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34-444: This site was thought to be submerged under Lake Nasser , however parts remain above water and recently seen the establishment of new archaeological projects. The discoveries of the project include an extramural settlement contemporary with the fortress, called Site FC, and further details on the settlement itself. Uronarti has been researched for over 100 years. Uronarti was first excavated by British archaeologist Noel F. Wheeler under

68-463: A few characters, and while they are thus largely illegible, they attest to the high level of documentation of the administrative activities of the fortress (see the Semna Despatches for better preserved records of this type of activity). The large number of sealings reflects administrative activities, and can track changes in leadership through the fort's use. Site FC is an site some 250m south of

102-431: A great destabilizing effect on Egypt and Sudan who rely on it so greatly in many sectors of the economy. National Museum of Sudan The National Museum of Sudan or Sudan National Museum , abbreviated SNM , is a two-story building, constructed in 1955 and established as national museum in 1971. The building and its surrounding gardens house the largest and most comprehensive Nubian archaeological collection in

136-483: A great many sites were saved and relocated such as the temples of Kalabsha , Wadi es-Sebua , and Amada , some sites such as the fortress of Buhen were unable to be rescued and now rest underwater in the lake. The most famous of those that were rescued were temples at Abu Simbel which were broken down and relocated safely off the coast of Lake Nasser. The damming of the Nile has come with several ecological consequences as

170-416: A hearth and a windbreak protecting large storage vessels. This site was most likely contemporary with the early phase of the occupation of the fortress. In addition to the fortress, Uronarti had some other mud brick constructions, the largest of which was a rectangular building that is discussed in scholarly literature as the "Campaign Palace". Before the construction of Lake Nasser, this rectangular building

204-714: A large boon to the agricultural industry of the Egyptian economy. The agricultural industry employs about 25% of Egypt's population and is a vital sector of the Egyptian economy. With the creation of a more stable water supply in Lake Nasser, the agricultural productivity of farmers in Egypt has increased in existing arable land. In the years immediately following the filling of the lake, Egypt's arable land increased by about 30%. Being home to 52 different species of fish which are dominated by several different species of tilapia which make up

238-459: Is a vast reservoir in southern Egypt and northern Sudan . It was created by the construction of the Aswan High Dam and is one of the largest man-made lakes in the world. Before its creation, the project faced opposition from Sudan as it would encroach on land in the northern part of the country, where many Nubian people lived who would have to be resettled. In the end Sudan's land near

272-671: Is located on Nile Avenue in Khartoum in al-Mugran area, close to the confluence of the White and the Blue Nile. During the 2023 Sudan conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces , the National Museum of Sudan was the scene of heavy fighting, resulting in damage and looting. The objects of the museum are displayed in four areas: Highlights of

306-508: Is ongoing, focuses on colonial relations and the lived experience of ancient people on Uronarti and in the surrounding region. The triangular shaped fortress of Uronarti is situated high on a rocky island, where it took advantage of the narrow passage of the Nile River in an area with the modern name Batn-El-Hajar - the Belly of Rocks. Conforming closely to the topography, the fort is an example of

340-797: Is recounting of historical events. A discussion, transcription, and translation were published by J. Janssen. The stela is currently housed in the National Museum of Sudan . Many similar fortresses, such as Buhen , Mirgissa , Shalfak , Askut , Dabenarti , Semna , and Kumma , were established within signaling distance of each other. Most of the fortresses are now beneath Lake Nasser, however areal surveillance has provided recent views of these sites. https://sites.brown.edu/urap/ Buhen Mirgissa Shalfak Askut Dabenarti Semna Kumma Semna Dispatches Lake Nasser Lake Nasser ( Arabic : بحيرة ناصر Boħeiret Nāṣer , Egyptian Arabic: [boˈħeiɾet ˈnɑːseɾ] )

374-523: Is some 479 km (298 mi) long and 16 km (9.9 mi) across at its widest point, which is near the Tropic of Cancer . It covers a total surface area of 5,250 km (2,030 sq mi) and has a storage capacity of some 132 km (32 cu mi) of water. Before the construction of the Aswan High Dam and the consequent creation of the Lake Nasser, the area that the lake now occupies

