Nubian Archaeology

The model of animal husbandry is an enduring cultural element. It undergoes transformations only as a result of the pressure of serious factors: ecological, demographic or, less frequently, religious ones. By conducting comparative analyses of faunal data from the largest ancient and Medieval civilisation centres of NE Africa, mainly from the Middle Nile, we identify the effects of such factorsthe time, scope and strength of their impact on local communities. For the first time, we compare animal breeding models by communities from two Medieval, neighbouring Nubian kingdoms: Makuria and Alwa (AD 500-1200). Research shows that Makuria was dynamic, changeable and open to the adaptation of new species: pig, camel, chicken and horse. In the Southern state community of Alwa practiced a conservative, largely cattle-raising model typical of the ancient Kush civilisation (300 BCE-AD 300). Long-horned, indigenous cattle were imported to Makuria from the central Sahel, as evidenced by osteometric and isotopic data. Only local taurine shorthorn cattle were bred at Alwa, unchanged for two millennia, continuing the tradition of ancient Kush. We found that the pattern of farming and meat consumption can be an element of identity among communities living in analogous environmental, political and religious contexts.

Discoveries at Letti provide important data on the functioning and reach of one of the oldest African civilisations: the kingdom of Kerma (2500-1500 BC). Extensive surveys and preliminary excavations have recorded numerous settlement and funerary sites in the region. Our results help to expand the economic data and chronology.

Der vorliegende Beitrag beschäftigt sich mit der materiellen Kultur zweier verlassener nubischer Dörfer in Oberägypten, deren Errichtung und Aufgabe eng mit dem Bau des britischen Dammes südlich von Aswan und den nachfolgenden Überflutungen um 1900 verbunden sind. Die
Besonderheit der vorgestellten Projektkonzeption liegt neben der Dokumentation von Architektur und zugehörigem Fundinventar vor allem in der engen Zusammenarbeit mit den Nachkommen der Dorfbewohner und anderen Nubiern, die noch heute in der unmittelbaren Umgebung des
betroffenen Gebiets leben und welche im Rahmen sozialanthropologischer Feldstudien in das Projekt eingebunden sind. Durch die interdisziplinäre Methodenkombination werden archäologische Standardinterpretationen hinterfragt, angepasst und korrigiert, wodurch diese Studie einen
wichtigen Beitrag zur Diskussion um kulturelle Formierungsprozesse und deren kulturhistorische Lesbarkeit und Interpretation darstellt.

The presented project aimed to carry out a historic-anthropological case study focusing on two abandoned Nubian villages in Upper Egypt dated from around 1909 to the 1930ies emphasizing on the question of their significance as unique witnesses and ephemeral memorials to the first historical Nubian exodus caused by the construction of the early British Dam. This Microhistory is supposed to present individual components of that particular culture as well as their relations amongst each other. Through the interdisciplinary research strategy and the combination of a variety of methods of Archaeology, Building research and Social Anthropology, standard interpretations could be reflected upon, questioned and if necessary corrected. By the mutual correction of recorded interpretations, the evaluation of the diverse data produced an outstanding documentation of Nubian culture.

The following paper focuses on two abandoned Nubian Villages south of Aswan in Upper Egypt dated to the turn of the last century emphasizing on their significance as unique witnesses and ephemeral memorials to the first historical Nubian exodus caused by the construction of the early British Dam.
The project was designed as historical-anthropological research work, which attempts to retrace the socio-cultural practice of Kenuzi-Nubians in the abandoned villages Bāb und Al-Ğūwānī in the years between 1890 until about 1933. This microhistory is supposed to point out specific elements of this
certain culture, their relationship to one another as well as resulting general statements for the analysed social group in the given time span. The special nature of this project constitutes of the close cooperation with the descendants of the village inhabitants and other Nubians still living in the
surroundings of the affected area which is an essential point for the overall success of the project.

The paper presented here focuses on the sophisticated building technique of the socalled Nubian mudbrick vault through an investigation of two abandoned Nubian villages in Upper Egypt dated to the turn of the last century. The vaults, built without wooden support, are known since pharaonic times and are especially valuable in sparsely wooded areas such as the Nile Valley. The research carried out by the Cairo Branch of the Austrian Archaeological Institute examined building details of this technique, its origin and the circumstances of the passing down of the knowledge of the technique until the modern era and its occurrence in particular in Nubian settlements south of Aswan.

The presented volume aims to carry out a socio-cultural case study focusing on two abandoned Nubian villages in Upper Egypt, which are regarding their formation and abandonment closely connected with the construction of the British Dam south of Aswan and the following floods around 1900. Besides the documentation of architecture and associated find material, the special nature of the research strategy involved a close cooperation with the descendents of the village inhabitants and other Nubians still living in the sourroundings of the affected area.Through the interdisciplinary research strategy and the combination of a variety of methods in the fields of Archaeology, Building research and Social Anthropology, standard interpretations could be reflected upon, questioned and if necessary corrected, wherefore this study makes an important contribution to the discussion of cultural formation processes and their transformation into the archaeological record as well as bringing insights into the debate on context interpretation of material culture.

