Before the Id, we excavated at 10-X-6 all the most recent deposit of Meroitic period that covers the prehistoric deposit. This deposit seems to have been artificially made of compacted silt and mud-bricks (Fig. 1).
Under it we located some pits. One of these turned to be grave (Fig. 2), also of Meroitic period judging from the necklace and a bracelet of faience beads worn by the dead, a child (Figs. 3-4).

At the big cairn of Post-Meroitic period, located at the foot of the Jebel Baroka, we were able to make, before the Id break, a section through the deposit (Fig. 5). The study of the exposed section suggested that the cairn and the burial could never have been disturbed by looters. We will be sure about this only with the prosecution of the work.
On Friday we and some friend of ours made a trip to the Sixth Cataract (Figs. 6-7-8) and the following Saturday, obliged to stop the excavation because of the Id holidays of our workers, we decided to go on with the archaeological survey in the westernmost part of our concession area.

Here, about 35 km from the Nile, we collected new data on site distribution in the area, discovering two small Mesolithic sites rich in sandstone grindstones and stone-rings (Fig. 9) together with quartz lithic industry and very eroded pottery fragments.
We also located other four burial cairns (Figs. 10-11).

Nearest the Nile, about 8 km from the bank, another huge Mesolithic site, probably Late Mesolithic, was located (Figs. 12-13). It is threatened by a silt quarry used to make mud-bricks. Nearby there is a large Christian site which produced some example of decorated (Fig. 14) and painted pottery.

Tomorrow we hope (the celebration for the end of Ramadam could, in fact, be protracted for another day) to restart the work in both the archaeological sites and we hope to be able to update this page with new and more important data.