Latest by Lenka Varadzinová Suková
African Archaeological Review, 2023
The dating and meaning of petroglyphs constitute a challenge in African rock-art research. In thi... more The dating and meaning of petroglyphs constitute a challenge in African rock-art research. In this article, we present and discuss a recently found rock-art assemblage from the Shaqadud site complex (Sudan), a site aggregation that nicely documents Holocene prehistoric cultural adaptations in non-aquatic, deep-savanna environments in what is today the Eastern Sahel. The rock-art corpus contains 120 identifiable motifs with a clear predominance of giraffes (n = 113, 94.2%) that are of small dimensions (< 50 cm) and are shown in a limited number of compositions. The thematic and technological compactness of the assemblage suggests a chronological integrity of the local figurative rock art and a coherent thematic and technological mindset of its creators. The archaeological context and the general characteristics of the assemblage place the local figurative rock art between the beginning of the Holocene and the Late Neolithic, in absolute dates between ca. 8748–1639 cal BC. However, spatial and visual connections could suggest a narrower dating of the
assemblage, to the late Khartoum Mesolithic, around 6421–6088 cal BC. The predominance of the giraffe in the Shaqadud rock art suggests that this species may have carried a special significance for the local prehistoric communities. At the same time, the lack of hunting scenes in the figurative assemblage indicates that the importance of the giraffe motif goes beyond subsistence.
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African Archaeological Review, 2023
Burial assemblages inform us about the biology of past societies, social relations, and ritual an... more Burial assemblages inform us about the biology of past societies, social relations, and ritual and symbolic behavior. However, they also allow us to examine the circumstances of death and social violence. A high level of intergroup violence among prehistoric hunter-gatherers is well-documented in some times and places but is extremely rare in others. Here we present an analysis of the perimortem injury to skeleton PD8 at the site of Sphinx in Central Sudan. This burial, attributed to the Early Khartoum (Khartoum Mesolithic) Archaeological Time Period Late Stone Age, Early Holocene, Early Khartoum culture, Mesolithic.
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Quaternary Science Reviews, 2023
Radiocarbon dates from secure cultural contexts along the Sudanese Nile are crucial for understan... more Radiocarbon dates from secure cultural contexts along the Sudanese Nile are crucial for understanding the potential role of the Nile as a corridor for postglacial human dispersal across northern Africa. Dates from this region show reoccupation of the Sudanese Nile south of the Second Nile Cataract was delayed by 0.4-0.7 ka compared with the Sahara, where a dramatic increase in the number of radiocarbon dates suggests a massive colonisation of the previously hyper-arid region as early as 10.9-10.6 ka. We present a series of 44 radiocarbon dates from the site of Sphinx at the Sixth Nile Cataract in central Sudan that moves the beginnings of postglacial reoccupation of the Sudanese Nile from 10.2 to 10.7 ka and synchronizes occupation here with the first wave of early Holocene human expansion across northern Africa. These new dates support the role of the Nile as a corridor for expansion from sub-Saharan Africa. In addition to radiocarbon dates, this study also presents evidence for expansion from material culture. Our data show that the early Holocene Early Khartoum culture, which includes one of the earliest pottery traditions in Africa, appears in central Sudan as a “package” and may have been brought into the region from unknown settlement enclaves located further to the south, possibly in the upper White Nile or Blue Nile. The four-millennia-long and nearly continuous sequence of dates from Sphinx attests to stability of
hunter-gatherer settlement around the Sixth Nile Cataract. It also suggests adaptability and resilience of local hunter-gatherers in the face of climatic and environmental fluctuations that affected northern Africa during the early to middle Holocene.
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Journal of the National Museum (Prague), Natural History Series, 2022
The site of Sphinx (SBK.W-60), located about 80 km north of Khartoum in the western part of Jebel... more The site of Sphinx (SBK.W-60), located about 80 km north of Khartoum in the western part of Jebel Sabaloka, has been investigated since 2011 by the Charles University Sabaloka Expedition. Eleven trenches contained settlement deposits relating to occupation by hunter-fisher-gatherers of the Khartoum Mesolithic (or the Early Khartoum culture) dated at the site between 8750 and 4750 cal BC. In addition, five of the trenches yielded also human skeletal remains in primary and secondary deposits, with the minimal number of individuals estimated following anthropological standards at 45 individuals. The demographic structure of the burial site shows no selection based on sex, but immature individuals, especially those under the age of one year, seem to be markedly underrepresented, which is not unusual in pre-Neolithic funeral assemblages. Dental diseases, especially periapical lesions and inflammatory changes, predominate at Sphinx; however, a very low incidence of dental caries was recorded. Healed traumatic lesions or fractures possibly of accidental origin occurred in only six individuals. One identified case of perimortem trauma on the right scapula indicates an act of inter-personal violence. Nevertheless, it is possible to perceive the population buried at Sphinx as relatively healthy and peaceful.
