Ancient Nubia Member Preview Day

Ancient Nubia: Excavating Treasures of the Nile opens with a member-only preview day at the North Carolina Museum of Art on Friday, October 16, from 10 AM to 5 PM. The exhibition is on loan from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and the preview gives members a first look before it opens to the general public. It runs through January 10, 2027, in the East Building's Meymandi Exhibition Gallery.

The show centers on the Kingdom of Kush, a powerful civilization of the Middle Nile Valley that doesn't always get the spotlight it deserves. Much of what's on display comes from materials recovered over a century ago during the Harvard University - Boston Museum of Fine Arts Expedition. From there, the exhibition spans the kingdom's three main historical periods—nearly 3,000 years in total—and introduces the kings and royal women of Kush through the objects found in their tombs and pyramids.

It's an archaeology-heavy presentation, and that's where it gets its hands-on side. There are digital interactives throughout, including a replica of a royal tomb you can actually step into. There's also a special display that links the show to the NCMA's own Nubiologist, and the museum has set recently donated Egyptian objects alongside the Nubian ones so you can compare them side by side.

The preview is free for members, and since it runs from 10 AM to 5 PM, you can drop in whenever fits your day. The exhibition itself stays open through January 10, 2027, at the East Building, Meymandi Exhibition Gallery, 2110 Blue Ridge Road.