BBC 4’s Lost Kingdoms of Africa: Nubia

A review by K.N. Chimbiri

The BBC’s four-part Lost Kingdoms of Africa series with art historian Dr. Gus Casely-Hayford began on Tuesday, 5th January with an episode entitled 'Nubia'. The documentary followed Dr. Casely-Hayford’s personal journey of discovery; starting with the early rock art from 7,000 years ago, through to the first kingdom of Kush with its capital at Kerma down the millennia to meet one group of the modern Nuba people. Dr. Casely-Hayford showed us beautiful Kerma pottery from the past and revealed how the tradition has continued until today. He shared his enthusiasm for ancient Kerma before moving on to Jebel Barkal

and then to Meroё.

Surprisingly, there was only one mention of gold. This is particularly surprising since many scholars consider the origin of the word ‘Nubia’ is derived from the Egyptian word ‘nbw’ which means gold. It’s not conclusive, but the documentary did not mention this at all. Instead we were told that ‘there is a suggestion that Nubia might come from Nuba and Nuba means slave’!

Nothing much was said about the legendary reputation of the ancient Kushites as promised at the start of the documentary– in fact had I not known differently I might have felt that all the other ancient civilizations only said bad things about them all the time! Kushite contributions to Egypt other than as ‘tributes’ under colonisation weren’t covered here, so viewers might have been left with the impression that these two neighbouring kingdoms only fought each other and never actually helped each other in any way at all during their thousands of years of history.

The documentary showed beautiful scenery of the landscape, pyramids and ruins like the Deffufa at Kerma and Meroё. It was easy to follow and well presented. The Kushite achievements in pottery making, pyramid building and conquest were all described. And Dr. Casely-Hayford highlighted that Kush ruled ancient Egypt for a time and that the Kushites once achieved a huge empire. I really liked the way Dr. Casely-Hayford linked the past to the present for us through the pottery, iron smelting at modern Meroё and issues of climate change. He was engaging and I especially enjoyed the end when he even tried some of the Nuba wrestling!

Like ancient Egypt, Kush had an economy that was based on agriculture. If this were simply a travelogue it would have been satisfying enough to see the traditions in pottery, music, dancing, wrestling, cattle culture, iron-smelting and ruins which have survived until today. But this was advertised as a history programme and yet it failed to show an accurate picture of Kushite past achievements.

We were told to expect history "as impressive and extraordinary as anywhere else in the world"; but then we were not shown (or even told in passing) about the more complex cultural Kushite achievements, for example, the achievements in literacy, creating an alphabet, the trade in luxury goods, nor anything of the legendary gold working traditions. Nor did we hear of any of the Kushite contributions to Egypt or beyond.

Unfortunately, although it was well-shot and well-presented, Lost Kingdoms of Africa: Nubia did not live up to its own claims. Parents, guardians and teachers around the world often look to documentaries, particularly those by the BBC, as a source of up-to-date information to use at home or in the classroom for educational purposes. Lost Kingdoms of Africa: Nubia could have been a useful resource. However, since the lost aspects of this once great civilization were omitted in favour of present links through singing, dancing, wrestling, etc., educators will have to look elsewhere.

(If you missed it, Lost Kingdoms of Africa: Nubia is available on BBC iPlayer until 8.59pm on Tuesday 2nd February 2010. Photos shown here are copyrighted to the Metropolitan Museum of Art.)

Earthquake in Haiti and how you can help

Taking a break today from the usual focus of my blog to bring attention to something much more important. Yesterday a powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 7.0 struck Haiti. Reports are still coming in, but it appears as though the death toll will be in the thousands and many schools, hospitals and other buildings have been completely destroyed.

One can only imagine that on top of struggling with bone-crushing poverty, to then lose your loved ones, your house and shelter and to suffer devastating physical and emotional injuries must be more than the human spirit can bear.