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Památky archeologické 113, 2022
This study is devoted to stone artefacts made from raw materials that are valued for their hardne... more This study is devoted to stone artefacts made from raw materials that are valued for their hardness, tenacity, and texture. They were often ground, and some tools from this category were themselves used for grinding. In addition to shaping artefacts, they were employed in processing of food, crushing minerals and ores, or as parts of digging sticks. Changes in their functional composition generally signal significant subsistence, economic and social changes. As our research focuses on the Sahel region, which has undergone complex formative processes connected with climate change and radical transformation of living conditions, it is necessary to test diverse approaches to utilizing the information potential of finds from this region. The studied artefacts come from Mesolithic (~9000-5000 cal BC) and Early Neolithic (~5000-3800 cal BC) settlements in the western part of Jebel Sabaloka in central Sudan. We focus on two assemblages from surface collection at the sites of Sphinx (Mesolithic) and Fox Hill (Mesolithic and Early Neolithic). We first provide a critical review of core studies of ground stone artefacts from the region and propose a unified basic terminology. Subsequently, we present a new classification and description system and highlight certain variables which are important to track at the sites. Among other things, our conclusions indicate that although changes occur in the settlement system and domesticated animals appear in the study region in the fifth millennium BC, these changes are reflected neither in the quantity nor in any substantial way in the morphometric characteristics of ground stone artefacts as was the case, for instance, in the Near East.
V práci se věnujeme kamenným artefaktům ze surovin ceněných pro jejich tvrdost, soudržnost a zrnitost. V určité fázi výroby byly tvarovány broušením a některé byly samy k této činnosti využívány. Kromě tvarování artefaktů našly kamenné broušené artefakty uplatnění ve zpracování potravin, drcení minerálů a rud, či jako součásti kompozitních nástrojů. Změny v jejich tvarovém a funkčním složení většinou v pravěkých souborech signalizují významné subsistenční, ekonomické a společenské změny. Protože je náš výzkum zaměřen na území Sahelu, které prošlo řadou složitých formativních procesů, spojených se změnou klimatu a s radikální proměnou podmínek k životu, je nutné testovat různé přístupy ke studiu a využití informačního potenciálu místních nálezů, kamenné artefakty nevyjímaje. Artefakty pochází z mezolitických (~9000-5000 cal BC) a časně neolitických (~5000-3800 cal BC) lokalit v centrálním Súdánu. Předmětem studia byly zejména soubory z povrchových sběrů na lokalitách Sfinga (mezolit) a Liščí kopec (mezolit a časný neolit), ve dvou sousedních ekozónách v západní části pohoří Sabaloka. V článku jsou shrnuty základní práce o daném tématu v regionu a je navrženo sjednocení místní terminologie. Dále je představen nový klasifikační a deskripční systém a jsou vytyčeny některé proměnné, které je důležité nadále sledovat. Z našich závěrů mimo jiné vyplývá, že i když ve sledovaném regionu došlo kolem 5. tis. BC ke změnám v systému sídlení a objevují se kosterní pozůstatky domestikovaných zvířat původem z Předního východu, nelze potvrdit žádné významné změny ani v kvantitě, ale ani nijak zásadně v morfometrickém zastoupení broušených artefaktů. Socio-ekonomický vývoj zde v dané době probíhal jiným směrem, než známe z oblasti Předního východu.
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Sudan & Nubia, 2022
The prehistoric landscape in the western part of Jebel Sabaloka in the area of the Sixth Nile Cat... more The prehistoric landscape in the western part of Jebel Sabaloka in the area of the Sixth Nile Cataract features 32 sites of early and mid-Holocene dating. Most of the sites occupy elevated positions on granite outcrops that dot the north-western and south-western periphery of the mountain. The research carried out in this region by the Charles University Sabaloka Expedition since 2009 has included archaeological reconnaissance, repeated detailed surface surveys, excavation of test pits at selected locations, and larger-scale excavation at two major prehistoric sites. In 2014 and 2015, investigation focused on the site of Sphinx (SBK.W-60) in the north-western foothill zone of the mountain with preserved evidence of intensive use of the site by hunter-fisher-gatherers of the Early Khartoum culture (or Khartoum Mesolithic) for settlement and, for a certain period, also as a burial ground. In 2017 and 2018, two field campaigns were dedicated to further exploration of the site of Fox Hill (SBK.W-20), situated c. 4 km to the south-west of Sphinx, where previous research identified the remains of occupation during the Early Khartoum culture and Early (or Shaheinab) Neolithic. Here we report on the main findings and field observations made during the latter two field campaigns. They confirm the exceptional significance of the site of Fox Hill for the study of cultural processes and strategies of Sub-Saharan populations in the context of climatic and environmental changes in Northeast Africa from the late Pleistocene to mid-Holocene.
