Polish Archaeology in the Mediterranean (19.2007(2010))

FOURTH CATARACT

SUDAN

EL-GAMAMIYA 67

The site is a massive hill of granite located in
the eastern part of el-Gamamiya village
(orientation NNE-SSW) [Fig. 3]. Its
naturally isolated and exposed situation,
coupled with the quantity and quality of the
rock art found here, as well as the
predominance of one motif over all others,
suggests its exceptional status for the rock art
makers. About 70 individual panels with
rock art have been noted, at the base of the
hill, in the middle and at the top. Most of the
petroglyphs represent cattle, but also human
figures (shown in association with cattle)
[Fig. 4], giraffes and antelopes (or gazelles?).
Cattle bodies and heads are depicted in
profile, while the horns are shown in frontal
view (in one case a cow’s head was also
shown frontally). The bodies are usually

pecked in outline, sometimes treated
additionally with a single or double vertical
line and in a few cases with dots or rubbing
forming a variety of figures [cf. Fig. 4]. The
legs are represented almost canonically —
two lines joined at the bottom — but not so
the horns, which demonstrate several
possible variants. They are mostly long.
Their shape reflects both natural and
intentional deformations, including single
crooking, closed or almost closed oval forms,
lyre- and heart-shaped examples [cf. Fig. 4].
Most frequently they are curved up in an
arch. Some form of pendant suspended from
the neck is shown in a few cases, while
depiction of the udder is more frequent.
Cows with calves were also shown in some
cases [Fig 4, bottom right].


Fig. 3. El-Gamamiya 67, view of the eastern side with the village in the distance
(Photo M. Jawornicki)

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Polish Archaeology in the Mediterranean 19. Reports 2007