Like everyone else, my first thoughts and instincts were: How can I help in an immediate, tangible and effective way? In times of crisis, immediate relief is needed. Besides the established large relief organizations, you should also consider donating to legitimate, on-the- ground, grassroots groups that did good work in Haiti before the earthquake, and will continue to do good work long after the mega charities have left for the next big disaster.

Below are some suggestions. No matter where you choose to donate, God willing, some help will be given. Please give freely.

AmeriCares because of their long-standing relationship with relief work in Haiti, their four star ranking from charity navigator, and their expertise/infrastructure in similar crises.

Partners In Health. Currently doing first response instead of their usual day-to-day health care: Donate to their Haiti earthquake fund.

Mercy Corps is sending a team of emergency responders to assess damage, and seek to fulfill immediate needs of quake survivors. The agency aided families after earthquakes in Peru in 2007, China and Pakistan in 2008, and Indonesia last year. Donate online, call 1-888-256-1900 or send checks to Mercy Corps Haiti Earthquake Fund; Dept NR; PO Box 2669; Portland, OR 97208.

•Direct Relief is committing up to $1 million in aid for the response and is coordinating with its other in-country partners and colleague organizations. Their partners in Haiti include Partners in Health, St. Damien Children’s Hospital, and the Visitation Hospital, which are particularly active in emergency response. Donate to Direct Relief online.

The Lambi Fund is a "second responder" group, meaning they will be there to help with long term assistance and rebuilding: http://www.lambifund.org/

Also Doctors without Borders. Click on their widget at the top of this blog.

As we donate and contribute to the relief effort, let's also remember that we need to be upfront about what has contributed to this catastrophe in Haiti in the first place. If you cannot feed your people how can you build an infrastructure to stand up to disasters like this? How can you have the medical equipment or doctors that are needed? The reason the effects of this earthquake are so bad to begin with is that we have systematically impoverished Haiti.

As Tanya Maria Golash-Boza of the University of Kansas notes:

"Thirty years ago Haiti was self-sufficient in terms of food production, particularly rice, one of the staples of Haitians. Unfortunately, over the past three decades, trade and aid agreements between the US and Haiti have created a situation where rice farmers can no longer make a living in Haiti. A prime example of this is when rice, grown by subsidized farmers internationally, is dumped on the Haitian market, pushing Haitian farmers out of production. Because of these and other IMF economic policies over the past three decades in Haiti, people from the countryside have been unable to make a living in rural areas, and have migrated to the capital.
Many of these urban migrants live in houses made of cinderblock or other substandard materials that are very susceptible to earthquake damage. The fact that so many people live in inadequate housing structures adds significantly to the destruction caused by the earthquake."

How about establishing fair trade agreements so that Haiti can export goods and raise their standard of living? How about erasing the debt? Unless there is a larger, long-term commitment this type of devastation is just going to keep happening.

Below are some more organizations through which you can contribute to the Haitian earthquake relief effort.

NB: Remember to properly research any organization that you plan to donate to, as scam artists will always try to profit from disasters like this one:

The American Red Cross is pledging an initial $200,000 to assist communities impacted by this earthquake. They expect to provide immediate needs for food, water, temporary shelter, medical services and emotional support. They are accepting donations through their International Response Fund.
•UNICEF has issued a statement that “Children are always the most vulnerable population in any natural disaster, and UNICEF is there for them.” UNICEF requests donations for relief for children in Haiti via their Haiti Earthquake Fund. You can also call 1-800-4UNICEF.
•Donate through Wyclef Jean’s foundation, Yele Haiti. Text “Yele” to 501501 and $5 will be charged to your phone bill and given to relief projects through the organization.
•Operation USA is appealing for donations of funds from the public and corporate donations in bulk of health care materials, water purification supplies and food supplements which it will ship to the region from its base in the Port of Los Angeles. Donate online at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/01/12/www.opusa.org, by phone at1-800-678-7255 or, by check made out to Operation USA, 3617 Hayden Ave, Suite A, Culver City, CA 90232.
•Ben Stiller’s Stillerstrong campaign will be temporarily diverting all donations to support the Haiti relief effort.
•Oxfam is rushing in teams from around the region to respond to the situation to provide clean water, shelter, sanitation and help people recover. Donate to Oxfam America online.
•International Medical Corps is assembling a team of first responders and resources to provide lifesaving medical care and other emergency services to survivors of the earthquake. Donate online.

