Pluriversal Pasts: Decolonising Archaeological Practice in Sudan through the Integration of Folklore and Community Epistemologies

Abstract This paper advocates a decolonial approach to archaeological practice in Sudan by systematically integrating folklore and community epistemologies. Traditionally, Sudanese archaeology has been shaped by colonial legacies, Eurocentric frameworks and the marginalization of local knowledge, resulting in alienated communities and vulnerable heritage sites. Paradoxically, indigenous oral traditions, place names, guardian beliefs and community custodianship have often served as powerful, albeit informal, protective mechanisms for these sites. Drawing on fieldwork from the Third and Fifth Cataract regions, this study demonstrates how folklore can guide survey and site identification, provide relative chronological markers and functional hypotheses and serve as vital informal protection for monuments. This integration moves beyond viewing local knowledge as supplementary data, instead recognizing it as a distinct and equally valid epistemology. The paper proposes methodological, institutional and legislative reforms to empower local communities as active co-producers of knowledge. By embracing pluriversal pasts and local narratives, Sudanese archaeology can foster more inclusive interpretations, counter illicit exploitation and achieve sustainable, culturally legitimate heritage conservation, ultimately shaping decolonial futures for the Middle Nile Valley and beyond.