The Nubians have been living in the Sudan area of the horn of Africa in the Nile River Valley for thousands of years, and they were a southern part of the Egyptian Empire.  Under their King Piye, northern Egypt was conquered by the Kushites during the third intermediate period that began in the year 1070 BC (known as “The Nubian Dynasty”), with the Kushites ruling Egypt until 656 BC.  After that time, they continued to live in the southern region of Egypt, where they built many pyramids and they developed a form a writing called Meroitic Script.

Women had an active role in Kushite society, where they sometimes reigned as queens and fought in battles, such as Amanishakheto who reined in Kush when Rome had already conquered Egypt after the defeat of Mark Anthony and Cleopatra.  Amanishakheto refused to pay tribute money to Rome and she declared war against them, sacking Egyptian cities that were under Roman control and leading many battles against the Romans, eventually forcing Rome to recognize the Kingdom of Kush as an independent power in 20 BC.