Excavations at the 10-W-4 prehistoric
site
While Donatella was investigating
the lower levels at 10-X-6, some of us (Luana and Sandro)
opened a number of test trenches at the Mesolithic site named
10-W-4, located in 2002 5 km to the west, flanking a drainage
system close to the Al Widay village (Fig. 17). Here, along
the edge of a sand quarry, we recorded the presence of dark
soil pockets (Fig. 18) with pottery sherds dating to the local
(Khartoum) Mesolithic. The prehistoric settlement according
to the surface distribution of the archaeological materials
(pottery sherds and lithic debitage and tools) seems to cover
an area of at least 2.5 ha on a sandy terrace placed along
the southern edge of an ancient drainage system and to the
west of a large lower alluvial basin (Fig. 19) which ends
behind the longitudinal bar of the ancient White Nile left
bank.
Five squares 5 x 5 meters large have been opened (Fig. 20)
at the site. After removing the surface deposit produced by
wind and water erosion several concentrations of pottery sherds
and stone tools were noticed.
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| Fig. 17 |
Fig. 18 |
Fig. 19 |
Fig. 20 |
These concentrations pointed to the presence of ancient activity
and possibly living areas. Apart from the above-mentioned
action of erosion processes the most evident disturbance was
provided by wheel traces from the many tracks crossing the
area (Fig. 21).
They, indeed, are continuously transporting the sand excavated
in the nearby drainage system. Such an extractive activity
has destroyed at least 30 m of the northern edge of the archaeological
site.
The excavation at the site lasted for a period of 3 weeks,
cheered up by visitors from the close villages (Figs. 22-23-24)
and by a group of dervish street musicians and dancers (Figs.
25-26) which involved us in an extemporary dancing party (Figs.
27-28).
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| Fig. 21 |
Fig. 22 |
Fig. 23 |
Fig. 24 |
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| Fig. 25 |
Fig. 26 |
Fig. 27 / 28 |
Prehistoric site excavation is a very
slow and patient exercise, which imply sieving all the excavated
earth to collect any piece of evidence from the discard system
of the ancient inhabitants of the site (Fig. 29).
Our first season of work ascertained, through the cultural
remains collected, the presence of a Late Mesolithic village
with clear evidences of semi-subterranean dwellings and well
preserved anthropic deposits not paralleled up to now in Central
Sudan and possibly beyond. Moreover, the importance of the
site is enhanced by the presence of a stratigraphic sequence
concerning a single cultural phase and will eventually provide
information on transformation processes at the eve of the
Neolithic impact in the area and we are planning an extensive
excavation of the site in the next future.
In the meanwhile two large huts have been located and partly
excavated at the site. They are sub-circular in shape with
a diameter of no less than 5 meters (Figs. 30-31).
Large amounts of pottery sherds (Figs. 32-33-34-35-36-36-37-38),
lithic tools and debitage, worked bone (Fig. 39) and animal
bones (Fig. 40) have been recovered from the deposit inside
the huts. The excavated structural remains pertain to the
most recent settlement phase at the site as preserved to
us after several millennia of wind and water erosion which
size we are not yet able to determine. Only extensive operations
will provide more detailed information on the cultural and
chronological sequence at the site. At present we know that
the located features were excavated into older anthropic
layers deposited during previous phase of the settlement
life (Fig. 41).
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| Fig. 32 |
Fig. 33 |
Fig. 34 |
Fig. 35 |
From a different point of view we have to
emphasise the very good state of preservation of the anthropic
deposit at the site when compared to contemporary sites
we located along the old White Nile left bank. These last
archaeological sites are in fact mostly heavily affected
by human, animal and atmospheric disturbances.
Site 10-W-4 could be crucial to the study of the transitional
process from a Mesolithic to a Neolithic economy in Central
Sudan. Faunal remains analysis and radiocarbon determinations
will tell us in the nearest future if we are dealing with
a transitional phase as we actually hypothesise on the base
of preliminary and not systematic analysis of the pottery
and lithic materials. In the next months we will report
on the web about advances in analytical studies both on
pottery and lithic assemblages as well as on faunal remain
determination and C14 dates.
For this site too we will be forced to carry out an exploration
strategy as large and fast as possible. In fact the area
is undergoing an intensive urbanisation process and market
facilities, a school and other public and private buildings
are planned to be built rightly above the ancient settlement.
continue... |
