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RECOMMENDED READING ON THE ANCIENT NEAR EAST

NUBIA

Annotated by Oriental Institute Museum Associate Curator Emily Teeter

If you purchase any of these or other books by following this link to Amazon or Barnes and Noble a portion of your costs will go to support the Research Archives of the Oriental Institute.

Abbreviations: pb: available in a paper bound edition

General Reference Books

For Younger Readers

General Reference Books:

Adams, William . Nubia: Corridor to Africa, Princeton Univ. Press, 1977.

Comprehensive history of Nubia through the Medieval period. Very readable.

Davies, W. Vivian (editor). Egypt and Africa: Nubia from Prehistory to Islam, The British Museum, 1991.

Wide variety of specialized scholarly articles.

Expedition Magazine, vol. 35, no. 2, 1993 "An Ancient African Civilization: Nubia," University of Pennsylvania.

Six articles on the history and culture of Nubia and Nubia's influence on Egypt and Sub Saharan Africa.

Fairservis, Walter B. The Ancient Kingdoms of the Nile, Thomas Crowell, 1962.

General history of Nubia with emphasis upon the then-impending relocation of the people and monuments.

Fernea, Robert. Nubians in Egypt, University of Texas Press, 1973.

A study of the human impact of the relocation of modern Nubians in the 1960s.

Kendall, Timothy. "Kingdom of Kush," National Geographic Magazine, November, 1990.

Good introduction to the culture of Nubia.

Lichtheim, Miriam . Ancient Egyptian Literature (vol. 3), University of California Press, 1980.

See pages 66-84 for a translation of the annals of King Piye.

O'Connor, David . Ancient Nubia: Egypt's Rival in Africa, University of Pennsylvania, 1993.

Somewhat dense articles on history and culture.

Priese, Karl-Heinz. The Gold of Meroe, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1993.

Catalogue of artifacts from the tomb of a Nubian queen.

Save-Soderbergh, Torgny. Temples and Tombs of Ancient Nubia, Thames & Hudson, 1987.

Focuses on the temples and monuments which were moved during the UNESCO campaign.

Taylor, John. Egypt and Nubia, The British Museum, 1991.

Excellent brief summary of Nubian culture into the Christian Period. Very readable.

Time-Life Publications, Lost Civilizations: Africa's Glorious Legacy, Time Life, 1994.

Chapters 1 and 2 of this work are devoted to a survey of Nubia from the Kerma through the Meroitic Periods, and to the "rediscovery" of Nubia. Good illustrations and readable text. Also sections on ancient West Africa and Zimbabwe.

Trigger, Bruce. Nubia under the Pharaohs, Thames and Hudson, 1976.

Study of Nubia from the Egyptian perspective.

Wenig, Steffen (editor). Africa in Antiquity, The Brooklyn Museum, 1978.

Two volume catalogue of the first Nubian exhibit. Good selection of objects from all periods.

Welsby, Derek. The Kingdom of Kush: The Napatan and Meroitic Empire, The British Museum, 1996.

Good information on diet, industry, life and burial practices.

Wildung, Dietrich (editor). Sudan: Ancient Kingdoms of the Nile, Flammarion, 1997.

Catalogue of major exhibit of Nubian artifacts with historical summaries.

Williams, Bruce B. "The Lost Pharaohs of Nubia," in Ivan Van Sertima, (editor), Egypt Revisited:Journal of African Civilizations, Transaction Publishers, 1989, originally in Archaeology Magazine, vol 33, no. 5, 1980.

Williams' claims are no longer widely accepted. See the comments of O'Connor (title above), p. 21.

Other Resources:
- Egypt and the Ancient Near East: Web Resources for Young People and Teachers, by Alexandra A. O'Brien.
- Oriental Institute. Nubia Mini-Museum.
  - A kit of authentically reproduced artifacts relating to many aspects of Nubian life and culture. Especially useful for archaeology, farming, the invention of writing, architecture, and daily life. Most of the artifacts are reproductions of originals in the Oriental Institute Museum's collection. Includes teacher's guide.
- Call the Oriental Institute Museum Education Office at (773)702-9507 for additional information on this and other resources.

For Younger Readers:

Baker, Rosalie and Baker, Charles (editors). "Ancient Nubia" in Calliope, November/December 1996.
- Excellent issue that addresses history and culture, mainly of the Meroitic Period.
Bartok, Mira and Ronan, Christine. Ancient Egypt and Nubia: in series Ancient and Living Cultures Stencils, Good Year Books (Scott Foresman), 1995.
- Basic information about Nubia with stencils of hieroglyphs and Nubian motifs.
Bianchi, Robert.The Nubians: People of the Ancient Nile, Millbrook Press, 1994.
- One of the few titles for juvenile readers.
Haynes, Joyce. Nubia: Ancient Kingdoms of Africa, The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, 1992.
- Concise cultural outline, sections on daily life, kings and queens, burial patterns etc as well as chapters on "Surviving Aspects of [ancient] Nubian cultures" and "Nubia: A Black Legacy." Highly recommended.

If you purchase any of these or other books by following this link to Amazon or Barnes and Noble a portion of your costs will go to support the Research Archives of the Oriental Institute.

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