1.

Record Nr.

UNINA9910821791903321

Autore

Manzo Andrea

Titolo

Eastern Sudan in its setting : the archaeology of a region far from the Nile Valley / / Andrea Manzo

Pubbl/distr/stampa

Oxford, England : , : Archaeopress Publishing Limited, , [2017]

©2017

ISBN

1-78491-559-9

Descrizione fisica

1 online resource (95 pages)

Collana

Cambridge Monographs in African Archaeology ; ; v.94

Disciplina

962.401

Soggetti

Excavations (Archaeology) - Sudan

Sudan Antiquities

Lingua di pubblicazione

Inglese

Formato

Materiale a stampa

Livello bibliografico

Monografia

Nota di bibliografia

Includes bibliographical references.

Nota di contenuto

Cover -- Copyright Information -- Contents -- _GoBack -- _GoBack -- _GoBack -- _GoBack -- Figure 1: map of northeast Africa showing the region of Eastern Sudan (Kassala state) investigated by University of Naples 'L'Orientale'  (previously Istituto Universitario Orientale) together with the Southern Methodist University (Dallas) and University -- Figure 2: map of the region between the Gash and the Atbara rivers investigated in the Eighties by the Italian and American-Sudanese teams showing the recorded sites and the surveyed areas in the four sectors named after local toponyms (from Sadr 1991). -- Figure 3: regional cultural sequence as it was reconstructed after the investigations conducted in the Eighties compared with the cultural sequence of the Middle Nile Valley, Egypt and northern Ethiopia (modified from Sadr 1991). -- Figure 4: map showing the sites surveyed in the Eighties and the ones recorded by the National Corporation for Antiquities and Museums of the Sudan in 2010, also showing the complementarity of the two surveys (elaborated by V. Zoppi). -- Figure 5: satellite image of the region between the Gash and the Atbara -- to be remarked the East-West oriented streams crossing the area draining towards the Atbara, the agricultural areas along the Gash, in the Gash delta and in the Shurab el-Gash sector -- Figure 6: the environmental variety of Eastern Sudan: a) the dry plain north of the Gash delta -- b) the grassland west of the Gash delta -- c) a cultivated



area in the Gash delta -- d) the outskirts of Kassala, in the cultivated area along the Gash river, with -- Figure 7: a 2nd millennium BC grave brought to light by the heavy erosion affecting the site UA 50 when the arid conditions prevailed -- to be remarked the late Mesolithic materials from the strata cut by the grave scattered among the bones.

Figure 8: schematic stratigraphy of site UA 53 showing the relationship between different cultural and climatic phases, as well as the environmental factors affecting the site formation processes -- the soil eroded when arid conditions prevailed is highligh -- Figure 9: map showing the occurrence of raw materials in the region and nearby as well as the main archaeological sites -- aromatic resins occur in the areas highlighted in red, ebony in the brown ones, gold in the yellow ones, while white colour shows wher -- Figure 10: fragments of Pre-Saroba ceramics: a) sherd from a knobbed ware vessel from site UA 72 -- b) sherd with rocker stamp packed decoration from site UA 72 -- c) sherd with incised wavy line decoration from site UA 42 (scale in cm). -- Figure 11: map showing the distribution of the Pre-Saroba sites (plotted on Google Earth satellite image). -- Figure 12: late Pre-Saroba shell midden at site UA 50. -- Figure 13: map showing the distribution of the Malawiya Group sites  (plotted on Google Earth satellite image). -- Figure 14: fragments of Malawiya Group ceramics: a) alternated pivoted stamp decorated sherd from site UA 48 -- b) spaced rocker stamp decorated sherd from site UA 18 -- c) rim sherd of a knobbed ware bowl from site UA 18 (scale in cm). -- Figure 15: fragments of Butana Group ceramics: a) rim of a bowl with incised herringbone band on the lip from site UA 113 -- b) rim of a restricted orifice bowl with rocker impressed external decoration from site KG 23/UA 14 -- c) wall sherd of a bowl with he -- Figure 16: a) complete Butana Group flask from site UA 53 excavation unit VI -- b) fragmentary Butana Group large conical bowl from site UA 53 excavation unit IV (scale in cm). -- Figure 17: Butana Group chipped stone pick from site KG 23/UA 14 (scale in cm).

