Institute of Mediterranean and Oriental Cultures

In Africa, the scarcity of hominin remains found in direct association with stone tools has hindered attempts to link Homo habilis and Homo erectus with particular lithic industries. The infant mandible discovered in level E at Garba IV (Melka Kunture) on the highlands of Ethiopia is critical to this issue because of its direct association with an Oldowan lithic industry. Here, we used synchrotron imaging to examine the internal morphology of the unerupted permanent dentition and confirmed its identification as H. erectus . Additionally, we used revised paleomagnetic ages to show that (i) the mandible in level E is ~2 million years old and represents one of the earliest H. erectus fossils and that (ii) overlying level D, ~1.95 million years old, contains the earliest known Acheulean assemblage.

Mortuary behavior (activities concerning dead conspecifics) is one of many traits that were previously widely considered to have been uniquely human, but on which perspectives have changed markedly in recent years. Theoretical approaches to hominin mortuary activity and its evolution have undergone major revision, and advances in diverse archeological and paleoanthropological methods have brought new ways of identifying behaviors such as intentional burial. Despite these advances, debates concerning the nature of hominin mortuary activity, particularly among the Neanderthals, rely heavily on the rereading of old excavations as new finds are relatively rare, limiting the extent to which such debates can benefit from advances in the field. The recent discovery of in situ articulated Neanderthal remains at Shanidar Cave offers a rare opportunity to take full advantage of these methodological and theoretical developments to understand Neanderthal mortuary activity, making a review of these advances relevant and timely.

This paper presents a detailed elemental analysis of 64 glass beads and pendants dated to the Meroitic period (first–third centuries ad ) and the Nobadian period (fourth–sixth centuries) from burial sites in the Lower Nubian Nile Valley region. Laser ablation‐inductively coupled plasma‐mass spectrometry (LA‐ICP‐MS) was used to determine the chemical composition of the glass and to gain knowledge about its origin. Four main glass types were identified: low‐alumina soda‐lime glass, high‐alumina glass, plant‐ash soda‐lime glass, and mixed‐alkali glass. Mineral soda‐lime glass (m‐Na‐Ca) of East Mediterranean/Egyptian provenance is dominant within the low‐alumina glass group from Meroitic and Nobadian periods. Mineral soda high‐alumina glass (m‐Na‐Al) appeared in the Nobadian bead assemblages, and the m‐Na‐Al 1 subtype was produced in Sri Lanka/South India. An initial insight into the origin of the glass beads in Nubia from the first to sixth centuries is described, indicating the first evidence for the presence of Asian objects in Nubia. The data obtained for the bead trade in North‐east Africa in this study has allowed a new light to be shed on the westward flow of Asian glass during a time of intensive maritime trade contacts with the wider Indian Ocean world.

(1) Study aim: This is a comparative study for judo and jujutsu practitioners. It has an intrinsic value. The aim of this study was to showcase a comparison of practitioners of judo and a similar martial art jujutsu with regard to manual abilities. The study applied the measurement of simple reaction time in response to a visual stimulus and handgrip measurement. (2) Materials and Methods: The group comprising N = 69 black belts from Poland and Germany (including 30 from judo and 39 from jujutsu) applied two trials: “grasping of Ditrich rod” and dynamometric handgrip measurement. The analysis of the results involved the calculations of arithmetic means, standard deviations, and Pearson correlations. Analysis of the differences (Mann–Whitney U test) and Student’s t-test were also applied to establish statistical differences. (3) Results: In the test involving handgrip measurement, the subjects from Poland (both those practicing judo and jujutsu) gained better results compared to their German counterparts. In the test involving grasping of Ditrich rod, a positive correlation was demonstrated in the group of German judokas between the age and reaction time of the subjects (rxy = 0.66, p < 0.05), as well as in the group of jujutsu subjects between body weight and the reaction time (rxy = 0.49, p < 0.05). A significant and strong correlation between handgrip and weight was also established for the group of German judokas (rxy = 0.75, p < 0.05). In Polish competitors, the correlations were only established between the age and handgrip measurements (rxy = 0.49, p < 0.05). (4) Conclusions: Simple reaction times in response to visual stimulation were shorter in the subjects practicing the martial art jujutsu. However, the statement regarding the advantage of the judokas in terms of handgrip force was not confirmed by the results.

