RPAS based mapping of the ancient city Nubt

The Eastern Desert of Egypt and Sudan, linking the Nile to the Red Sea, has been of strategic importance for the great cultures ruling in the region, like the ancient Egyptian and later Ptolemaic kingdoms and the Roman empires. These deserts areas are rich in mineral resources, including gold, and were also essential for trade routes linking North Africa to the East. While these cultures largely were centered on the Nile valley, access to the desert areas with valuable resources and important trade routes was controlled by the indigenous desert tribes. Due to the largely nomadic lifestyle of these indigenous peoples there are few historic monuments witnessing their historic presence and their material culture in this region is not well known.  However, some sites exist and Nubt is one of the most remarkable indigenous sites in the area. The site has, however, never been excavated or even properly mapped. In light of the present gold digging and plundering taking place in its environs, it is urgent that the structures there be documented.

In the presentation I will present our recent trip to Nubt were we mapped the site with RPAS (drone) technology.