The Robert F. Picken Family Nubian Gallery features one of the most complete collections of artifacts from Nubia, allowing a rich investigation of the political interactions and contrasting cultures of southern Egypt and northern Sudan. Highlights include the Qustul Incense Burner—one of the earliest records of the kings of Nubia; fine ceramics from the A-Group; figurines from the C-Group; a bronze statue of a Nubian king; brightly painted Meroitic pottery; and one of the oldest saddles in the world, both dating to about 400 CE.
The majority of artifacts on display in this gallery were excavated between 1960 and 1968 by ISAC archaeologists participating in the International Campaign to Save the Monuments of Nubia, an UNESCO-sponsored initiative in the areas threatened by the construction of the High Dam at Aswan in Egypt.
