Customer Reviews (1)

Abu Simbel & the Monuments of Nubia - the UNESCO Effort
This is the best book written on the subject of the UNESCO effort to save these ancient Egyptian temples and monuments during the 1960s.The author gives an oversight of the political situation of the time and why and how things happened as they did.

Many books have been written on this subject but only this one has all the facts.Tells who did what and how and why.A real must have book for anyone interested in Nubia and UNESCO.
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Children discover and explore the rich heritage of ancient cultures around the world through fascinating myths, legends, festivals, and stories of the culture. Detailed maps and vivid illustrations show how various people lived and what they accomplished. Each book in this popular series contains five easy-to-do art projects- complete with unique punch-out stencils for making many of the traditional arts and crafts still produced today. Ages 8+ ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Teachers: This Book is a Must
Stencils of Ancient Egypt and Nubia is a "must" for teachers of social studies who enjoy doing "hands on" projects.Not only are the symbols of Ancient Egypt clearly explained, the stencils can be used over and over to create many projects in the classroom.My students have used these stencils for the last four years and they are still in good shape.Teachers looking for a simplified and concise teaching tool for Ancient Egypt will find more than enough information to share with their students in this book. ... Read more

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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. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Great on Potsherds, Negligent on History, Biased on Certain African Issues
I read the initial 2002 print of 304 pages. (There are 8 color picture pages in addition to the many drawings and black and white pictures within the 296 text pages.)

This book gets severely detailed, utterly exhaustive (and to most tedious) in its descriptions of potsherds, graves, church architecture and other finds in the archaeological field. Unfortunately, the author doesn't get anywhere near that deep into the history, not to mention the life of the three some one millennium enduring Christian Nubian kingdoms of Makuria, Alwa and Nobadia, claiming that wouldn't be possible, as too little would be known yet. Hmm... The book is basically about the Christian times of Nubia and not really about the "pagan" and Muslim eras, as the title erroneously suggests.

The author seems to be caught in the general bias of not covering some issues. Unfortunately exactly the ones I am interested in and bought the book for. One is the beginning of Christian Imes (time) in Nubia, i.e. somewhat today's area of the country of Sudan. It is apparent that the established Western historians have an axe to grind not to state that these empires turned Christian too early - namely before Europe did. Christianity as an originally Black African religion seems to be not that comfortable. But somehow this book has to deal with certain facts. For example that Christian artefacts have been found in "too early" Nubian graves, "but there is no reason to think these had any religious significance". The flabbergasting reason according to the author: This would have been a pagan custom (to include valuables in graves) and the Christian artefacts are supposedly just Christian by coincidence, because the only interest would have been their material value. ??? I am amazed that the author generally refrains from interpreting anything to the point of writing rather nothing, unless something has to look differently than it appears, when it is to the detriment of his world view. My interpretation would be that the Christian grave artefacts represent the "missing link" from the previous branch of religion to Christianity, in a clearly Christian setting. Otherwise, there would have been artefacts of another religion. As if the Christmas tree and the Easter bunny would suggest to historians in the future that (some) European and American Christians would still be "pagan", because neither is found in the Bible, but in the previous branches of religion... The author is sure lacking any clue on how he came to his most unlikely of all possible conclusions.

