The Kingdom of Kush
The Ancients
History Hit
4.7 • 3.5K Ratings
🗓️ 26 January 2025
⏱️ 56 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Beyond the ancient Nile’s fertile banks lay a civilisation that rivalled Egypt in power and prestige—the Kingdom of Kush. This ancient empire, centred in modern Sudan, once ruled Egypt, defied Rome, and it's formidable warrior queens left a lasting mark on African history.
In this episode of The Ancients, Tristan Hughes visits the British Museum to explore the story of the Kushites with Dr. Loretta Kilroe, curator of a new exhibition on Ancient Sudan. From royal pyramids to one-eyed battlefield leaders and even Kushite porridge, uncover the hidden legacy of this extraordinary civilization.
Loretta's exhibition, Ancient Sudan: Enduring Heritage is touring the UK this year. It opens in Portsmouth on 1st February and in Stirling on 9th August.
Presented by Tristan Hughes. Audio editor is Aidan Lonergan, the producer is Joseph Knight.
The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hi, I'm Tristan Hughes, and if you would like the ancient ad-free, get early access and bonus episodes, sign up to History Hit. |
| 0:08.1 | With a History Hit subscription, you can also watch hundreds of hours of original documentaries, including my recent documentary all about Petra and the Nabatians, and enjoy a new release every week. |
| 0:19.3 | Sign up now by visiting historyhit.com slash subscribe. |
| 0:27.6 | The sun rises over the Nile Valley. Stretched out ahead is an avenue of conical-shaped pyramids, |
| 0:39.9 | each with steeply slanting sides. They mark the entrance to a sprawling ancient city |
| 0:45.9 | overlooking the fertile Nile in the eastern Sahara. But these pyramids, seemingly emerging |
| 0:53.1 | from the desert sands, were they not in Egypt, |
| 0:56.4 | they're in Sudan, in the ancient kingdom of Kush. |
| 1:01.5 | It's The Ancients on History Hit. I'm Tristan Hughes, your host. |
| 1:07.1 | In today's episode, we are exploring another of those ancient civilizations all too often overshadowed |
| 1:12.9 | by more famous names like Egypt, Greece and Rome. |
| 1:17.5 | We're shining a light on the Kingdom of Kush, its people known as the Kushites. |
| 1:23.4 | Centered in present-day Sudan, the Kingdom of Kush has an extraordinary story. |
| 1:27.8 | From ruling ancient Egypt to defying the powerful Roman Emperor Augustus, |
| 1:33.1 | its people have left an indelible mark on Sudanese and African history that endures to this day. |
| 1:39.8 | Now to learn more about this kingdom, I headed to the British Museum to interview Dr. Loretta |
| 1:44.3 | Kilroy, curator for Sudan and Nubia at the museum. Loretta has recently curated a brand |
| 1:50.4 | new exhibition about ancient Sudan, full of stunning Kushite artifacts. The exhibition will be |
| 1:56.0 | touring the UK in 2025 and is called Ancient Sudan Enduring Heritage. We have a brand new documentary showcasing |
| 2:04.9 | its artefacts out now on the History Hit YouTube channel, so please do check that out after listening |
| 2:10.4 | to today's episode. This chat has everything from ancient Kushite porridge to their striking |
| 2:16.2 | pyramids. Loretta was fantastic, |
... |
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