Chapter one outlines the history of ancient Kush and provides some historical and archaeological context for the graffiti at El-Kurru. Then, six richly illustrated essays by international scholars explore the phenomenon of graffiti in ancient and Christian-era Sudan, as well as an overview of Nubian rock art and a look at graffiti at Pompeii.
Some questions that are tackled in this book include:
What the heck, Meroitic pilgrims. Why are you eating the temple? (chapter 2)
Man, some people really love to carve pictures of boats. A whole lotta boats. (chapter 3)
Can't we just rebury it all? Really, it's for the best. (chapter 4)
Beneseg, it would have been great if in the graffito you left on the church wall in Banganarti you could have gone into a little more biographical detail and expanded on your personal ambitions and especially your trip to Nubia from France instead of just saying hi to the Archangel Rafael, thanks. (chapter 6)
Were "rock gong" concerts more like Chopin's nocturnes or an Iggy Pop show? (chapter 7)
Graffito 1: Dude, did you see that gladiator match?! Graffito 2: OMG bro, that was off the chain!! (chapter 8)
While not exactly a fluffy summer beach read, Graffiti as Devotion is nonetheless written to engage non-specialist readers. And anyway, there are a lot of pictures. So go ahead! You've got nothing to lose! Download the PDF and have a look.
The book itself is a handsome paperback and will soon be available for purchase through our distributor, ISD. Better yet, come to the Kelsey and pick up a copy at our gift shop. While you're here, stop in and take a stroll through the exhibition.
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Graffiti as Devotion along the Nile and Beyond
Table of Contents
List of Contributors Overview Map Timeline of Kush and Nubia List of Abbreviations Foreword. "Graffiti in Ancient Kush and Medieval Nubia: An Introduction," by Geoff Emberling and Suzanne Davis
"A Cultural History of Kush: Politics, Economy, and Ritual Practice," by Geoff Emberling
"Graffiti at El-Kurru: The Funerary Temple," by Suzanne Davis and Geoff Emberling
"Boat Graffiti on the El-Kurru Pyramid," by Bruce Beyer Williams
"Conservation and Documentation of Graffiti at El-Kurru," by Suzanne Davis
"Figural Graffiti from the Meroitic Era on Philae Island," by Jeremy Pope
"Discourses with the Holy: Text and Image Graffiti from the Pilgrimage Churches of Saint Raphael the Archangel in Banganarti, Sudan," by Bogdan Żurawski
"An Overview of Nubian Rock Art in the Region of the 4th and 5th Cataracts," by Fawzi Hassan Bakhiet
"Graffiti at Pompeii, Italy," by Rebecca Benefiel
Epilogue. "Hajj Paintings in El-Araba and El-Ghabat, Egypt: A Photo Essay," by Ayman Damarany Catalog of Selected Graffiti from El-Kurru, by Suzanne Davis, Geoff Emberling, and Bruce Beyer Williams
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