The main reason I ordered this book for was to find out about the potential participation of the Nubian kingdom(s) in the crusades, which eventually let to their downfall. As it is EXTREMELY difficult to come by any information on this issue (if you know a source please leave a comment). To thwart any uncomfortable ideas, the author quickly claims, there wasn't any Nubian participation in the crusades. Even though archaeologically, close links to Byzantium and influences by Christian Egypt, Syria, Armenia (and Ethiopia) are listed. Again later in the book, there is talk of a Nubian ruler on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem in 1203-04 who went on to Constantinople which was then under the control of the crusaders. Not even the name of that ruler is provided, nor of which of the three Nubian kingdoms he was the ruler. It is also not elaborated that those Constantinople-ruling crusaders had just arrived in a 4th crusade, which initially had been planned to go to Egypt, Nubia's Muslim-ruled neighbour to the north. Am I too way off to come to the idea that THIS may have been the reason for the Nubian king's "pilgrimage"? But: "Any cooperation between the Crusaders and the Nubians is inherently unlikely." Supposedly, because the crusaders were against any non-Catholic Christians as sick. Yet, again later, the author mentions the Venetian Marin Sanudo who in 1310 and 1320 drew up a plan for a Nubian attack on Egypt from the South. "Unfortunately", the Western help from the North wasn't given as planned. Or maybe the plan was not only to weaken the Egyptian Muslims, but to get rid of the rival and older Christian African Churches with the same stroke. I don't know. That's what I want to find out, by reading such books which I expect to answer these obvious questions. If not known currently, at least I expect not to get mislead by biased but unbased statements. By the way, the above mentioned 4th crusade against Egypt, which turned against Byzantium instead, was instigated by Venice, too. And the next crusade after 1310/20 was what may be called the 8th one against Egyptian Alexandria in 1365, this time instigated by Cyprus - with the fleet coming from, yes, you guessed it, Venice. All of this latter information isn't provided in this book as sick. When it comes to neutral issues, the author is all too happy to reference other sources with opposing opinions in the extensive footnotes. Not so for the two issues of this review. And yes, opposing sources do exist: Once, I have read one which very briefly mentions that like Ethiopia, the Nubian kingdoms were initially exempted from the jihad. But when the Nubians, unlike the Ethiopians, started to help the European crusaders, this decision was reversed.

The bottom line is: If you are interested merely in archaeology, this book offers state-of-the-2002-art information in the five-star category (translating into 4 stars for accumulated dust by now). If you look for anything else, this book is worth probably 2 stars only.

Rediscovering the Lost Kingdoms of Medieval Nubia
THE MEDIEVAL KINGDOMS OF NUBIA: PAGANS, CHRISTIANS, AND MUSLIMS ALONG THE MIDDLE NILE by Derek Welsby has 296 pages and 11 chapters. Chapter 1 - Introduction, Chapter 2 - The emergence of the Nubian Kingdoms, Chapter 3 - The arrival and impact of Christianity, Chapter 4 -The Nubians and their neighbors, seventh to early thirteenth centuries, Chapter 5 - The heyday of the Nubian kingdoms, Chapter 6 - Settlements, Chapter 7 - Architecture, Chapter 8 - The Economy, Chapter 9 - Art, language, and literacy, Chapter 10 - The Collapse of the Nubian kingdoms, and Chapter 11 - Postscript. In addition there is an appendix entitled Kings of the Blemmyan and Nubian kingdoms of the Nile Valley, which comes in really handy. There are also Notes, Glossary, Bibliography and an Index to help the reader out.
Initially I read this book for two reasons: I have an interest in the transitional periods between the ancient Pagan world and the Christian world and I have an interest in learning about other cultures. This book deals more with the Christian and Muslim worlds, so I wasn't totally satisfied, but to be honest, I'm sure there are other books that deal with the Kushites and the Pagan Nubians. There is so much information in this book - perhaps too much. The myriad details are so great that the humanity of the peoples of these nearly lost kingdoms is hard to find. I liked the chapters on architecture and the economy because they brought me closer to the people in their everyday life. While the writing style of the author is clear, it does not draw one into the world of these people, and that is what I was looking to get. I am not quite sure who the author's audience is for this book, but I don't think it will appeal to the general audience. Nonetheless, those who have an interest in the people south of the Egyptians will want to read this book in their search of kingdoms, which are barely if ever mentioned in American schools. ... Read more

