Sapienza University of Rome and Sudan: recent activities between archives and digital communication

The contribution offers an overview of the latest research initiatives of University of Rome “La Sapienza” activated before and after the crisis. The fieldwork at Hujair Gubli and Magal, recently established in collaboration with NCAM but interrupted by the outbreak of the war, is first presented. The prolonged conflict has forced a re-definition and re-calibration of efforts, which have shifted toward archival research and digital communication. Significant material related to the Italian archaeological work conducted in Sudan in the last century has been recovered, digitised, and is currently under review. Its study deepens our understanding of past archaeological practices, adds valuable pieces of information on the preservation and transformation of Sudanese cultural heritage, plays a crucial role in disseminating the multifaceted histories of such heritage. The ongoing documentation, archival and museum activities, will be thus discussed and reflected upon in the context of present situation and future challenges