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Ancient Egypt had powerful Sudan rival, British Museum dig shows
New evidence about the power of a Sudanese civilisation that once dominated ancient Egypt has come to light thanks to a British Museum expedition.
By Stephen Adams, Arts Correspondent Last Updated: 4:24PM BST 16 Oct 2008
The Second Kushite Kingdom controlled the whole Nile valley from Khartoum to the Mediterranean from 720BC to 660BC.
Now archaeologists have discovered that a region of northern Sudan once considered a forgotten backwater once actually "a real power-base".
They discovered a ruined pyramid containing fine gold jewellery dating from about 700BC on a remote un-navigable 100-mile stretch of the Nile known as the Fourth Cataract, plus pottery from as far away as Turkey.
Other finds included numerous examples of ancient rock art and 'musical' rocks that were tapped to create a melodic sound.
They only made the discoveries after being invited by the Sudanese authorities to help excavate part of the Merowe region, which is soon to be flooded by a large hydro-electric dam. More than 10,000 sites were found.
Historians had written off the area as being of little archaeological interest.
Dr Derek Welsby, of the British Museum, said: "We had no idea how rich the area was."
Remarkably well-preserved bodies, naturally mummified in the desert air, and a cow buried complete with eye ointment were also unearthed.
Dr Welsby said the finds revolutionised the history and geography of the Kushite kingdoms.
The First Kushite Kingdom rivalled Egypt for power between 2500BC and 1500BC, when many of Egypt's largest pyramids were built, he said.
"All our preconceptions about this being a relatively poor, inhospitable area were completely wrong," he remarked. We thought the first kingdom gradually grew over 1,000 years; now we know it happened right at the beginning, very rapidly.
"During the second kingdom we thought it was an area everybody bypassed. But finding the pyramid meant it was a real power-base. This was not a backwater, it was partaking in the major trade routes in the world."
The team was able to excavate hundreds of heavy items, including large blocks adorned with rock art and 390 stones that comprised the pyramid, with the help of trucks and cranes lent by Iveco and New Holland.
The Sudanese authorities gave 20 such blocks and musical 'rock gongs', plus pottery and jewellery to the British Museum. A selection will be put on display early next year.
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"rock gongs" This may be of interest to those with the thoughts that large blocks could have been 'moved' via sound. OTOH it could have been purely for musical entertainment or for religion. I wish their was more in the article. Do they say WHEN the area is going to be flooded but the dam?
Posts: 2463 | From: New Jersey USA | Registered: Dec 2007
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posted
Damn, not another dam! Where will it end? With all middle and upper valley ancient artifacts forever lost under "Arab" induced eroding water burial?
Why in hell does Britain get these latest finds? When will African countries pool resources to build museums capable of preserving the continents historical treasures and to fund state of the art schools to train archeaologist who can dovetail science with internal oral knowledge and thus dig where finds are most likely to turn up?
Where is the King of Kings and his electors? Somebody email them and hit them up with ideas.
Posts: 8014 | From: the Tekrur in the Western Sahel | Registered: Feb 2006
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posted
^ My thoughts exactly, Takruri! The 'Arabs' can't wait to flood the invaluable (African) archaeological sites, and the British can't wait to loot the priceless artifacts! Posts: 26239 | From: Atlanta, Georgia, USA | Registered: Feb 2005
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quote:Originally posted by SEEKING: Ancient Egypt had powerful Sudan rival, British Museum dig shows
New evidence about the power of a Sudanese civilisation that once dominated ancient Egypt has come to light thanks to a British Museum expedition.
By Stephen Adams, Arts Correspondent Last Updated: 4:24PM BST 16 Oct 2008
The Second Kushite Kingdom controlled the whole Nile valley from Khartoum to the Mediterranean from 720BC to 660BC.
Now archaeologists have discovered that a region of northern Sudan once considered a forgotten backwater once actually "a real power-base".