Diplomová práce se zabývá zásadami etruského členění prostoru a orientací kultovních staveb. Popisuje architekturu etruských chrámů, konstrukci sloupů, stavební materiály a odlišnosti od chrámů řeckých. Věnuje se i oltářům. Shrnuje různé přístupy k etruským chrámům a názory na jejich vývoj. Nakonec uvádí příklady jednotlivých chrámů v Etrurii.This dissertation thesis deals with basic etruscan space division and orientation of cult buildings. It describes architecture of etruscan temples, pillar construction and construction materials differing from greek temples. It also deals with altars. It summarizes different approaches to etruscan temples and opinions on their evolution. At the end there are attached examples of individual temples located in Etruria.Institute for Classical ArcheologyÚstav pro klasickou archeologiiFaculty of ArtsFilozofická fakult

Images of archangels and angels, which were painted on the walls, in the upper parts of the buildings and, on their structural elements, were very popular in Christian Nubian painting as attested by the discoveries from Church SWN.BV on the citadel in Old Dongola. These images, which derive from pre-Christian art, depict the eternal nature of the archangels and angels. Presenting this group of representations, the author traces the origins of these images to highlight the role of these spiritual beings as intermediaries between God and humankind. As such, they move freely between the Heavens and the Earth, so the air and cosmic space are their natural surroundings. Moreover, archangels govern the forces of nature, the planets, and the seven skies. Therefore, their sanctuaries were located on hill summits, in the upper chapels, on structural elements of ecclesiastical buildings, etc. The Nubian tradition is therefore part of a broader Mediterranean tradition, the roots of which should be sought in the Near East.

The paper presents a hypothetical reconstruction of the tomb of a provincial dignitary, Nomarch (district governor) Ini I, who lived during the First Intermediate Period (late 3rd millennium BCE) and was buried in the Northern Necropolis of Gebelein. The tomb was discovered by Virginio Rosa in 1911. An unpublished account of the tomb's discovery offers exact dimensions and a detailed description allowing to propose a reconstruction of its form and furnishing. Blender, an opensource software designed for three-dimensional modeling, has been employed for the task. The modeling process is described and followed by a discussion of the validity and usefulness of such reconstructions for archaeology and dissemination of research results.

This paper offers a new identification of two paintings executed on the first layer of plaster in the northern transversal aisle of the Faras Cathedral, which, due to their poor state of preservation at the time of discovery, were impossible to remove from the walls. Interpretations to date have linked the first painting with the Apostles or Christ teaching in the Temple and the second one with the Resurrection cycle or treated both scenes as unidentified. I propose, instead, that both paintings belonged to the cycle of the Childhood of the Virgin and showed her Entrance into the Temple and being fed by an angel. This identification, based on a comparison of these scenes with Cappadocian and Byzantine masterpieces, is further reinforced by the placement of the paintings within the iconographic program of the Faras Cathedral.

A rock art panel from the site of el-Hosh featuring two boats along with human depictions, including one with royal regalia, alongside a presumed captor with a Nubian captive, adds a further important example of early royal iconography in Egyptian rock art. This early royal representation stands alongside the well-known panels from Nag el-Hamdulab and a depiction from the Wadi Mahamid in Elkab as the earliest certain depictions of kingship in the rock art medium. The three examples are roughly contemporaneous, with the el-Hosh panel sharing many features with the Nag el-Hamdulab figures. Despite the similarity we see in the smaller el-Hosh panel, we note the evidence that its production was of a less official nature. The display of a presumed captive and beheaded Nubian appears to reflect local conflict in the region during the period of production.

Une paroi rocheuse située à el-Hosh est décorée d’une scène figurant deux bateaux accompagnés de figurations humaines; l’un porte des insignes royaux tandis que les deux autres consistent en un possible ravisseur et son captif d’origine nubienne. Ce tableau est une nouvelle attestation,
particulièrement importante, de l’emploi d’un thème iconographique faisant référence à la royauté dans l’art rupestre égyptien. Cet exemple, à l’instar d’autres bien connus, tels les panneaux décorés de Nag el-Hamdulab et du Ouadi Mahamid à Elkab, figure en effet parmi
les premiers exemples assurés de représentation de la royauté dans le médium rupestre. Ces trois exemples, partageant de nombreuses similitudes, doivent être à peu près contemporains. Malgré
de telles similitudes, il ne fait guère de doute que, contrairement au rupestre de Nag el-Hamdulab, la production du panneau d’el-Hosh était de nature moins officielle. La représentation d’un Nubien présumé captif, décapité, paraît refléter des conflits locaux en cours dans la région lorsque
ce panneau a été réalisé.

