Ancient Nubian Art

Lushly illustrated with stunning artefacts, this volume is the first comprehensive and accessible publication to explore the art, architecture, and material culture of ancient Nubia.

Kings and queens of Nubia reigned over one of the largest empires in the ancient world, with contacts extending north to Greece and Rome, south to sub-Saharan Africa, east to the Red Sea, and west across much of the Sahel. Even a quick look at Nubia's artefacts reveals the incredible creativity of its artists, architects, craftspeople, and thinkers. Unfortunately, the achievements of ancient Nubia are little known to the public and are often viewed as a subculture, a derivative offshoot of Egypt, Nubia's northern neighbour. Nothing could be further from the truth. During its over eight-thousand-year lifespan (beginning around 8000 BCE), Nubia indelibly shaped the art and architecture of the ancient world, an influence still felt today.

Ancient Nubian Art is the first comprehensive and accessible treatment of Nubian artistic culture and showcases its vast range—from ceramics, sculptures, and jewellery to tombs, temples, and palaces. Rita E. Freed, curator emerita at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, which holds the largest collection of Nubian artefacts outside the Nile Valley, contextualises the development of Nubian art against a vivid backdrop of kingship, power, worship, identity, gender, technology, and internationalism. Her text is accompanied by a foreword by Henry Louis Gates Jr. and sidebars by expert voices from the field.