Egypt is the world's oldest tourist destination, its millenia of civilization having been explored by travelers from as far back as ancient Greece and Rome for no other reason than to marvel at the remains of what once was the center of the civilized world. South of Egypt, however, in what is now Sudan, other civilizations of the ancient world were also struggling into existence, civilizations that not only preceded the magnificent kingdoms of Egypt but may well have planted the seeds for what was to happen up north. In an effort to enlighten the general public about the richness of Sudan's past, “Treasures from Sudan,” an exhibition of 300 objects dating from the 9th Millenium BC to the 19th century AD, is on display at the Culture Foundation in Abu Dhabi through June 8. Drawn from the collection of Sudan's National Museum in Khartoum, the exhibition both reaffirms the deep connection and mutual influence of Sudan and Egypt while characterizing the development of ancient and modern Sudan as unique, as well. What today is the northern part of Sudan was the earliest site of a number of activities that have defined human civilization. Skeletons with arrowheads embedded in the soft tissue have been uncovered at Jebel Sahaba. Dated back some 10,000 years, this marks one of the first instances of warfare in human history. The first continuous agricultural tradition in Africa, known as the Sudanese-Saharan Neolithic, developed almost ten thousand years ago, as well, in country's west of what came to be called Nubia – northern Sudan and southern Egypt. Until recently historians and archeologists believed that early Sudan was inhabited by tribal clans and small chiefdoms. Excavations, however, have uncovered tombs and utensils such as incense burners that bear evidence of the existence of royalty, indicating an organized society uniting unrelated groups under some sort of central government, a significant sign of civilization. A cemetery of large tombs containing evidence of wealth and representations of rulers and their victories was also discovered. Other representations and monuments could then be identified, and in the process, a lost kingdom, called Ta-Seti or Land of the Bow, was discovered. Further discoveries tie this land to the first great royal monuments of Egypt, leading to the theory that Nubia could well have been the seat of Egypt's founding dynasty. The area was also most likely to have lent its agricultural skills to Egypt, where the Nile Valley had been inhospitable, but in the seasonally dry channels of the Second Cataract, early farmers learned to manage parts of the river's annual flood. This knowledge could then be applied in Egypt's wide floodplain, giving rise to the great sequence of Upper Egypt's early civilizations. Upper Egypt soon grew wealthy and its culture expanded again into Nubia, where renewed southern contacts gave rise to the first of Nubia's trading cultures. Incense, copper, gold, objects of shell, and semiprecious stones were traded northward in return for manufactured articles and probably agricultural produce. On display in Abu Dhabi are various objects such as lip plugs, pieces of cups and bowls as well as grind stones and figurines dating as far back as 5500 BC. In the desert east of Nubia, hundreds of gold mines have been found – some dating back to the Neolithic period – and the area was a steady supplier of gold to the world dating from the 5th millennium BC through the 12th century AD. Egypt conquered Lower Nubia about 1950 BC, and retained it until about 1700, but the Nubians kept their cultural identity under Egyptian rule. But the land of Kush to the south and the Medjay people of the Eastern Desert remained independent. Kush, much influenced by the Medjay, became a major power in the south, and as Egypt fell into disunity again, about 1700 BC, Kush took over Lower Nubia and its Egyptian garrisons. The allegiance of people and soldiers was transferred to the southern ruler who was represented as a pharaoh. Most archaeology of the Kerma culture or early Kush is found south of the Second Cataract, especially at the great capital at Kerma, with its central temples, elaborate smelter, manufacturing installations, houses and enormous royal mound tombs. Its magnificent pottery was sometimes exported as far north as the Egyptian Delta, and sometimes carried north by traveling officials and soldiers. At Jebel Barkal, some archeologists believe they may have found the coronation site of rulers from the ancient kingdom of Napata and Meroe. The first temples there were constructed between 1460 BC and 1200 BC, during the relatively brief period when Egypt ruled Nubia. About 730 BC, when the Nubians rose up and conquered Egypt, establishing what became known as Egypt's 25th dynasty. That dynasty, which stretched from what is today Khartoum all the way to the Mediterranean, last for about 100 years until the Assyrians invaded and drove the Nubians out. After that, Nubia continued to develop without being accosted by their northern neighbors. In the 6th century, Christians brought their influence to the area and a few hundred years later Islam began to exercise its influence. The Arab domination of the area ultimately cemented the Muslim influence, which allowed the coexistence of different religions and ethnicities for many centuries. The exhibit not only covers thousands of year, it covers thousands of years from thousands of years ago, making it difficult, at times, to keep in mind a clear time line for cultural and historical developments in the Sudan. Nevertheless, the visitor comes with the important knowledge Sudan is hardly the stepchild of Egypt, but rather a powerful culture that may well have preceded Egypt as the cradle of civilization. __
