DOI Heft:
Sudan
DOI Artikel:Lemiesz, Marek: Hagar el-Beida 3 excavations of a napatan cemetery
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.42091#0389
FOURTH CATARACT - HAGAR EL-BEIDA
SUDAN
HAGAR EL-BEIDA 3
EXCAVATIONS OF A NAPATAN CEMETERY
Marek Lemiesz
The site of Hagar el-Beida 3 (HB3,
N19°19T4.7" E032o45'46.4") is a small
cemetery located on the flat top of an elon-
gated jebel (approx. 330 m a.s.l.), situated
some 700 m south of the central part of the
Hagar el-Beida village. The cemetery
consists of six medium-sized tumuli,
located on a spur above a small narrow khor
crossing the jebel.
Surveyed in 2003 during a first recon-
naissance of the area,1 the site was regularly
excavated on March 6-20, 2005. Due to
time constraints, only three of the tumuli,
HB3-T1 and a double grave HB3-T2/T3
were selected for exploration. The other
three located in the northwestern zone of
the site remained unexplored in view of
their relatively poor state of preservation.
All of the excavated graves represented
a fairly homogeneous type, without any
special variety in superstructure construc-
tion and with minor differences in burial pit
layout. All of graves seem to have been
plundered and/or disturbed, either in
ancient or modern times, making it difficult
today to determine their exact original
shape and details of construction.
The grave superstructures were low
(about 0.60-0.70 m high), constructed of
medium-sized rough blocks of local sand-
stone, irregularly deposited on a roughly
subcircular area c. 5 m in diameter. The
centers of the mounds were almost empty,
partly filled with gravel or with the level
inside matching ground level outside. This
form of superstructure can be compared to
Types II. 1 and II.5 in the GAME clas-
sification and Type V described by Welsby.2
The burial pits are located more or less
centrally, dug in hard, alluvial gravel of
reddish color (resulting from the presence of
hydrogen-oxygen compounds). They are
shallow (0.30 m) and of subcircular shape
(1.00-1.20 m across), partly separated by
a single row of medium-size stones.
Fragmented bones were registered in the fill
and around the burial pits, presumably
testifying to extensive looting.
The pottery material from the mounds
generally did not differ from the surface
1 L. Krzyzaniak, M. Chlodnicki, M. Jordeczka, M. Lemiesz, "Archaeological reconnaissance between Shemkhiya and
Khor Umm Ghizlan (left bank of the Nile), 2003", GAMAR 4 (2005), 42. For a map of the Polish concession, cf. PAM
XVI. Reports 2004 (2005), Fig. 1 on p. 370.
2 H. Paner, Z. Borcowski, "Gdansk Archaeological Museum Expedition. A summary of eight season's work at the Fourth
Cataract", GAMAR 4 (2005), 112, Figs 36.6, 37.1; D.A. Welsby, Survey above the Fourth Nile Cataract (London
2003), 122; id., "The Merowe Dam Archaeological Salvage Project. The Sudan Archaeological Research Society's
Concession", GAMAR 4 (2005), Fig. 2.5.
385
SUDAN
HAGAR EL-BEIDA 3
EXCAVATIONS OF A NAPATAN CEMETERY
Marek Lemiesz
The site of Hagar el-Beida 3 (HB3,
N19°19T4.7" E032o45'46.4") is a small
cemetery located on the flat top of an elon-
gated jebel (approx. 330 m a.s.l.), situated
some 700 m south of the central part of the
Hagar el-Beida village. The cemetery
consists of six medium-sized tumuli,
located on a spur above a small narrow khor
crossing the jebel.
Surveyed in 2003 during a first recon-
naissance of the area,1 the site was regularly
excavated on March 6-20, 2005. Due to
time constraints, only three of the tumuli,
HB3-T1 and a double grave HB3-T2/T3
were selected for exploration. The other
three located in the northwestern zone of
the site remained unexplored in view of
their relatively poor state of preservation.
All of the excavated graves represented
a fairly homogeneous type, without any
special variety in superstructure construc-
tion and with minor differences in burial pit
layout. All of graves seem to have been
plundered and/or disturbed, either in
ancient or modern times, making it difficult
today to determine their exact original
shape and details of construction.
The grave superstructures were low
(about 0.60-0.70 m high), constructed of
medium-sized rough blocks of local sand-
stone, irregularly deposited on a roughly
subcircular area c. 5 m in diameter. The
centers of the mounds were almost empty,
partly filled with gravel or with the level
inside matching ground level outside. This
form of superstructure can be compared to
Types II. 1 and II.5 in the GAME clas-
sification and Type V described by Welsby.2
The burial pits are located more or less
centrally, dug in hard, alluvial gravel of
reddish color (resulting from the presence of
hydrogen-oxygen compounds). They are
shallow (0.30 m) and of subcircular shape
(1.00-1.20 m across), partly separated by
a single row of medium-size stones.
Fragmented bones were registered in the fill
and around the burial pits, presumably
testifying to extensive looting.
The pottery material from the mounds
generally did not differ from the surface
1 L. Krzyzaniak, M. Chlodnicki, M. Jordeczka, M. Lemiesz, "Archaeological reconnaissance between Shemkhiya and
Khor Umm Ghizlan (left bank of the Nile), 2003", GAMAR 4 (2005), 42. For a map of the Polish concession, cf. PAM
XVI. Reports 2004 (2005), Fig. 1 on p. 370.
2 H. Paner, Z. Borcowski, "Gdansk Archaeological Museum Expedition. A summary of eight season's work at the Fourth
Cataract", GAMAR 4 (2005), 112, Figs 36.6, 37.1; D.A. Welsby, Survey above the Fourth Nile Cataract (London
2003), 122; id., "The Merowe Dam Archaeological Salvage Project. The Sudan Archaeological Research Society's
Concession", GAMAR 4 (2005), Fig. 2.5.
385