Ancient Nubia: Excavating Treasures of the Nile
October 17, 2026–January 10, 2027
The Kingdom of Kush
For nearly three thousand years, ancient Nubia was home to the Kingdom of Kush, which flourished in the Sudanese Nile Valley. Kush’s trade networks reached across the Mediterranean and far into central Africa, and the kingdom had strong cultural ties to Egypt. Throughout their history Nubians built major cities, temples, palaces, and more pyramids than the Egyptians. Yet, this powerful history remains little known to many people today.
Ancient Nubia: Excavating Treasures of the Nile presents over two hundred works of art from the collection of the MFA Boston. Stunning visual displays combining exquisite artifacts and photo murals showcase the history and culture of the almost forgotten Kingdom of Kush through its three main historical periods. Within, you’ll find masterpieces that highlight the skill, artistry, and innovation of Nubian makers and reflect the wealth, status, and power of their kings and queens.
These remarkable objects were excavated more than one hundred years ago by MFA Egyptologist George Reisner. He failed to recognize how ancient Nubian art stands apart from, and sometimes surpasses, that of ancient Egypt. Today, new generations of archaeologists excavating in Nubia see Kush as Egypt’s rival in the Nile Valley. Only in recent decades has a more accurate history of mutual influence among these past civilizations come to be thoroughly researched, appreciated, and better understood. This exhibition is the first in the United States to display the art of the Kingdom of Kush through the lens of its Nubian creators and explore it from an archaeological perspective.
3D Virtual Tour of El Kurru and the Tomb of Tanwetamani
Credit Line: This Tapestry tour was created as part of the Community Heritage Exchange Initiative with support from the U.S. State Department.
Explore the North and West Walls of the Tomb Room
The NCMA’s Teens Arts Council and Ancient Nubia Audio Tour
Did you know the NCMA has a robust Teen Arts Council (TAC) program? TAC members are our teen museum ambassadors and form a cohort of twenty-one students from the Triangle between the ages of thirteen and eighteen. This year we are grateful the TAC was able to contribute to many different interactive stations throughout this exhibition.
You’ll hear their voices in our audio tour; you’ll see their magnets at the pectoral station; you’ll read their words in the immersive tomb room; and you’ll see many of them at our public programs. Be on the lookout for TAC members all over campus. We thank them for contributing to this exhibition:
Julia Gilman
Finn Green
Elise Kohli
Junho Lee
Lily Loughlin
Aashritha Maddhula
Natasha Rangel Melo
Riley Miller
Aliyah Navarrete
Finn Green
Elise Kohli
Junho Lee
Lily Loughlin
Aashritha Maddhula
Natasha Rangel Melo
Riley Miller
Aliyah Navarrete
Arnav Pal
Elianna Perez
Gaille Saelim
Genevieve Sasser
Audrey Smith
Sarah Stone
Greyson Thomas
Abigail Totten
Lola Rose Vogelsberg
Avril Ya
Natalie York
Xiyue Zhang
Elianna Perez
Gaille Saelim
Genevieve Sasser
Audrey Smith
Sarah Stone
Greyson Thomas
Abigail Totten
Lola Rose Vogelsberg
Avril Ya
Natalie York
Xiyue Zhang
The NCMA would especially like to thank Sabrina Hurtado, former manager of teen and college programs, for their support of TAC programs at the NCMA and for managing and organizing TAC’s participation in this special exhibition.