Gus Casely-Hayford explores the Lost Kingdoms of Africa. His first lost kingdom is Nubia. The history of Africa was not written down all the time. However, the people of Africa preserved their culture through objects. Nubia was the traditional name of Northern Sudan. The civilization dominated the area in the Sahara. For the Egyptians, they were a source of slaves and treasures. For the Romans, the Nubians were barbarian people. The Nubians were ultimately defeated by their environment.
However, there is more to the Nubians that meet the eyes. They were conquerors in their own right. They built more pyramids than the Egyptians. The Nubians built spectacular monuments that could rival those around the world. It was a major civilization. Unfortunately, its history is well hidden. What made the Nubian Civilization tick? Why did they build spectacular monuments? Why did they fall? Gus goes back in time to a place where people started planting crops. He flies over the Nile because without the Nile no civilization could survive. He then turns to the desert. The desert was a challenging environment for the people. Even today the desert poses unique challenges to those who live in it. The Nubians began here 7,000 years ago. Gus’ guide takes him to where the Nubian civilization began. They hit a rock that sounds like a bell. It was an instrument carved in 5000 BC. The sound was a result of the consistency of the rock and eventually, people wore it downplaying it. This rock was known as a rock gong and its sound could carry across the valley. Archeologists speculate that it was the way the Nubians communicated with each other. Why did the Nubians pick the desert to build their civilization? Gus and his guide continue to press further on the site. An animal image was discovered carved into the rock. It was a recent discovery. Rock art was the oldest form of pictorial representation known. The discovery shocks Gus because of its location and that it was a cow. His guide tells him that the desert was not always desert. The Sahara was green. The climate severely changed and caused the desert to form. Gus is surprised to hear that and thinks out loud about what the green could support. The land could support the people and support them well. He concludes that the picture was the proof of that. The Nubians would develop into a complex community on these green plains. Gus then travels to Kerma, it was the capital of Nubia. Archeologists have discovered an impressive city in the most recent decades. The people who made the rock art were the ancestors of those who built Kerma. Here they built a giant building of mud brick. What was the meaning of this house? Was there a temple at the top of this structure? Kerma was a ritual city, a place where people would go to perform rituals. He visits a small museum and it contains Nubian pottery. The people were making pottery before they were planting crops and before the Egyptians. They were delicately made by hand and the technique that was used can still be found 4,000 years on. To continue to learn more about the lost civilization of Nubia continue to watch this documentary. I would highly recommend this documentary to be shown in a middle school and high school history classroom. Gus is an art historian who is throwing himself feet first into this exploration. At times, when he is traveling to these locations he sounds like a giddy boy. He is a fantastic narrator and I enjoy his enthusiasm for discovering new things. I would continue with this series and if he narrates anything else I would enjoy listening to him.
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