Research on the Middle Kingdom fortresses in Lower Nubia is closely
connected to the Egypt Exploration Society: the fortress of Buhen was
explored by an EES team under the direction of Walter Bryan Emery
between 1957 and 1964, before the site was lost to the rising waters of
Lake Nasser. Sixty years later, Claudia Näser resumed work at the
fortress of Shalfak, 50 km south of Buhen.

This paper reconsiders three royal inscriptions of King Merenra (Sixth Dynasty) in the region of the First Nile Cataract. They have long been known to scholars but have not received extensive treatment beyond translations. The inscriptions appear to be among the first explicit royal statements addressing the limits of Egyptian territory and the beginnings of foreign lands. The paper situates the inscriptions within more comprehensive scholarship related to border studies, the geographic setting of the First Cataract region, and the historical context of the late Old Kingdom. We argue these inscriptions provide key information about political border-making during this period. Full-text PDF available here: http://etudesettravaux.iksiopan.pl/images/etudtrav/EtudTrav_otwarte/Etud_Trav_37/EtudTrav_37_04_Siegel_Hainline_Nicolini_Gatto__compressed.pdf

is the largest-known pastoral cemetery in sub-Saharan Africa. Located 240km south-south-east of Khartoum, Sudan, it was excavated from 1911-1914 by Henry Wellcome, the founder of the Wellcome Trust. It is a multi-phase site with deposits dating back to c. 5000 BC. At 10ha in size and having yielded more than 3100 human burials, Jebel Moya provides scope for exploring the interactions between local pastoral and external traditions on the southern boundary of the contemporaneous Meroitic state, outside of direct Meroitic political control (Brass , 2016)). In October 2017, the University College London-University of Khartoum-National Corporation for Antiquities and Museums expedition to southern Gezira undertook new excavations. A key aim was to perform modern, targeted sampling and recording, and archaeobotanical, artefactual, archaeozoological and osteoarchaeological analyses-including ancient DNA (aDNA), isotopes and AMS dating. Five trenches were excavated to sample surviving archaeological deposits systematically (Figure ). Trenches 1, 2 and 4 were excavated in 100mm spits and the stratigraphy recorded. Each spit was sampled for archaeobotanical remains. Trench 3 targeted the excavation of an eroding burial (see below).

Persistent places are the locations where people aggregate, utilise and reuse natural or built features and develop their social identities and interactions. A network of persistent places forms interconnected persistent settlement patterns, which create a humanly made or storied landscape with a shared communitybased memory of place. Although it has been demonstrated that persistent settlement patterns long preceded the onset of Neolithic farming villages, the Levant has received the most attention regarding this perspective. At the same time, Africa still needs to be addressed. This paper provides an illustrative case study of persistent settlement patterns created by Holocene huntergatherers in the Middle Nile Valley of Sudan. It employs geostatistical patterning and visual mapping of an extensive collection of dierent classes of artefacts (lithic industry, hammerstones, ground stone tools and pottery) from a wellpreserved Khartoum Variant site on Sai Island and correlates them to complex architectural features exposed on an archaeological surface (Level 1) at site 8-B-10C dating to the early fth millennium cal. BC. The combination of multiple in-depth geostatistical analyses of a complex habitation system successfully documents an exceptionally preserved planned intra-site settlement organisation maintained over several generations, revealing a memory of place. Les lieux persistants sont les endroits où les gens se regroupent, utilisent et réutilisent les structures naturelles ou construites, et où ils développent leurs identités et interactions sociales. Un réseau de lieux persistants forme à son tour des modes de peuplement persistants et interconnectés, ce qui crée un paysage anthropique ou marqué par des histoires, avec une mémoire du lieu qui est partagée par la communauté. Bien qu'il ait été démontré que les modes de peuplement persistant ont précédé de longtemps l'apparition des villages agricoles néolithiques, le Levant a reçu la plus grande attention dans cette perspective, tandis que l'Afrique a été négligée. Cet article présente une étude de cas illustratif sur les modes d'établissement persistants créés par les chasseurs-cueilleurs de l'Holocène dans la vallée moyenne du Nil. Nous utilisons des modèles géostatistiques et la cartographie visuelle d'une vaste collection de diérentes classes d'artefacts (industrie lithique, ARTICLE HISTORY

This case study explores the physical and cultural connections between the Hebrews and African populations in ancient Egypt, focusing particularly on the Hebrews' ability to blend into Egyptian society during their time in Egypt. By examining genetic studies, archaeological evidence, historical accounts, and biblical texts, the study argues that the Hebrews, including Moses, likely shared physical traits with the indigenous African populations of Egypt and Nubia, which allowed them to integrate into Egyptian society seamlessly. The study highlights the presence of black African populations in the Nile Valley and their genetic continuity over time, offering evidence that the Hebrews' physical appearance was not drastically different from that of the Egyptians and Nubians. The case study also explores the role of Moses within the Egyptian royal court, his marriage to a Cushite woman, and the broader cultural interactions between the Hebrews and African peoples. Ultimately, the study emphasizes the importance of understanding the Hebrews as part of the broader African context, with deep physical, cultural, and historical connections to Egypt and Nubia.

