This year our activity will
be centred on the excavation of the Neolithic graveyard
R12 in the vicinity of the Kushite town of Kawa which
lays on the right bank of the Nile in front of the modern
town of Dongola in Nubia (Figs. 1-2).
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| Fig.01 |
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Fig.02 |
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The archaeological project is a joint operation of
the S.A.R.S. (Sudan Archaeological Research Society)
and of the Ce.Ve.S.C.O. (Centro Veneto di Studi Classici
e Orientali) with the financial support of the Schiff
Giorgini Foundation and the sponsorship of two Italian
firms, GASID and AREA OFFICE both from Turin.
During two previous excavation seasons (2000 and 2001),
already reported on the web site, more than 60 graves
were excavated (Fig. 3). Many graves yielded reach
furniture with pottery vessels (Figs. 4, 5, 6, 7)
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| Fig.03 |
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personal ornaments (necklaces made from semiprecious
stones and ostrich egg shell beads, ivory bracelets,
stone and ivory pendants, bone pins) (Figs. 8, 9,
10, 11, 12, 13)
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bone instruments (spatulas,
perforators, knives, awls) (Figs. 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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stone palettes (Figs. 19, 20) often used to grind pebbles
or blend red ochre powder (Fig. 21), flint backed pieces
(lunates) (Fig. 22), polished stone tools (mainly small
axes) (Fig. 23),
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granite mace-heads (Fig. 24), bone combs (Fig. 25),
fresh water and marine shells (Fig. 26), animal tooth
(hippopotamus and cattle) (Fig. 27), cattle horns and
animal offerings (Fig. 28).
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| Fig.24 |
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Fig.25 |
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Fig.26 |
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Fig.27 |
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Fig.28 |
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The graves are of a simple pit type with single interment.
The dead is usually crouched on one side (Figs. 29,
30). Double graves (two individuals buried together)
are very rare (Fig. 31) while more frequent is the
case of the re-use of the pit for further burials.
In some case the pit re-opening destroyed the previous
grave, but in some instances we noted a care not to
disturb the previous burial and an attention to place
the new dead above the other in the same pit.
Among the vessels collected during the last campaign
some very elegant calyciform beakers whose shape recall
the tulip (Figs. 32, 33) are particularly interesting.
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| Fig.29 |
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Fig.30 |
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Fig.31 |
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Fig.32 |
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Fig.33 |
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The 2003 campaign will be carried out between mid October
and mid December and if the telephone line will allow
it we will inform you on this web site about the work
in progress. |
