We’re proud to share that four of our team members — Tohamy Abulgasim, Geoff Emberling, Anwar Mahjoub and Rebecca Bradshaw — have been invited to present at major international conferences this fall. Each is sharing JBAP’s work on archaeology, community engagement, and heritage protection in Sudan and beyond.
Tohamy Abulgasim at Al-Neelain University Conference — This Thursday 13th November
Tohamy Abulgasim, JBAP’s Co-Director of Community Engagement, will speak this Thursday at the Al-Neelain University Conference on Sudanese Archaeology and Heritage in Khartoum. The conference is being steamed online and is available for anyone who is interested.
His presentation, titled “Learning from the Ground: Community Ethnography at Jebel Barkal in Times of Conflict and Beyond,” explores how JBAP’s fieldwork integrates ethnography and local knowledge at one of Sudan’s most significant heritage sites.
Conference details:
Al-Neelain University, Khartoum, Thursday, November 13, 2025. More information: Neelain University conference program (PDF). Zoom link: https://cnrs.zoom.us/j/95544524700?pwd=EFKgVGSZIkJS9cNoNjQ8JYxagvAUnh.1
Geoff Emberling at the ASOR Annual Meeting — Next Week
Next week, Anwar Mahjoub and Geoff Emberling — JBAP’s Director — will speak at the American Schools of Oriental Research (ASOR) Annual Meeting. Entitled, “Community Perspectives in Collaborative Archaeology: Thoughts from the Development of El-Kurru Heritage Center”, their talk draws on the development of the El-Kurru Heritage Center, a community-driven initiative near one of the most important royal burial sites of ancient Kush. The project serves as a model for inclusive and sustainable heritage management, emphasizing how local communities can take an active role in interpreting, managing, and benefiting from their archaeological landscapes.
Conference details:
ASOR Annual Meeting — November 19–22, 2025. Program and registration: https://www.asor.org/am/2025/schedules-2025
Rebecca Bradshaw at the International Conference on Sustainable Tourism and Heritage — October 2025
On 9 October, JBAP team member Rebecca Bradshaw presented at the International Conference on Sustainable Tourism and Heritage at the University of Ha’il, Saudi Arabia. Having recently had a baby, she delivered her talk remotely from her living room in Cambridge at 7:30 am (!), presenting “Preparing for Tourism with No Tourists?: Navigating Heritage and Development at the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Jebel Barkal, Sudan.”
Rebecca discussed Sudan’s remarkable yet underutilized tourism potential, highlighting Jebel Barkal as a UNESCO World Heritage Site that embodies the country’s rich cultural legacy. She noted that Sudan’s tourism sector, both national and international, has historically faced challenges related to infrastructure, institutional capacity, and visibility.
Drawing on nearly 15 years of her experience in community engagement, Rebecca explored the paradox of building tourism capacity in the near absence of tourists. She emphasized that tourism can be envisioned not only as an economic opportunity but also as a tool for cultural expression, community empowerment, and global connection, using JBAP’s research and publications as a guide.
