Meroe Reports I

Located 200 km north of Khartoum, ancient Meroe was Nubia's capital and the residence of the Kushite kings from at least the 5th century BC. With its many palaces, temples and shrines it is one of the largest and most important archaeological sites in Africa. Meroe is a key site for understanding the contacts and influences between the Mediterranean civilizations of Egypt, Greece and Rome and the cultures of east and central Africa. The present report discusses the results of the first excavation season of the joint University of Khartoum - Royal Ontario Museum expedition to Meroe. New discoveries were made at the Temple of Amun challenging many of the earlier assumptions regarding the architecture and chronology of the structure. A domestic complex known as mound M 712 was also excavated and a limited surface survey in parts of the Royal City was also carried out.