“In this notebook I am recalling what I have been
told and what I remember from my childhood. I am
recalling political and religious events, from the
time that I started remembering events until now.
My name is Anthony Boinodiris and I was born in
the Old Kalivarion, or Karvali or Gelveri as the Turks
called it then, located in Nigde of Akserai in
Cappadocia of Asia Minor. The name of the village
today is Guzelyurt.
Based on a word-of-mouth tradition, transferred to
us by our grandparents, our origins are from the
island of Andros. Our suspicions are that there is a
relationship somehow between the names of some
village of Andros, that I am not aware of, but I have
no concrete proof for that. Our ancestors told us
that we immigrated to Cappadocia under some
unknown circumstances, at an unknown time, lost
in the memories of people that preceded us. Our
ancestors also told us about other immigrants from
islands near Andros who ended in locations near
ours. Our ancestors identified that the people of
Haskoy, a village to the northwest of Guzelyurt
came from Naxos; and the people from Kalecik, a
village to the north of Guzelyurt came from Lemnos.
I was told that our immigration is linked, but I was
not told how.”
It was a challenge for me to shed some light on my
father’s biographical data of the twentieth century
to that of the historical past. I had to find what
events in history were hiding behind the Andros
migration to Cappadocia. When and how did all that
happen? My search began in 1997.

D ziewiątego grudnia 2020 r. miała miejsce konferencja "Metamorfozy koloru w sztuce", zorganizowana przez Katedrę Kultury Artystycznej Instytutu Historii Sztuki WNHS UKSW. W założeniu organizatorów temat koloru, prowokujący do namysłu daleko wykraczającego poza terytorium historii sztuki, stanowiący przedmiot badań fizycznych, społeczno--kulturowych, antropologicznych, filozoficznych i wielu innych, miał być okazją do spotkania rozmaitych perspektyw i metodologii, służyć poszerzeniu horyzontów badawczych i skłaniać do wymiany poglądów ponad granicami poszczególnych dyscyplin. Jak przekonuje bowiem Michel Pastoureau "Kolor jest nie tyle zjawiskiem naturalnym, ile pewną skomplikowaną konstrukcją kulturową, nie poddającą się uogólnieniom, by nie powiedzieć analizom, a przez to stwarzającą wiele trudnych problemów […] Kolor jest przede wszystkim faktem społecznym" 1 . Uniwersalność i wieloaspektowość owej kwestii stały za decyzją Katedry Kultury Artystycznej, by właśnie jej poświęcić konferencję, która zamierzona początkowo jako skromna wewnątrzuczelniana prezentacja zagadnień z własnych, "katedralnych" warsztatów badawczych, wbrew pandemicznym ograniczeniom przeistoczyła się -przede wszystkim dzięki koordynującej inicjatywę dr Magdalenie Łaptaś -w ogólnopolskie, zorganizowane online wydarzenie naukowe (reprezentowano 7 ośrodków naukowych oraz instytucji muzealnych), gromadzące także liczną publiczność. Przeważające podczas obrad, pozostające w zgodzie z powyższą myślą Pastoureau, humanistyczne podejście do kwestii koloru nie mogło jednak przysłaniać faktu, że jest on także, u swych źródeł, "zjawiskiem naturalnym". Dlatego właśnie zdecydowano, by w pierwszym wystąpieniu (Zobaczyć więcej. O widzeniu i pomiarze barw) oddać głos dr. hab. Tomaszowi Łojewskiemu z Wydziału Inżynierii Materiałowej i Ceramiki Akademii Górniczo-Hutniczej. Wychodząc z założenia, że barwa jest w swej istocie wrażeniem psychicznym, dr Łojewski odniósł się do fizjologii i psychologii widzenia, by przybliżyć problematykę trzech 1

This monograph series ("hes") was established in 2015 to present scholarly publications in the field of Egyptology. It highlights, but is by no means limited to, sites and selected aspects of the Harvard University-Boston Museum of Fine Arts Expedition . Invited topics include recent PhD dissertations; reports from excavations; specialized studies in ancient Egyptian language, history, and culture; conference proceedings; publications of scholarly archives; and historiographical works covering the field of Egyptology. Harvard Egyptological Studies is published by the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, and the Department of Anthropology, both of which are in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Harvard University.

