Ordering the land beyond the Sixth Cataract: Imperial policy, archaeology and the role of Henry Wellcome

Abstract

The Sudan occupies a fairly complex place in archaeological enquiry. This is not a result of the archaeological record, rather it is due to a particular perception of the Sudan, its archaeology and history. The first excavators were archaeologists and anatomists who either worked in Egypt or in the Mediterranean, while the Anglo-Egyptian Condominium encouraged white-only scholars to both conduct research and to be active members of the newly formed political service in order to ‘know the natives’. In other words, archaeology from the outset was intimately connected to a particular political narrative and aim. This paper traces the historical context from the early 20th century to the development of archaeology south of beyond the Sixth Cataract south of the present-day capital of Khartoum, showing how it was created by Henry Wellcome. In particular, it focuses on the vast mortuary and habitation site of Jebel Moya, south-central Sudan, where new fieldwork is yielding fruitful results. Henry Wellcome's contribution to archaeology remains under-acknowledged. This long-overdue critical assessment traces and contextualizes the historical trajectories at play and situates them within the broader historical archaeology context.

The prehistory of Jebel Moya, Sudan: results from the first three seasons of excavations

“…Eventually he settled on the site of Jebel Moya as his personal archaeological project. The aim was to find the origins of African civilization (for a detailed discussion, see Vella Gregory 2020). As evidenced by the Wellcome Archives, he prepared extensively for this expedition.…”

“…From the outset it was clear that the project needed to address the legacy of the Wellcome excavations, in which Sudanese participation was only in terms of labour. The local inhabitants were labelled as thieves by Wellcome and were directly excluded from their own heritage (see Vella Gregory 2020). In more recent years, Jebel Moya has been eclipsed by the city of Sennar, centre of the Funj kingdom.…”

The second season of excavations at Jebel Moya (south-central Sudan)

“…The study of this site has to date encompassed substantial work on existing collections and archives. As noted in Vella Gregory (2020) and Brass (2016, 3–5), despite building a vast camp and running it along military lines, Wellcome's work was not particularly meticulous or well recorded. For many reasons, there were only four seasons of excavations, between 1911 and 1914.…”

“…The valley is 10.4 hectares and there are traces of archaeological activity across the area. Around a fifth was excavated by the Henry Wellcome expedition in the early twentieth century (for a discussion on archaeology below the Sixth Cataract and Henry Wellcome's project, see Vella Gregory 2020), but over half of the remaining area contains substantial unexcavated and viable archaeological deposits. The study of this site has to date encompassed substantial work on existing collections and archives.…”