Illegal gold diggers destroy ancient archaeological site of Jabal Maragha in Sudan

The archaeological site of Jabal Maragha, located in the Bayouda desert about 170 miles north of Khartoum, has been destroyed by illegal gold prospectors using heavy excavators, causing a massive collapse. The looters also used stones from ancient structures to build shelters for eating and praying. They were caught by archaeologists accompanied by a police escort, but were released after only a few hours, suggesting complicity between authorities and the illegal gold trade. Mahmoud al-Tayeb, former expert at the Sudanese Ministry of Culture's antiquities department and professor at the University of Warsaw, suspects bribery. The site was part of the ancient Kingdom of Kush, a civilization that flourished in Nubia between 2000 BC and the 4th century AD, with major centers at Kerma, Napata, and Meroe. Excavations began in 1999 under archaeologist Habab Idriss Ahmed. Hatem al-Nour, director of the Department of Antiquities and National Museums, stated that the site was remarkably well-preserved and contained valuable information for Sudanese history, noting that out of about 1,000 known sites, at least 100 have been destroyed or damaged. The destruction is described as a moral crime against the Sudanese people, exposing them to international speculators and fundamentalists.