The archaeological exhibit “Nubia: Land of the Black Pharaohs” will be featured at the Drents Museum starting in December.
By Marieke Bos / Translation by Traci White
Roughly 300 items from the Nubian collection of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston will be on display in Assen. Nubia is a region in the Nile river valley south of Egypt and north of the current borders of (north) Sudan. Nubian history is closely linked with the fate of the pharaohs in Egypt.
The Nubian items, dated between 2400 BC and 350 AD, tell the story of the love-hate relationship between ancient Egypt and the Nubian kingdom.
Mummies
Between 1916 and 1920, researchers from the museum in Boston were involved in the excavation operations where the items were discovered. One of the highlights of the is the contents of the tomb of King Tahargo, including 60 shawbatis (funerary figurines shaped like mummies that would serve the deceased in the after life). Inscriptions on the shawbatis state that the figurines served the late king.
Drents Museum general director Harry Tupan was in the United States last week to sign the contract for the exhibit. “It’s a huge honour to be able to work with one of the biggest and most famous museums in America”, says Tupan. “The Museum of Fine Arts sees the Drents Museum as a partner for future exhibits.”
Archaeological exhibits
The Drents Museum has a strong track record of high profile archaeological exhibits, including the Terracotta Army of Xi’an (2008), the Dead Sea Scrolls (2012), the Mayans (2016) and Iran: Cradle of Civilization (June 2018).
Photo courtesy of the Boston Museum of Fine Arts
