essay
The Khormusan: an Upper Pleistocene industry in Sudanese Nubia
prehistory of nubia; [final report] papers assembled and • [Taos, N.M.] • Published In 1968 • Pages: 315-391
By: Marks, Anthony E..
Abstract
Marks describes and defines the Khormusan industry. The industry was first recognized with the excavation of sites 1017 and ANW-3 in 1965. Only five sites represent the Khormusan industry. (Marks dates the industry from approximately 32,000 to 16,000 B.P., while Fred Wendorf, who wrote the culture summary for Middle Paleolithic Egypt in the Encyclopedia of Prehistory dates site 1017 from 65,000 B.P. to 40,000 B.P. The Khormusan now appears to be considered a Middle Paleolithic industry and not an Upper Paleolithic one as stated by Marks.) In this report Marks describes the major traits of the Khormusan, describes each site individually, illustrates selected stone artifacts, and compares the Khormusan to contemporary adjacent cultures. Marks believes these people hunted and fished along the Nile and, due to the numerous burins found at the sites, made reed and wood tools, perhaps even reed and wood traps for fishing. All five sites had ground hematite. Surprisingly, two bone tools were found at site ANW-3. They may be the earliest bone tools in Nubia.
- HRAF PubDate
- 2004
- Region
- Africa
- Sub Region
- Northern Africa
- Document Type
- essay
- Evaluation
- Creator Type
- Archaeologist
- Document Rating
- 4: Excellent Secondary Data
- 5: Excellent Primary Data
- Analyst
- Sarah Berry ; 2002
- Field Date
- 1961-1965
- Coverage Date
- Khormusan; 27,000 BP -16,000 BP (but probably 65,000 BP-40,000 BP)
- Coverage Place
- Nile Valley; northern Sudan
- Notes
- Anthony E. Marks
- For bibliographical references see document 6: [Wendorf]
- LCCN
- 68018382
- LCSH
- Paleolithic period--Egypt