Product Description
This book discusses the evolution of Nubian culture and history through the Bronze Age and the Napatan-Meroitic Period. It was written to coincide with an exhibition at the University Museum at Pennsylvania, and the unrivalled Nubian collection of that museum and of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, provides some striking illustrations. Maps, chronological tables and a clearly-written text make this an excellent introduction to Nubian civilisation, while well-illustrated discussions of Nubian art and architecture will make this catalogue a valuable source for Egyptian scholars. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

excellent introduction to Nubia
This book, divided in two sections, was compiled during the course of the 1993 exhibition of the same name. It collectively portrays the fruits ofknowledge of it. In the first part, the author introduces this fascinatingcivilization, by explaining its politics, religious beliefs, society,culture and history from the Bronze Age to the Napatan Meroitic Period. Thesecond part contains more than 300 black and white pictures presented atthe exhibition. This is a valuable work for those needing to learn moreabout Nubia. ... Read more

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This work represents the cutting edge of a new generationof Afrocentric scholarship whose mandate it is to provide a clearerpicture of Africa's true nature and of its genuine contribution toworld civilization. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Not terribly helpful
I wish that this book did what it said - reconnected the root system of African civilization.This book is in the same vein as Cheik Anta Diop's African Origins of Civilization, but unfortunately she seems more interested in rehashing the same arguments and counters from the 1960s and '70s than she is in writing a concise, African-centered history of Kush and Nubia.I guess I'll have to keep looking...

Objective Afrocentricity vsBiased Eurocentricity!
Any objecive, unbiased and well argued book on African civilizations or history deserves a 5 star for me: the reason being simple, there are not many of such books in the world! Ms Monges has presented both sides of the argument (an art of arguing) and has logically and objectively rejoinderedsome of the eurocentric views and arguments very well. I have read 3 otherbooks on Africa and Kemet (Egypt) and all share to a great extent the samewell argued, objective and afrocentric view as potrayed by Ms Monges. Ihave always asked myself what do european anthropologists or so-calledegyptologists mean by: 'negroid', but not 'negro'; to rephrase, black butnot black enough? Indeed I have found several of the their arguments veryirrational, absurd and illogical. Indeed Ms Monges does well to deal withmost of the misconceptions surrounding Kemet, Kush and Africa. She seekspartly to adduce evidence for the Blackness of Egypt by comparing it toother cultural practices in modern Africa. Something which she does verywell! Jesus said: there is nothing that is hidden that will not berevealed. Thank You Ms Monges for you objective Afrocentricity! ... Read more

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Several years ago, the idea of a bibliography of material relating to the study of ancient Egyptian biological remains was concieved, in part as a way of encouraging better communication between the archaeological and scientific disciplines. This is the first to have been prepared and covers the skeletal and dental analyses from ancient Egypt and Nubia. The bibliography is considerably large with several easy to use category indexes. ... Read more

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The Egyptological literature usually belittles or ignores the political and intellectual initiative and success of the Nubian Twenty-Fifth Dynasty in the reunification of Egypt, while students of Nubian history frequently ignore or misunderstand the impact of Egyptian ideas on the cultural developments in pre and post-Twenty-Fifth-Dynasty Nubia. This book re-assesses the textual and archaeological evidence concerning the interaction between Egypt and the polities emerging in Upper Nubia between the Late Neolithic period and 500 AD. The investigation is carried out, however, from the special viewpoint of the political, social, economic, religious and cultural history of the frontier region between Egypt and Nubia and not from the traditional viewpoint of the direct interaction between Egypt and the successive Nubian kingdoms of Kerma, Napata and Meroe.The result is a new picture of the bipolar acculturation processes occurring in the frontier region of Lower Nubia in particular and in the Upper Nubian centres, in general. The much-debated issue of social and cultural 'Egyptianization' is also re-assessed. ... Read more

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Shinnie provides a clear account of Nubia's past, in Egypt and in the Sudan, from the earliest human activity to the coming of Islam in the fourteenth century. ... Read more

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This long-awaited publication provides a stimulating and comprehensive visual selection of primary objects, reflecting the range of media and artistic styles employed in over 5,000 years of Egyptian craftsmanship. ... Read more

