Ancient Nubia
Overview
Ancient Nubia has a long and glorious past, but it is frequently eclipsed in the public imagination by its northern neighbor, Egypt. Ancient Nubia: Excavating Treasures of the Nile, from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, brings into the limelight the Kingdom of Kush, an important civilization in the Middle Nile Valley, introducing visitors to its powerful kings and royal women and the materials excavated from their tombs and pyramids during the Harvard University – Boston Museum of Fine Arts Expedition more than 100 years ago.
Stunning displays highlight the longevity of this almost forgotten kingdom through its three main historical periods spanning almost 3,000 years, speaking to its cultural continuity and adaptation as well as its historical and political connections to pharaonic Egypt.
Visitors can learn about this other powerful kingdom on the Nile from an archaeological perspective with hands-on and digital interactives. A special display highlights a connection to the NCMA’s very own Nubiologist and features recently donated Egyptian objects as comparatives to the Nubian ones in the exhibition.
An Immersive Experience
Enjoy interactive experiences throughout the exhibition, including a replica of a royal tomb, a digital archaeological dig for artifacts, and a design your own pectoral station created by the NCMA’s Teen Arts Council.
Image: El-Kurru – royal tomb of the Nubian king Tanwetamani in Sudan; Photo: Adobe Stock/robnaw
Highlights
The exhibition highlights artwork of Nubia alongside an archaeological storytelling experience.
Nubian artist, Sudan, Shawabties of King Taharqa, 690–664 BCE, travertine (Egyptian alabaster), serpentinite, and unidentified stone, dimensions variable, Harvard University – Boston Museum of Fine Arts Expedition, 21.11861, 21.2921, 21.11860, 21.11855, 21.11858, 21.11859, 21.11854, 20.231, 21.11857, 21.2959, 21.11856, 20.228, 20.216, 20.234, 20.232, 21.3015, 21.2997; Photo: © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Nubian artist, Sudan, Hathor-Headed Crystal Pendant, 743–712 BCE, gold and rock crystal, H. 2 1/16 × W. 1 1/4 in., Harvard University – Boston Museum of Fine Arts Expedition, 21.321; Photo: © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Nubian artist, Sudan, Amulet of a Falcon, 690–664 BCE, gold, H. 11/16 × W. 3/16 × D. 9/16 in., Harvard University – Boston Museum of Fine Arts Expedition, 20.253; Photo: © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Details
Nubian artist, Sudan, Winged Isis Pectoral, 538–519 BCE, gold, H. 2 11/16 × W. 6 11/16 in., Harvard University – Boston Museum of Fine Arts Expedition, 20.276; Photo: © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
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Exhibition Sponsors
Ancient Nubia: Excavating Treasures of the Nile is organized by the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, curated by Denise Doxey (Norma Jean Calderwood Curator of Ancient Egyptian, Nubian, and Near Eastern Art). In Raleigh additional support is made possible, in part, by the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources; the North Carolina Museum of Art Foundation, Inc.; Paula D. Burleson and Barry P. Harris IV; Dawn F. Lipson; and the William R. Kenan Jr. Endowment for Educational Exhibitions. Research for this exhibition was made possible by Ann and Jim Goodnight/The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Fund for Curatorial and Conservation Research and Travel.
