Polish Archaeology in the Mediterranean (19.2007(2010))

MtoM - EL-ZUMA

SUDAN

ANIMAL BONE REMAINS FROM THE
CEMETERY IN EL-ZUMA (2007 SEASON)

Marta Osypiiiska

Deposits of animal bones were found in the
burial chambers of three of the tumuli from
the cemetery in El-Zuma excavated by
Mahmoud El-Tayeb during the 2007 season
at the site, carried out within the framework
of the Early Makuria Research Project. These
were tumuli 5 (chambers 2 and 3), 10
(central part of main chamber) and 25
(chambers 2 and 3) [Table 1], all three of
which were dated by pottery finds to the
5th century AD. Deposits of this kind have
been recorded before in tumuli from the
Early Makurian period in El-Zuma, Tanqasi
(Osypihska 2008) and other cemeteries from
the Fourth Cataract region (unpublished
report in the PCM A archives).
The archaeozoological analysis encom-
passed 116 faunal remains from the 2007
season. The bones are in relatively good
condition despite having largely lost the

Table 1. Animal remains by species from tumuli 5, 10 and 25, excavated in the 2007 season

T.5
Ch.2
T.5
Ch.3
T.10
T.25
Ch.2
T25
Ch.3
Camel
Camelus dromedarius f domestica
21 fr.
26 fr.
—
—
—
Sheep/goat
Ovis orientalis f domestica /
Capra aegagrus f. domestica
1 fr.
18 fr.
8 fr.
Cattle
Bosprimigenius f. domestica
—
—
8 fr.
14 fr.
20 fr.


Fig. 1. Species participation from four tumuli
in El-Zuma

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Polish Archaeology in the Mediterranean 19, Reports 2007