The Italian Archaeological Mission in the Sudan - Report for 2008

Archaeogate Egittologia

Thanks to Pier for the above link.

The present research – being the continuation of the historical mission carried on till 2005 under the auspices of Rome University "La Sapienza" – has resumed the excavations in the archaeological site of Jebel Barkal, ancient Napata, near modern Karima. Its working period covered the span between February 11th and 29th, having as main goal the complete clearing of the building labeled B2400. It has to be stressed that the label B2400 has been definitely attached to the building that lay near the modern road, where in 2001 features of Greek architecture turned out in our excavations. It is therefore displaced in reference to the site which was named B2400 by Timothy Kendall, and where no archaeological work has been hitherto carried out. . . .

The choice of the working place was due to the suitable time and the need to achieve a good result in a period of remarkable changes. On the one side the town of Karima has increased to a considerable degree of importance after the construction of the Hamdab Dam and of the bridge; on the other side tremendous rainfalls affect more and more the ruins, in spite of any restorations. A priority task is therefore to publish in the most complete form the issue of fieldwork, especially as it was eventually remarked that unrecorded excavations took place in the area and damaged in addition the scanty remaining evidence.

See the above page for the full report.