The Loss of Innocence: Political and Ethical Dimensions of the Merowe Dam Archaeological Salvage Project at the Fourth Nile Cataract (Sudan)

Ethics and Archaeological Praxis

“…5 As Kleinitz and Näser ( 2011 ) show in their discussion of Merowe Dam archaeological salvage project at Sudan's fourth Nile cataract locals may also work against the interests of preserving their cultural "property" in order to address deeper problems and inequities in their treatment by the government. Corruption, human rights violations, political instability, even civil or religious war also can be masked or, at least, de-emphasized by the call to save heritage properties.…”

After Ethics

“…The same applies to other countries such as DRC and South Sudan which have very few archaeologists such that foreign archaeologists play an important part in this part. Because these foreign archaeologists are working in an environment of weak legislation, they often leave ethics at home and exploit the weak local laws ( Kleinitz and Näser 2011 ).…”

Heritage conservation in Africa: The good, the bad, and the challenges

“…For example, many heritage sites are threatened with destruction if huge areas of the Nile are flooded to create dams in the Sudan. 4 Swaziland opted to resuscitate iron mining rather than have its first World Heritage Site. Many regions of Africa, including the DRC, Zimbabwe and Cameroon, are also experiencing a boom in extractive industries and with that increased concerns for heritage.…”

“…In the Sudan, vast stretches of cultural landscape hosting valuable and less valuable heritage are under threat from dam construction. 4 Surely, if heritage is the soul of any nation, then its conservation should be at the top end of the priority scale. Of course, just as pro-heritage campaigners point fingers at government ineptitude and corruption, the same governments accuse the advocacy groups of campaigning to freeze African landscapes.…”