The collapse of the once-powerful and prosperous Kushite Kingdom of Meroe (c. 300 BC – AD 350) in present-day Sudan, remains unclear and open to speculation. The available historical and archaeological evidence points to several likely causes for the decline and eventual fall of the kingdom in the 4th century AD; the most frequently cited factors being political and economic instability, and social unrest. More recently, the environmental changes caused by overexploitation of the natural environment have been postulated as a contributing factor to the kingdom’s demise.
In order to investigate the environmental changes as a causative factor for the collapse of the Meroitic kingdom, human remains from mortuary deposits from the central and southern regions of the Sudan were examined. Stable isotope analysis of carbon and oxygen was applied to obtain information on the environmental conditions and dietary regimes of people during the Meroitic (c. 300 BC – AD 350) and Post-Meroitic Period (AD 350 – 600). The results of this research will add depth to our understanding of the causative factors behind the collapse of the Meroitic kingdom, and human-environment relationship in the past.

Environmental changes and the Collapse of the Kushite Kingdom of Meroe, Sudan: A contributing factor? Results of stable isotope analysis of human remains from selected archaeological sites