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408-508: The Terrain type of Middle Kingdom forts. It was largely constructed of sun-dried mud brick. The initial mapping of Uronarti was completed by Dows Dunham. The interior of the fortress has streets paved with stone. Sections of the fort include large granaries, buildings thought to be an administrative center, a governor's house, and barracks. The barracks are similar in plan to small houses known at other Middle Kingdom settlements that were planned by

442-454: The Aswan High Dam such as those of the Nile crocodile have also been greatly affected as the reduction of water levels that came with the construction of the dam rendered these habitats uninhabitable for several native species. By providing a reliable source of water for irrigation and agriculture year-round instead of the seasonal and unpredictable floods of the Nile River, Lake Nasser has provided

476-473: The Nile was built to replace the insufficient Aswan Low Dam built in 1902. The goals of the High Dam and the reservoir it created, Lake Nasser, were to create a more stable source of water, to increase agricultural production, and to produce electricity for Egypt. The construction of the Aswan High Dam and Nasser Lake was host to several controversies related to its effects on the environment and those living in

510-562: The area of Lake Nasser was mostly flooded by the lake. The lake has become an important economic resource in Egypt, improving agriculture and touting robust fishing and tourism industries. Strictly speaking, "Lake Nasser" refers only to the much larger portion of the lake that is in Egyptian territory (83% of the total), with the Sudanese preferring to call their smaller body of water Lake Nubia ( Egyptian Arabic : بحيرة النوبة Boħēret Nubeya , [boˈħeːɾet nʊˈbejjæ] ). The lake

544-527: The beginning of construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) in 2011, Egypt faces the threat of water shortage as the new upstream dam would reduce the amount of water flowing downstream to Lake Nasser. As this flow of water from the Nile into Egypt and Sudan constitutes a major part in their economy, its reduction due to the construction of the GERD could potentially be devastating for

578-532: The collections include: In the museum garden are some rebuilt temples and tombs relocated from the submerged area of Lake Nasser . In 1964, the Aswan High Dam , built across the Nile River in Egypt, created a reservoir in the Nubian area, which extended into Sudan's territory threatening to submerge the ancient temples. During the UNESCO Salvage Campaign the following temples and tombs were re-erected in

612-450: The effected area. As a result of the construction and Aswan High Dam and the subsequent filling of Nasser Lake, tens of thousands of native Nubians were forced to relocate from their homes and migrate elsewhere. Though some have been able to resettle on the shores of the new lake, their original homes have been flooded and lost to the lake. The construction of the Aswan High Dam and Nasser Lake sparked an international movement to preserve

646-577: The end of 2022, The Guardian reported about a new generation of Sudanese archeologists, including a large number of young women. Trained at the Department of Archeology of the University of Khartoum , this new generation represents a growing number of professionals for Sudan’s National Corporation of Antiquities and Museums, who are adding their contemporary perspective on the heritage of Sudan to foreign-led research and studies. The National Museum of Sudan

680-545: The history of the region. Due to the filling of the new Lake Nasser, much of the region would be flooded and as such, the ancient monuments and artifacts that lay there would have been lost. Due to this, an international effort was made to rescue and relocate many of the ancient sites and artifacts that were threatened which culminated in the International Campaign to Save the Monuments of Nubia led by UNESCO . Though

714-466: The lake itself. The many relocated monuments saved from the initial filling of Lake Nasser have become a major tourist attraction for the region, especially examples such as the Abu Simbel temples. The Aswan High Dam which holds Lake Nasser produces about 2.1 gigawatts of hydroelectricity , providing a significant percentage of Egypt's electricity needs (up to half when it was completed in 1970). With

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748-453: The length of the exterior, and extends several hundred meters to the south toward the Semna fortress. A near-duplicate of the text of the Semna stela of Senusret III was found at Uronarti by Georg Steindorf , Ludwig Borchardt and H. Schäfer. The inscription states that Senusret III was victorious over a Nubian army, however it is not clear what in this record is militaristic propaganda, and what

782-502: The museum car park to the exhibition halls is flanked with Meroitic statues of 2 rams and 6 dark sandstone man-eating lions from Basa village site. The lions are from the first century BCE, as shown by the two cartouches from king Amanikhabale engraved on the first lion on the right. After decades of excavations by foreign archeological teams in the first half of the 20th century, Sudanese archeologists were gradually trained and included in these excavations and subsequent research. At

