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The features of meroitic spread in south-central Sudan: remains along the White Nile region

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 March 2021

Ammar Awad Mohamed Abdalla
Ammar Awad Mohamed Abdalla*
Affiliation:
Department of Archaeology, University of Khartoum, Sudan
*
Corresponding author: Ammar Awad Mohamed Abdalla, email: [email protected]
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Abstract

New archaeological discoveries south of Khartoum in south-central Sudan are enhancing our ability to determine the spread of items originating from the Meroitic state 2000 years ago, beyond the political borders of the state. For the first time in a full-length paper, this research aims to increase our knowledge of archaeological sites dating to this period along the very poorly understood White Nile. The conditions of the sites are outlined, archival research was undertaken through an examination of the original excavation notes and records, and the importance of future research is highlighted. The results shed new light on the features of the communities living to the south of the state as well as how they interacted with the Meroitic state. The conclusions suggest that the lack of civil, political, and religious Meroitic constructions are indicative of a lack of political control over the White Nile where the archaeological evidence demonstrates that fisher-hunting activities predominated. However, there were commercial relations between these rural areas, and the Meroitic state was based on the White Nile's need for ivory, wood, animals, slaves, and perishable items such as leather, and on the presence of Meroitic products such as amulets, gold ornaments, iron arrowheads, and pottery.

عزز الاكتشافات عمار عوض محمد عبدالله ملامح الانتشار المروي في جنوب - وسط السودان : أدلة في منطقة النيل الأبيض الأثرية الجديدة جنوب الخرطوم في جنوب - وسط السودان قدرتنا على تحديد انتشار اللقى التي مصدرها الدولة المروية منذ 2000 سنة مضت، و ذلك خارج الحدود السياسية للدولة . لأول مرة في ورقة بحثية مطولة، يهدف هذا البحث إلى زيادة فهمنا للمواقع الأثرية التي يعود تاريخها إلى هذه الفترة على امتداد النيل الأبيض الذي يفتقر الى الفهم الجيد . تم إيضاح حالة المواقع و كذلك إجراء بحث في الأرشيف، من خلال استعراض ملاحظات التنقيب الأصلية وإعادة فحص السجلات، مع تسليط الضوء على أهمية البحوث المستقبلية . سلطت النتائج ضوء جديداً على فهم سمات المجتمعات التي عاشت جنوب الدولة وكذلك كيفية تفاعلها مع الدولة المروية . وقد تم استنتاج إن عدم وجود منشآت مروية مدنية وسياسية ودينية هو إشارة إلى نقص السيطرة السياسية على النيل الأبيض، حيث تشير الأدلة الأثرية إلى أن أنشطة الصيد و صيد السمك كانت هي السائدة . ومع ذلك، كانت هناك علاقات تجارية بين هذه المناطق الريفية والدولة المروية على أسس : (1) حاجة الدولة إلى العاج والخشب والحيوانات والعبيد والمواد القابلة للتلف، (2) وعلى وجود منتجات مروية مثل التمائم، والحلي الذهبية، و رؤوس السهام الحديدية والفخار على امتداد النيل الأبيض .

Keywords

MeroeWhite NileSouth KhartoumCultural Spread
Type
Part 2: Fieldwork Reports
Information
Libyan Studies , Volume 52 , November 2021 , pp. 159 - 165
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for Libyan Studies 2021

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