Polish Archaeology in the Mediterranean (19.2007(2010))

FOURTH CATARACT

SUDAN

KERMA HORIZON POTTERY FROM THE
CEMETERIES IN EL-GAMAMIYA

Dobieslawa Bagmska

Survey fieldwork in the Fourth Cataract area
in 2007 uncovered, among others, two ceme-
teries from the Kerma and Pan-Grave cultures
(sites El-Gamamiya 19 and El-Gamamiya 55).
The survey and excavations in El-Gamamiya
were carried out under the supervision of
Piotr Osypinski as part of the bigger PCM A
salvage project directed for the Polish Centre
of Mediterranean Archaeology of the
University of Warsaw by Dr. Marek
Chlodnicki from the Poznah Archaeological
Museum (for the overall survey report, see
above, in this volume).
The excavations at site GM55 recorded
12 tumuli from whence came several dozen
whole pots and numerous broken pieces left
from the pillaging of the tombs already in
antiquity (for the excavations of GM55 as
well as GM19, see preceding report by
P. Osypihski in this volume). Testing of the
tumulus cemetery at site GM19, where
a number of graves was noted on the
surface, yielded a surface collection of
pottery as well as three vessels from the
furnishings of a child’s tomb (T.l), these
including a bottle imported from Egypt (see
below, appendix by T.L Rzeuska). The other
excavated tomb, which had been plundered
already in antiquity, yielded no ceramics.
The pottery from the graves in the two
cemeteries can be dated to the Kerma Moyen
(2100-1750 BC) and Kerma Classique
(1750-1580 BC) periods (Gratien 1986: 12;
Privati 2000), known also as Old Kush II and

Old Kush III (El-Tayeb, Kolosowska
2005: 53), as well as the times of the Pan-
Grave Culture (2000-1500 BC) (Trigger
1976: 105).
The assemblage of Kerma Culture
pottery from GM55 is of particular
importance owing to the extensive repertoire
of handmade forms with decoration
(especially from tomb T.3) that is
encountered also in Kerma and on the island
of Sa'f. This is an important observation as up
to now the ceramics from the Fourth
Cataract region had been considered as quite
provincial in character, exhibiting little of the
quality of execution known from the big
centers of Kerma culture.
Most of the finds represent locally
produced black-topped red- or brown-
burnished wares. The pots are on the whole
well made, finely pebble-burnished, the
exterior registering as red on the Munsell
scale (10 R4/8 and 10 R4/6), the interior as
black or gray (Munsell 2.5YR N 2.5/0 and
2.5 YR N 3/0). The fabric is a fine, compact
and hard clay, tempered with straw chaff,
lime, quartz and abundant mica, occasionally
hematite. Clay with abundant mica (large
flakes from 3 to 4 mm) was characteristic of
the Kerma horizon ceramic production.
Vessels are thin-walled, ranging from 2.5
to .4 mm in thickness. Rims are characteri-
stically blackened with a band of orange
immediately below, while the rest of the pot
exterior is a glossy red. The blackened top is

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Polish Archaeology in the Mediterranean 19, Reports 2007