Below is an easy-to-browse gallery
of books that cater to those who are interested in visiting Sudan or learning
more about its ancient past. The majority of descriptions below are by independent
editors. Feel free to purchase these books directly from Amazon.com!
The
Nubian Past :
'Anyone looking for an up-to-date in-depth study with a comprehensive bibliogrpahy
will have to read The Nubian Past ... One must congratulate Dr Edwards and the
publisher for bringing such an excellent book to light.' - Egyptian Archaeology.
An introductory
guide to the peoples, history, religions, and customs of Nubia, the ancient African
kingdom on the Nile. In a series of simple, straightforward essays, appropriate
for both children and adults, the book presents the main aspects of Nubian life
- including art, writing, religion, daily activities, clothing, and cosmetics.
With an extensive glossary and an afterword by cultural historian Edmund B. Gaither,
the book is illustrated with over 50 full-color and black-and-white illustrations,
showing everything from Nubian artifacts to huge sculptures of the ancient kings
to one of the largest sarcophagi ever excavated.
Lost Nubia: A Centennial Exhibit of Photographs
from the 1905-1907 Egyptian Expedition of the University of Chicago:
Lost Nubia:
A Centennial Exhibit of Photographs from the 1905-1907 Egyptian Expedition of
the University of Chicago is the catalog for the inaugural exhibit in the Marshall
and Doris Holleb Family Special Exhibits Gallery of the Oriental Institute Museum...Curated
by John A. Larson, Oriental Institute Museum Archivist, the exhibit of fifty-two
historic photographs from the Oriental Institute Archives was selected as a temporary
accompaniment to the new permanent installation of objects from ancient Nubia.
These photographic images document some of the archaeological sites in Nubia that
have disappeared under the waters of Lake Nasser and a few places that are so
remote that few tourists have ever seen them. These documentary images, taken
during the consecutive winter field seasons of 1905-1906 and 1906-1907, represent
just a small part of a corpus of nearly 1,200 black-and-white negatives that were
made by the Egyptian Expedition of the University of Chicago, under the direction
of James Henry Breasted...
In 2003, a Swiss archaeological team working in northern Sudan uncovered one of
the most remarkable Egyptological finds in recent years. At the site known as
Kerma, near the third cataract of the Nile, archaeologist Charles Bonnet and his
team discovered a ditch within a temple from the ancient city of Pnoubs, which
contained seven monumental black granite statues. Magnificently sculpted, and
in an excellent state of preservation, they portrayed five pharaonic rulers, including
Taharqa and Tanoutamon, the last two pharaohs of the 'Nubian' Dynasty, when Egypt
was ruled by kings from the lands of modern-day Sudan...
The Nubian Pharaohs
illuminates the epic history of this little-known historical era, when the pharaohs
of Egypt came from Sudan. In this major new book, which combines the latest archaeological
research with stunning photography, Charles Bonnet and Dominique Valbelle narrate
the incredible story of their discovery--one that will change our understanding
of Egypt and Africa in the ancient world.
The Kingdom of Kush: Handbook of the Napatan-Meriotic
Civilization :
The author effectively demonstrated that the Napatan-Meroitic civilisation did
emerge out of thin air, or that it was merely a reproduction of an Egyptian model.
It possessed a solid intellectual foundation and a unique political history. As
a reference work for students of the Napatan-Meroitic civilisation, this book
is highly recommended. 'Christiaan Nel, "Journal of Northwest Semitic Languages,
1999.
Medieval Kingdoms of Nubia: Pagans, Christians
and Muslims along the Middle Nile :
The period that followed the collapse of the Kushite Empire in the 4th century
AD has traditionally been perceived as `a barbarous dark age'. Welsby, who has
directed excavations in Sudan for the last twenty years and is an authority on
the most southerly medieval Nubian kingdom of Alwa, argues that this view is largely
the result of neglect and uses a wealth of archaeological, epigraphic and documentary
evidence to highlight the cultural achievements of communities of all religions.
Well-illustrated sections examine the distinct cultures of the region,
developments in architecture, art, language and literacy, the impact of Christianity,
notably wealthy churches and monastic buildings, and the economy of the Nubian
kingdoms until their collapse in the 15th century. This is an authoritative yet
accessible study which will be of interest to academic and general readers.
'Anyone looking for an up-to-date in-depth study with a comprehensive bibliogrpahy
will have to read The Nubian Past ... One must congratulate Dr Edwards and the
publisher for bringing such an excellent book to light.' - Egyptian Archaeology.
An introductory
guide to the peoples, history, religions, and customs of Nubia, the ancient African
kingdom on the Nile. In a series of simple, straightforward essays, appropriate
for both children and adults, the book presents the main aspects of Nubian life
- including art, writing, religion, daily activities, clothing, and cosmetics.
With an extensive glossary and an afterword by cultural historian Edmund B. Gaither,
the book is illustrated with over 50 full-color and black-and-white illustrations,
showing everything from Nubian artifacts to huge sculptures of the ancient kings
to one of the largest sarcophagi ever excavated. 
Lost Nubia:
A Centennial Exhibit of Photographs from the 1905-1907 Egyptian Expedition of
the University of Chicago is the catalog for the inaugural exhibit in the Marshall
and Doris Holleb Family Special Exhibits Gallery of the Oriental Institute Museum...Curated
by John A. Larson, Oriental Institute Museum Archivist, the exhibit of fifty-two
historic photographs from the Oriental Institute Archives was selected as a temporary
accompaniment to the new permanent installation of objects from ancient Nubia.
In 2003, a Swiss archaeological team working in northern Sudan uncovered one of
the most remarkable Egyptological finds in recent years. At the site known as
Kerma, near the third cataract of the Nile, archaeologist Charles Bonnet and his
team discovered a ditch within a temple from the ancient city of Pnoubs, which
contained seven monumental black granite statues. Magnificently sculpted, and
in an excellent state of preservation, they portrayed five pharaonic rulers, including
Taharqa and Tanoutamon, the last two pharaohs of the 'Nubian' Dynasty, when Egypt
was ruled by kings from the lands of modern-day Sudan...
The author effectively demonstrated that the Napatan-Meroitic civilisation did
emerge out of thin air, or that it was merely a reproduction of an Egyptian model.
It possessed a solid intellectual foundation and a unique political history. As
a reference work for students of the Napatan-Meroitic civilisation, this book
is highly recommended. 'Christiaan Nel, "Journal of Northwest Semitic Languages,
1999.
The period that followed the collapse of the Kushite Empire in the 4th century
AD has traditionally been perceived as `a barbarous dark age'. Welsby, who has
directed excavations in Sudan for the last twenty years and is an authority on
the most southerly medieval Nubian kingdom of Alwa, argues that this view is largely
the result of neglect and uses a wealth of archaeological, epigraphic and documentary
evidence to highlight the cultural achievements of communities of all religions.
‘…doesn’t just give data or hard facts, it narrates, just like
you are reading an interesting piece of literature or adventure....’
