Edwards, D.N. 2004. The Nubian past. An archaeology of the Sudan. – London, Routledge

Abstract

After nearly two decades of almost unremitting exploration and excavation, an updated overview of the titular discipline has again appeared – and not before time. The last was the second (1984) printing of Adams’s massive ‘Nubia. Corridor to Africa’, itself updated from the first (1977) only by a new introductory preface and appearing at a time when work was just beginning in earnest south of the 2^nd Cataract. The difference in achievements between then and now is stated quite clearly in the language of their respective subtitles: a narrow corridor along the Nile valley, and a more all–encompassing archaeology of the Sudan. This implied regional expansion reflects the expansion of research itself, which has pushed beyond the limited view of the Nile valley to encompass the deserts either side and even the coast and borders with other modern nations surrounding the Sudan, placing both the valley and the country within their geographical contexts. It is a nice touch for Edwards to choose the indefinite article an for his subtitle; given the volume’s philosophy, the alternative would have implied a knowledge far too absolute. Read more...