Recent geophysical exploration and excavations, together with new radiocarbon dates, have shed light on the spatial organisation of medieval Soba in Sudan, and can partly be connected to the oral histories of the city's demise.

This paper presents the results of a multipronged approach to the study of the Hellenistic and Early Roman ceramic oil lamps excavated at the Agora of Nea Paphos in Cyprus. The assemblage was studied macroscopically, and selected samples were analysed through WD-XRF spectroscopy and thin section petrography, combined with refiring tests. The integrated results revealed that local production changed through time in terms of lamp shapes, manufacturing techniques and clay recipes, while imported lamps originated from a range of sources. The transformations seen in the local production correlate with changes in the origin of imported lamp supply and the impact of other centres on the local lamp manufacture. These patterns in production and supply could be most likely associated with political transformations and urban development.

The article presents the results of magnetic and ground-penetrating radar (GPR) research carried out in Old Dongola in northern Sudan in 2018 and 2020, within the framework of a project designed to investigate the transition from Christianity to Islam taking place in the capital of the Nubian kingdom of Makuria. The integrated datasets from the application of two geophysical methods, of which one is the standard magnetic method used on sites in the Nile Valley and the other ground-penetrating radar, enhanced the archaeological interpretation, focused in this case on a reconstruction of the urban layout of the 16th-18th-century Funj settlement within the walls of the Dongola Citadel. The magnetic method, the effectiveness of which has gone unquestioned with regard to the study of silt architecture in the Nile valley, was successful in mapping the general outline of the settlement on the Citadel hill and in the quarter north of the walls. The GPR survey (450-MHz antenna) provided a much more detailed image of the street grid and was much more effective than the magnetic method in tracing the course of mud-brick walls in a sandy matrix containing baked brick rubble. Verification of the geophysical results through the excavation of selected parts of the Citadel not only satisfied the objectives of the archaeological project, which was to establish the overall street and building layout in the research area, but also confirmed the effectiveness of the two prospection methods applied in combination and the potential of integrated research with the use of the GPR and magnetic methods for the study of mud-brick and baked brick architecture on settlement sites in Sudan.

Nubia constituted the area in the Nile Valley in the present day Sudan, the area which spread from the first cataract up to the place where the White Nile meets the Blue Nile. The area was inhabited by the population using a common language – Old Nubian. In the second half of the sixth century thanks to the missions send by the Byzantine Court, Nubia accepted Christianity as a state religion. Nubia immediately found itself in the area of influence of Byzantine culture. Byzantine administration, liturgy of the Eastern Church and the Greek language were introduced. In 641 the Arab conquest of Egypt took place. Soon after that in 642, the Arab army entered the Nubian territory and from this date centuries of clashes and peace treaties characterized relations between Nubians and Arab peoples. The 13th century marks slow decline of the kingdom of Nubia. Hostile Negro tribes from the South and South-West appear in the Mid Valley of Nile. Fights weaken the kingdom; slow islamization of the country follows, royal rule and Christian faith falls and together with those culture and arts deteriorates. The history of military as well as political or commercial Nubian-Arabic contacts over entire period of existence of Christian kingdom of Nubia undoubtedly had to bring about certain artistic trends in Nubia originating from rich heritage of Muslim culture. The culture of Christian Nubia originally based to considerable extent on Byzantine art, in course of time, subjected to more and more intense Arabic influence, significantly changed. Arabic components seen in Nubian church architecture, wall painting and art crafts became predominant, which over following centuries led to creation of Arabic culture of the contemporary Sudan.

