The Holocene Prehistory of Upper Nubia until the Rise of the Kerma Kingdom

Abstract

The Holocene prehistory of Upper Nubia has long been poorly known due to the few research projects focused on this period. In comparison, Lower Nubia and the Central Sudan have been much better studied. In Lower Nubia the sequence of Nab­ ta Playa 200 km west of the Nile (WENDORF/SCHILD 2001), complemented by the results of the High Dam campaign of the 1960s (WENDORF 1968), covers all of the Holocene from 8400 BC to historical times (GATTO 2011a). In the south, Central Su­ dan is rich in sites from the Mesolithic and Neolithic Periods (from 7000 to 3500 BC) even if there is still a chronological gap between the end of the Neolithic and the 2 millennium BC (USAI 2016). Between these two aforementioned regions of the Nile Valley, more than 700 km apart, few studies concentrated on the prehistory of Upper Nubia until recently. This area, particularly its chronological and cultural sequence, remains poorly known even if some research has been or still is ongoing at different sites. Some of the research projects focused on Neolithic cemeteries of the 5 millennium that were identified south of the Kerma basin in Kadruka (REr­ NOLD 2001; 2006), in the Northern Dongola Reach (WELSBY 2001; SALVATORI/USA! 2008) or between Debba and Korti (PERESSINOTTO ET AL. 2004). Along the Fourth Cataract, the construction of a new dam between 2004 and 2008 led to the discovery of Mesolithic and Neolithic sites, which are available in preliminary publications for the time being (OSYPINSKI 2014). In the north, between the Second and the Third Cataracts, the excavations on Sai Island have revealed evidence of the Mesolithic, Neolithic and Pre-Kerma (GARCEA/HILDEBRAND 2009). Despite these discoveries, the picture is patchy and does not allow for a clear understanding of the cultural dy­ namics in this part of the valley. For this reason, a programme of surveys and exca­ vations has been conducted since 2000 in the area of Kerma, south of the Third Cataract, in order to build a chronological framework and to follow the evolution of human societies during the Holocene Period from the Mesolithic to the beginning of the Kerma civilisation. It has produced a large volume of new data that substantially modifies our perception of prehistory in Upper Nubia. The obtained results and the exceptional sites that were discovered are less due to the particularity of the re­ gion rich in remains due to its geographical location than a consequence of long term research.