Tombos was a New Kingdom Egyptian cemetery, where the contemporary traveller can stumble across broken granite statuary lying in the sand. There is an almost complete statue – but for the face – possibly of Taharqa, and obelisk-like rocks with inscriptions left by Thutmose I to commemorate his conquest of Kerma.
Tombos has been the subject of much international archaeological interest, most recently in 2017, when a combined team from Purdue University and the University of California, Santa Barbra excavated the site as part of a National Science Foundation grant.
Their strontium isotope analysis of the 25 remains found will help assess the prevalence of ancient diseases, while cranial measurements may determine whether Nubians and Egyptians married.
Please note that we currently use Tombos Wild Camping for accommodation in this area.