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Buď také písařem. Studie věnované památce Břetislava Vachaly, 2022
This paper (in Czech) presents for the first time the rock gongs documented in the western part o... more This paper (in Czech) presents for the first time the rock gongs documented in the western part of Jebel Sabaloka, where - in the absence of evidence of early rock art - the documented gongs represent not only the relics of sounds in the local landscape, but also the evidence of its possible incorporation into the ritual behaviour of former inhabitants of the region.
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African Archaeological Review, 2022
Professor Randi Haaland is a Norwegian archaeologist with a distinctive anthropological approach ... more Professor Randi Haaland is a Norwegian archaeologist with a distinctive anthropological approach and global research interests. In this conversation, Randi Haaland reflects on her extraordinary and multifaceted engagement with archaeology and Africa for over 50 years, from her formative experience as a young woman among the Fur in Sudan in the mid-1960s, through her research between the processual and post-processual paradigms, to the capacity-building programs she initiated with the support of the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD). Randi Haaland created her unique path in the archaeology of Africa. This interview shows that it has been the right path towards a novel and in-depth understanding of the human past, especially on food culture, beginnings of food production, gender, and technology.
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Bulletin d’Archéologie Marocaine, 2022
Jebel Sabaloka at the Sixth Nile Cataract has been known for its strategic importance in late pre... more 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.
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Bulletin d’Archéologie Marocaine, 2022
Jebel Sabaloka at the Sixth Nile Cataract has been known for its strategic importance in late pre... more 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.
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Papers by Lenka Varadzinová Suková
Der Antike Sudan - Mitteilungen der Sudanarchäologischen Gesellschaft zu Berlin e.V., 2021
In the spring of 2019, fifteen late prehistoric sites in the western part of Jebel Sabaloka, expl... more In the spring of 2019, fifteen late prehistoric sites in the western part of Jebel Sabaloka, explored since 2009 by the Charles University Sabaloka Expedition, were investigated with the aim to gather a broad spectrum of comparable datasets required for assessment of inter- and intra-site variability in this region. The fieldwork involved both surface research and small-scale excavation using an updated research methodology elaborated by our team for exploration of the late prehistoric sites in this specific region. Alongside, typological, morphological and technological study of pottery and ground stone artefacts from selected sites was performed, while parallel palaeoenvironmental investigation focused on the study of the character and extent of palaeosols in the region and on understanding of the hydrological regime in the area during late prehistory. In this paper, we report the main results of the field research obtained through a portfolio of methods and approaches employed to overcome the challenges posed by the differing degree of alteration of the late prehistoric sites in central Sudan through diverse C- and N-transforms.
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Archeologia Polona 58: Special theme: PREHISTORy Of NORTH-EAST AFRICA Volume dedicated to Prof. Michał Kobusiewicz on his 80th birthday, 2020
The site of Fox Hill (SBK.W-20) constitutes the second locality in the Sixth Nile Cataract region... more The site of Fox Hill (SBK.W-20) constitutes the second locality in the Sixth Nile Cataract region where a large communal burial ground of Early Khartoum hunter-gatherers was partially uncovered. In several aspects, this cemetery resembles in its characteristics the Early Khartoum burial ground explored between 2012 and 2015 at the site of Sphinx (SBK.W-60), located some 4 km to the north-east. The co-occurrence of these burial grounds with intensively occupied coeval settlements as well as the characteristics of the burial rite enable us to interpret these complex sites not only as mere places of life and death, but also as centres of collective identity based on social memory.
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Quaternary International
The site of Sphinx (SBK.W-60) is located about 3.5 km from the present Nile in the western part o... more The site of Sphinx (SBK.W-60) is located about 3.5 km from the present Nile in the western part of Jebel Sabaloka, upstream of the Sixth Nile Cataract, in Sudan. This site uniquely includes Early Khartoum (Mesolithic) artifacts with no intrusive elements and has been dated from the ninth to the end of the sixth millennium cal BC. Excavations at Trench 7, in particular, brought to light a 1.2-m thick deposit with the quantitatively and qualitatively richest artifactual materials. Analysis and classification of the pottery assemblage from this site have been conducted with the aim of observing manufacturing techniques and examining the correlation between pottery production, cultural change and chronological variability. We undertook visual examinations of the manufacturing techniques combined with petrographic (optical microscopy, OM) and chemical analyses (instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis, iNAA), observations of manufacturing and decorative techniques, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and gas chromatography-combustion-isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC-C-IRMS) on absorbed organic residues. The vertical distribution of the ceramic assemblage in Trench 7 reveals the existence of a relative sequence suggesting consistent technological variability throughout the site&#39;s occupation.
