attacking devotees of Amun-Ra but wrong about the location
- Petubastis IV ruled from approximately 524 BC to 518 BC
- Olaf Kaper led the excavations and reinterpretation of Herodotus's account
Sources
brill.com
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