The Late prehistory of the eastern Sahel: the Mesolithic and Neolithic of Shaqadud, Sudan

Southern Methodist University Press • Dallas • Published In 1991 • Pages:

By: Marks, Anthony E., Mohammed-Ali, Abbas S., Magid, Elanwar A., Robertson, Robin A., Peters, Joris, de Paepe, Paul, Masucci, Maria.

AbstractBrief abstract written by HRAF anthropologists who have done the subject indexing for the document

Several authors collaborated to write this preliminary report on the excavations at Shaqadud; an international, interdisciplinary project. Shaqadud is actually several sites in and around a box canyon. S1-A and S1-B are the main sites discussed in this volume. S1-A is a cave with stratified, late Neolithic deposits. S1-B is a Khartoum Mesolithic to Khartoum Neolithic stratified midden in front of the cave. It covers a large section of the floor of the canyon. The midden clearly shows the development and evolution of Khartoum Neolithic ceramics from the Khartoum Mesolithic through Khartoum Neolithic time periods. S1-C and S1-D are smaller sites, one is located above the cave and the other is at the mouth of the box canyon. Two other sites are discussed in an appendix: S-21 and S-17. This volume emphasized the ceramics and stone tools from the cave and the midden. These are discussed in great detail in order to establish a local chronology. Faunal analysis for the Shaqadud sites is also discussed. It appears Shaqadud's little contact with the Nile Valley (there are very few artifacts that could have come from there) is mostly found in shared general techniques of ceramic decoration and in the general range of tool types produced. The inhabitants appear to have practice a general hunter-gatherer subsistence economy with perhaps some cereal agriculture. But this may not have been very labor intensive as, even today, the people of the area grow sorghum by broadcasting the seeds and then lightly raking them into the soil.

SubjectsDocument-level OCM identifiers given by the anthropology subject indexers at HRAF

Reviews and critiques

Fauna

Prehistory

Ceramic technology

Lithic industries

General tools

Visual arts

Cultural stratigraphy

Typologies and classifications

traditionCulture name from the Outline of World Cultures (OWC)

Khartoum Neolithic

HRAF PubDateThe date HRAF published the document

2000

RegionThe area the document pertains to

Africa

Sub RegionThe more specific area the document pertains to, which is located within the Region

Northern Africa

Evaluation

Creator TypeThe type of person writing the document, e.g. Ethnographer, Missionary, Archaeologist, Folklorist, Linguist, Indigenous Person, and so on.

Archaeologist

Document Rating A ranking done by HRAF anthropologists based on the strength of the source material on a scale of 1 to 5, as follows: 1 - poor; 2 - fair; 3 - good, useful data, but not uniformly excellent; 4 - excellent secondary data; 5 - excellent primary data.

5: Excellent Primary Data

AnalystThe HRAF anthropologist who subject indexed the document and prepared other materials for the eHRAF culture/tradition collection

Sarah Berry ; 1998

Field DateThe date the researcher conducted the fieldwork or archival research that produced the document

1981 - 1983

Coverage DateThe date or dates that the information in the document pertains to

7056 ± 321 BP to 3500 BP

Coverage PlaceLocation of the research culture or tradition (often a smaller unit such as a band, community, or archaeological site)

Shaqadud: Sudan

NotesAdditional notes

edited by Anthony E. Marks and Abbas Mohammed-Ali

Includes bibliographical references (p. 283-292)

LCCNLibrary of Congress Control Number

90052656

LCSHLibrary of Congress Subject Headings

Neolithic period--Sudan