DOI issue:
Sudan
DOI article:Żurawski, Bogdan: Dongola Reach: the Southern Dongola Reach Survey, 1998/1999
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.41274#0213
DONGOLA REACH
SUDAN
recorded. The oldest group (53 sites and 12
more sharing features in common with this
group) is dated tentatively to the Middle
and Lower Palaeolithic (Fig. 2)A The arti-
facts assigned to this horizon represent var-
ious stages of the chaine operatoire, starting
from the preforms of cores and massive
flakes of the first stage of debitage through
the phase of flake and blade core exploita-
tion to the damaged and heavily used tools,
as well as implements bearing traces of
reutilization. Special attention is due the
sites containing Middle Paleolithic assem-
blages mixed heavily with fossilized bones.
The second oldest horizon (Upper
Paleolithic) is represented by 11 lithic
assemblages with a high content of arti-
facts produced by blade methods and tech-
niques of soft percussion often associated
with faceting the striking platform (18
more could be assigned to this group, how-
ever not without hesitation).
In the Stone Age horizon, Neolithic
sites preponderate (64 sites). Some 15
Fig. 2. Hand axe (SDRS 22/99). Ferrogenous
sandstone. H. 16.8 cm, W. 8.6 cm.
(Draining A. Biaszczyk, P. Osypinski)
assemblages could be hesitantly assigned
to this group. The Neolithic assemblages
reflect the typical inventories recorded in
areas neighboring on the survey area (Figs.
3, 4). The Neolithic industries character-
ized by a high percentage of segments, per-
forators, bores and scrapers (with small
quantities of burins) rely on flake exploita-
tion of cores with one platform (mostly
with the striking platform formed by a sin-
gle negative).
The site chosen for testing (MG 4 -
N.18°04'08", E.30°59'23") belongs to the
copious category of sites tentatively dated
to the Early Neolithic (= Early Khartoum
Related Group). Their distinctive trait is
the wind and rain erosion of the uppermost
layers that has exposed the lower (older)
strata containing bone concentrations and
ceramics with slight or no visible effects of
wind and water.
Stone artifacts have also been recorded
on historic sites. It seems certain that flint
knappers practiced their trade throughout
the Kerma and Napatan periods. The
emergence of large-scale iron metallurgy in
the Early Meroitic period seems to mark
the effective end of the Stone Age in the
Middle Nile Valley.
The osteological material was recorded
on c. 300 of the sites registered. Animal
bones were most abundantly represented
on Neolithic and Christian sites.5) The old-
est ’ (fossilized) bones originate from
Paleolithic sites (KK 66 and KK 67 -
N.18°0T34", E.31°10'29" and N.18°0T30M,
E.31ol0'26", respectively) occupying part of
a huge plateau at the foot of the gebel
between Abkur and Ed-Diffar. In the
Paleolithic it was a water-logged marshy
ground (in fact, the environment was defi-
nitely humid as late as the Christian Period
4> P. Osypinski has kindly provided these preliminary remarks on the lithic material.
This part of the report makes use of an analysis of the faunal remains prepared by M. Gauza.
211
SUDAN
recorded. The oldest group (53 sites and 12
more sharing features in common with this
group) is dated tentatively to the Middle
and Lower Palaeolithic (Fig. 2)A The arti-
facts assigned to this horizon represent var-
ious stages of the chaine operatoire, starting
from the preforms of cores and massive
flakes of the first stage of debitage through
the phase of flake and blade core exploita-
tion to the damaged and heavily used tools,
as well as implements bearing traces of
reutilization. Special attention is due the
sites containing Middle Paleolithic assem-
blages mixed heavily with fossilized bones.
The second oldest horizon (Upper
Paleolithic) is represented by 11 lithic
assemblages with a high content of arti-
facts produced by blade methods and tech-
niques of soft percussion often associated
with faceting the striking platform (18
more could be assigned to this group, how-
ever not without hesitation).
In the Stone Age horizon, Neolithic
sites preponderate (64 sites). Some 15
Fig. 2. Hand axe (SDRS 22/99). Ferrogenous
sandstone. H. 16.8 cm, W. 8.6 cm.
(Draining A. Biaszczyk, P. Osypinski)
assemblages could be hesitantly assigned
to this group. The Neolithic assemblages
reflect the typical inventories recorded in
areas neighboring on the survey area (Figs.
3, 4). The Neolithic industries character-
ized by a high percentage of segments, per-
forators, bores and scrapers (with small
quantities of burins) rely on flake exploita-
tion of cores with one platform (mostly
with the striking platform formed by a sin-
gle negative).
The site chosen for testing (MG 4 -
N.18°04'08", E.30°59'23") belongs to the
copious category of sites tentatively dated
to the Early Neolithic (= Early Khartoum
Related Group). Their distinctive trait is
the wind and rain erosion of the uppermost
layers that has exposed the lower (older)
strata containing bone concentrations and
ceramics with slight or no visible effects of
wind and water.
Stone artifacts have also been recorded
on historic sites. It seems certain that flint
knappers practiced their trade throughout
the Kerma and Napatan periods. The
emergence of large-scale iron metallurgy in
the Early Meroitic period seems to mark
the effective end of the Stone Age in the
Middle Nile Valley.
The osteological material was recorded
on c. 300 of the sites registered. Animal
bones were most abundantly represented
on Neolithic and Christian sites.5) The old-
est ’ (fossilized) bones originate from
Paleolithic sites (KK 66 and KK 67 -
N.18°0T34", E.31°10'29" and N.18°0T30M,
E.31ol0'26", respectively) occupying part of
a huge plateau at the foot of the gebel
between Abkur and Ed-Diffar. In the
Paleolithic it was a water-logged marshy
ground (in fact, the environment was defi-
nitely humid as late as the Christian Period
4> P. Osypinski has kindly provided these preliminary remarks on the lithic material.
This part of the report makes use of an analysis of the faunal remains prepared by M. Gauza.
211