🇬🇧 Sai Island
Sai Island is a microcosm of Nubia itself—divided between the history of Egypt and that of the Kushite kingdoms of ancient Sudan. It was the first excavation site to launch Franco-Sudanese archaeological cooperation in 1954 and is renowned for its remarkable diversity of archaeological remains, all concentrated within a relatively small area.
Located south of Batn el-Haggar (“stone belly”)—a rocky stretch of the Nile where navigation is particularly difficult—Sai Island’s territory is naturally protected by the river. Throughout the history of Nubia, it has often held strategic and military importance, as evidenced by the remains of an Egyptian fortified city from the New Kingdom and the still-prominent ruins of an Ottoman fortress.
Long a site of diverse research programs, the current mission is now focused on creating an archaeological map to support the management of its highly endangered heritage. It also includes the excavation and publication of the Kushite necropolises, which were only partially explored in the past, as well as the clearing and study of the Egyptian city.
This work provides valuable insight into how the island’s landscape evolved over time, shaped by periods of significant influence and competition from emerging regional centers. Continuously inhabited from prehistory to the present day, Sai Island offers a unique context in Sudan for tracing the history and cultural evolution of Nubian populations across different eras.
Since 2019, the archaeological mission of Sai Island has joined the UMR 8167 – Orient & Méditerranée (CNRS – Sorbonne University). It benefits from the support of the Consultative Commission for Archaeological Research Abroad of the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs.





OpenEdition vous propose de citer ce billet de la manière suivante :
sfdas (2 novembre 2024). 🇬🇧 Sai Island. SFDAS Khartoum. Consulté le 20 juin 2025 à l’adresse https://sfdas.hypotheses.org/5430