Polish Archaeology in the Mediterranean (19.2007(2010))

FOURTH CATARACT

SUDAN

FOURTH CATARACT
ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY BETWEEN
EL-AR (SHEMKHIYA) AND EL- GAM AMI YA
(NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2007)

Marek Chiodnicki, Anna Longa, Piotr Osypiiiski

The archaeological survey of the region between El-Ar (Shemkhiya) and El-Gamamiya,
conducted under the auspices of the PCMA (see above, report by B. Zurawski in this
volume), took place between 19 November and 4 December 2007.1 The actual survey was
carried out by sub-teams: El-Ar 1-12 and Umm Saffaya 19-30 — M. Chlodnicki,
A. Longa; El-Ar 15-24 and Keheili 23-31 — A. Longa, E. Kuciewicz; El-Ar 13-14,
25-36, Umm Saffaya 31-37, Keheili 1-22 and Gamamiya 70-100 — M. Chlodnicki,
H. Zarska-Chlodnicka; and Gamamiya 14-69 — P. Osypinski, M. Osypinska,
S. Bagmska. It covered an area where earlier reconnaissance had located some box graves
and tumuli cemeteries (Chlodnicki et alii 2005; 2006). Altogether 174 new sites were
localized using a Garmin GPSmap 765 device. The biggest group is constituted by tumuli
cemeteries or single graves, provisionally connected with the Kerma Horizon. The
discoveries covered one site dated to the Paleolithic and a Neolithic complex, including the
biggest settlement known so far (El-Ar 13) and a presumed cemetery, located on the banks
and inside the dry old valley of the Nile between El-Ar (El-Al) and Umm Saffaya.
Test excavations were carried out on five sites: Gamamiya 19 and 55 — P Osypinski,
D. Bagmska, M. Osypinska (see below, separate reports by P. Osypinski and D. Bagmska
in this volume), El-Ar 1 — A. Longa, A. Buszek, A. Drejer (see below, separate report by
A. Longa with appendix by J. Sliwa in this volume), and El-Ar 7 and 29 —
M. Chlodnicki, H. Zarska-Chlodnicka (reportedon separately by M. Chlodnicki, below in
this volume).
The petroglyph team discovered and documented two big rock art galleries with
hundreds ofrock drawings, from the Neolithic through modern times, at El-Gamamiya 67
and Keheili 5, as well as several smaller sites (El-Gamamiya 75, Keheili 14) and single
drawings (reported on separately below, see E. Jaroni and E. Kuciewicz in this volume).

1 The survey was directed by Dr. Marek Chlodnicki from the Archaeological Museum in Poznah. The team comprised
Dr. Dobieslawa Bagmska, Artur Buszek, Agata Drejer, Anna Longa, Marta Osypihska, Piotr Osypihski, archaeologists;
Eliza Jaroni and Ewa Kuciewicz, petroglyph study unit; Maciej Jawornicki, photographer; Halina Zarska-Chlodnicka,
documentalist. The research was financed jointly by the PCMA and the Poznah Prehistoric Society.

Polish Archaeology in the Mediterranean 19, Reports 2007

377