Archeological sites in Nubia are a continuous source of new material connected either generally or specifically with Nubian archery. Objects of this kind discussed here and in other publications of excavated assemblages (including excavations of the Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archeology, University of Warsaw) are seldom perceived as such, indiscernible as they are among the range of metal objects judged as being weaponry in a general sense. The lack of any synthetic work on Nubian archery is also evident in the literature in general and the few works that undertake the theme contain errors that are in need of being corrected. This article deals with issues related to the topic, which, although discussed separately, will hopefully work toward establishing the groundwork for a final reconstruction.

This paper reconsiders three royal inscriptions of King Merenra (Sixth Dynasty) in the region of the First Nile Cataract. They have long been known to scholars but have not received extensive treatment beyond translations. The inscriptions appear to be among the first explicit royal statements addressing the limits of Egyptian territory and the begin- nings of foreign lands. The paper situates the inscriptions within more comprehensive scholarship related to border studies, the geographic setting of the First Cataract region, and the historical context of the late Old Kingdom. We argue these inscriptions provide key information about political border-making during this period.

The long history of activity in the Aniba region is full of cultural change and contact, things that are distinctively visible within the finds on the so called northern cemetery of the C-group people. During the nearly 500 years of burial practice we can see how enviromental, cultural and political factors influence the grave goods of the C-Group people as well as the emergence of a pangrave cemetery In the midst of a plethora of finds were a number of animal figurines, which, at first glance, look rather homogenous. On a closer inspection they offer a fascinating window into the past and their creators mind alike. Traces of decoration link these figurines to social and ritual ideas found in all of north-eastern Africa as far back as 4000 BC and some of them are still practiced today. This article explores the different possibilities on how to explore the meaning of the animal figurines as part of the funerary ritual of the C-Group people of Aniba compared to other regional C-Group cemeteries as well as neighbouring cultures and the traces these practices leave behind in modern day pastoralist groups of northeastern Africa.

The kingdom of Kerma has traditionally been viewed as a political, militaristic, and cultural antagonist to the polities of Egypt during the later Middle Bronze (2000-1550 BC). However, little consideration has been made on how royal courts across Nile Valley cultures interacted with one another through cooperative processes. This paper provides new perspectives on how the Kerma royal court engaged with Egyptian elite groups through the establishment of diplomatic relations. Material evidence of cross-cultural interaction in the forms, decoration, and functions of Kerma funerary beds across different Kerma sites are argued to document adoption and adaption of select forms of Egyptian court habitus, subsequently modified to suit Kerman material and social preferences. These cultural transmissions were facilitated by travelling diplomats and embassies, who formed social relationships with their hosts through court receptions and gift exchange. This process allowed Kerman and Egyptian courtiers to establish shared forms of material culture, practice, and identity that transcended cultural differences and encouraged cooperative, friendly relationships between different courts throughout the Nile Valley.

The present paper focuses on the pottery corpus recovered from strata attributed to pre-Natakamani horizon in the area of kom H and kom A (Typhonium, WBN 200) at Wad Ben Naga. The first part of the paper describes the stratigraphic contexts from which the pottery came and establishes distinction between features related to the construction of structure WBN 700, others linked to its subsequent adjustments and/or later disturbed and finally, contexts related to its destruction and razing of the ground in preparation for the building of the Typhonium. The pottery corpus itself is analysed with special attention given to the issues of its dating and identifying the attributes distinguishing it from other, mostly later, pottery corpora from Wad Ben Naga. Amongst others, it was mainly the significant appearance of several pottery form types which were in general characteristic for Meroitic contexts datable mostly between the 1 st century BCE and early 1 st century CE. In effect, the analysis of the pottery corpus attributed to the pre-Natakamani horizon helped to confirm and precise dating of individual events in the area and allowed to establish a clearly defined, temporally specific profile of Meroitic ceramic culture which may serve for comparison with other pottery assemblages at Wad Ben Naga and beyond.

https://publikace.nm.cz/en/periodicals/annals-of-the-naprstek-museum/45-2/ceramic-finds-from-stratified-archaeological-contexts-reflecting-complex-building-activity-at-kom-h-at-wad-ben-naga-part-i-the-pre-natakamani-horizon

