DOI issue:
Sudan
DOI article:Chłodnicki, Marek; Longa, Anna; Osypiński, Piotr: Fourth Cataract: archaeological survey between el-Ar (Shemkhiya) and el-Gamamiya (November-December 2007)
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.42093#0398
FOURTH CATARACT
SITE No.
SITE TYPE
REMARKS
PRELIMINARY
PERIODIZATION
GPS
COORDINATES
El-Ar 26
cemetery
approx. 100 box graves,
destroyed
Christian
N19°27'42.5"
E32°55'31.8"
El-Ar 27
occupation
site
scattered pottery
Neolithic
N19°25'58.7"
E32°54'26.1"
El-Ar 28
cemetery
one stone tumulus
Kerma horizon
N19°27'l 1.9"
E32°55'17.6"
El-Ar 29
occupation
site
cemetery
scatterred pottery, grinding
stones
two small stone tumuli
Neolithic
Kerma horizon?
N19°27'09.3"
E32°35'16.2"
El-Ar 30
cemetery
low elongated stone mound
- grave ?
>
N19°27'05.2"
E32°55'22.3"
El-Ar 31
cemetery
approx. 30 tumuli with
stone kerb
post-Meroitic
N19°27'10.4"
E32°55'33.1"
El-Ar 32
cemetery
stone tumulus, several stone
rings and remains of stone
wall
Kerma horizon?
N19°27'30.5"
E32°55'45.1"
El-Ar 33
pottery kilns
two adjacent pottery kilns
for producing zirs (in wadi
close to El-Ar village)
modern
N19°27'30.8"
E32°55'42.5"
El-Ar 34
cemetery
remains of stone tumuli
Kerma horizon?
N19°27'29.8"
E32°55'41.6"
El-Ar 35
cemetery
remains of stone tumulus
Kerma horizon?
N19°27'31.0"
E32°55'37.2"
El-Ar 36
occupation
site
scattered pottery on mound
between houses in El-Ar
village
Kerma horizon?
N19°27'39.2"
E32°55'38.7"
The survey in the Shemkhiya district
concentrated around El-Ar Rock (so
designated on the 1:250.000 map of Sudan,
sheet 45B — El Kab) which is known as the
El-Al village to local residents. A dry old
river bed as well as the high desert beyond it
were penetrated. No archaeological sites
had been known from this area before, but
there were post-Meroitic complexes and
Christian cemeteries a little farther to the
east. Altogether 35 sites were recorded,
including the biggest Neolithic settlement
found so far, El-Ar 13, estimated at more
than 4 ha in size. It demonstrated beyond all
doubt that this branch of the Nile was
already dry and the land probably under
cultivation at the time. Most of the other
Neolithic sites are located higher up on the
392
Polish Archaeology in the Mediterranean 19, Reports 2007
SITE No.
SITE TYPE
REMARKS
PRELIMINARY
PERIODIZATION
GPS
COORDINATES
El-Ar 26
cemetery
approx. 100 box graves,
destroyed
Christian
N19°27'42.5"
E32°55'31.8"
El-Ar 27
occupation
site
scattered pottery
Neolithic
N19°25'58.7"
E32°54'26.1"
El-Ar 28
cemetery
one stone tumulus
Kerma horizon
N19°27'l 1.9"
E32°55'17.6"
El-Ar 29
occupation
site
cemetery
scatterred pottery, grinding
stones
two small stone tumuli
Neolithic
Kerma horizon?
N19°27'09.3"
E32°35'16.2"
El-Ar 30
cemetery
low elongated stone mound
- grave ?
>
N19°27'05.2"
E32°55'22.3"
El-Ar 31
cemetery
approx. 30 tumuli with
stone kerb
post-Meroitic
N19°27'10.4"
E32°55'33.1"
El-Ar 32
cemetery
stone tumulus, several stone
rings and remains of stone
wall
Kerma horizon?
N19°27'30.5"
E32°55'45.1"
El-Ar 33
pottery kilns
two adjacent pottery kilns
for producing zirs (in wadi
close to El-Ar village)
modern
N19°27'30.8"
E32°55'42.5"
El-Ar 34
cemetery
remains of stone tumuli
Kerma horizon?
N19°27'29.8"
E32°55'41.6"
El-Ar 35
cemetery
remains of stone tumulus
Kerma horizon?
N19°27'31.0"
E32°55'37.2"
El-Ar 36
occupation
site
scattered pottery on mound
between houses in El-Ar
village
Kerma horizon?
N19°27'39.2"
E32°55'38.7"
The survey in the Shemkhiya district
concentrated around El-Ar Rock (so
designated on the 1:250.000 map of Sudan,
sheet 45B — El Kab) which is known as the
El-Al village to local residents. A dry old
river bed as well as the high desert beyond it
were penetrated. No archaeological sites
had been known from this area before, but
there were post-Meroitic complexes and
Christian cemeteries a little farther to the
east. Altogether 35 sites were recorded,
including the biggest Neolithic settlement
found so far, El-Ar 13, estimated at more
than 4 ha in size. It demonstrated beyond all
doubt that this branch of the Nile was
already dry and the land probably under
cultivation at the time. Most of the other
Neolithic sites are located higher up on the
392
Polish Archaeology in the Mediterranean 19, Reports 2007