The domestic cat is the world's most popular pet and one of the most detrimental predators in terrestrial ecosystems. Effective protection of wildlife biodiversity demands detailed tracking of cat trophic ecology, and stable isotopes serve as a powerful proxy in dietary studies. However, a variable diet can make an isotopic pattern unreadable in opportunistic predators. To evaluate the usefulness of the isotopic method in cat ecology, we measured C and N isotope ratios in hundreds of archaeological cat bones. We determined trends in cat trophic paleoecology in northern Europe by exploiting population-scale patterns in animals from diverse locations. Our dataset shows a high variability of isotopic signals related to the socio-economic and/or geomorphological context. This points toward regularities in isotopic patterns across past cat populations. We provide a generalized guide to interpret the isotopic ecology of cats, emphasizing that regional isotopic baselines have a major impact on the isotopic signal.

This paper presents the first preliminary study of cooking wares from the early Roman phase of destruction of the ‘Hellenistic’ House at the Nea Paphos site of Maloutena. The collection of fifteen cooking vessels was discovered in situ in room 22, between and in front of the stone blocks – most probably table supports; another two were found in room 23. The assemblage contains mostly deep, globular pots from Cyprus, but also Italian lids and an orlo bifido pan, as well as two Aegean cooking vessels (one globular pot and one baking dish). The large quantity of cooking pottery allow us to consider a kitchen function for rooms 22 and 23.

Abstract The historical, zooarchaeological and isotopic data concerning cattle breeding and management in the medieval Middle Nile Valley are considered in this paper in the first such comprehensive research for the region. The main source of data are the nearly 10,300 animal remains. The archaeozoological analyses focused primarily on cattle morphology. Strontium isotope analyses were used to indicate the local/non-local origin of animals encompassing the whole period studied. The empirical data indicate a developed central system of cattle management in medieval Makuria. Textual and iconographic sources additionally reflect an extensive set of values that have been experienced since prehistory in the Middle Nile and correspond to the anthropological definition of the “cattle centred behavior”. Comprehensive analysis of animal remains and the analysis of textual information enabled the formulation of a hypothesis about Makuria’s economic and cultural foundations rooted in the local tradition, constituting an important element of the Nubian identity.

Excavations at Berenike (Trogodytika) on the Red Sea coast of Egypt provide a foundation date in the third quarter of the third century BCE, which corroborates Pliny the Elder's (HN 6.33.168) claim that Ptolemy II Philadelphus (ca. 285/2–246 BCE) established the port. Named after Philadelphus' mother, Berenike is the only archaeologically attested Hellenistic-era Red Sea emporium. According to literary evidence, it was one of about a dozen founded by early Ptolemaic rulers along the African coast. Study of Berenike's artifacts and ecofacts has confirmed the presence of elephants and has provided data on the diet of the residents and the location, acquisition, and distribution of drinking water. Research has also documented industrial and economic activities. This report presents highlights of these studies.

The aim of this study is to understand the contribution of online archaeological databases to research and heritage protection in Jordan. To achieve this a specific set of data was collected by means of a questionnaire survey distributed to archaeologists working in Jordan. A total of 107 researchers completed the form. The results of the survey were analysed and supplemented with information from publications, yearbooks and Jordanian national development strategies. Most of the researchers who replied use archaeological online databases, but have concerns over the reliability of the data. Regarding the impact of the databases on archaeological heritage protection, they are mostly used to record and keep track of the condition of cultural heritage sites. Suggestions for improving databases centred upon the need for regular updates and the creation of a single comprehensive system of data storage.

In contrast to contemporaneous Byzantine and Egyptian textual accounts, little is known about medieval Nubian monastic diets. Femur samples from 30 monks interred at Ghazali monastery (occupied ca. 680–1,275 CE), Sudan were examined for δ 13 C col and δ 15 N. δ 13 C averaged ‐ 17.0‰ ± 1.0‰ (range: −14.7‰ to −19.0‰); δ 15 N averaged 11.3‰ ± 1.1‰ (range: 7.5‰ to 13.4‰), suggesting primarily mixed C 3 /C 4 diets with variable animal protein consumption. Such data, the first from Nubian monastic contexts, bring forth questions about expected versus actual monastic diets, as well as access to foodstuffs and dietary variation over time, as the diets of the monks were not entirely uniform.

