A joint Sudanese-Italian archaeological mission has uncovered the remains of the "Great Hall of the Queens" at the royal city of Napata, located at the base of the sacred mountain Jebel Barkal. The structure, dating to the 4th Century BCE, was the ceremonial seat of the Kandakes—the powerful Queen Mothers of the Kingdom of Kush.
The hall is characterized by twelve colossal sandstone pillars, each intricately carved with reliefs showing the queens wearing the double uraeus and leading military processions. These depictions emphasize that the Kandakes held independent sovereign authority, often leading armies into battle and overseeing significant state rituals, independent of the ruling king.
The excavation team found a series of high-quality gold jewelry and ceremonial scepters within a hidden foundation deposit. These artifacts, combined with the architectural grandeur of the hall, solidify Napata's status as a center where female power was institutionalized and celebrated on a scale unmatched in most other ancient civilizations.