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Der Antike Sudan (30), 2019
In this paper we report on the remains of a hafir (artificial water reservoir) found in the weste... more In this paper we report on the remains of a hafir (artificial water reservoir) found in the western part of the Butana Desert near the ancient site of Naqa that can be dated before or to the early Post-Meroitic period at the latest (ca. AD 200–550). Although its constructional elements make it similar to the well-known gigantic hafirs at the central Meroitic sites, its small dimensions and absence of any indicators of central function allow envisaging its construction by local agro-pastoralists beyond direct control of the Meroitic central power. This new find necessitates in-depth research into origin and dispersion of this ancient form of water management still in use in today’s Sudan.
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Pražské egyptologické studie XXII, 2019
The most significant findings of the ongoing exploration of the Fox Hill site in the western part... more The most significant findings of the ongoing exploration of the Fox Hill site in the western part of the Sabaloka Mountains
include the detection of extensive remains of a more-than-one-metre thick deposit on Terrace 1, tentatively interpreted as
a relic of prehistoric Nile floods that must have reached as high as 10 metres above the present level of the Nile inundation,
and the confirmation of the considerable size of the burial ground on Terrace 3, where 26 primary inhumations and
21 groups of more or less articulated human bones appertaining to a still unspecified number of individuals have been
uncovered so far. Further examples of scarce remains of grave goods were found with three individuals (stone tools, bones
of a large mammal, beads of ostrich eggshell and red quartz). We suppose Mesolithic dating for most of the burials, but
a Neolithic date is more likely in the case of the burial of a child with stone beads found in the uppermost stratigraphic
position (indication of the continuity of the burial ground into the Neolithic). It is thus confirmed that Fox Hill stands out in
many respects in the settlement structure of the western part of the Sabaloka Mountains and can constitute a source of data
of extraordinary significance for addressing a number of issues of supra-regional importance.
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Africac Archaeological Review, 2019
Neolithic stone tool production in Sudan was quite diverse but exhibited high standards of produc... more Neolithic stone tool production in Sudan was quite diverse but exhibited high standards of production, as exemplified by the adze-like artifacts called “gouges”. Drawing on data from several sites in Jebel Sabaloka, and comparative data from Shaheinab and Sheikh el-Amin, our paper examines the economy of gouge production from a technological point of view. More specifically, we discuss the process of gouge production and distribution through the study of raw material sourcing and methods of manufacture. We determine that the Neolithic people of central Sudan preferred rhyolites for the manufacture of gouges and that the production was highly standardized. We also examine the implications of gouge production for understanding Neolithic social networks in the region.
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Ägypten und Levante 28: 21-24, 2018
The paper brings together a complete list of publications on rock art of Northeast Africa and Ara... more The paper brings together a complete list of publications on rock art of Northeast Africa and Arabian Peninsula (co-)authored by Pavel Červíček. The overview is introduced by a brief overview of life and research of this Egyptologist and Prehistorian of Czechoslovak origin, who spent most of his life in emigration in (West) Germany.
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Desert and the Nile. Prehistory of the Nile Basin and the Sahara Papers in honour of Fred Wendorf, Nov 2018
In the autumn of 2014, the Czech interdisciplinary mission directed by the Czech Institute of Egy... more In the autumn of 2014, the Czech interdisciplinary mission directed by the Czech Institute of Egyptology (Faculty of Arts, Charles University in Prague) resumed its fieldwork at Jebel Sabaloka (West Bank) explored for remains of prehistoric occupation since 2011. The attention of the mission focused on the site of Sphinx (SBK.W-60), one of this region’s most significant Mesolithic settlements located on a granite outcrop in an embayment in the north-western slope of the jebel. Three weeks of the 2014 field campaign were devoted to a detailed exploration of a comparatively small area (Sounding 5 of 7.5 m2) with a view to elaborating the stratigraphic excavation method and to contributing to the topical discussion in prehistoric archaeology of the central Sudan as to the possibilities and limitations of the understanding of the original cultural stratigraphies and the post-depositional processes affecting the prehistoric cultural deposits. In addition, the exploration was to address the issue of the size of the burial ground uncovered in the southern part of the settlement and tentatively dated to the 8th millennium cal. BC and the issue of the relation of the burial ground to the settlement stratigraphy.
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Pražské egyptologické studie, 2018
The paper presents an overview of the fifth excavation season in the framework of the exploration... more The paper presents an overview of the fifth excavation season in the framework of the exploration of late prehistoric occupation in the western part of the Sabaloka Mountains (Jebel Sabaloka) in central Sudan in the autumn of 2017. The fieldwork focused on the site of Fox Hill (SBK.W-20), one of the two most significant late prehistoric sites in the research area, with remains of intensive occupation of Early Khartoum (or Mesolithic) and Neolithic dating. The most significant findings and results include: 1. confirmation of existence of another large hunter-gatherer burial grounds in the area of Jebel Sabaloka (West Bank); 2. presence of settlement features and detection of stratification of settlement layers; 3. uncovering of fragments of stratified sequence of layers of Pleistocene dating; and 4. identification of a workshop for the production of Neolithic gouges on red rhyolite.
