The Art and History of Nubia

This set of vocabulary flashcards covers the historical, archaeological, and cultural milestones of Nubia, from prehistory to modern displacement.

Prof. Charles Bonnet

The leader of a Swiss team of archaeologists whose research in Kerma led to major discoveries regarding the ancient Nubian civilization.

Kerma

An ancient Nubian town in Southern Sudan that served as the capital of the Kingdom of Kush and featured sophisticated architecture, temples, and fortifications.

Wadi Halfa

The region where archaeological excavation was hastily performed before being flooded by Lake Nasser due to the construction of the Aswan High Dam.

Lake Nasser

The body of water created by the Aswan High Dam that flooded valuable Nubian sites and lands in Egypt and Northern Sudan.

Kingdom of Kush

A powerful Nubian civilization that persisted for more than $2000$ years, at one point reuniting all of Egypt under the rule of the Black Pharaohs.

Kandakes

The ruling Queens of the Kingdom of Kush who participated in military expeditions and even led war against the Romans.

Meroitic kingdom

A period in Nubian history following the move of the Kushite capital to Meroe, which witnessed the transition to Christianism.

British occupiers

The group that, according to the transcript, separated Sudan from Egypt by the end of the $1980s$, dividing the Nubian region into two parts.

Cataracts

Features of the Nile that reduce water flow and created a rich environment for early human hunting, gathering, and permanent settlement.

Nubian Complex

A classification for stone and bone tool industries originated by early Nubians and found throughout the Arab Peninsula and the Middle East.

World's first astronomical calendar

A significant ancient achievement credited to the early Nubians, whose creativity is also shown in cave paintings dating back $10,000$ years ago.

Qore

The title used to refer to the great Kushite kings.

Nubian Pyramids

Burial structures in Central Nubia numbering about $300$, which is roughly three times more than those found in Egypt.

Nobadia, Makuria, and Alodia

The three kingdoms that the Nubian Kushite kingdom split into during the $5^{th}$ century AD.

Aswan High Dam

The construction project that resulted in the drowning of $49$ Nubian villages and the displacement of approximately $100,000$ Nubians.

$$600\text{ AD}$$

The approximate year when the Nubians of the three kingdoms (Nobadia, Makuria, and Alodia) converted to the Christian religion.

$$12^{th}\text{ century AD}$$

The period after which Nubians gradually began converting to Islam.

The Nubian Cause

The ongoing aspiration of displaced Nubians to return to the shores of Lake Nasser to resume the peaceful, self-sufficient life they enjoyed in Old Nubia.