Larger than life statue of Pharaoh Taharqo found at Dangeil, Sudan

Archaeologists have announced the discovery of a larger than life granite statue of Pharaoh Taharqo weighing more than a ton.
The discovery was actually made in 2008 but was only revealed last month by Canadian archaeologist Caroline M. Rocheleau on her blog.

The location of the discovery was Dangeil - a Kushite city which flourished 2,000 years ago. Dangeil was located about 350 kilometres north of what is today the Sudan’s capital city of Khartoum.

However, the statue is thought to date to a much earlier time in Kushite history so it raises questions about how ancient Dangeil really is.

To learn more about this exciting discovery you can subscribe to the free newsletter at: http://www.golden-destiny.com/

Moroccan Mint Tea

Ingredients:
4 1/2 cups boiling water
1 tablespoon loose Chinese gunpowder green tea
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup packed fresh mint leaves

1. In a teapot, combine 1/2 cup of the boiling water and the tea. Swirl gently for a few seconds. Strain liquid, reserving the tea leaves. Place the tea leaves back into the pot and discard the water.

2. Add remaining 4 cups of boiling water to the teapot. Let steep two minutes. Add sugar and mint. Let steep two minutes more. To serve, strain into tea glasses or cups.
Serves 6.

Step Back in Time to Ancient Kush

Today I’m really pleased to announce that my sister has just written and published her first children’s book!
My sister, K.N. Chimbiri, is a children’s history writer who lives in London and she has just launched her publishing house, Golden Destiny Ltd.

Step Back in Time to Ancient Kush introduces the fascinating kingdom of Kush to young readers via twenty fun-filled interactive pages.
Just in case you were wondering, Kush was one of mankind’s first civilizations. It was a great, classical civilization located in the Nile Valley, in what is now the Sudan. It produced many great works of art, architecture, a complex language and some of mankind’s earliest urban centers and religion.

My sister’s writings, research and lectures on ancient Kush served as the inspiration behind my two perfumes, ‘Nofret’ and ‘Red Rose of Kush’.

Her newest book teaches children about this important, but little-known aspect of ancient, classical history through word finders, exercises, coloring-in pages and crossword puzzles.
The book is also website-linked which is great; if you go on the site you can learn so much more about ancient Kush and what the Kushites left behind.
Naturally I am extremely proud of my sister’s achievements; but in any case I would recommend this book to anyone who wants their children to learn more about ancient Egypt, or who wants to learn more about it themselves. Adults also can benefit tremendously from the information in this book!
Happy Reading!
www.golden-destiny.com

In the Red: Etsy Xmas Finds

Above: Red Shoes With Bows - 8" x 10" Print by Linda Boucher.

Since red is the official colour of the holidays, I thought these beautiful handmade products, all by talented Etsians, might bring some cheer to you this season. All of the unique items listed here can be found in their Etsy stores and would make great gifts. Enjoy!
*All of the photos on display here are copyrighted to their respective owners.

Sterling Silver & Carnelian Scalloped Ring by Beads In The Belfry:


Sophisticated Lady in Red Dress - 7" x 10" Print by dntdynamite:


Deep Red Lidded Urn by Osceolapottery:


Passion Red Low-cut Knit Dress by Raghouse International:


Khepri Leather Cuff in Dark Red by Lunaversoul:


Red Velvet Cake Truffles by Vintage Confections:


Gourd Bowl with Driftwood by LouAnn Designs:


Lincey Leather Key Fob in Red Pepper with Escutcheon and Vintage Key by Urban Heirlooms:


Good Tidings Bouquet with Red Ranunculus, Anemones and Pine Branches by Melrose Fields: