Polish Archaeology in the Mediterranean (18.2006(2008))

MtoM - MEROWE SHERIQ, TANQASI, ZUMA

SUDAN

humerus1 in order to measure the long
bones in order to calculate the approximate
height at the withers: 113.8 cm. The cattle
were therefore of average size, cor-
responding perhaps to the African short-
horn variety once common in northern
Sudan (e.g. Grigson 1999; Osypihska
2004a; Osypihska 2004b) and still occur-

ring in this region (Lasota-Moskalewska
2005).
No evidence of tool cuts resulting from
carcass sectioning were noted on the bones,
no cutting into smaller pieces or filleting
from the bone. In a few cases there is proof
of rodents gnawing at the bones, most likely
already after deposition in the tomb.

CONCLUSIONS

The assemblage of faunal remains from the
chambers of the tumulus tomb Tnq.87
excavated at Tanqasi differed completely in
terms of species from the deposits examined
in the tombs at Hammur Abbasija
(author's unpublished report from Mahmud
El-Tayeb's excavations for the SDRS project
in 1998/1999) and el-Zuma (Osypihska
2005: 404-407). Despite this, there
appears to be some similarity of criteria for
choosing the species of animals. In each of
the three assemblages, there was one large
animal (cattle or camel) and two or three
smaller ruminants (sheep or goat). In
details, however, the Tanqasi group is
clearly distinct. For the first time, remains
of cattle and goat were noted in the
chamber of a tumulus. The relatively large
number of individual animals is also
noteworthy. The deposited remains
belonged to at least three goats and one
cow. On the other hand, the meat offerings
in the tomb at Tanqasi appear to be of
lesser quality than in el-Zuma, because
beef from an animal of advanced age and
practically mature goats could not compare
with lamb or young camel meat. The
material from the post-Meroitic cemetery
at es-Sadda was comparable in terms of
species composition, as the chambers there

contained exclusively goat bones. The
anatomical make-up and the slaughtering
age were very much like those observed in
Tanqasi.
The anatomical distribution of the
Tanqasi material is very similar to the
assemblages from el-Zuma and Hammur.
The faunal remains from the chambers
represent exclusively parts of the carcass
with the greatest abundance of meat. Parts
of lesser consumptional attractiveness, like
ribs and vertebra, were not numerous in the
assemblage.
On the grounds of a comparative
analysis of the remains, it can be said that
the meat deposited in tomb Tnq.87 came
from the Sudan Desert variety of goat and
from African shorthorn cattle.
The presence of cattle remains may
reflect the prestigious character of these
animals, in which case it would explain why
a less valuable individual had been offered,
or else the environmental situation. After
all, cattle requires much better fodder or
feeding places than camels or small
ruminants. Cattle breeding is also
connected with a settled way of life (in this
part of Sudan), while camels and small
ruminants would suggest an economy based
on a nomadic-pastoral type of economy.

1 My thanks to Piotr Osypinski who pieced these bone remains together with great dedication.

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