Redazione Archaeogate, 29-11-2004
1. 1973: first sounding, two trenches reveal stone and brick buildings.
2. 1974 (13/2-23/3): after tracing a topographical network, two buildings and a palace were identified. Fragmentary earthenware and painted pottery of unusual form were discovered. In the main building Hathor capitals were reused. This temple showed a front portico, an architrave with winged sun disk (fragm.) and carved door-jambs (the feet of a king with a tail can still be seen). Behind the pylon there is a pavement of clay bricks and the bases of four columns. After this a transversal room leads to a crypt, in its middle a sandstone slab carries the hieroglyphic sign of life; in the nearabouts a water-spout with lion head was lying on the ground.
3. 1976 (17/3-10/4): the plan of the aforementioned temple was traced, its only remaining important element being a basis for a shrine or sacred boat. It was enclosed in a double enclosure wall, leaving no room to pass inside. In this part, however, two bronze ram heads with sun disk and uraei were recovered. Furthermore an inscribed fragment of an architrave gave two short texts quoting a king and a goddess in face of him. These are the prenomen of king Natakamani and the titles of Mut, according to her wig. The other building consisted of huge blocks of local sandstone, leaning upon an older building. Its plan showed a middle shrine with two rooms besides on an upper level. Before the shrine there is a forechamber holding two pillars, preceded by a hypostyle hall with four columns or pillars. Stratigraphic excavations in the NW area of the Natakamani temple showed a heap of household pottery, and underneath burnt bones of animals and broken ware.
4. 1977 (19/2-24/3): the research was concentrated in the area between the two temples, where a number of sandstone blocks lay on the ground, may be a platform or a fallen wall. On the exterior area an almost square structure in mud bricks was attributed to a palace. The axis of this edifice is connected with the stone temple, but its door opens on the other temple. Under the palace big jars of pre-meroitic age were found on an even older layer of silos.
5. 1978 (7/3-15/4): the existence of many lesser structures underlying the palace was proved. Excavations of what was labelled "oriental building" were started, and revealed a crown of square bases of sandstone columns, alternately painted in blue and yellow. In the interior a sort of a kiosk was supposed, and all around fragments of some blue and green tiles, with some relief decoration, were scattered.
6. 1979 (15/2-3/3): this shortened stay was occupied by a mise-au-point of previous work in the palace and in the kiosk.
7. 1980 (6/10-27/10): devoted to the exploration of the building where a kiosk was supposed; traces of a thin gold leaf were noticed on some mud bricks inside the northern entrance. Glaze tiles and some architectural rests came from outside.
8. 1981 (10/3-11/4): clearance of the temples area. The bricks employed therein belong to the Meroitic module.
9. 1982 (28/2-27/3): resuming the excavations in the "kiosk structure", clearance of the entrance staircase (to the North). The wall of the platform was strengthened by means of pilasters with traces of blue and yellow paint. Two lion statues were discovered, of plastered and painted sandstone, in a seated position. A good deal of tiles with different figures came to light. All these architectural elements point to a rather majestic entrance.
10. 1983 (12/2-6/4): finding one corner of the platform on which the building stood, and a staircase of 22 steps leading to the entrance terrace. Visit of Arch. Hinkel.
11. 1984 (9/3-31/3): digging went on inside the containments walls, forming the foundation of the building. This led to the discovery of an inscription in cursive meroitic which definitely gave the nature of a palace to the building, linking it with king Natakamani through his wife Amanitore, quoted in the inscription. An essential laboratory was also organised for the restoration of the lions and of the glazed tiles, to be kept inside the Karima Museum.
In the same year (June) the IV International Meroitic Congress was held in Rome on account of the Mission, and beside it an important exhibition about Meroitic Architecture was displayed in Rome at Mercati Traianei, to be moved later to two other towns in Italy.
12. 1985 (11/3-2/4): after establishing the measurements of the platform (a square of about 60 m), the exploration of its interior gave the rests of a small room with some original pavement slabs preserved and the beginning of a staircase leading to an upper floor. Near the kiosk, traces of a portico were noticed with a remarkable abundance of ashes. Elsewhere traces of an older building beneath the palace were found.
