Polish Archaeology in the Mediterranean (19.2007(2010))

FOURTH CATARACT — EL-SADDA

SUDAN

EXCAVATIONS OF A KERMA-PERIOD
CEMETERY AT EL-SADDA 4

Michal Sip

Site 4 in the locality of El-Sadda (ES4) was
discovered in January 2005 in the course of
a survey carried out in the concession area of
the Polish Centre of Mediterranean
Archaeology of the University of Warsaw.
It was provisionally dated to the Kerma
Period. A week-long excavation between
February 12 and 19, 2007, supervised by the
present author, was carried out in order to
establish the site chronology. Two trenches
were excavated: T I (7 by 6 m), aligned
E-W, and T II (8 by 8 m), located 36.30 m
to the northwest of the first trench.
The site is located at the top of a hill, at
the edge of a former Nile flood terrace
(N19°17,22.5",E32°43'55.4"; 312.50 m a.s.l.
measured by GPS) Eroded granite-gneissic
bedrock and loose reddish gravel forms the
first layer, superimposed on which is a surface
layer of humus (approx. 15 cm thick).
The cemetery is composed of two
groups of tombs: the southern one
comprising only one tumulus (Tl) and the
northern one counting five or six stone
structures. Tumulus T2 was chosen for
exploration because it appeared to be the
least damaged. The remaining tombs in
this group were constituted by small and
low stone rings (diameter from 1.00 to
2.30 m; maximum height 0.50 m).
TUMULUS 1
The tumulus measured 4.80 by 3.70 m and
was 0.80 m high. The superstructure was an


Fig. 1. Tumulus 1: plan (top) and section
looking north through the superstruc-
ture; plan showing outline of grave pit
(bottom) (Drawing M. Sip)

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Polish Archaeology in the Mediterranean 19, Reports 2007