National Authority for Antiquities and Museums
The National Authority for Antiquities and Museums is the government body responsible for protecting and managing Sudan's archaeological heritage, and it comes under the Ministry of Culture and Information. Its roots go back to the Sudan Antiquities Service, which was established at the beginning of the twentieth century to organise archaeological work in the country. The Antiquities Protection Act of 1952 was then issued, until the Authority was established in its current form under the National Authority for Antiquities and Museums Act of 1991, succeeding the Antiquities Service. The Antiquities Protection Act of 1999 was later issued, and it regulates archaeological work in Sudan to this day.
Under the law, all antiquities found underground or on the surface are the property of the state, and the Authority is responsible for assessing the antiquity of objects, historic buildings and archaeological sites and registering them, and for implementing the provisions of the law. Its tasks include preserving movable and immovable antiquities and maintaining them using the latest scientific means, carrying out archaeological survey, discovery and excavation work across Sudan, including archaeological rescue work, and publishing the scientific results reached by researchers.
The Authority also grants excavation licences and permits to Sudanese and foreign missions and follows up their work and scientific publications, and it oversees archaeological sites, historic buildings and museums in the country, foremost among them the Sudan National Museum in Khartoum. It works to supply museums with archaeological artefacts after they have been studied, classified and documented for display, to expand the establishment of regional archaeological and historical museums, to develop archaeological sites and prepare them to become tourist destinations, to provide assistance to researchers and students, and it publishes "Kush", the scientific journal specialised in the antiquities of Sudan. The Authority cooperates in its work with universities, research centres, museums and international organisations concerned with the protection of cultural heritage, which makes it the first government reference for everything relating to Sudan's antiquities and museums.
(Sources: National Authority for Antiquities and Museums Act of 1991 and the Antiquities Protection Act of 1999; Encyclopedia of Global Archaeology; Sudan & Nubia journal; Al-Qulzum Journal for Archaeological and Tourism Studies)
— Editorial Team