Activities undertaken by the Polish–Egyptian Conservation Mission to Marina el-Alamein in 2017 comprised research and conservation in the public district of the ancient town as well as in private houses. Work focused foremost on research and exhibition of the remains of a street running east of the southeastern corner of the main town square and monuments in the area of the square itself. Research and conservation continued also in the area south of the square, concentrating on the remains of public Roman baths dating from the 1st to the 3rd century AD. Maintenance conservation was carried out in private houses and in the ancient town center

Abstract Investigations conducted in 2013–2018 by the Kuwaiti‐Polish Archaeological Mission on the northern coast of Jazirat Faylaka revealed remains of a Late Islamic settlement with an extensive fishing infrastructure located both on land and in nearby waters. The present research focused on one element of this infrastructure, namely the concentration of hearths and ovens, unique to this part of the island. In order to identify their function and understand their role, the installations were analysed in terms of their structural features and distribution across the site. It was revealed that the concentration of installations on a limited area resulted largely from the need for efficient fish processing. Furthermore, the abundance of ovens and hearths coupled with the presence of nearby fish traps and the diversity of osteological material found in the context of installations indicates that fish processing capacity at this settlement greatly exceeded the needs of the local population.

Old Dongola, with a history reaching back to the 5th century AD, was originally the capital of Makuria, one of the three medieval Nubian kingdoms. After the collapse of Makuria, its capital city saw migratory movements and political changes that resulted in the emergence of new power relations. In the 16th and 17th centuries, the city was the seat of a local ruler subordinate to the Funj Sultanate. New communities that emerged in this setting inhabited the city until the colonial era. This paper examines the ways in which Funj-period households, as fundamental social units in Old Dongola, were mutually constitutive with houses, engaging with their spatiality and materiality through social practices. The authors investigate domestic labour, which was an essential factor in the negotiation of social differences and identities within the household. Differences in building techniques are analysed to compare various ways in which dwellers engaged with houses and to assess their implications for social differentiation within the city.

In the course of two seasons in 2012 and 2013 the team carried out excavations and research on the living quarters alongside the fortifications of Banganarti, including a large building (E.1) and eastern tower. Work on the restoration/conservation of the Upper Church progressed according to plan, combined with limited iconographic studies. The team also worked at the sites of Selib and Soniyat. At Selib explorations continued at three locations. The phasing of the church at Selib 1 was established (separate report by A. Cedro), leading to a reconstruction of the plan of the earliest two buildings. A Meroitic(?) structure was investigated at Selib 3 and the Meroitic settlement at Selib 2 continued to be investigated (separate report by R. Hajduga and K. Solarska). A tachymetric plan and magnetic map of the environs of the Kushite temple at Soniyat was accomplished, recording a huge building (palace?) of apparently Kushite date (Napatan ceramic forms and Egyptian imports dating from the Third Intermediate Period) to the north of the temple. A separate team undertook a reconnaissance in regions scheduled to be flooded due to new dam construction projects in Kajbar and Shereik (Third and Fifth cataracts), staying on to record in detail a number of Makurian fortresses.

Abstract During the archaeological excavations of a Christian monastic cemetery in northern Sudan, a double‐vaulted tomb was discovered housing the remains of three individuals, among them a 50+‐year‐old female. The skeletal remains of this individual displayed significant asymmetry of the lower limbs, with apparent muscle atrophy and shortening of the left extremity, in combination with other symptoms suggestive of a neurogenic background of the condition. This paper presents a differential assessment, considering various possible etiologies of the observed lesions, including poliomyelitis, cerebral palsy, and Rasmussen's encephalitis. The morphology and patterning of the observed lesions suggest the first known occurrence of poliomyelitis from medieval Sudanese contexts.

Abstract The location of Ghazali monastery away from the Nile valley within the relatively isolated environs of the Bayuda desert presents a landscape suggestive of mobility toward the monastery by those who chose to reside there as monks. To assess this potentiality, a sample of 37 individuals from the monastic cemetery (Cemetery 2) were analysed for 87 Sr/ 86 Sr and δ 18 O to assess residency during dental enamel formation. The data generated bring into question the nature of mobility to Ghazali monastery, particularly in regard to the potential movement of people from the Nile valley, adjacent desertic landscapes, and further afield.