Mahdist War: The Mahdist War (1881-1899) was a major conflict in Sudan where Muhammad Ahmad, who proclaimed himself the Mahdi (a messianic figure in Islam), led a revolt against Ottoman-Egyptian rule.

Despite dramatic shifts in the frontlines, neither side is anywhere near the ‘total military victory’ wanted by Sudan’s warring generals.

These spent bullets and cartridge cases come from an isolated desert battlefield in Northern Sudan where in 1898 the Mahdist Sudanese forces engaged with Gen. Kitchener's column before the battle ...