Archaeologists from the Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology have discovered a hidden complex of rooms covered with Christian paintings in Old Dongola, Sudan, that date back to the medieval era. The town, once the capital of Makuria, flourished for hundreds of years under the peaceful relations between the Muslims of Egypt and the Christians of Nubia. The paintings were created during a time of extreme duress for Dongola, likely when the city was under siege by the Mamluk Sultanate in 1276. The paintings show a Nubian ruler, believed to be King David, being shielded by Archangel Michael, and are accompanied by inscriptions calling for God to protect the city. Archaeologists consider the figurative scenes “unique for Christian art”.
The chambers in Old Dongola are covered with vaults and domes built from dried brick and are more than 20 feet above the medieval ground level. This fact has confused archaeologists, who speculate that the structures were built in this place because of the presence of the Great Church of Jesus, the most important church of the Makuria kingdom. Artur Obłuski, the project’s director, believes that the complex was built adjacent to the Great Church of Jesus because of its importance in Nubia, as described in written sources. The team has secured and protected the wall paintings ahead of their return to Old Dongola in the autumn when temperatures in Sudan are cooler.
The paintings are unique in their depiction of a Nubian ruler being shielded by Archangel Michael, and the inscriptions accompanying them include pleas for God’s protection. Archaeologists have speculated that the paintings might have been made with the Mamluk army approaching or laying siege to the city. The discovery of these paintings has shed new light on the history of Old Dongola and the Makuria kingdom, which is still not well understood by scholars.
“Despite all the new and fancy methods,” Obłuski said, “archaeology still delivers surprises like this one.” The Polish archaeologists have been excavating the town since the 1960s, and the European Research Council has funded the latest work. The discovery of these paintings has provided an exciting glimpse into the history of Old Dongola and the Makuria kingdom, and further research may yield more surprises in the future.