Cooking ceramics represent a key example of post-harvest intensification, making foodstuffs more edible and their nutrients more bioaccessible. These can be considered an example of materialesque intensification, in that the labor is invested ahead of time in a material product that continues to provide for intensive processing. In the Old World there are two macro-regions in which pottery developed independently amongst hunter-gatherers, in Eastern Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, and these are compared in this chapter to highlight similar pathways of material culture and dietary evolution, as well as regional contingencies. Better documented early pottery in Japan and the Russian Far East provide a general four-phase evolutionary model of Formative ceramics, Transitional phase ceramics as they became more routine, Dispersal phase ceramics that are more geographically widespread and elaborated across forms and functions, and finally a Culinary elaboration phase of further functional differentiation when ceramics were integrated with agricultural sources of foods. We review some of the evidence for early pottery across four sub-regions of China that highlight increases in vessel size and form diversity through each regional version of these phases. We then consider the more fragmentary sequences from the Sudanese Nile Valley, Western Africa, and the Tadrart Acacus of the central Sahara. Currently, the earliest ceramics from sub-Saharan Africa suggest a northward dispersal of this technology into the Sahara and Sahel during the early Holocene. These regional sequences in Africa may represent similar phases with increasing frequency of ceramics, diversification in forms and a burst of further elaboration with spread of domesticated fauna or plant cultivation. Although there are similarities in the origins of pottery before the

Università Ca' Foscari, Venezia - Laurea Magistrale in Scienze dell'Antichità ( 2022 / 2023 ).
Relatore: Prof. Emanuele M. Ciampini; Correlatori: Dott.ssa Francesca Iannarilli, Prof. Massimo Maiocchi.
Votazione: 110 e lode.

Il seguente lavoro intende analizzare dal punto di vista etimologico, ortografico e letterario il toponimo di Napata (Sudan). Vengono prese in considerazione fonti di vario tipo ascrivibili alla fase tra la XXV dinastia e il periodo napateo per raccogliere ortografie, determinativi e ruoli associati al nome di luogo, con la volontà di ricostruire la sua "biografia" e condurre un'analisi toponomastica di tipo intensivo, con il fine di comprendere i processi di appropriazione e rielaborazione attuati dalle dinastie kushite, l'influenza delle lingue e delle pratiche locali e il ruolo del centro cerimoniale già a partire dalla fondazione del Nuovo Regno.

Drawing on methods and theories from the history of emotions, this paper examines the Twin Stelae that flank the entrance into Ramses II’s Great Temple at Abu Simbel in order to investigate the feelings associated with ancient Egyptian kingship from an ideological perspective. As the ruler, what was the king himself supposed to feel, and what feelings was he meant to elicit in his subjects? How did the feelings of the king differ from those of his subjects, and how did all these feelings reinforce and reify the institution of kingship and royal power? In order to propose some answers to these complex questions, I offer a close reading of key words and passages on the Stelae, considering the choice of hieroglyphic signs that the artists used to write them, the ways in which the artists depicted these signs, and the context of the words and passages within the inscriptions. I then use the Stelae’s text to consider how ancient viewers were meant to see and experience the monumental façade of the Great Temple.

The article is outlining the preliminary results of the study of
Building 3, located in the central part of the settlement of the archaeological site Deraheib (the Sudan, Nubian Desert, upper reaches of Wadi al-Allaqi). The excavations were performed by the Nubian archaeological and anthropological expedition of the Lomonosov Moscow State University’s Research Institute and the Museum of Anthropology. According to Arab sources and results of archaeological excavations an the site, between 9th and 11th centuries it was the location of the administrative center for a gold-mining region, one of the stops on the caravan route connecting Egypt and the Red Sea port of Aidhab.
Arabic sources call it the city of Al-Allaqi. Building 3 is 29 × 16 m, oriented along the west-east axis. Its walls, laid of slate slabs, have been preserved to a height of 1 to 3 m. The eastern wall has four window openings with arched ends. There is a semicircular protrusion in its center. The wall also has two entrances into the building. The outer side of the  northeastern part of the wall has a square structure measuring 3 × 3 m. Several
flights of a spiral staircase can be traced inside this structure. During excavations of the building, fragments of ceramics dated between 9th and 11th centuries were discovered. A vessel containing a corroded metal object and coals was found at the base of a semicircular protrusion on the outside of the eastern wall. Radiocarbon dating determined that the building was founded in the 9th–10th centuries AD.
The data obtained during the excavations allows us to reconstruct the
architecture of the building. This is the so-called Arabic or hypostyle mosque. Its eastern half had a roof rested on four transverse rows of arches, making this part of the building the riwaq. The niche in the middle of the eastern wall was the mihrab. The western part of the mosque was exposed, the sahn. The square building in the northern part of the eastern wall was most likely a minaret. According to radiocarbon dating, the mosque was built when gold mining in the Nubian Desert and Red Sea trade through the port city of Aidhab were at their peak. The size of the building and its central location in the settlement suggest that it was a Friday mosque. The construction of the Friday mosque changed the status of Al-Allaqi — a logistics center at the crossroads of trade
routes and roads connecting the gold mines could be called a city now. Available radiocarbon analysis suggests that the mosque at Al-Allaqi is the earliest dated mosque in Lower Nubia.

