Hungarian archaeologists in Sudan
MúzeumCafé 6.
Following a request from the Sudanese government, in 2004 Hungarian archeologists joined specialist British, American, German and Polish colleagues in an international salvage operation underway in Sudan, where a huge dam for hydro-electric power generation was being planned on the River Nile for Lower Nubia. Their finds are being restored in Hungary, but the artefacts are being returned to Sudan in the autumn. History, the size of a pallet. That is how much Hungary has acquired from the Sudanese findings which Hungarian archeologists excavated on the tide lands of the Nile and the desert sand and which are noted as the remains of ancient Nubian civilisation. To be precise, what will eventually stay in Hungary is no longer a pallet full, since archeologist Gábor Lassányi has promised to return to Sudan all the finds following analysis, restoration, drawing, scientific preparation and arranging for publication. Although the Sudanese Archaeological Research Society pledged half of the artefacts to those who excavated them, the halving process is not happening by the finds being divided one by one but by Sudan first getting back everything then half can be granted to Hungary – perhaps. Lack of energy is the cause of this generosity.