(text in Czech, with a summary and captions in English)
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Latest by Lenka Varadzinová Suková
assemblage, to the late Khartoum Mesolithic, around 6421–6088 cal BC. The predominance of the giraffe in the Shaqadud rock art suggests that this species may have carried a special significance for the local prehistoric communities. At the same time, the lack of hunting scenes in the figurative assemblage indicates that the importance of the giraffe motif goes beyond subsistence.
hunter-gatherer settlement around the Sixth Nile Cataract. It also suggests adaptability and resilience of local hunter-gatherers in the face of climatic and environmental fluctuations that affected northern Africa during the early to middle Holocene.
V práci se věnujeme kamenným artefaktům ze surovin ceněných pro jejich tvrdost, soudržnost a zrnitost. V určité fázi výroby byly tvarovány broušením a některé byly samy k této činnosti využívány. Kromě tvarování artefaktů našly kamenné broušené artefakty uplatnění ve zpracování potravin, drcení minerálů a rud, či jako součásti kompozitních nástrojů. Změny v jejich tvarovém a funkčním složení většinou v pravěkých souborech signalizují významné subsistenční, ekonomické a společenské změny. Protože je náš výzkum zaměřen na území Sahelu, které prošlo řadou složitých formativních procesů, spojených se změnou klimatu a s radikální proměnou podmínek k životu, je nutné testovat různé přístupy ke studiu a využití informačního potenciálu místních nálezů, kamenné artefakty nevyjímaje. Artefakty pochází z mezolitických (~9000-5000 cal BC) a časně neolitických (~5000-3800 cal BC) lokalit v centrálním Súdánu. Předmětem studia byly zejména soubory z povrchových sběrů na lokalitách Sfinga (mezolit) a Liščí kopec (mezolit a časný neolit), ve dvou sousedních ekozónách v západní části pohoří Sabaloka. V článku jsou shrnuty základní práce o daném tématu v regionu a je navrženo sjednocení místní terminologie. Dále je představen nový klasifikační a deskripční systém a jsou vytyčeny některé proměnné, které je důležité nadále sledovat. Z našich závěrů mimo jiné vyplývá, že i když ve sledovaném regionu došlo kolem 5. tis. BC ke změnám v systému sídlení a objevují se kosterní pozůstatky domestikovaných zvířat původem z Předního východu, nelze potvrdit žádné významné změny ani v kvantitě, ale ani nijak zásadně v morfometrickém zastoupení broušených artefaktů. Socio-ekonomický vývoj zde v dané době probíhal jiným směrem, než známe z oblasti Předního východu.
Papers by Lenka Varadzinová Suková
include the detection of extensive remains of a more-than-one-metre thick deposit on Terrace 1, tentatively interpreted as
a relic of prehistoric Nile floods that must have reached as high as 10 metres above the present level of the Nile inundation,
and the confirmation of the considerable size of the burial ground on Terrace 3, where 26 primary inhumations and
21 groups of more or less articulated human bones appertaining to a still unspecified number of individuals have been
uncovered so far. Further examples of scarce remains of grave goods were found with three individuals (stone tools, bones
of a large mammal, beads of ostrich eggshell and red quartz). We suppose Mesolithic dating for most of the burials, but
a Neolithic date is more likely in the case of the burial of a child with stone beads found in the uppermost stratigraphic
position (indication of the continuity of the burial ground into the Neolithic). It is thus confirmed that Fox Hill stands out in
many respects in the settlement structure of the western part of the Sabaloka Mountains and can constitute a source of data
of extraordinary significance for addressing a number of issues of supra-regional importance.
(text in Czech, with a summary and captions in English)
assemblage, to the late Khartoum Mesolithic, around 6421–6088 cal BC. The predominance of the giraffe in the Shaqadud rock art suggests that this species may have carried a special significance for the local prehistoric communities. At the same time, the lack of hunting scenes in the figurative assemblage indicates that the importance of the giraffe motif goes beyond subsistence.
hunter-gatherer settlement around the Sixth Nile Cataract. It also suggests adaptability and resilience of local hunter-gatherers in the face of climatic and environmental fluctuations that affected northern Africa during the early to middle Holocene.