13. 1986 (4/3-25/3): studying the kiosk area, a plastered wall under the floor level pointed to a room probably meant as a cellar. Many characteristic (broken) objects were still in it, among which an important series of clay sealings. Moreover the central area between the kiosk and the southern façade was investigated. A sounding was carried out at some distance on the western side, where a structure with columns was cleared.
14. 1987 (7/3-3/4): several interesting objects were recovered in the severely destroyed building: a slab of imported "serpentino", three beautiful bronze elements. The SW corner was checked. Some work was dedicated again to the stratigraphy of the temples area near the cultivations for the sake of the town history of the site.
15. 1988 (12/2-3/3): finding the SE corner, so that all the corners of the palace were checked; study being concentrated on the clay sealings. Some important architectural observations were also made.
16. 1989 (28/2-19/3): the recent flood in the region damaged the site and destroyed the Mission's house: therefore this campaign aimed just at recovering the situation.
17. 1990 (27/2-21/3): excavations on the side of the palace facing the mountain revealed another terrace communicating with the inside portico hall and a side staircase leading towards the main Amun temple. More clay sealings were found.
18. 1992 (27/2-12/3): a short Mission in order to prepare the next campaign and to discuss the programme with the Sudanese Authorities.
19. 1993 (14/1-24/2): a large square was excavated from the kiosk along the "ceremonial gangway" as far as the already excavated area on the northern front. Clay moulds were found with broken tiles and Meroitic painted potsherds. Walls of earlier building also appeared. Restorations were carried on at the northern façade. Some fallen stones in one of the temples formerly dug out near the cultivations were examined, strengthened and returned. Their measurement gave a height of 4 m to the original wall.
20. 1994 (15/1-1/2): a trench in the middle of the southern façade of the palace, facing the Amun temple, revealed a further entrance by means of a ramp or staircase only partly excavated. A general archaeological map of the whole site was also outlined. The Mission moved to new quarters.
21. 1995 (7/3-4/4): the entrance found last year appears to be the oldest one, close in shape to the one on the opposite side, and in perfect axis with the kiosk. It bends slightly (3°) towards the Amun temple and was provided with great lion statues, two of which have been found. A small trench in the middle of the E side has revealed the existence of another entrance.
22. 1996 (28/2-22/3): the kiosk is reinterpreted as a "peristyle", around which four doors are found still preserved. A terrace with ramp to the east, with more lion statues, is uncovered.
23. 1997 (26/2-21/3): the structure inside the peristyle appears to be a collapsed upper gallery. Finding another staircase entered from the peristyle and a broad gangway towards the eastern entrance.
24. 1998 (20/2-20/3): completing the excavations of the palace surface on the eastern side, where a huge platform abuts the outer wall. Study of the architectural elements. The mission occupied premises near the site.
25. 1999 (4/2-12/2): clearing the southern half of the east façade, where a stone structure appeared, plastered and painted.
Between March 26 and June 27 an international exhibition of Sudan antiquities ("Napata e Meroe. Templi d'oro sul Nilo") was shown at Turin, with pieces mainly from Khartoum, Berlin and Boston.
26. 2000 (28/1-9/2): clearing the eastern half of the south façade, where seven plinths and parts of a composite papyrus stem column had been thrown.
27. 2001 (7/2-24/2): all the east façade was completely cleared; many blocks featuring the top of the wall found on the northern part of the west side. Digging B2400, with a structure in Greek style.
28. 2002 (7/2-28/2): digging the whole area in the western side northern half of B1500. Digging B3200, a room containing two columns, and more soundings in the vicinity of B2400.
Between September 9 and 14 the Xth International Conference of the Society for Nubian Studies was held in Rome University "La Sapienza".
29. 2003 (3/2-1/3): extending the excavations on the southern access to B1500. B2400 appears to be a palace built on a platform (a square of about 40 m); finding the western entrance, through a terrace abutted by a ramp, and the SW corner. It is spanned by a later road. B3200 looks larger than foreseen. Sounding in the modern road and moving the dumps with a bulldozer. Correction of the maps. Taking aerial views.
30. 2004 (9/2-5/3): B2400 had a unique entrance and two storeys, more floors were ascertained, up to a Napatan level. Half 3200 was excavated. A large peristyle court was found under the sand in 2100, where excavations were started.
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