Daily Life of the Nubians

Until recently little was known about ancient Nubia and the day-to-day lives of the Nubian people aside from knowing it was a civilization contemporary with, distinct from, and living under the shadow of Ancient Egypt. Nubia existed from about 3500 - 300 BC, close to three thousand years. Thanks to recent massive archaeological surveys we now have a much clearer picture of Nubian civilization, what they ate, how they dressed, how they cared for their dead, their military triumphs and defeats, where their cities were built, and what they looked like. Of course they underwent dramatic changes over time, and these are noted where appropriate. Though often confused with the Ethiopians of Greek lore, little doubt remains that Nubians were in fact Black African peoples, and their civilization has been claimed by many as proof of a sophisticated and ancient Black African society. For ease of use by students, the work is organized chronologically. Each chapter is divided into convenient subheadings that detail military matters and warfare, government, language, relations with neighbouring civilizations, work and the economy, engineering and architecture, housing, transportation, family life, life cycle events, women’s roles, art, music and dance, literature, science, and religion. It includes an historical timeline of Nubian history, a glossary of Nubian terms, and a bibliography for further reading. Throughout the work, Bianchi, an expert on the Nubians, shows how the modern world has little by little come to discover and recognize the distinctiveness and importance of Nubia in ancient history. This work will replace all earlier resources on Nubian life and will provide school and public librarians with the most up-to-date and historically correct information on the Nubians.