Prompt Cast
Challenging the Bias: Rediscovering the Kingdom of Kush in Nubian Archaeology
TLDR Recent research in Nubian archaeology is challenging the biased narrative that has traditionally neglected the Kingdom of Kush in favor of Egypt and Mesopotamia. The study highlights the independence and agency of the Kushites, shedding light on their sophisticated extractive state and power dynamics, and emphasizes the importance of collaborative research and community archaeology.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
Dr. Geoff Emberling has worked in both Mesopotamia and Ancient Nubia, and while Mesopotamian archaeology primarily focuses on settlements, Nubian archaeology has traditionally neglected settlements in favor of finding artifacts.
04:02
Archaeological records in Sudan, particularly in Nubia, have presented challenges due to the lack of visible settlements and the sparse nature of artifacts, but the discovery of groundstone and textual material at a site led to the realization that it was a gold mining site, highlighting the interest in gold mining and production in Nubia.
08:03
The historical narrative of Nubia and the Kingdom of Kush has been influenced by structural racism and a bias towards Egypt, but recent research is challenging these notions and highlighting the independence and agency of the Kushites in their own development.
12:25
The bias towards Egypt and Mesopotamia in the study of state formation and early civilizations has led to a distorted understanding of the ancient past, with the Kingdom of Kush being considered secondary and little known, despite a significant amount of research on the topic, highlighting the need to challenge the white Euro-American way of assigning value to ancient cultures.
16:41
The Kingdom of Kush, located in the Middle Nile region, was the politically dominant kingdom in ancient times, with the Nubians living on the margins of the empire, and the descendants of the Nubians still living in the Nile Valley today.
21:59
The average age of death in ancient Nubia was in the 20s, suggesting a high prevalence of infectious diseases and a short lifespan, and the mining of gold by the Nubians for the empire of Kush reveals a sophisticated extractive state level relationship and power dynamics.
26:17
The search for the royal settlement at El Kuru did not yield any results, but at Jebel Barkel, mudbrick structures from the first century BCE and first century CE were discovered, shedding light on the period of relations between Kush and Rome.
30:32
Community archaeology is a more inclusive and collaborative approach to archaeology that recognizes and values the input and interests of the local community, as opposed to the older colonial practices of extracting information and objects without concern for the community's benefit.
35:10
The funding from the government of Qatar allowed for the construction of a visitor center in Sudan, but the project expanded to include a community center as well, with the goal of giving the local community a voice and allowing them to share their own stories and experiences living in the village near the archaeological site.
39:34
Dr. Geoff Emberling discusses the importance of bringing the stories of ordinary people in ancient Kush into the historical narrative, as well as the need for collaborative research and the exciting advancements in the study of Nubia.
Categories:
History
Society & Culture
