This course will examine the little-known “silent partner” to ancient Egypt’s grandeur: Nubia. The source of technologies, raw goods (e.g., gold), mercenaries, and considerable interconnections, Nubia shaped ancient Egypt far more extensively than is generally understood. Meanwhile, Nubia supported several powerful, independent, millennia-long kingdoms of its own, called the Kerma culture and the kingdom of Kush. Across five lectures, organized chronologically, we will explore the sites most critical to the development of ancient Nubian civilizations, focusing on the most spectacular discoveries, including archaeological and textual evidence and their importance. Emphasis will be on the Kerma culture (ca. 2500-1500 BC), the 25th Dynasty/Napatans (ca. 900-300 BC), and the Meroitic kingdom (ca. 300 BC to AD 300). Current archaeological excavations led by the instructor at the royal cemetery and pyramids of Nuri will be covered in depth.