816-472: The museum garden according to the same orientation of their original location, surrounded by an artificial stream of water symbolic of the Nile: Outside the museum building are set up two granite unfinished colossal statues from the ancient temple of Tabo on Argo Island . As inscriptions are missing, they cannot be assigned to any precise origin, but show Roman stylistic influence. The lane leading from

850-408: The nations. Though not yet completed, the GERD has already begun affecting Egypt as it has reduced the flow of water down the Nile River and decreased available agricultural land for the country. If Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia are unable to come together to work out possible solutions or compromises for this water problem, The GERD could possibly pose an existential threat to Lake Nasser and could have

884-429: The natural flow and processes of the river have been interrupted. One effect has been the interruption of the flow nutrient-rich sediments down stream of the Nile which provided much of the needed nutrients for agriculture along Nile. Consequently, Egyptian farmers have been forced to resort to mineral fertilizers to maintain arable land for growing crops as in other countries. The habitats of animals past Lake Nasser and

918-535: The nominal supervision of George Andrew Reisner in 1924. The results of these excavations were published by Dows Dunham . After the Aswan High Dam was built, it believed that this site was submerged under Lake Nasser. Recently, the fortress was recently rediscovered by Derek Welsby. In 2012, the Uronarti Regional Archaeology Project (URAP) was formed by Dr Laurel Bestock and Dr Christian Knoblauch to investigate Uronarti. The project, which

952-584: The state Many of the buildings inside the fortress saw substantial modifications over time, indicating shifts in both social life and administration. The ceramics from dumps at Uronarti suggest an occupation history into the very late Middle Kingdom or very early Second Intermediate Period, but not beyond. Aside from the architecture itself, the overwhelming majority of archaeological finds from Uronarti fortress are ceramics. Some other items found at Uronarti include seal impressions, mud stamps, pottery, papyrus fragments, and stelae. Most papyrus fragments include only

986-462: The vast majority of catches, as well as the popular Nile perch , Lake Nasser has developed a robust fishing industry with thousands of fishing boats sailing the lake and fish processing facilities dotting its shores. In addition to commercial fishing, the rich aquatic life of the lake has attracted many recreational fishers to the lake as well. Lake Nasser has become a popular tourist destination for recreational fishing as well sightseeing cruises on

1020-429: The walls of the fortress. Discovered in 2012 and partly excavated in 2013 and 2015, it is significantly different from the fort although it appears to be contemporary with it. Occupying two low hills near the current east shore of the island, the site consists of the remains of at least 25 dry-stone huts constructed of local stone. Some huts were single rooms, some more elaborate groupings of rooms. One excavated hut had

1054-760: The world, including objects from the Paleolithic through to the Islamic period, originating from every site of importance in Sudan. A significant catalyst for the museum's creation was the large number of relocated artefacts as a result of the International Campaign to Save the Monuments of Nubia . In particular, it houses collections of these periods of the history of Sudan : Paleolithic , Mesolithic , Neolithic , A-Group culture , C-Group culture , Kerma Culture , Middle Kingdom of Egypt , New Kingdom of Egypt , Napata , Meroë , X-Group culture and medieval Makuria . The museum

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1088-445: Was a significant part of the region of Nubia , home to several pharaohs of Egypt and empires such as that of the Kush . The construction of the Aswan High Dam began in 1960 at the behest of Lake Nasser's namesake and the second president of Egypt , Gamal Abdel Nasser . It was President Anwar Sadat who inaugurated the lake and dam in 1971. Finished in 1970, the Aswan High Dam across

1122-452: Was interpreted as a palace that the king could have stayed at while on campaign. However, there is little evidence to support this analysis. We can see this is a larger building than others, and that could have indicated status. Unfortunately, this area is annually flooded, so studying it can be difficult. The URAP conducted studies at low water to see how much of the "palace" remained, but results were inconclusive. A massive boundary wall runs

1156-544: Was the scene of heavy fighting during the Sudanese civil war (2023–present) between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces . Archaeologists monitoring the site noted fire damage on the building during the fighting. On 2 June 2023, the museum was taken over by the RSF. Exhibits, among them ancient mummies, were destroyed or damaged. The Continent magazine commented these events as follows: "The war in Sudan

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