DOI issue:
Sudan
DOI article:Osypiński, Piotr: Es-Sadda 1 excavations of a post-meroitic cemetery (two seasons)
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.42091#0362
FOURTH CATARACT - ES-SADDA
SUDAN
RESEARCH RESULTS
Structure G.l had a small elongated
chamber, more or less E-W oriented
[Fig. 10). It had been plundered completely
and only a few faience beads remained at the
bottom of the sandy filling deposit,
testifying to its potential use as a grave. The
form has no excavated parallels on Es-Sadda
1, although graves of this kind are known
from other Post-Meroitic cemeteries, where
they are sometimes covered with a small
mound. They are interpreted as testimony
of the penetration of the Christian burial
rite into the Post-Meroitic world.
To date, G.2 is the only unplundered
Post-Meroitic structure to be located at
the Es-Sadda 1 site [Figs 10, 11). It was
constructed as a miniature grave with
a shallow shaft from the east and a niche
chamber below the west wall of the shaft.
A few medium-sized stone slabs were
packed into the opening of the niche to
block the entrance. All of the available space
inside the chamber was occupied by grave-
goods, leaving no place for the body. The
furniture included two medium-sized
handmade bottles with no decoration.
Around the neck of one of the vessels there
was a necklace made of stone drop-shaped
beads, white, black and red in colour. The
remains of two funnel-shaped grass-plaited
baskets were registered in the northernmost
part of the chamber.
Structure G.4 (for structure G.3, see
below T.83) was constructed similarly to
G.2, but the chamber was situated below
the north wall of the shaft. It had been
plundered, and grave goods, namely animal
bones, a decorated hand-made mug and an
Fig. 11. The chamber of feature 0.2. View from the east
(Photo L. Gauza)
358
SUDAN
RESEARCH RESULTS
Structure G.l had a small elongated
chamber, more or less E-W oriented
[Fig. 10). It had been plundered completely
and only a few faience beads remained at the
bottom of the sandy filling deposit,
testifying to its potential use as a grave. The
form has no excavated parallels on Es-Sadda
1, although graves of this kind are known
from other Post-Meroitic cemeteries, where
they are sometimes covered with a small
mound. They are interpreted as testimony
of the penetration of the Christian burial
rite into the Post-Meroitic world.
To date, G.2 is the only unplundered
Post-Meroitic structure to be located at
the Es-Sadda 1 site [Figs 10, 11). It was
constructed as a miniature grave with
a shallow shaft from the east and a niche
chamber below the west wall of the shaft.
A few medium-sized stone slabs were
packed into the opening of the niche to
block the entrance. All of the available space
inside the chamber was occupied by grave-
goods, leaving no place for the body. The
furniture included two medium-sized
handmade bottles with no decoration.
Around the neck of one of the vessels there
was a necklace made of stone drop-shaped
beads, white, black and red in colour. The
remains of two funnel-shaped grass-plaited
baskets were registered in the northernmost
part of the chamber.
Structure G.4 (for structure G.3, see
below T.83) was constructed similarly to
G.2, but the chamber was situated below
the north wall of the shaft. It had been
plundered, and grave goods, namely animal
bones, a decorated hand-made mug and an
Fig. 11. The chamber of feature 0.2. View from the east
(Photo L. Gauza)
358