They discovered a ruined pyramid containing fine gold jewellery dating from about 700BC on a remote un-navigable 100-mile stretch of the Nile known as the Fourth Cataract, plus pottery from as far away as Turkey.
Other finds included numerous examples of ancient rock art and 'musical' rocks that were tapped to create a melodic sound.
They only made the discoveries after being invited by the Sudanese authorities to help excavate part of the Merowe region, which is soon to be flooded by a large hydro-electric dam. More than 10,000 sites were found.
Historians had written off the area as being of little archaeological interest.
Dr Derek Welsby, of the British Museum, said: "We had no idea how rich the area was."
Remarkably well-preserved bodies, naturally mummified in the desert air, and a cow buried complete with eye ointment were also unearthed.
Dr Welsby said the finds revolutionised the history and geography of the Kushite kingdoms.
The First Kushite Kingdom rivalled Egypt for power between 2500BC and 1500BC, when many of Egypt's largest pyramids were built, he said.
"All our preconceptions about this being a relatively poor, inhospitable area were completely wrong," he remarked. We thought the first kingdom gradually grew over 1,000 years; now we know it happened right at the beginning, very rapidly.
"During the second kingdom we thought it was an area everybody bypassed. But finding the pyramid meant it was a real power-base. This was not a backwater, it was partaking in the major trade routes in the world."
The team was able to excavate hundreds of heavy items, including large blocks adorned with rock art and 390 stones that comprised the pyramid, with the help of trucks and cranes lent by Iveco and New Holland.
The Sudanese authorities gave 20 such blocks and musical 'rock gongs', plus pottery and jewellery to the British Museum. A selection will be put on display early next year.
Anyone that knows anything about the Nile, its geography and history would know that centers of human development moved NORTH not SOUTH. The area between the 1st and 4th cataracts was once very lush and this region is where many, many cultures developed which would eventually help set the stage for the development of dynastic Kmt. This is PRECISELY why the MOST ANCIENT settlement sites in Egypt are found IN THE SOUTH. And many of them all have material similarities to the cultures further south in Sudan.
The fact that dynastic KMT relied on SOUTHERNERS to save their bacon in the times of crisis, which led to the RENEWAL of dynastic KMT, should tell you something.
Europeans just lie is what it is really about.
Posts: 8890 | Registered: May 2005
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posted
I cant wait for Ethiopia to simply get this stuff together and pull the plug on their asses. This is what? I believe the 5th Dam.?
Posts: 2463 | From: New Jersey USA | Registered: Dec 2007
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posted
^ LOL It's becoming obvious that the Arab-wannabe psychos of Sudan are so desperate to deny their African heritage they will build as many "dams" as needed to destroy and damn their own ancient African heritage.
To Doug, you say Europeans are liars but can this be said of past European scholars only? I mean Euro or Western scholarship has come along way from the findings at Qustul to discoveries like that made in the article. It's only a shame that such discoveries were not made earlier due to racism.
Posts: 26239 | From: Atlanta, Georgia, USA | Registered: Feb 2005
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People this is what happens when you can't be your own person. Look at how he waffles depending on which direction his senior pack members are headed. Like a puppy following the adult dogs.
1st Europeans lie, then they don't lie. Then its arabs can't be blacks, then its blacks are arabs, then its blacks aren't arabs.
Learn to do something besides being the lackey of the group and paraphrasing the things you've heard them say. Learn to think for yourself sometimes.
You might even learn to help your country the Phillopeeeenes. Especially since it lags behind Sudan in economic development.
How many Sudanese do you see being slaves in the "middle east"? None.
Now how many filopeeeenos do you see being slaves in the "middle east"? Plenty.
Help your people out Djehuti.
Posts: 3085 | Registered: Jan 2008
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What's the matter Gaygoyle, you haven't been getting the shag you want from your boyfriends lately? That's too bad. Maybe it's not boy orgies you need but medication as well as counseling.
Posts: 26239 | From: Atlanta, Georgia, USA | Registered: Feb 2005
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