V práci se věnujeme kamenným artefaktům ze surovin ceněných pro jejich tvrdost, soudržnost a zrnitost. V určité fázi výroby byly tvarovány broušením a některé byly samy k této činnosti využívány. Kromě tvarování artefaktů našly kamenné broušené artefakty uplatnění ve zpracování potravin, drcení minerálů a rud, či jako součásti kompozitních nástrojů. Změny v jejich tvarovém a funkčním složení většinou v pravěkých souborech signalizují významné subsistenční, ekonomické a společenské změny. Protože je náš výzkum zaměřen na území Sahelu, které prošlo řadou složitých formativních procesů, spojených se změnou klimatu a s radikální proměnou podmínek k životu, je nutné testovat různé přístupy ke studiu a využití informačního potenciálu místních nálezů, kamenné artefakty nevyjímaje. Artefakty pochází z mezolitických (~9000-5000 cal BC) a časně neolitických (~5000-3800 cal BC) lokalit v centrálním Súdánu. Předmětem studia byly zejména soubory z povrchových sběrů na lokalitách Sfinga (mezolit) a Liščí kopec (mezolit a časný neolit), ve dvou sousedních ekozónách v západní části pohoří Sabaloka. V článku jsou shrnuty základní práce o daném tématu v regionu a je navrženo sjednocení místní terminologie. Dále je představen nový klasifikační a deskripční systém a jsou vytyčeny některé proměnné, které je důležité nadále sledovat. Z našich závěrů mimo jiné vyplývá, že i když ve sledovaném regionu došlo kolem 5. tis. BC ke změnám v systému sídlení a objevují se kosterní pozůstatky domestikovaných zvířat původem z Předního východu, nelze potvrdit žádné významné změny ani v kvantitě, ale ani nijak zásadně v morfometrickém zastoupení broušených artefaktů. Socio-ekonomický vývoj zde v dané době probíhal jiným směrem, než známe z oblasti Předního východu.
include the detection of extensive remains of a more-than-one-metre thick deposit on Terrace 1, tentatively interpreted as
a relic of prehistoric Nile floods that must have reached as high as 10 metres above the present level of the Nile inundation,
and the confirmation of the considerable size of the burial ground on Terrace 3, where 26 primary inhumations and
21 groups of more or less articulated human bones appertaining to a still unspecified number of individuals have been
uncovered so far. Further examples of scarce remains of grave goods were found with three individuals (stone tools, bones
of a large mammal, beads of ostrich eggshell and red quartz). We suppose Mesolithic dating for most of the burials, but
a Neolithic date is more likely in the case of the burial of a child with stone beads found in the uppermost stratigraphic
position (indication of the continuity of the burial ground into the Neolithic). It is thus confirmed that Fox Hill stands out in
many respects in the settlement structure of the western part of the Sabaloka Mountains and can constitute a source of data
of extraordinary significance for addressing a number of issues of supra-regional importance.
(text in Czech, with a summary and captions in English)
Submitted for review in: October 2014
Reviewed by: Dr. Dirk Huyge (Curator of Prehistoric and Early Dynastic Egypt, Royal Museums of Art and History, Brussels, Belgium)
Prof. PhDr. Břetislav Vachala, CSc. (Czech Institute of Egyptology, Faculty of Arts, Charles University in Prague)
Defended in front of a commission on: 13 April 2015
Part I of the volume is devoted to the southern part of the Oasis (also known as El-Hayz) and the exploration carried out there by the team led by the Czech Institute of Egyptology, Charles University in Prague. Part II concentrates on the northern part of the same oasis bringing forth the results of scholarly research by the French team led by Université de Strasbourg. Complementing
the two parts is the fi nal chapter which deals with water management in the Western Desert as a whole.
Containing chapters written by archaeologists, Egyptologists, philologists and natural scientists, this richly illustrated book attempts at providing as comprehensive picture of the past of the Bahriya Oasis as can be drawn from the hitherto research, encompassing a wide range of aspects from settlement history and environment to material culture and written evidence.
Ivan Mrázek: Sahara, severoafrická Velká poušť [Sahara, the Great Desert of North Africa]
Lenka Suková: Objevování Sahary [Discovering the Sahara]
Marie Dufková: Severní Afrika ve starověku [North Africa in Antiquity]
Josef Kandert: Obyvatelé Sahary a jejich sousedé [The inhabitants of the Sahara and their neighbours]
Lenka Suková: Kamínky a střípky saharské mozaiky [The stones and sherds of the Saharan mosaic]
Jacek Lapott: Cesta štětínského muzea do Afriky [The journey of the Museum of Szczecin to Africa]""
Suková, L. & L. Varadzin, 2012. Preliminary report on the exploration of Jebel Sabaloka (West Bank), 2009–2012. Sudan & Nubia 16: 118–131.
Research of the Czech Institute of Egyptology in the Sudan
(Prof. Miroslav Bárta, Dr., Czech Institute of Egyptology, Charles University in Prague)
Sabaloka Research Project
(Mgr. Lenka Suková, Czech Institute of Egyptology, Charles University in Prague)
Archaeological exploration of Jebel Sabaloka
(Mgr. Ladislav Varadzin, Ph.D., Institute of Archaeology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague, v. v. i.)
Testimony of the lithics
(Mgr. Jaroslav Řídký, Ph.D., Institute of Archaeology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague, v. v. i.)
Natural sciences in Jebel Sabaloka
Palaeoecology (Mgr. Petr Pokorný, Ph.D., Centre for Theoretical Studies, Charles University in Prague)
Archaeobotany (Mgr. Adéla Pokorná, Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague)
Sedimentology (Mgr. Lenka Lisá, Ph.D., Institute of Geology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague, v. v. i.)