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TheHistorical Dictionary of Ancient and Medieval Nubiacovers the period of Nubian history from the Paleolithic to the end of Medieval Christianity. It includes the rapidly expanding field of Nubian archaeology that centers ancient African history along the Nile but beyond the better-known field of Egyptology. ... Read more

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A comprehensive survey of Sudanese ancient cultures, the history of archaeology in Sudan, current work and recent trends. The Sudan is the largest country in Africa. For millennia it has been the zone of contact between the peoples of Central Africa and those emanating from the Mediterranean world. The National Museum in Khartoum houses one of the finest collections of antiquities from the Nile Valley and is of international importance; however, the vast quantity of material is in store and has rarely if ever been seen by the public. This exhibition will seek to display some of the finest objects produced during all phases of human settlement from the Palaeolithic through to the Islamic period. A large number of these beautiful treasures will be on public display for the first time outside the Sudan and most are recent discoveries. Key items will seek to highlight the contrast between the world views of many Sudanese cultures: from the demonstrations of worldly power of the Kerma kings accompanied to their deaths by 400 sacrificed persons, to the humble graves of Christian rulers; from the grandiose temples built by the Egyptian Pharaohs to the churches and mosques of later periods. ... Read more

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Beginning with the civilization of Ancient Egypt, with its mighty Pharoahs and monuments, a fascinating history moves on to the Nubians who were soldiers, scholars, and builders, and the Ethiopians who dominated Northern Africa and the Red Sea trade. ... Read more

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The first edition of this book provided teachers of African history, for the first time, with fully annotated translations of the most important Greek and Roman sources for the history of these two remarkable ancient African civilizations. The new edition retains all of the features that made the first edition so successful while significantly expanding the coverage of the history of Kush and Axum. The illustration program has been revised, new translations have been added including recently discovered Nubian and Axumite royal documents, and a new chapter treats the origins of the kingdom of Kush and its relations with Egypt and Persia. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A few reviews for Kush and Axum
"Stanley Burstein has researched, compiled, and translated with commentary the most significant Greek and Roman sources concerning Black Africa. The result is a fascinating book about the people of the southern part of the Nile Valley, the gold mines of Nubia, the Hellenistic city of Meroë, capital of the Ethiopian Empire of Kush with its own highly developed culture (300 bc to 300 ad). This book is a masterpiece of scholarship and historical research."
-Midwest Book Review

"The ancient kingdoms of Kush and Axum were reflections of ancient Egypt to the north, but with the collapse of Egypt, Kush flourished and then gave way to Axum. . . . Burstein opens the volume with a brief survey of the two kingdoms; with introductions and important notes he then presents the ancient literary and epigraphical testimony for this region. . . . A brief bibliography and photographs aid this significant volume."
-Choice

" . . . an important contribution to Black Africa."
-Choice
"Kush (Nubia) and Axum have received less attention from ancient historians than the other African civilizations with whom the Greeks and Romans came into contact (and conflict). This source book of ancient texts in English translation will help students become better aware of how the so-called Aethiopians who lived in Northeast Africa differed from their better-known neighbors the Egyptians. The twenty-six texts collected here are all readily accessible to students with a basic knowledge of ancient Egyptian, Greek, or Roman civilization. . . . Each text is presented with a brief introduction setting it into its historical context, and additional essential information is provided in endnotes, where the names of the authors and their dates are given . . . . There is a useful select bibliography."

--Classical World 92.4 (1999)

A mixed bag
This book is a collection of some 27 historical documents that deal with the ancient and medieval African nations of Kush and Axum. The first two documents are drawn from Strabo's Geography, while later ones are from similar Greek, Roman and Christian travelers, and also various letters, treaties and inscriptions. Also, there is even a contract for the sale of a Nubian slave girl!