This paper proposes that the enigmatic double bull on the Hunters' Palette, now at the British Museum and the Louvre, represents a rare type of mutant bovine, a conjoined twin of type ischiopagus. Although the incidence of this biological anomaly in cattle is low, it is likely that such creatures were observed from time to time in the Nile Valley. The case for a mutant bull is supported by pictures of modern ischiopagi, veterinary references, Nubian petroglyphs, and hieroglyphic signs. The portrayal of a mutant animal on predynastic palettes is not unprecedented. Capart and Fischer suggested that the double bull was an early hieroglyph, but neither explained how or why it became a determinative in verbs meaning "to move back and forth." It is possible that it was inspired by the back and forth grazing movement of a real double bull. The proposal would seem consistent with Frankfort's observation about the profound influence of cattle on the ancient Egyptian language. The double bull hypothesis may also elucidate the puzzling association of such a creature with a canal in the Third Upper Nome of Egypt. Other objects representing the double bull-amulets, seals, a macehead, etc.-are attested intermittently from the Predynastic to the Late Period when the amulet is rendered in the form of a "double Apis;" generally these objects have apotropaic connotations. Texts containing the double bull determinative exist more or less in parallel with the representational forms and maintain the same meaning throughout. The paper ends with a consideration of the Hunters' Palette as an exhibit of military power.

Post-excavation analysis of individual Ghz-1-002, an adult probable male interred in a medieval cemetery at Ghazali, Sudan, identified tattoos on the right foot. Visualisation under different spectrums of light allowed a reconstruction of the marks, which are only the second instance of tattooing identified from medieval Nubia.

Excavations in Israel of Byzantine and early Islamic sites have yielded some interesting gaming boards that are not always understood by the archaeologists who found them. Because they are organised in parallel rows of 'holes', most are presented as 'mancala' gameboards-which some may be, indeed; however, boards offering three or four rows of squares or depressions cannot reasonably be mancalas, nor can they be held as 'senet', the Egyptian game. So, what are they? Reviewing the relevant literature, this article will try in this article to disentangle these finds, the more so as they are often well dated to periods which have rarely been looked into.

This paper investigates different body techniques for carrying heavy loads by individuals buried at Abu Fatima, a Nubian Bronze Age cemetery in Sudan. Drawing on iconographic evidence from ancient Egypt and Nubia, as well as African and other ethnographic records, the paper aims to understand gendered patterns behind load-carrying practices and their traces on skeletal remains. A multi-proxy approach was employed, using various skeletal modifications associated with mechanical loading. Examination of entheseal changes, osteoarthritis-related alterations, and degenerative vertebral changes was conducted to investigate the impacts of muscle loading, joint stress, and spinal adaptations. Additionally, unintentional cranial modifications, specifically changes caused by tumpline use, were also considered. The results indicate gender-specific load-carrying techniques among the individuals buried at Abu Fatima. Men displayed evidence of unilateral entheseal changes and humeroscapular osteoarthritis, indicating involvement in activities that necessitated bearing load on one shoulder. Women displayed distinct degenerative changes to the cervical vertebrae indicating frequent musculoskeletal use of the upper neck.

Der Vortrag beleuchtet die schriftlichen und archäologischen Spuren eines nubischen Söldners kurz vor Beginn der Epoche des Mittleren Reiches (um 2000 v. Chr.), dessen ungewöhnliche und nicht nur militärische Karriere wohl in keiner anderen Phase der pharaonischen Geschichte so möglich gewesen wäre. Die Spurensuche mündet im Versuch, Stationen eines Lebensweges nachzuzeichnen, der von Nubien nach Ägypten, vom Nil tief in die Wüste und wieder zurück führte – die Geschichte eines selbstbewussten Mannes, der in ägyptische Dienste trat, sich dort zumindest ansatzweise neben der Sprache auch die Schrift und andere kulturelle Spezifika aneignete und dabei nie seine Herkunft vergaß.

While there is a considerable body of data regarding the sources of minerals employed in Bronze Age Egypt, the supply chains to Sudanese Lower Nubia are virtually unknown. This paper presents results of lead isotope analysis of 11 samples of kohl from C-group, Pan-grave and New Kingdom funerary contexts across the Debeira and Ashkeit areas in Sudanese Lower Nubia during the Bronze Age. The samples could be divided in two groups based on their lead isotope ratios. A comparison between the kohl samples from Sudanese Lower Nubia and galena ores from various mining sites on the Red Sea coast of Egypt indicated that some of the galena used in kohl mixtures in Sudanese Lower Nubia came from the Pharaonic mining site of Gebel el-Zeit. The second group of Nubian samples seems to have originated from an alternative galena source yet to be determined. This is the first time that kohl samples from Sudanese Lower Nubia are integrated into known northeast African networks of supply by using Lead isotope analysis.

