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Amri to Kirbekan Survey 1999-2007.
The Society's contribution to the Merowe Dam Archaeological Salvage Project
In the 1980s the threat of the construction of a dam at the Fourth Cataract, first planned 40 years earlier, was again mooted. This was set to inundate a massive area from the dam site at Hamdab as far upstream as Mograt Island, a total river distance of approximately 170km.
The Society's Amri to Kirbekan Survey, a part of the Merowe Dam Archaeological Salvage Project, has highlighted the immense richness of the region in archaeological remains. The results underline those of the other missions who have worked upstream of Jebel Barkal, that the Fourth Cataract zone, rather than being occupied only as a refuge, actually was densely populated throughout at least the last several millennia. Evidence for the late Meroitic/Post-Meroitic occupation and of the Medieval period was particularly abundant. Of especial interest is the evidence for the Kerma Culture in this region and the presence of Pan-Grave pottery.
Cemeteries were readily visible features in the landscape either marked by tumuli or box graves. Burial practices showed a wide range of variation over time with bodies placed in every conceivable attitude and orientated to all points of the compass. In the Kerma Ancien burials at site 4-K-203, for example, the bodies were placed on their right side with the head to the east facing north and in a crouched position. Medieval burials, on the other hand, were invariably extended usually on their back with the head to the west.
Particularly abundant was rock art carved on granite boulders and outcrops where the hard nature of the stone made the rendition of fine detail impossible. The preferred locations are close to main routes where the art was readily visible to the maximum number of people. Some drawings are isolated, others are closely grouped together, sometimes many covering the whole of the face of a suitable rock. Associated with the rock art were many rock gongs.
Following on the archaeological work the British Museum teamed up with Iveco and New Holland, two members of the Fiat Group, to rescue rock art and gongs, and to move the early Kushite pyramid to safety.
Select bibliography
Carpio, G. and S. Guillen 2005. 'Excavations at Site 3-J-23, et-Tereif, Sudan', Sudan & Nubia 9, 14-16.
Díaz, R., G. Carpio and S. Guillén (forth.). 'The Peruvian Experience in The Merowe Dam Archaeological Salvage Project',
Fuller, D. Q. 2005. 'Islands in the Nile: investigations at the Fourth Cataract in Sudanese Nubia', Archaeology International 2004/2005 43-47.
Ginns, A. 2007. 'Preliminary Report on the Second Season of Excavations Conducted on Mis Island (AKSC)', Sudan & Nubia 11, 20-25.
Jakob, B. 2007. 'The Value and Future Potential of Human Skeletal Remains Excavated at the Fourth Cataract', Sudan & Nubia 11, 43-47.
Kleinitz, C. 2008. 'Soundscapes of the Nubian Nile Valley. "Rock Music" in the Fourth Cataract Region (Sudan)', in A. A. Both, Eichmann, R., Hickmann, E. und L. Koch (eds), Studies in Music Archaeology VI. Challenges and Aims in Music Archaeology. Rahden, 131-146.
Kleinitz, C. 2004. 'The Central Amri to Kirbekan Survey. Rock art and 'rock gongs' in the Fourth Nile Cataract region: the Ishashi island rock art survey', Sudan & Nubia 8, 11-16.
Kleinitz, C. 2007a. 'Rock art and archaeology: the Hadiab Survey', Sudan & Nubia 11, 34-42.
Kleinitz, C. 2007b. 'Rock art landscapes of the Fourth Nile Cataract: characterisations and first comparisons', in C. Näser and M. Lange (eds), Proceedings of the Second International Conference on the Archaeology of the Fourth Nile Cataract. Berlin, August 4th - 6th, 2005 Berlin, Berlin, 213-234.
Kleinitz, C. 2008. 'Rock Art on Us Island: A window into past life-worlds at the Fourth Nile Cataract', in B. Gratien (ed.) Actes de la 4e Conférence Internationale sur I’Archéologie de la 4e Cataracte du Nil, Cahiers De Recherches De L'Institut De Papyrologie Et D’Egyptologie De Lille Supplément 7. Lille, 85-107.
Kleinitz, C. and R. Koenitz 2006. 'Fourth Nile Cataract petroglyphs in context: the ed-Doma and Dirbi rock-art survey', Sudan & Nubia 10, 34-42.
Kleinitz, C. and C. Olsson 2005. 'Christian period rock art landscapes in the Fourth Cataract Region: the Dar el-Arab and et-Tereif rock art surveys', Sudan & Nubia 9, 32-39.
Thomas, R. 2008. 'The origin and use of ceramics on the islands of Mis and Umm Muri, in the Late Meroitic to Christian periods', Sudan & Nubia 12, 64-73.
Usai, D. 2003. 'The Lithic Industries', in D. A. Welsby, Survey above the Fourth Nile Cataract. London, 79-110.
Welsby, D. A. 2000. 'The Amri to Kirbekan Survey', Sudan & Nubia 4, 51-57.
