ABSTRACT
Jebel Barkal is an extraordinary archaeological site located along the Nile in northern Sudan. It preserves the remains of a capital city and pyramid tombs of ancient Kush, one of Africa’s earliest and most significant empires. Jebel Barkal is a tall, dramatic sandstone outcrop that was sacred to ancient Kushites and Egyptians (c. 1700 bce to 350 ce ). Because of its exceptional historical importance, Jebel Barkal is at the centre of a UNESCO World Heritage Area. The local communities, living in the town of Karima and nearby villages, are primarily Shaigiya, but also include members of many other Sudanese groups that have a range of relationships to the site and its ancient history. This chapter presents the results of our team’s ongoing heritage work at the site: our conservation and management plans, community engagements, and approach to sustainable tourism. Our project is deliberate in its collaborative and ‘de-colonial’ approach, as all efforts are co-directed by Western and Sudanese professionals; yet it is also similar to many projects undertaken in conflict-prone areas due to the substantial challenges it faces to protect, let alone effectively conserve, an important archaeological site in collaboration with a war-weary community.
