Mapping Early Holocene to contemporary surface processes and human landscapes west of the lower White Nile (central Sudan)

Abstract

Morphogenetic surface processes and anthropogenic landscape alterations have been tied together throughout the ages in the so-called human-environmental nexus since the inception of humankind as an active agent in the shaping of ecosystems. Here, we present instances of such interactions from an archaeologically paramount area west of the lower White Nile (central Sudan), where the sprawling mega conurbation of Sudan's capital city, and its peripheral infrastructural anthromes, intermingle with prehistoric human-inhabited landscapes, masking and disrupting natural and archaeological features while, in turn, increasing the rich and complex stratification of the human presence in the Sahel. A comprehensive examination of the geomorphological palimpsest, carried out in the field and through remote sensing, is provided, and is accompanied by a contextualised illustration of the known regional Holocene prehistoric, protohistoric and later archaeology.

This research highlights the importance of carrying out geomorphological, geoarchaeological and remote sensing investigations to reach a fuller comprehension of the archaeological palimpsest of a region, while also providing a vivid tool for promoting survey activities in underexplored areas and stimulating novel research questions.