Archaeologists in Sudan have discovered a 2,700-year-old workshop that may have supplied funerary objects for the royal tombs of the ancient Kingdom of Kush. The discovery reveals how skilled craftspeople produced religious figurines and ornaments for rulers buried more than two millennia ago.
The workshop stood beside Sanam Temple in Napata, an important political and religious center in ancient Nubia. Excavations uncovered firing pits, hundreds of colorful beads and a small green funerary figurine. Researchers say the finds provide new evidence linking temple production to royal burial practices.
The findings were published in the journal Antiquity by Rennan Lemos, Kathryn Howley, Siobhan Shinn and Shadia Abdu Rabo.
Ancient workshop linked to Kushite royal burials
King Taharqo built Sanam Temple during his reign from about 690 to 664 B.C. He belonged to the Kushite dynasty that ruled Nubia and Egypt during Egypt’s 25th Dynasty.
Archaeologists found three firing pits and two mudbrick basins near the temple. They also uncovered blue, green, and white beads, broken vessels, and manufacturing waste. These discoveries provide evidence of faience production. Faience is a glazed material used to make ornaments, religious objects, and funerary figurines.
Funerary figurines reveal connection to royal tombs
Among the discoveries was a green figurine known as a shabti. Ancient Egyptians and Nubians placed these figures in tombs because they believed the figures could perform tasks for the dead in the afterlife. The practice formed part of wider ancient Egyptian beliefs about life after death.
Researchers found that the figurine closely matched a clay mold previously discovered at Sanam Temple. Other molds recovered during excavations in 1912 resemble shabtis found at Nuri, a cemetery where Kushite kings and their families were buried.
The similarities suggest that craftspeople at Sanam may have produced objects specifically for royal tombs. Nuri is also known for its ancient Nubian pyramids, which served as burial monuments for Kushite rulers. Unlike in ancient Egypt, where several social classes used shabtis, these funerary figures appear to have been reserved for royalty in Napatan Nubia.
Ancient materials reveal possible trade connections
Archaeologists also discovered thousands of shells mixed with ash, grinding stones, and production waste. Researchers believe workers may have crushed shells to obtain calcium carbonate, an ingredient used to manufacture faience.
Some shells likely came from the Red Sea, suggesting possible trade connections between Napata and distant coastal regions. Their exact origins remain uncertain. Further examination has been delayed by the ongoing war in Sudan.
Workshop offers clues about royal authority
The workshop’s location beside Sanam Temple suggests that religious authorities may have supervised production. Researchers believe the manufacturing of objects reserved for royal burials required skilled workers, valuable materials, and organized production.
The findings offer new insight into how Kushite rulers may have used temple workshops to supply royal tombs and maintain control over important religious goods.
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