As one might expect from the nature of this book, it is a mixed bag. Some of the documents are quite fascinating and informative, while others did not interest me in the least. So, if you are looking for a book on the history of Kush and Axum, you will need to look elsewhere. But, if you are interested in historical documents on these nations, then this would be an excellent book for you to read. ... Read more

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This digital document is an article from Journal of World History, published by University of Hawaii Press on March 1, 2008. The length of the article is 9439 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: When Greek was an African language: the role of Greek culture in ancient and medieval Nubia *.
Author: Stanley M. Burstein
Publication: Journal of World History (Magazine/Journal)
Date: March 1, 2008
Publisher: University of Hawaii Press
Volume: 19Issue: 1Page: 41(21)

Distributed by Gale, a part of Cengage Learning ... Read more

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Gathered together here are the fruits of 60 years of research by the late Sir Lawrence Kirwan into the history and archaeology of the mid 1st millennium AD in the Middle Nile Valley, papers previously scattered through a wide range of publications. Kirwan's fieldwork in the region, undertaken between 1929 and 1936, kindled a life-long interest in the transition from the pagan Kushite kingdom to the medieval Nubian states of Nobadia, Makuria and Alodia (Alwa) and of their conversion to Christianity in the 6th century AD. The 25 studies, one published here for the first time, were often of seminal importance when they first appeared, the author being exemplary in his use of the written sources to elucidate the archaeological data. As the preface by the editors shows, the views expressed remain fundamental to modern scholarship, offering valuable insights into this still relatively obscure period of transition from the ancient to the medieval world. ... Read more

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Bankes appeared to have it all, he was rich, confident,handsome, he had been educated at Cambridge where he became friendswith Byron, he travelled extensively and was a passionateexplorer. His travels on the Grand Tour left him with a great love forarchaeology and he amassed a wealth of notes, manuscripts and drawingsin subsequent visits to Egypt and the Near East between 1915 and1919. However, scandal in his private life put an end to his promisingparliamentary career and his two arrests for homosexual offences ledhim to seek exile in Italy, leaving his unpublished archive behind inEngland. This is the story of Banke's life, travels and hiscontribution to Egyptology. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Fine legacy of an intrepid explorer
This work of bibliography and history tells the story of pioneer Egyptologist William Banks (1786 - 1855), the heir of the Kingston Lacy estate in Dorset. From 1815 to 1819 he journeyed through Egypt and the Middle East compiling a huge portfolio of manuscripts, notes, drawings and paintings by himself and artists with him. The accuracy of these makes it a unique and valuable record of ancient inscriptions and monuments that are now damaged or lost.

Besides describing his travels with frequent quotes from his correspondence, the book also appraises his substantial contribution to Egyptology. The chapters follow his life from his political career in the UK through his travels in Egypt, Nubia, the Sinai, Syria, Greece, Asia Minor to Jerusalem, Petra, the Dead Sea plus his subsequent explorations down the Nile. The 2nd Nubian voyage reached the second cataract and the third reached the ruins of Meroe. Chapter 12 looks at his collection and his legacy.

The quotes from his notes and correspondence are often humorous, provide insight into the people and places that he visited and open a window on the England of his time and the contacts that existed between various famous explorers of the Near East. The book has a Chronology of Egyptian rulers from the predynastic period to Roman times, a Glossary, copious Notes, an extensive Bibliography and an index.

The real treasure of the book is the plates, a set of about 112 drawings, paintings and photographs. These are in colour and black & white and includes inter alia portraits of Bankes and Lord Byron, drawings by Bankes, Henry Salt and Henry W Beechey and paintings by Louis Maurice Linant and Alessandro Ricci. Not only monuments and inscriptions are depicted; there are also portraits of local rulers and illustrations of village life among the Nubian people.

Life, Letters, and Journals of Lord Byron

Belzoni's Travels: Narrative of the Operations and Recent Discoveries in Egypt and Nubia

Medieval Kingdoms of Nubia: Pagans, Christians and Muslims in the Middle Nile

The Kingdom of Kush: Handbook of the Napatan-Meriotic Civilization (Handbook of Oriental Studies/Handbuch Der Orientalistik)

The White Nile
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