The fieldwork of the Expedition of the Università degli Studi di Napoli “l’Orientale” to the Eastern Sudan took place from 1980 and 1995, was resumed after a gap of fifteen years in 2010, and continued in 2011 (Manzo 2011, 2012b). At the... more
The fieldwork of the Expedition of the Università degli Studi di Napoli “l’Orientale” to the Eastern Sudan took place from 1980 and 1995, was resumed after a gap of fifteen years in 2010, and continued in 2011 (Manzo 2011, 2012b). At the very beginning of the project, the main goal of the research project was the explanation of similarities in the ceramic traditions of the Ethiopian highlands and of the Nile Valley. Thus, the Kassala region and Gash Delta, a study area located in an intermediate and crucial position for understanding the relationships between Ethiopian highlands and Nile Valley, was selected. This was an area which, before the fieldwork conducted from 1980 to 1995 by the Expedition, was virtually unknown from the archaeological point of view. Therefore, the definition of a cultural sequence for the Kassala region and Gash delta is an outstanding result of the fieldwork conducted by the Expedition in the 80s. Moreover, it was also possible to outline the processes taking place in the region.
Tumuli fields at El-Zuma and El-Detti were dated to the 2nd phase of the Early Makurian period, c. AD 450–550. They represented three types of tombs of different sizes and structures. The animal remains from these graves were analyzed in... more
Tumuli fields at El-Zuma and El-Detti were dated to the 2nd phase of the Early Makurian period, c. AD 450–550. They represented three types of tombs of different sizes and structures. The animal remains from these graves were analyzed in the context of animal economy practiced by the people who lived in the vicinity of the burial sites. aDNA analysis was conducted for cattle remains to explain its origin and significance for the inhabitants of the region. The research showed the agricultural nature of the settlement located to the north of the Nile Valley with the great importance of cattle and sheep breeding. It also indicated the northern direction of trade and cultural contacts of the society based in the El-Zuma/El-Detti microregion and the deep social stratification within this group.
ABSTRACT: This research project is carried on thanks to a scientific cooperation agreement between the National Corporation for Antiquities and Museums – NCAM and the Cultural Association for the Study of Egypt and Sudan (ACSES) ONLUS. It... more
ABSTRACT: This research project is carried on thanks to a scientific cooperation agreement between the National Corporation for Antiquities and Museums – NCAM and the Cultural Association for the Study of Egypt and Sudan (ACSES) ONLUS. It is financed by the ACSES and the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The survey was carried out in the Merowe region of Sudan, North Africa. This is the transaltio of the preliminary archaeological report, originally titled "ARCHAEOLOGICAL MISSION OF THE ACSES IN SUDAN/AFRICA: SURVEY IN THE REGION OF MEROWE” (2019). The field activities were conducted between November 12 and 18, 2019.
Key Words: Archaeological Mission. Archaeology of Sudan. African Heritage.
This paper will argue that human-animal relationships in the Predynastic period of Egypt might be understood through the analysis of zoomorphic artefacts. Supplied with this paper is a database containing 617 three-dimensional zoomorphic... more
This paper will argue that human-animal relationships in the Predynastic period of Egypt might be understood through the analysis of zoomorphic artefacts. Supplied with this paper is a database containing 617 three-dimensional zoomorphic objects excavated from Predynastic Egyptian sites. The analysis of the database, as well as critical discussions of forms leads to several conclusions. This paper details how artefacts may have related to the nature of cosmology and how animal-spirits represented aspects of place, identity and ancestors. Certain animals are appropriate for specific artefact types, such as fish being the most common animal depicted on palettes. The use of anthropological thought and ethnographic studies also aid in the interpretation of certain practices and beliefs related to animals and humans. The rise of elite powers seems to have affected how animals were used in artwork and iconography. Forms such as the ‘bull’s head’ amulet appear more frequently towards the Early Dynastic period, but also the nature of late Predynastic ceremonial artefacts seems to have altered how humans related with animals in artwork. This paper shows how the elite appropriation of forms affected animal images in relation to official writing, but also how some aspects of hieroglyphic writing may have been anticipated on zoomorphic artefacts in the Predynastic period.