Archaeozoology (Mgr. Zdenka Sůvová, Czech Institute of Egyptology, Charles University in Prague)
particular site in late prehistory, but also of the entire landscape of the Lake Basin area. The report also contains an overview of the methods and first results of a surface survey of selected sites in the research area focused on lithic, on the one hand, and of a geoarchaelogical survey and sample-taking focused on collection of varied data for palaeoenvironmental reconstructions.
The course will begin by an introductory exposition of the environment of the studied regions, by an overview of the main milestones in the archaeology of the Sudan, related with the changes of paradigms in the archaeological theory and practice and with the changing political, economic, and social situation in the country, and by a presentation of the main sources and fundamental topics of the archaeology of the Sudan. These will be elaborated in individual lectures devoted to the developments of and changes in the modes of settlement, burying, and material culture in the individual areas of the Sudan from the Mesolithic period to the Post-Medieval period, reaching over to the present times.
Themes of lectures:
1. Introduction into the archaeology of the Sudan (4. 10. 2012)
2. Archaeology of the Sudanese hunters, fishers, and gatherers (Mesolithic) (11. 10. 2012)
3. Archaeology of the Sudanese herders and pastoralists (Neolithic) (18. 10. 2012)
4. Archaeology of the present-day desert areas (Eastern Sahara) (25. 10. 2012)
5. Rock art (1. 11. 2012)
6. Archaeology of the Bronze Age in the Sudan (C-Group, Kerma, Pangrave culture, Gash Group, Leiterband in Wadi Howar) (15. 11. 2012)
7. Archaeology of the ancient Egyptian presence in the Sudan; archaeology of the great Sudanese empires 1: Napata (22. 11. 2012)
8. Archaeology of the great Sudanese empires 2: Meroe; archaeology of the Post-Meroitic period (29. 11. 2012)
9. Archaeology of the Post-Meroitic period (continued); archaeology of the Christian "Medieval" period in the Sudan (6. 12. 2012)
10. "Islamic archaeology" in the Sudan (13. 12. 2012)
The Czech Institute of Egyptology inaugurates in the Cross Corridor of Prague’s Carolinum a photographic exhibition From Aswan to Khartoum: Czech archaeological explorations between the Nile cataracts. The exhibition presents the main milestones in the uncovering of the civilisation developments in Nubia and Sudan where, for instance, the earliest states in Africa, after the pharaonic Egypt, emerged in the past. It was in this very region that the so far greatest rescue campaign in the history of world archaeology took place under the auspices of UNESCO in 1960s. However, the investigations of the early civilisations in the territory of Sudan continue also at the present time, and with the engagement of no less than three Czech expeditions. In the exhibition the main attention is focused on the role played in the uncovering of the past of this region by the Czech (and formerly Czechoslovak) scientific teams. Nevertheless, an emphasis is placed on the international context of the explorations. For the first time ever, therefore, the visitors have a chance to see photographs provided for the purposes of the exhibition by a number of foremost foreign scientific institutions engaged in research in the region. The exhibition is organised under the auspices of the vice-president of the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic, Mr. Petr Gazdík, Chairman of the Czech Commission for UNESCO.
More on the exhibition
The introductory part overviews the history of civilisation developments in Nubia and Sudan and unveils the first steps in its discovering that took place in the 19th and the first half of the 20th centuries. The second part is particularly dedicated to the UNESCO salvage campaign necessitated by the building of the Aswan High Dam in the 1960s. At that time, the main aim was to map and explore as many sites as possible and to rescue the most significant monuments. The grand scale of this campaign is attested by the fact that more than 40 scientific teams from all over the world got engaged in the fieldwork, among them also the expedition of the Czechoslovak Institute of Egyptology of the Charles University. The third part provides an insight into some of the discoveries of the three scientific expeditions that have been working in Sudan since 2009. The following teams are concerned:
- Expedition under the direction of the Czech Institute of Egyptology at Jebel Sabaloka in the area of the Sixth Nile Cataract, which specialises on the exploration of the markedly significant remains of prehistoric occupation from the period of hunter-gatherers (9th–6th millennia BC) and early pastoralists (5th–4th millennia BC).
- Expedition under the direction of the Czech Institute of Egyptology working at the promising site of Usli where remains of a city with temples and palaces from the period of the Napatan and Meroitic kingdoms (9th century BC – 4th century AD) have been brought to light recently.
- Expedition under the direction of Prague’s National Museum at the site of Wad Ben Naga, which carries out exploration and conservation of temples and royal palaces in one of the key centres of the Meroitic kingdom (3rd century BC – 4th century AD).
The exhibition is open daily between 13th October and 11th November 2015 from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. in the Gothic Cross Corridor of Charles University´s Carolinum, Ovocný trh 3, Prague 1, Czech Republic.
