Exploration of the late prehistoric occupation in the western part of Jebel Sabaloka in central Sudan: findings of the 2018 field campaign

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Archaeology of Holocene hunter-gatherers at the sixth Nile cataract, central Sudan

Jebel Sabaloka at the Sixth Nile Cataract has been known for its strategic importance in late prehistoric stone tool production in central Sudan. Since 2009, archaeological exploration on the west bank of the Nile has revealed a hierarchized settlement structure, with 30 sites of early to mid-Holocene dating. The key findings derive from two principal sites – Sphinx and Fox Hill – that are situated on large granite outcrops and provide evidence of robust occupation by hunter-gatherers of the Early Khartoum Complex (Khartoum Mesolithic, ca. 8,500–5,000 BC). One of the most intriguing elements at these Early Khartoum settlements is the presence of large hunter gatherer burial grounds, which will enrich the discussions of the character, duration and structuring of these Mesolithic societies at both regional and supra-regional level

Selected issues from archaeology of early middle ages: pottery and hillforts in Central Middle Bohemia

Institute of ArchaeologyÚstav pro archeologiiFilozofická fakultaFaculty of Art

An archaeological view on the determination of the location of the ruler's residence at Vyšehrad in the Early Middle Ages

Article contributes to recognition of localisation and ground plan of the residence of Czech rulers in the Early Middle Ages at Vyšehrad

Ceramic Finds from around St Martin's Rotunda at Vyšehrad

First processing of archaeological survey at St. Martin (Vyšehrad), proceeded in 1924-1926 by K. Guth. It brought knowledge of settlement's beginning in early medieval hillfort (at Vyšehrad)

Selected issues from archaeology of early middle ages: pottery and hillforts in Central Middle Bohemia

Institute of ArchaeologyÚstav pro archeologiiFilozofická fakultaFaculty of Art

Výzkum lokality Sfinga (SBK.W-60) v pohoří Sabaloka v centrálním Súdánu: poznatky z výzkumné sezóny 2014 // Exploration of the site of Sphinx (SBK.W-60) at Jebel Sabaloka in Central Sudan: findings of the 2014 field campaign

In the autumn of 2014, the interdisciplinary mission directed by the Czech Institute of Egyptology carried out its third excavation campaign at Jebel Sabaloka (West Bank). The site has been explored for remains of prehistoric occupation since 2011. A comparatively small area (7.50 m2 ) was explored in detail at the site of Sphinx (SBK.W-60) with the aim of identifying settlement layers and features, investigat - ing archaeological formation processes in co-operation with geologists and sedimentologists, and defining future meth - ods and procedures for exploration of prehistoric sites at Jebel Sabaloka. In addition to a number of important finds, several findings of methodological significance were made that contribute to the topical discussion on the character of cultural deposits of prehistoric dating in the Central Sudan and the possibilities and limitations of their stratigraphic excavation by means of traditional archaeological methods

Výzkum pravěkého osídlení v pohoří Sabaloka v centrálním Súdánu: poznatky z výzkumné sezóny 2017 // Exploration of the late prehistoric occupation at Jebel Sabaloka in central Sudan: findings of the 2017 field campaign

In the autumn of 2017, the exploration of the late prehistoric occupation on the west bank of the Nile at Jebel Sabaloka came to its fifth season. The fieldwork focused on the site of Fox Hill (SBK.W-20), last explored in 2012. Four trenches (no. 21–24) measuring 24 m2 in total (fig. 3) were excavated, all on Terrace 3 of the site (fig. 2). The most significant findings of the field campaign include the following: (1) A large late prehistoric burial ground was uncovered on Terrace 3. Based on the hitherto finds of intact (14 individuals) and disturbed burials and their distribution in Trenches 21 and 22 only, the burial ground appears to have been confined roughly to the southern third of Terrace 3 and to have contained at least several dozen deceased (figs. 4a, 5, 6). The use of shells of Nile bivalves as burial goods was attested (B.5, B.6; figs. 7 and 8); other items serving this function were not detected. Of interest is the presence of stone piles, in some cases carefully built, which covered burials particularly in the eastern part of Trench 22 (fig. 5). Before carrying out AMS 14C analyses, a Late Mesolithic dating can be tentatively put forward for (at least part of) this burial ground based on similarities to the burial ground at the site of Sphinx (e.g. Varadzinová – Varadzin 2017). (2) Terrace 3 had been used for settlement as well, both during the Mesolithic and the Neolithic. Several settlement features were uncovered, of which at least two had shapes reminiscent of those characteristic of storage pits (F.54, F.57 – not dated more precisely so far; fig. 4a). Also, a stratification of settlement layers was detected (fig. 4b). (3) Of utmost significance is the discovery of fragments of what appears to be a stratified sequence of layers of Pleistocene dating (!) (fig. 9). They contained numerous assemblages of lithics with an unusually high representation of vein quartz, tiny cores ca. 1 cm in size used for production of microbladelets possibly by indirect percussion, and other pieces of lithics exhibiting advanced patination. The material has tentatively been assigned to the Late Stone Age. (4) The first of its kind was also a workshop for the production of Neolithic gouges on red rhyolite (fig. 1, 2, 11), detected in the western part of Fox Hill, with finds of raw material, primary shaping waste, finalisation waste, and unfinished as well as finished artefacts. The exploration of the site will continue in 2018

Exploration of the late prehistoric occupation at Jebel Sabaloka in central Sudan: findings of the 2017 field campaign

In the autumn of 2017, the exploration of the late prehistoric occupation on the west bank of the Nile at Jebel Sabaloka came to its fifth season. The fieldwork focused on the site of Fox Hill (SBK.W-20), last explored in 2012. Four trenches (no. 21–24) measuring 24 m2 in total (fig. 3) were excavated, all on Terrace 3 of the site (fig. 2). The most significant findings of the field campaign include the following: (1) A large late prehistoric burial ground was uncovered on Terrace 3. Based on the hitherto finds of intact (14 individuals) and disturbed burials and their distribution in Trenches 21 and 22 only, the burial ground appears to have been confined roughly to the southern third of Terrace 3 and to have contained at least several dozen deceased (figs. 4a, 5, 6). The use of shells of Nile bivalves as burial goods was attested (B.5, B.6; figs. 7 and 8); other items serving this function were not detected. Of interest is the presence of stone piles, in some cases carefully built, which covered burials particularly in the eastern part of Trench 22 (fig. 5). Before carrying out AMS 14C analyses, a Late Mesolithic dating can be tentatively put forward for (at least part of) this burial ground based on similarities to the burial ground at the site of Sphinx (e.g. Varadzinová – Varadzin 2017). (2) Terrace 3 had been used for settlement as well, both during the Mesolithic and the Neolithic. Several settlement features were uncovered, of which at least two had shapes reminiscent of those characteristic of storage pits (F.54, F.57 – not dated more precisely so far; fig. 4a). Also, a stratification of settlement layers was detected (fig. 4b). (3) Of utmost significance is the discovery of fragments of what appears to be a stratified sequence of layers of Pleistocene dating (!) (fig. 9). They contained numerous assemblages of lithics with an unusually high representation of vein quartz, tiny cores ca. 1 cm in size used for production of microbladelets possibly by indirect percussion, and other pieces of lithics exhibiting advanced patination. The material has tentatively been assigned to the Late Stone Age. (4) The first of its kind was also a workshop for the production of Neolithic gouges on red rhyolite (fig. 1, 2, 11), detected in the western part of Fox Hill, with finds of raw material, primary shaping waste, finalisation waste, and unfinished as well as finished artefacts. The exploration of the site will continue in 2018.354