Sociopolitical Structure and the Collapse of the Meroitic State in the Middle Nile Region
By (author) Mohamed Ali
Hardback (Published)
(July 2026)
ISBN: 9782503623559
8.5 x 11.02 inches
Price: $113.00
On back order
This volume redefines our understanding of Sudan’s Meroitic state, one of northeast Africa’s most intriguing ancient civilizations. Motivated by the need to challenge dominant paradigms, it shifts the focus from elite narratives and urban centres to the often-overlooked rural perspectives that shaped the state’s development and collapse. Drawing on years of archaeological fieldwork, the book examines sociopolitical dynamics on the western frontier, where local communities retained cultural autonomy and limited engagement with Meroitic institutions. The absence of temples, burials, and ritual items in these areas signals weak integration, while control of neglected trade routes during northern economic decline fostered local wealth and power. Similar patterns in the eastern hinterland underscore the fragmented nature of the state. This disengagement proved critical, as failure to unite against the Aksumite threat contributed to Meroe’s demise. Combining data-driven studies with interdisciplinary approaches, this groundbreaking work, written from an African perspective, offers fresh insights into rural agency, economic networks, and the complex interplay of power within the Meroitic world.
This volume redefines our understanding of Sudan’s Meroitic state, one of northeast Africa’s most intriguing ancient civilizations. Motivated by the need to challenge dominant paradigms, it shifts the focus from elite narratives and urban centres to the often-overlooked rural perspectives that shaped the state’s development and collapse. Drawing on years of archaeological fieldwork, the book examines sociopolitical dynamics on the western frontier, where local communities retained cultural autonomy and limited engagement with Meroitic institutions. The absence of temples, burials, and ritual items in these areas signals weak integration, while control of neglected trade routes during northern economic decline fostered local wealth and power. Similar patterns in the eastern hinterland underscore the fragmented nature of the state. This disengagement proved critical, as failure to unite against the Aksumite threat contributed to Meroe’s demise. Combining data-driven studies with interdisciplinary approaches, this groundbreaking work, written from an African perspective, offers fresh insights into rural agency, economic networks, and the complex interplay of power within the Meroitic world.
List of Illustrations
Preface and Acknowledgements
Chapter 1. Introduction
Chapter 2. Meroe and the Kingdom of Kush
Chapter 3. Historical and Geographic Overview
Chapter 4. The Meroitic Economy and Sources of Power
Chapter 5. Meroe from the East Hinterland Perspective
Chapter 6. The West Bank and Local Identities
Chapter 7. The Collapse of the Meroitic State
Appendices
Works Cited
Arabic Summary
- By (author) Mohamed Ali
Other Titles in this Series
Similar Books
Colour Concept “Secoli bui” a colori
Codici cromatici e architetture dipinte nell’età tardoantica e medievale
Crossing Disciplines in the Study of Archaeology and Prehistoric Art: Insights from the Sahara and Mediterranean Africa
Proceedings of the XX UISPP World Congress (5–9 September 2023, Timișoara, Romania) Volume / Session 18
Crossing Sacred Landscapes
Contacts and Continuities in the Desert Cults and Beliefs of Ancient Northern Arabia and the Arid Southern Levant
Cuneiform Artefacts from Archaeological Contexts: New Research on Ancient Iraq
Proceedings of a Conference Held at the Bavarian Academy of Sciences and Humanities, July 4–5, 2024
Volume 2
Exploring Prehistoric Pottery in Japan
A Study of Organic Inclusions, Adhering Materials, and Impressions of Woven Items
From Coast to Coast
Current Archaeological Research on Cultural Exchange along and across the Baltic Sea
Volume 19
Harvesting the Margins of the Viking World
Decentralizing Economies in Late Iron Age Fennoscandia
Volume 6
Linguistic and Cultural Dynamics in a Frontier Society
New Perspectives on Northeastern Bavaria and Western Bohemia in the Early Middle Ages
Volume 9
Making and Meaning in the Bronze and Iron Ages
Chronology, Landscapes and Societies across Europe. Proceedings from the METALAGES2024 Colloquium (Florence, 23 October 2024)
Medieval Yeghegis, Armenia
History, Archaeology, Society. Local Multiplicities and Global Connections of a Rural Centre on the Silk Road(s)
Music and Colonialism in Fascist Italy
Identity, Propaganda, and Ethnographic Representation
Volume 13
Promoting the Profession
Papers in Honour of Peter Hinton Director of the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists 1997-2025
Roman Baths and Agency
Proceedings of the International Conference held at the Academia Belgica, Rome, 18-20 October 2023
Volume 51
The Kingdom of Makuria and its Civilization
A Renewed Insight through New Archaeological Discoveries
Writing of Women as Cultural Resistance
Deconstructing Memory Legacies in the Afro-Luso-Brazilian Atlantic