The Neolithic of the Middle Nile Region
The basic objective of this book is to develop earlier studies, in the light of comprehensive new data which has been found in the last 40 years in the Middle Nile Region. The book provides a summary and interpretation of the archaeological evidence of the Neolithic of the region through a theoretical and practical approach to subsistence, economy and settlement patterns.It is written for the non-specialist; however it will also be useful for those archaeologists who, whilst interest in Neolithic because they read about it during the course of their study, only have a basic understanding of the major aspects and approaches by which Neolithic is studied.
This book, written by Dr. Azhari Mustafa Sadig, University of Khartoum, is one of the outputs from the spring 2008 "Water, Culture and Identity"- group.
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Book Launch Speach
Shargah Hall
Saturday: 26th of June 2010
Saturday: 26th of June 2010
A big thank to everyone for coming here today.
• A particular thank to University of Khartoum and University of Bergen for hosting this event. I am grateful to Ali Osman, Intisar Soghyroun, Fadwa Taha, Abbas Sid Ahmed, Khider Adam Eisa, Ana’am Mohammed Osman, Wasil Hassan, Lurence Smith, David Edwards, my colleagues in the Department of Archaeology, Yahia Fadl Tahir, Howaida M. Adam, Ahmed Husien, Abd el Rahman Ibrahim, and Housna Taha. I am also thankful to the people of Uni Global for their great help. Terje Oestigaard, Tore Sætersdal, Bard Hekland and my colleagues in the Nile Basin Research Programme 2008; Raphael Muamba Tshimanga, Bertram Baltasar Mapunda and Rose-Marie Mukarutabana.
• I am so pleased that, many students from the department of archaeology and other departments are here.
It is a pleasure to be with you here today to launch the book The Neolithic of the Middle Nile Region: An Archaeology of Central Sudan and Nubia.
Why a book on Neolithic?
• Archaeological evidence has confirmed that the Sudan was a land of major human actions during the Holocene (since 10,000 BC), where evidences prove the existence of an earlier settled way of life along the Nile and old wadis. The Neolithic involved cultural changes, profound dynamism, and different social relations and economic choices. Evidence of this period has been recovered since 1940s, and recent excavations have also greatly increased our knowledge of the cultural development of the Neolithic period
But:
Studies of Neolithic Sudan, conducted by Sudanese archaeologists, ceased from the early eighties, and consequently no further material has been analyzed. Thus, this book will be a long-awaited Sudanese academic achievement, which will revitalize the study of prehistoric archaeology, particularly the Neolithic, by Sudanese researchers. The last scholar to publish any such a publication was Mohammed- Ali (1982).
So:
The basic objective of this book is to develop earlier studies, in the light of much new data which has been found in the last 40 years in the Middle Nile Region. New data from Northern Sudan (mainly Dongola Reach and Mahas region), White Nile and from the Neolithic site of es-Sour near Meroe will be mentioned as necessary.
What’s in the book
The book comprises an introduction, 7 chapters and conclusion. The first chapter deals with the environmental setting of the Middle Nile region, including a section on paleo-environmental conditions. The second chapter discusses the Neolithic term in regard to what has been discovered in the region. Each chapter from 3rd to 7th develops fully a single topic in the Neolithic of MNR in terms of Chronology, Subsistence, settlement patterns, material culture and burial customs.
The book concludes with a short discussion regarding the archaeology of the Neolithic period and summarize the main issues faced the prehistoric archaeologists. Also discuss in brief the main questions that remain un-solved:
1. Information on the origins of the Neolithic of Central Sudan.
2. The agricultural activities, land use, and community organisation.
3. The direction of the spread of cultural development and the relations between different cultural areas and sites within these areas.
• A particular thank to University of Khartoum and University of Bergen for hosting this event. I am grateful to Ali Osman, Intisar Soghyroun, Fadwa Taha, Abbas Sid Ahmed, Khider Adam Eisa, Ana’am Mohammed Osman, Wasil Hassan, Lurence Smith, David Edwards, my colleagues in the Department of Archaeology, Yahia Fadl Tahir, Howaida M. Adam, Ahmed Husien, Abd el Rahman Ibrahim, and Housna Taha. I am also thankful to the people of Uni Global for their great help. Terje Oestigaard, Tore Sætersdal, Bard Hekland and my colleagues in the Nile Basin Research Programme 2008; Raphael Muamba Tshimanga, Bertram Baltasar Mapunda and Rose-Marie Mukarutabana.
• I am so pleased that, many students from the department of archaeology and other departments are here.
It is a pleasure to be with you here today to launch the book The Neolithic of the Middle Nile Region: An Archaeology of Central Sudan and Nubia.
Why a book on Neolithic?
• Archaeological evidence has confirmed that the Sudan was a land of major human actions during the Holocene (since 10,000 BC), where evidences prove the existence of an earlier settled way of life along the Nile and old wadis. The Neolithic involved cultural changes, profound dynamism, and different social relations and economic choices. Evidence of this period has been recovered since 1940s, and recent excavations have also greatly increased our knowledge of the cultural development of the Neolithic period
But:
Studies of Neolithic Sudan, conducted by Sudanese archaeologists, ceased from the early eighties, and consequently no further material has been analyzed. Thus, this book will be a long-awaited Sudanese academic achievement, which will revitalize the study of prehistoric archaeology, particularly the Neolithic, by Sudanese researchers. The last scholar to publish any such a publication was Mohammed- Ali (1982).
So:
The basic objective of this book is to develop earlier studies, in the light of much new data which has been found in the last 40 years in the Middle Nile Region. New data from Northern Sudan (mainly Dongola Reach and Mahas region), White Nile and from the Neolithic site of es-Sour near Meroe will be mentioned as necessary.
What’s in the book
The book comprises an introduction, 7 chapters and conclusion. The first chapter deals with the environmental setting of the Middle Nile region, including a section on paleo-environmental conditions. The second chapter discusses the Neolithic term in regard to what has been discovered in the region. Each chapter from 3rd to 7th develops fully a single topic in the Neolithic of MNR in terms of Chronology, Subsistence, settlement patterns, material culture and burial customs.
The book concludes with a short discussion regarding the archaeology of the Neolithic period and summarize the main issues faced the prehistoric archaeologists. Also discuss in brief the main questions that remain un-solved:
1. Information on the origins of the Neolithic of Central Sudan.
2. The agricultural activities, land use, and community organisation.
3. The direction of the spread of cultural development and the relations between different cultural areas and sites within these areas.