Admission free.
Participating institutions:
Czech Institute of Egyptology, Faculty of Arts, Charles University in Prague; National Museum – Náprstek Museum of Asian, African and American Cultures; Institute of Archaeology of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague, v. v. i.; and Faculty of Environment of the Jan Evangelista Purkyně University in Ústí nad Labem.
The former of the two seasons made it possible to clarify the layout of Temple 1; its consecration, however, still remains obscure. During the latter season, remnants of a large right-angled building were partially excavated to the south of the main “palace”. Its mudbrick walls once delimited an interior paved by quality sandstone blocks with the ceiling supported by a series of posts resting on sandstone pads. The discovery of wall paintings that once decorated its interior walls creates an extraordinary context that is probably connected to a possible religious function of this building. The current hypothesis is that this structure might have been a temple servicing the main “palace”. The presumption of contemporaneity between this “temple” and the main “palace” building seems to be supported by an existence of the outside pavement of a courtyard connecting both buildings.
The remnants of an earlier brick structure detected below the foundations of this “temple” and of more recent walls superimposed over its brickwork point to a more complex building history of this part of the site. A better understanding of this history, as well as of the daily life of the Kushite social elites, constitutes the main aim to be pursued in the years to come.
No less than five main colour types (red, yellow, white, black, dark blue) – sometimes occurring in several colour values – were recorded and sampled for pigment analyses (microscopic, XRF, element analysis). In addition, the varied layers of plasters in situ were sampled for micromorphological observation. In this paper, we provide the first detailed description and evaluation of the wall paintings uncovered in the studied structure, together with the results of their first analyses.
During the research performed by the Czech Institute of Egyptology (Charles University in Prague) at Jebel Sabaloka and the Sixth Nile Cataract, abundant evidence of occupation during the Mesolithic was brought to light in the area of the “Rocky Cities” in the north-western foot-zone of the mountain. Subsequent excavation of one of the sites (Sphinx, SBK.W-60) situated on one of the granite outcrops revealed archaeological deposits that lacked visible stratification – a situation typical of most late prehistoric sites in central Sudan. In the vicinity of the archaeological sites, black sediments approx. 1 metre in thickness were found in quite large patches, sometimes covered by rock debris, in an area of ca. 5 square kilometres. Varied pedogeochemical analyses and micromorphological study revealed that these sediments did not constitute soils s.s. and that the black colour reflected post-depositional processes connected with reduction environment. Shells of Bulinus forskalii retrieved from one sample suggest a presence of anoxic environment.
Therefore, there is varied evidence that the area covered by the black deposits is a former swamp environment as described in other places along the Nile. But it has to be noted that these black deposits are not “swamp” deposits in their whole thickness, but only a colluvium rich in Mn and Ca, deposited at places with non-permeable background and subsequently influenced by redoximorphic conditions. Due to heavy erosion, however, the uppermost part (approx. 1 metre) of the former deposits with potentially abundant Pila shells has been removed. It may be suggested that the muddy sediments had occurred not only at large in the “Rocky Cities”, but also on the granite outcrops where Mesolithic deposits have been revealed. It is the presence of muddy conditions that might have severely influenced the stratification of archaeological deposits.
In this paper, we will visit the rock-art landscapes in two sections of the Nile Valley in Lower Nubia and survey a selection of sites where the character of the rock art from the point of view of thematic, stylistic, structural, and technical aspects and/or the marked spatial and temporal dynamics of the rock-art panels allow us to perceive these sites as “Places” – locales of special social or religious significance – in the otherwise profane, albeit through rock art humanised landscapes.
An integral part of archaeological exploration is the creation of documentation by means of a variety of geodetic methods. In both archaeological concessions, a total station was used for the surveying of archaeological sites and features and topographic elements (such as terrain, settlements, communications). The outcomes of the surveying are plans and specialised archaeological maps, which supplement the satellite images of both research areas. The two concessions differ from each other in the specific conditions and requirements for fieldwork. Due to the absence of a geodetic network and a correction signal for the measurements by means of GPS receivers, the survey is performed in a local coordinate system and even standard surveying procedures must be adjusted from time to time to fit the local conditions. The objective of this article is to present the surveying methods applied in the extreme conditions of the Sudanese deserts and the results achieved.
The objective of this paper is to make a first detailed presentation of the hitherto only insufficiently published rock paintings and rock drawings from the Painted Shelter at Korosko. Besides treatment of the motives/scenes depicted, methods of execution, and styles of depiction, the paper shall consider the archaeological and landscape context of the images, analogies reported from other areas of Egypt and Nubia (as to site type, motives/scenes, and style of depiction), and discuss the attribution, dating, and interpretation of the images and the shelter. The presentation will include black-and-white and colour archival photographs taken in the course of the survey and plates with painted reconstruction (in colour) of the rock art panel, prepared for the purposes of publication.