Welsby, D. A. 2002. 'Survey and Excavation in Sudan', Archaeology Abroad November, 43-46.
Welsby, D. A. 2003a. 'The Amri to Kirbekan Survey: the 2002-2003 Season', Sudan & Nubia 7, 26-32.
Welsby, D. A. 2004. 'The SARS Amri to Kirbekan Survey. Excavations at the pyramid, Site 4-F-71', Sudan & Nubia 8, 2-3.
Welsby, D. A. 2005a. 'The Merowe Dam Archaeological Salvage Project survey in the vicinity of ed-Doma (AKSE), 2004-2005', Sudan & Nubia 9, 2-8.
Welsby, D. A. 2005b. 'The Merowe Dam Archaeological Salvage Project. The Sudan Archaeological Research Society's Concession', in H. Paner and S. Jakobielski (eds). Proceedings of The Archaeology of the Fourth Nile Cataract Gdańsk - Gniew/ 23-25 July 2004, Gdańsk Archaeological Museum African Reports 4. 157-165.
Welsby, D. A. 2006a. 'Excavations in the vicinity of ed-Doma (AKSE), 2005-2006', Sudan & Nubia 10, 8-12.
Welsby, D. A. 2006b. 'Rescue archaeology at the Fourth Nile Cataract', Egyptian Archaeology 29, 9-12.
Welsby, D. A. 2006c. 'Salvataggio archeologico per la diga di Merowe', in A. Castiglioni and A. Castiglioni (eds), Nubia. Magica Terra Millenaria. Firenze, 218-221.
Welsby, D. A. 2007. 'Survey and excavations in the vicinity of ed-Doma (AKSE) and et-Tereif (AKSCW), 2006-2007', Sudan & Nubia 11, 15-19.
Welsby, D. A. 2008a. 'Dams on the Nile: from Aswan to the Fourth Cataract', Sudan Studies 37, April, 5-18.
Welsby, D. A. 2008b. 'The Merowe Dam Archaeological Salvage Project. Summary of the results 1996-2006', in W. Godlewski and A. Łajtar (eds). Between the Cataracts. Proceedings of the 11th Conference for Nubian Studies Warsaw University, 27 August - 2 September 2006. Part one. Main Papers, Polish Archaeology in the Mediterranean Supplement Series vol. 2, pt 1 Warsaw, 33-47.
Welsby, D. A. 2008c. 'Rescue at the Fourth Nile Cataract – saving a region’s heritage ', British Museum Magazine
Welsby, D. A. and I. Welsby Sjöström 2011. 'A post-Meroitic cow burial at the Fourth Nile Cataract', in V. Rondot, F. Alpi and F. Villeneuve (eds), La Pioche et la Plume. Hommages archéologiques à Patrice Lenoble. Paris, 465-480.
Welsby, D. A. and P. Wolf 2007. 'The Sudan Archaeological Research Society’s Amri to Kirbekan Survey, December 2004-February 2005', in C. Näser and M. Lange (eds), Proceedings of the Second International Conference on the Archaeology of the Fourth Nile Cataract. Berlin, August 4th - 6th, 2005 Berlin, Berlin, 26-27.
Welsby, D. A. and P. Wolf 2008. 'The Sudan Archaeological Research Society’s Amri to Kirbekan Survey December 2006 - March 2007', in B. Gratien (ed.), Actes de la 4e Conférence Internationale sur I’Archéologie de la 4e Cataracte du Nil, Cahiers de Recherches de L'Institut de Papyrologie et d’Egyptologie de Lille Supplément 7. Lille, 47-50.
Welsh, F. 2005. 'Architecture of the modern houses at the Fourth Cataract', Sudan & Nubia 9, 18-23.
Wolf, P. 2004. 'The SARS Anglo-German Expedition at the Fourth Cataract of the Nile: the 2003/04 season', Sudan & Nubia 8, 17-26.
Wolf, P. and B. Gabriel 2008. 'Linear stone constructions at the 4th Nile Cataract (Sudan). A preliminary overview', in B. Gratien (ed.), Actes de la 4e Conférence Internationale sur I’Archéologie de la 4e Cataracte du Nil, Cahiers de Recherches de L'Institut de Papyrologie et d’Egyptologie de Lille Supplément 7. Lille, 51-71.
Wolf, P. and U. Nowotnick 2005a. 'First Season of the SARS Anglo-German Survey at the Fourth Cataract', in H. Paner and S. Jakobielski (eds), Proceedings of The Archaeology of the Fourth Nile Cataract Gdańsk - Gniew/ 23-25 July 2004, Gdańsk Archaeological Museum African Reports 4. 181-198.
Wolf, P. and U. Nowotnick 2005b. 'The Second Season of the SARS Anglo-German Expedition to the Fourth Cataract', Sudan & Nubia 9, 23-31.
Wolf, P. and U. Nowotnick 2006. 'The Third Season of the SARS Anglo-German Expedition to the Fourth Cataract of the Nile', Sudan & Nubia 10, 20-31.