Figure 18: early Butana Group shell midden in excavation unit XI at site UA 53. -- Figure 19: map showing the distribution of the Butana Group sites (plotted on Google Earth satellite image). -- Figure 20: late Butana Group grave with nine lip plugs in excavation unit XVII at site UA 53 -- (scale in the image of the lip plugs in cm). -- Figure 21: cawri shell associated with shell and ostrich eggshell beads from a late Butana Group grave in excavation unit XVIII at site UA 53 (scale in cm). -- Figure 22: fragments of Gash Group ceramics from site Mahal Teglinos (K 1): a) rim of a cup decorated with a band of punch impressions from an Early Gash Group assemblage in excavation unit XII -- b) rim of a bowl with impressions on the lip from an Early G -- Figure 24: Kerma ancien I-C-Group Ib vessel found in a badly eroded double tomb in the western cemetery of site Mahal Teglinos (K 1) (excavation unit XII -- scale in cm). -- Figure 23: sherds of Yemeni Bronze age type from Gash Group assemblages in excavation unit BSKP-Q at site Mahal Teglinos (K 1) (scale in cm). -- Figure 25: a Gash Group tomb in the western cemetery at site Mahal Teglinos (K 1) (excavation unit BPLF-Z/BPQA-E) characterized by a faïence beads bracelet and a cawri shells anklet. -- Figure 26: rim sherds of late First Intermediate Period - early Middle Kingdom Egyptian jars and dish from a Gash Group assemblage in excavation unit X at site Mahal Teglinos (K 1) (scale in cm). -- Figure 27: administrative devices from site Mahal Teglinos (K 1): a) sealing from a Middle Gash Group assemblage in excavation unit X -- b) mushroom shaped object, possibly a seal, from a Late Gash Group assemblage in excavation unit VI (scale in cm).

Figure 28: map showing the distribution of the Gash Group sites



between the Atbara and the Gash rivers and the in the Gash delta (plotted on Google Earth satellite image). -- Figure 29: detail showing the distribution of the Gash Group sites between the Atbara and the Gash rivers (plotted on Google Earth satellite image). -- Figure 30: functional areas at Mahal Teglinos (K 1) in Gash Group times, the red highlight shows the settlement areas, the blue one the cemeteries, details of some structures in the different sectors are also shown. -- Figure 31: early 2nd millennium BC mud brick structure in excavation unit BSQV-Y/BVAA-T in the central sector of the site Mahal Teglinos (K 1), plan and detail. -- Figure 32: fragments of a large rounded tray in a fireplace of the Middle Gash Group food preparation area in excavation unit X in the central sector of the site Mahal Teglinos (K 1), and recontruction of its diameter (scale in the image showing the recon -- Figure 34: Gash Group funerary stelae in the eastern cemetery of the site Mahal Teglinos (K 1). -- Figure 33: Early Gash Group grave containing a body with contracted legs and remains of red ochre in the eastern cemetery of the site at Mahal Teglinos (K 1) (excavation unit BSPE-J/BSQA-F and BSQK). -- Figure 35: Middle Gash Group grave in the western cemetery of the site Mahal Teglinos (K 1) (excavation unit XII), it contains the main burial with the body in extended position and cawri bracelet as well as a possible sacrificed individual in highly cont -- Figure 36: complete vessels from the western cemetery (excavation unit XII) of the site Mahal Teglinos (K 1): a) bowl with impressed decoration from an Early Gash Group grave -- b) scraped ware jar from a Middle Gash Group grave (scale in cm).

Figure 37: fragments of Jebel Mokram Group ceramics from excavation unit VI at the site Mahal Teglinos (K 1): a) rim fragment of a bowl with the upper part covered by incised net pattern -- b) rim fragment of a bowl with the upper part covered by incised cr -- Figure 38: imported ceramic materials from Jebel Mokram Group assemblages: a) fragment of a C-Group II b vessel from excavation unit IX at site UA 53 -- b) fragment of an Upper Egyptian Marl A4 vessel from excavation unit IX at site UA 53 (scale in cm). -- Figure 39: stone axe whose shape is similar to Egyptian early New Kingdom metal specimens from a Jebel Mokram Group assemblage at site UA 53 (scale in cm). -- Figure 40: flat oval shaped seal possibly from a Jebel Mokram Group assemblage at site JAG 1 (scale in cm). -- Figure 41: remains of a large circular hut or fence delimited by post holes from excavation unit IX at site UA 53. -- Figure 42: fragment of a large footed ceramic tray in situ in excavation unit VI at site Mahal Teglinos (K 1) and its reconstruction (scale in the image showing the reconstruction in cm). -- Figure 43: tomb containing a body with flexed legs and the head on a stone likely to date to Jebel Mokram Group times in excavation unit BPLF-Z/BPQA-E at site Mahal Teglinos (K 1). -- Figure 44: map showing the distribution of the Jebel Mokram Group sites between the Atbara and the Gash rivers (plotted on Google Earth satellite image). -- Figure 45: map showing the distribution of the Hagiz Group sites marked by red dots, of the Post-Meroitic sites marked by blue dots, and of the Khatmiya Group sites marked by yellow dots (plotted on Google Earth satellite image). -- Figure 46: remains of the stone foundations of a rounded Hagiz Group hut north of excavation unit III at site JAG 1 (scale in m).

Figure 47: fragments of Hagiz Group ceramics: a) rim of a bowl with a band of oblique parallel crossing incisions from site UA 38.

Sommario/riassunto

Ongoing research in Eastern Sudan has provided a preliminary reconstruction of the history of the region from c. 6000 BC to AD 1500. This publication outlines this reconstruction and also considers the more general setting known for the other regions of northeastern Africa.