Nubia, the often overlooked southern neighbour of Egypt, has been home to groups of vibrant and adaptive peoples for millennia.

This book explores the Nubians' religious, social, economic and cultural histories, from their nomadic origins during the Stone Ages to their rise to power during the Napatan and Meroitic periods, and it concludes with the recent struggles for diplomacy in North Sudan. Situated among the ancient superpowers of Egypt, Aksum and the Graeco-Roman world, Nubia's connections with these cultures shaped the country's history through colonialism and cultural entanglement. Sarah M. Schellinger presents the Nubians through their archaeological and textual remains, reminding readers that they were a rich and dynamic civilization in their own right.