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On Saturday 17th December the Humanities Dept held their second lecture of the year.  For the first time this was run as a joint venture with the Sudan Archaeological Society.  Dr Vincent Rondot, former director of the French Archaeological Unit in Khartoum talked to us about the recent discoveries in Pre-Meroitic Al Hassa- and specifically about the discovery and restoration of a number of stone rams that were found in the approach to the temple that they are excavating at the site.

He explained the history of the discovery of the rams- dating back to a French explorer in 1814 and their more recent excavation and the repairs carried out to preserve them for future generations.  The lecture was fascinating for its insight into the work of the archaeologists, the complex details of restoration, and for its opening of a window into an ancient world where rams represented the God Amun in specifically local incarnations. 

The audience asked questions about the meroitic languages and the relationship with modern Nubian dialects and the difficulties and very detailed work that goes into understanding the inscriptions that they were found at the site making reference to a specific Meroitic king. 
For those members of the audience with very little knowledge of archaeology- it was a fascinating insight into a very specialised world.  It also became clear that Sudan is a treasure trove of ancient civilisations and that there remains a great deal yet to be discovered and restored.  It would appear to be an area that holds great promise for the future.
We are very grateful to the President of the SAS, Dr Zuheir Saeed for facilitating this lecture and we look forward to future joint lectures.