مشروع المسـح الآثـاري والثقافي لمناطق غرب النيل في إقليم دنقلا الشمالي مشروع علمي جاد يستعمل أسلوب الدراسات الميدانية المتداخلة بين العلوم المختلفة لخلق نموذج علمي تطبيقي متكامل للدراسات الثقافية ، الاجتماعية ، التاريخية والإقليمية بغرض استنباط قوانين عامة يمكن تطبيقها لدراسة " التغير الثقافي" في فترة ما قبل التاريخ والفترة التاريخية القديمة والوسيطة وما بعد الوسيطة. 
ويرمي المشروع لتحقيق مبدأ سودنة العلوم الثقافية والاجتماعية بالتركيز المباشر على العوامل الإنسانية والبيئية والتاريخية المحلية التي تداخلت لدفع التطور الثقافي والاجتماعي للمجتمعات السودانية. وتؤدى دراسة هذه العوامل المحلية إلى إمكانية التعرف على خواصها لاستخدامها في برامج التنمية الثقافية والاجتماعية والاقتصادية لمجتمعات الدراسة. 
وللمشروع جانب تدريبي حيث يمكن إلحاق طلبة الدراسات العليا وطلبة السنوات المتقدمة في الدراسة الجامعية من الجامعات والمعاهد العليا السودانية لتأهيلهم في العمل الميداني المتداخل وفي الدراسات الإقليمية بغرض خلق كوادر سودانية مؤهلة تستطيع تنمية مثل هذه الدراسات في المجالات والمناطق المختلفة

1. Prelude 
This is an interdisciplinary project that aims to document and study archaeological sites and all cultural aspects including cultural contact situations (Nubian-Arabic) and Islamisation. The region is a very important one since it composed one of the major cultural economic and political regions of the kingdom of Makoura. The latter extended up its commercial relations and probably territories to the region of Darfur (some of Darfurian families well established in Khandaq and Khandaq traders established themselves in Darfur). The population of the region is mostly Danagla Nubians but there is a noticeable presence of Darfurians and possibly West Africans. Also al-Khandaq, having been an important commercial centre, attracted other ethnic groups; Nubian –Mahas-Shaigyia, Sa'idi from Egypt and 'Attiyab from Morocco. 

2. Context of the project 
The primary focus will be the in-depth study of particularly threatened sites like al-Khandaq and wad Nimeiri, where the castles are in a deplorable state. Al-Khandaq was significant in the past as an important river port that received goods from Egypt and handled exports from the heart of western and southern Sudan. Limited archaeological work in the area has taken place since the last major survey by the Institute of Archaeology, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in 1997, when key sites were located. The completion of surveying the area is increasingly urgent in the face of imminent threats from natural and human factors. Like many areas of the Sudan, the region is undergoing a major transformation through processes of development (irrigation schemes, agricultural and settlement expansion). 

3. Component objectives 
Archaeological survey
The project will use the methods and techniques of landscape archaeology, and systematic scientific surveying as well as the study of ethno-historical and folklore traditions. As the area is large and has its own internal complexes, we have subdivided it into four regions to make the work-program manageable and to assist in its evaluation. These are from south to north:-
1. Al-Khandaq and its environs.
Al-Khandaq town: the fort or “Gaila Qaila: dominates the town, its south western tower is visible from the north and the south. While its western wall with the remains of south western and middle tower dominates the area from the west. Its remains are still there but are in bad need for urgent support specially the towers. Its northern wall which extends east-west doesn’t exist and at the eastern end is cut by animals and people walk way. It seems that most of its stones have been used to build the police station early 20th century and later, some of the houses. What adds more to its destruction is the presence of fertilizers inside the fort where people came and dig. The pottery shards from the surface go back to the Christian and Islamic period. The town as once a famous river port was the residence place of wealthy merchants, as their houses show. There are two storyes houses of mud brick with many rooms and one story houses; they had been deserted since early 70ths when the trade traffic declined and merchants moved to Khartoum and Omdurman.
It seems that the town of al-Khandaq was built over a big cemetery. The graves are every where, inside the inhabited houses, along the roads, beside the graveyards, vaulted roof burials, group burials (Toskiya- local term) and beneath limestone hills (concealed). The qubbas (domed tombs) and shrines of sheikhs are numerous within Khandaq and to its north.
2. Wad Nimeiri and its environs.
3. Magasir Island and Kabtod.
4. Hannek- Koya.

We will, of course, study all archaeological materials with an emphasis on the different kinds of cemeteries, pottery, and other material culture items. Industrial archaeology is another field that has potential in the area, e.g. limestone extraction by women and its processing and application. Al-Khandaq and wad Nemeiri were seemingly important political and economic centres of Makoura and of later kingdoms such as those of the Fung and Shaigyia kingdom, therefore, the project aims to spend more time on those key sites. Wad Nemeiri seems to have archaeological material from the invading Mamlukes from the north at least as evidenced in the form of burial superstructures. Al-Khandaq continued to be an important commercial centre until the beginning of the 20th century. It is envisaged that the project will simultaneously run two field teams each year; the first completing the survey of the region, while the second concentrates on one of the key sites. 

Folklore studies: 
Folklore and related genealogical research is expected to prove a potentially productive field, both in relation to toponyms and other forms of historical evidence for individual settlements. The particular histories of specific population sub-groups (potters, boat builders, baskets makers) will be examined. Further folklore investigations of traditions associated with particular sites will also be undertaken, including archaeological sites. 

Ecological investigation
The project presents a good opportunity to study some of the important water systems in the area like Wadi al-Qa'ab and other wadis that can help in explaining the connection of the region with western Sudan in general and Darfur in particular for which historical evidence exists. 

4. Training and development
A more general commitment will be made to the training and development of Sudanese researchers from the universities of Khartoum, Juba, Shendi, Dongola and Wadi al-Nil. The fieldwork components of the project will also serve as field schools, for developing the skills of students as well as defining appropriate methods and techniques for similar projects in the future. Supervision and training is expected to be provided by the principal investigators (both expatriate and Sudanese). Further specialist expertise (e.g. archaeological ceramic specialists, surveyors, archaeobotanists, archaeozoologists etc) will also be employed to fulfil specific requirements as required. As a modern project we would like to share in the development of the community, culturally and socially and facilitate local personnel training.