“Poles on the Nile”: guest lecture by Dr. Julie Anderson

During this year’s conference “Poles on the Nile”, Dr. Julie Anderson (Department of Egypt and Sudan, The British Museum) will present: “Excavating Dangeil, Sudan: From shapeless mounds to Meroitic shrines” as part of a guest lecture.

Abstract:

Recent excavations at Dangeil, Sudan, just upstream of the 5th Nile cataract, have focused on a 1st century AD Amun temple built by the rulers Amanitori and Natakamani. Excavation of a previously unexplored mound within the temenos north of the temple, revealed a monumental round structure, the purpose of which remains enigmatic. Excavation of the structure’s entrance and part of its interior enables some theories regarding its function to be postulated and its relationship to the Amun temple discussed. The Amun temple and this mystery building, together with finds of kiosks, ram statues and colorful architectural fragments are helping to establish an image of the ancient sacred landscape and of Meroitic royal building practices.

Julie Anderson is responsible for the Sudanese and Nubian collections in the British Museum. She has worked extensively in Sudan and Egypt for over 35 years excavating numerous sites and has co-directed archaeological excavations in Sudan together with Sudanese National Corporation for Antiquities and Museums in the Berber-Abidiya region since 1997. Their recent fieldwork concentrates upon the site of Dangeil (3rd century BC – 4th century AD), located 350km north of Khartoum, where excavation of a large Amun temple complex is underway. Currently, she is the Chair of the Sudan Archaeological Research Society and the Honorary Secretary for the International Society for Nubian Studies and for the Sudan Study Group.

The lecture will take place in the evening on the second day of the conference, on Thursday at 5:15 PM. It will be held in a hybrid form – online on the Zoom platform and in room 210 at the Faculty of Archaeology, University of Warsaw. To receive a link, please register through the conference website: Polacy nad Nilem.