The El Kurru project began as a fairly traditional archaeological project that focused its research on the past.

But a convergence of interests has led to some exciting opportunities for us to collaborate more fully with Sudanese living in El Kurru village to preserve the site and present it in innovative ways for visitors.

First, we have been fortunate to have funding from the government of Qatar (specifically the Qatar-Sudan Archaeological Project) that includes preservation and tourism development as one of its funded goals.

Second, we have been welcomed into the village of El Kurru with warmth and hospitality that has made it possible for us to develop plans for the site as a collaboration.

Third, with visits from heritage experts affiliated with the University of Michigan’s African Heritage Initiative—specifically, Prof. Ray Silverman of the University of Michigan and Prof. Kodzo Gavua of the University of Ghana—we have developed the idea that visitors to the site should have the opportunity to learn about El Kurru as a vibrant and beautiful village on the Nile.

We are currently (December 2017) working on plans for a community heritage center that we hope will enrich visitors’ archaeological knowledge of the site and its importance at the same time that it will display facets of local life—perhaps serving food, selling locally made artisanal crafts that are in some cases in danger of disappearing entirely, and displaying photographs taken by residents of the village that show life through their own eyes.