The utilitarian stones of ancient Egypt were those rocks employed for implements and other mundane articles. Most of these fall into three categories: 1) tools for harvesting, food preparation, and stone working; 2) weapons for hunting, war, and personal protection; and 3) grinding stones for cereals and other plant products, ore rocks for gold and other metals, and raw materials for paint pigments and cosmetics. The three most common rock types used for these purposes were chert, dolerite, granite, metagraywacke, and silicified sandstone. A total of 21 ancient quarries are known for these stones.

Fort Luba-Thruston was the center of the Sudanese mercenary rebellion in 1897-98. An outpost of the Uganda Protectorate, the fort was seized by "Nubian" rebels in late 1897, six years after its construction. The murders of three British citizens, including the commanding officer, Major Thruston, by the mutineers were later memorialized along with the loss of many Baganda lives with a pyramid-like structure near the fort in 1900. Excavations revealed a small, trenched structure/fort hastily-constructed during the British siege of two months. Also, excavations uncovered important older evidence for Early Iron Age iron smelting and ceramics of that period with what appear to be contemporary Kansyore ceramics. Notably, the EIA ceramics are decorated with Kansyore motifs, pointing to syncretism in material culture reflective of inter-cultural interaction. Finally, the presence of Late Stone and and Middle Stone Age artifacts attest to a site with a deep history before it became the locus of a significant challenge to British military control of Uganda.

Cet article explore le Temple de Dendour, un exemple fascinant de l'architecture romano-égyptienne érigé sous l'empereur Auguste vers 15 av. J.-C. Situé initialement en Nubie et intégrant des influences romaines, égyptiennes et nubiennes, le temple illustre la stratégie diplomatique de Rome en associant divinités locales et universelles pour renforcer l'unité culturelle et consolider son autorité. L'article examine les aspects architecturaux, l'iconographie et le symbolisme du temple, mettant en évidence la fusion des traditions religieuses locales avec le pouvoir impérial romain.

Avec la montée des eaux du lac Nasser dans les années 1960, l'UNESCO coordonna le démantèlement et le transfert du temple vers le Metropolitan Museum of Art de New York, où il a été reconstruit pour refléter son cadre d'origine. Cet article analyse comment le temple, maintenant exposé au Met, continue de fonctionner comme un "ambassadeur archéologique," reliant le passé et le présent, tout en symbolisant l'engagement moderne envers la préservation du patrimoine mondial.

The Temple of Dendur, a Roman-Egyptian temple originally situated in Lower Nubia, exemplifies the fusion of Roman, Egyptian, and Nubian cultural elements. Constructed under Emperor Augustus around 15 BCE, the temple was dedicated to the deities Isis, Osiris, and Harpocrates, alongside the deified sons of a local Nubian chieftain. This unique dedication reflects Rome's diplomatic strategy of fostering cultural unity by honoring both universal and local deities. Architecturally, the temple adheres to the traditional Egyptian layout, guiding worshippers from a pylon gate through a courtyard to the sanctuary, symbolizing a progression from earthly to divine realms. Its strategic location along the Nile further underscores its alignment with Egyptian cosmology and agricultural abundance. In the 6th century, the temple was repurposed as a Christian church, illustrating the adaptive reuse of sacred sites in late antiquity. During the 1960s, as rising waters from Lake Nasser threatened the site, UNESCO's relocation efforts led to the temple’s reassembly at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, symbolizing international cooperation in cultural preservation. Today, the Temple of Dendur serves as an artifact of ancient religious life and a testament to the enduring value of cultural heritage.

This paper summarizes the results of the Polish excavations in Area F at Saruq al-Hadid in Dubai (UAE), a well-known Iron Age site in the Rub al-Khali. The site was seasonally occupied by groups engaging in large-scale copper production. Despite the limited extent of the Polish study area, conclusions can be drawn regarding the organization of work, long-term changes in site use, and the spatial distribution of various artefact categories within the Iron Age II levels. Two distinct phases were discerned in this period: an older one with traces of extensive metal production, and a younger one with 'caches' of metal objects of economic nature and/or ritual significance but no evidence of metallurgical activity. The first phase included a series of charcoal piles, as well as vast quantities of metallurgical artefacts. The area was seemingly divided into specialized zones, each one displaying a different distribution of artefact categories. The disparity in the spatial distribution between different sectors suggests that mass production coexisted with small-scale manufacturing and/or trade activities. In the following phase, industrial practices were entirely abandoned and at some point, the area changed its character and became primarily a place for hoarding metal artefacts, a practice not recognized in earlier levels.