We all remember how the building of the Aswan High Dam drowned the archaeology of much of lower Nubia. I learned today from Egyptology News that in 2007 Sudan started a project to build its own High Dam at the fourth cataract. This is known as the Merowe High Dam project. Nine archaeological missions are at work, under the title of the “Merowe Dam Archaeological Salvage Project”. Among the international groups is one from the British Museum. They have already “uncovered thousands of sites dating from the Middle Paleolithic era (150,000 years ago) to the very recent past.”
This is dreadful news for Nubian studies. Nearly all our knowledge of Old Nubian patristic texts comes from archaeological discoveries. All the building in this region was in mud-brick; so it will all be destroyed. Fortunately the pyramids of Meroe are below the new dam.
I’d be grateful for any other concrete information on the finds, particularly the literary finds.