BIBLE HISTORY DAILY

Cush in the Crosshairs

The threats facing Sudan's rich heritage

The unique pyramids of Meroe in northern Sudan. By Chubbyrump – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Often overshadowed by the grandeur of ancient Egypt, the land of Cush in modern-day northern Sudan was no less impressive in its cultural achievements. From at least the third millennium BCE, the Cushites grew wealthy and powerful from the region’s rich mineral deposits, especially gold, as well as their control over strategic trade routes that linked sub-Saharan Africa with the Nile Valley. Although Egypt’s pharaohs partially occupied this rich land through much of the second millennium, the kings of Cush became the Nile’s dominant power in the mid-first millennium, even conquering Egypt in the eighth century BCE to become its 25th Dynasty (see “Judah’s African Ally: Taharqa and the Kingdom of Cush”). Cush continued to play a major role in Egyptian and Mediterranean affairs for the next thousand years.

But this land, which famously boasts twice as many pyramids as Egypt (more than 200!), is today caught in the crosshairs of a widespread and brutal conflict that has ravaged Sudan for more than two years. Warring factions of Sudan’s military leadership, namely the Rapid Support Forces militia and the vestiges of the Sudanese army, have devastated the country in their struggle for power. As many as 150,000 have died in the fighting, while more than 12 million Sudanese have been displaced and more than half of the country faces starvation, making it one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises.

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As the war has dragged on, the country’s archaeology has suffered greatly. In March, when the army recaptured the Sudanese capital of Khartoum from militia forces, experts found that the national museum, which housed the world’s largest collection of Cushite objects, had been completely sacked and looted by the militia. Many fear the museum’s priceless treasures have been trafficked out of the country. There have also been sporadic militia raids near Meroe, a UNESCO World Heritage site south of Khartoum that was the royal and religious center of the Cushite kings during the Hellenistic and Roman periods (third century BCE–fourth century CE). Moreover, the ongoing violence has displaced many of the country’s archaeologists, heritage professionals, and museum staff, limiting the Sudanese government’s ability to monitor and protect threatened sites and museums in certain parts of the country.

But even as many of Sudan’s state institutions have had to limit their operations or temporarily relocate to Port Sudan or Cairo, local communities have stepped in to safeguard archaeological sites. Often with the support of international organizations, communities have taken it upon themselves to monitor and guard sites threatened by looting, lack of maintenance, and highly damaging seasonal flooding. In addition, with so much of Sudan’s population fleeing war-torn areas for the relative safety of the country’s north, once-well-protected archaeological treasures such as Meroe (see image above) and Jebel Barkal are facing significant new risks, including potential vandalism, overcrowding, and encroachment of new buildings and temporary housing. To counter these threats, communities are working to raise awareness among new arrivals about their area’s cultural heritage, train local guards and guides who can advocate for site protection, and properly excavate remains uncovered during new building or looting activities.

Glenn J. Corbett is Editor-in-Chief of Biblical Archaeology Review magazine and a specialist in the archaeology of the lands of the Bible, with more than two decades of excavation and field experience working on projects in Jordan, Turkey, and Israel. Prior to joining BAR, Glenn was Associate Director of the American Center of Research (ACOR) in Amman, Jordan, where he directed the award-winning Temple of the Winged Lions project in Petra. In addition, while working as Program Director for the Council of American Overseas Research Centers, he spearheaded efforts to help preserve threatened archaeological sites and museums in Yemen and other countries ravaged by conflict.

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Just How Big Is the Antiquities Trade?

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The Elusive Kingdom of Kush

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Judah’s African Ally: Taharqa and the Kingdom of Cush

Magnificent Obsession: The Private World of an Antiquities Collector

Editors’ Page: How to Stop Looting

Biblical Profile: Representing Cush in the Hebrew Bible