An archaeologist is racing to preserve Sudans heritage as war threatens to erase its cultural past

In a small, dimly lit office at the French National Institute for Art History, Sudanese archaeologist Shadia Abdrabo is on a critical mission. She meticulously examines a photograph of ancient pottery, dating back to around 7,000 B.C., while documenting its details in a spreadsheet. With the ongoing conflict between the Rapid Support Forces and the Sudanese Armed Forces, Abdrabo, who is currently on a yearlong research grant in France, is dedicated to creating an online database that will safeguard Sudan's archaeological treasures, museum collections, and historical archives. The war, which escalated in April 2023, has wreaked havoc on Sudan's cultural heritage. Museums have been looted and destroyed, with Abdrabo seeking to assess the extent of the losses. "We have to work fast to secure our collections. We’ve already lost two museums, and we cannot afford to lose more," she emphasized. The destruction includes regional museums in El Geneina and Nyala, as well as the National Museum in Khartoum, which housed around 100,000 artifacts prior to the conflict. This museum was ransacked by militias, with videos surfacing online showing fighters inside its storerooms. The National Museum held invaluable items, including artifacts from the Kerma Kingdom, the Napatan era, and the Meroitic civilization, which are crucial to understanding Sudan's rich history. Among its treasures were mummies dating back to 2,500 B.C. and royal Kushite artifacts. UNESCO has expressed deep concern over the unprecedented threat to Sudan's cultural heritage, highlighting that the losses extend far beyond physical objects to include vital research and documentation. The situation is dire, with recent violence leading to hundreds of deaths and the displacement of over 80,000 people in North Darfur. For Abdrabo, this mission is profoundly personal. Hailing from Nubia, a region rich in archaeological significance, she reflects on her own experiences and hardships as she navigated through the war, relocating multiple times to escape the violence. Together with her colleagues from the National Corporation for Antiquities and Museums (NCAM), Abdrabo has worked tirelessly to protect Sudan's 11 museums and heritage sites designated as UNESCO World Heritage sites. However, efforts have been hampered by the pace of the conflict, with many artifacts vanishing before protective measures could be implemented. While UNESCO has been proactive in conducting inventories and training officials, the international response has not matched the urgency of the situation. Unlike other cultural crises following conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq, Sudan has not received significant media attention, which has hindered global awareness and assistance. As ancient Sudan was historically connected to powerful civilizations and trade networks, experts like Geoff Emberling stress the importance of recognizing Sudan's contributions to world history. Abdrabo is determined to document what remains of Sudan's heritage and is currently working with a small team in Khartoum to restore and clean artifacts that survived the conflict. Despite receiving funding through April 2026, Abdrabo fears it may not be sufficient. The work is daunting, with datasets arriving in various formats and much to be done. "I’ve recorded 1,080 objects so far, but I still have many more museums and archives to cover," she noted. As winter descends on Paris, the call to action for Sudan's cultural heritage remains urgent. "We are working to track what has been looted," Abdrabo said, her emotion evident. "My mission is to recover as much as possible for Sudan, but the uncertainty of the situation makes it challenging. The safety of our heritage hangs in the balance until the conflict ends."