Old Dongola
Tungul; دنقلا العجوز
Sudan · Northern State
In brief
Old Dongola was the capital of Makuria, a medieval Nubian kingdom. Excavations at the site, investigated since 1964, have revealed successive use of Christian-period buildings and later houses.
What was found?
- 1Wall painting associated with King Davud
The painting shows a Nubian king kissing İsa's hand. According to researchers, the mention of Davud in the inscription supports associating the depiction with King Davud of Makuria.
- 2Depiction of Meryem
Meryem is depicted holding a cross and a book, without the child İsa beside her. The depiction allows the distinctive interpretations that Nubian painters brought to Christian iconography to be studied.
- 3Depiction of the Archangel Mikail
Mikail appears in the scene supporting the king with his arms and presenting him to İsa. According to researchers, the close contact between the king and the holy figures is an unusual arrangement in Byzantine art.
- 4Prayer in Old Nubian
The inscription accompanying the painting mentions a king named Davud and asks for the city's protection. The inscription has not yet been fully deciphered.
- 5Vaulted rooms
The network of rooms found beneath the floor of a later house preserved the wall paintings. It is important for understanding the paintings' architectural context.
What does it point to?
The paintings show how kingship and Christian faith were connected in Makuria. According to researchers, the king's prayer scene reflects a request for protection during a period when the city was under threat; its connection to a specific historical event remains an interpretation.
What did it teach us?
- They documented how Nubian artists arranged Christian depictions in distinctive ways.
- The painting and inscription were shown to have been used together to request protection for the city.
- Painted, vaulted spaces were found preserved beneath later buildings.
Images
Latest news / selected archive
In 2023, rooms containing unusual wall paintings showing the Nubian king with Jesus and Archangel Michael were discovered beneath a later house.
Record
- Culture
- Makurian; Nubian; Funj period
- First modern dig
- 1964
- Team / historical
- Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology, University of Warsaw, Artur Obłuski
- Coordinates
- 18.2231°, 30.7439°
Sources
Nearby excavations
- Kerma 157 km
- Sai Island Archaeological Sites 280 km
- Meroë 347 km
- Deir el-Medina Workers' Settlement 856 km
- Karnak Temple Complex 856 km
- Valley of the Kings 858 km
- —
- —
- 12.000
From beneath the soil: latest discoveries
- Cupboard containing personal belongings, childhood amulets and coins found in Pompeii
Grooming items, 38 bronze coins and a necklace made up of at least 24 amulets were found in a cupboard in a house in Pompeii that had remained closed since the eruption in AD 79. The preservation of these objects together provides detailed information about everyday life and personal mementos in Roman times.
Arkeofili ↗ · Excavation notebook - Roman-period sarcophagus of a child buried with toys found in Romania
A wheeled toy horse, a rooster-shaped rattle, jewelry and organic remains were recovered from a sealed child’s sarcophagus dating back approximately 1,800 years in the ancient city of Tomis. The preservation of wooden coffin fragments and the shroud also offers a rare opportunity to study child burials in Roman times.
HeritageDaily ↗ - Roman-period grave found in the seating area of the ancient theater in Gölyazı
A tile-covered grave dating to the 1st century AD and containing cremated human remains was uncovered in the theater of Apollonia ad Rhyndacum. Why the burial took place in the theater despite the city having a separate cemetery remains unknown; the find raises new questions about the use of public spaces.
Arkeofili ↗ - Marble portrait of Antinoos and 13 inscriptions found at Teos
A marble portrait of Antinoos and 13 inscriptions on reused stone blocks were found around the Temple of Roma and Augustus at Teos. The inscriptions shed light on the city’s political and legal relations, while researchers say the portrait and inscription fragments show that the temple was also connected to the cult of Antinoos.
Arkeofili ↗ · Excavation notebook - 30,000-year-old human DNA reveals connections between distant communities in Europe
The approximately 30,000-year-old genome of a woman from Isturitz Cave in France was analyzed alongside DNA obtained from cave sediments and other human remains. According to researchers, the results show that gene flow occurred between eastern and western communities in Ice Age Europe and that these groups were more connected than previously thought.
Arkeofili ↗ - Terracotta female figure found in the ditch of a 1,500-year-old tomb in Japan
A terracotta female figure retaining traces of red paint was found in the ditch of a burial mound dating to the late 5th century at the Nishikaminomiya excavation site. According to researchers, the object depicts a shaman and is one of the rare, well-preserved examples of early human-shaped haniwa from the Gunma region.
Arkeofili ↗ - Inscribed burial chamber of an official named Weni found at Saqqara
A burial chamber decorated with inscriptions identifying the Old Kingdom official Weni and his duties was found at Saqqara, along with two wooden statues and bronze tools. The finds shed light on the funerary practices of the ruling class of the period; researchers say the tools may have served medical purposes, but their functions have yet to be confirmed.
Arkeofili ↗ - Grave of a child buried with copper objects and 32 ceramic items found in Peru
Copper objects and 32 ceramic items, including depictions of captives, were found in a child’s grave dating to the 6th or 7th century at Huacas de Moche. According to researchers, the richness of the burial indicates the child’s high status and provides new evidence for the use of objects associated with adult rituals in child funerals.
Arkeofili ↗
All excavation sites (389)
Türkiye
- Acemhöyük
- Aizanoi
- Alabanda
- Alacahöyük
- Amos
- Ani
- Aphrodisias
- Arslantepe Mound
- Aspendos
- Assos
- Ayanis Fortress
- Aşıklı Höyük
- Barcın Höyük
- Blaundus
- Boncuklu Höyük
- Can Hasan I
- Carchemish
- Claros Sanctuary
- Clazomenae
- Domuztepe
- Ephesus
- Euromus
- Gordion
- Göbekli Tepe
- Hadrianopolis in Paphlagonia
- Hattusha
- Hierapolis
- Iasos
- Kaman-Kalehöyük
- Karahantepe
- Karatepe-Aslantaş
- Kaunos
- Kibyra
- Knidos
- Kültepe-Kanesh
- Laodicea on the Lycus
- Letoon Sanctuary
- Limyra
- Magnesia on the Maeander
- Medieval City of Beçin
- Metropolis in Ionia
- Miletus
- Myra
- Nemrut Dağ
- Notion
- Nysa on the Maeander
- Olympus in Lycia
- Oymaağaç Höyük — Nerik
- Patara
- Pergamon
- Perge
- Phaselis
- Priene
- Sagalassos
- Sanctuary of Apollo at Didyma
- Sanctuary of Labraunda
- Sapinuwa
- Sardis
- Sayburç
- Side
- Stratonikeia
- Tell Atchana – Alalakh
- Tell Tayinat
- Teos
- Tripolis on the Meander
- Troy
- Uluburun Shipwreck
- Xanthos
- Yenikapı – Theodosian Harbour Excavations
- Yeşilova Höyük
- Yumuktepe
- Zerzevan Castle
- Zeugma
- Zincirli Höyük — Sam'al
- Çatalhöyük
- Çavuştepe Fortress
- Çayönü
- Çukuriçi Höyük
