In 2018, the Kelsey Museum’s Conservation Department began collaborating with an international archaeological project at Jebel Barkal, Sudan. The overall project, which is co-directed by Geoff Emberling at the Kelsey Museum and Sami Elamin at Sudan’s National Corporation of Antiquities and Museums (NCAM), has many ambitious goals, including several related to conservation. Together, team members from the Kelsey and NCAM are working to stabilize and preserve several of the temples, while improving site preservation and visitor experience.
We began work with Temple B700, built between 650 and 620 BCE by the Kushite King Atlanersa and his son King Senkamanisken. B700 was dedicated to Osiris-Dedwen, a god who combines attributes of the Egyptian god of the underworld, Osiris, with those of an older Kushite god, Dedwen. The temple has two spacious, columned courtyards and a small chapel, all constructed from soft, local sandstone. We chose to begin with B700 in part because it is the goldilocks of Barkal’s temples—not too big, but not too small, with conservation problems that are serious but not so serious that they are impossible to improve.
After conducting an initial needs assessment and extensive photographic documentation, we removed trash and vegetation, studied the original building materials, and replaced old, incompatible cement repairs with pigmented lime-sand mortar. Areas of undercut masonry were infilled and stabilized using red brick, lime mortar, and pigmented lime plaster. Fallen blocks were reset where possible, and those that could not be were documented and numbered. Uninscribed and undecorated blocks were buried beneath the sand in each courtyard to preserve them while decluttering the rooms for visitors. In one courtyard, new sandstone flooring was installed in an area where original flooring had been removed during historic excavations, making a discrete and stable area for visitors to stand during tours.
Our project has also funded the installation of concrete bollards to control vehicular access to the site, the removal of old spoil heaps left from historic excavations, and programs and activities for local community members. In the course of our work, the joint Sudanese and American conservation team has collaborated on everything from supply-chain logistics to conservation methods and aesthetic philosophy, and we have developed close professional relationships along the way.
We have also enjoyed our work and learned some surprising new things about B700. Although the temple is associated with a god of the underworld, it is light-filled and beautiful and—informally—our conservation team agreed that it has good vibes. Before the season was over, we learned that local community members agreed with this assessment; in addition to its association with a Kushite god and two powerful kings, the temple is well known as a place for young couples to meet up.
Despite our enjoyment of B700, its reputation as a destination for dates was surprising to us, but two of our colleagues who grew up nearby confirmed it. One even recounted how, when his archaeology professor was lecturing in Temple B500, he and his girlfriend would sneak away to B700 for time alone together—during class!
Jebel Barkal and Temple B700 are at risk from many things: armed conflict from the ongoing war in Sudan, expansion of urban and agricultural areas near the site, and severe storms due to climate change. Barkal’s ancient monuments are made of soft sandstone that is easily eroded by wind and rain, and the site needs more funding, staff, and resources.
Yet archaeological conservation is a hopeful field, concerned with the past but focused on the future. In the midst of the many current challenges, our work at Jebel Barkal continues, led on-site by co-director Sami Elamin. Temple B700 reminds us that cultural heritage is important not only for academic reasons, like learning about the past, but also for everyday pleasures—such as having a beautiful place to go on a date.
