Acheulean Bifaces from Khor Shambat, Omdurman (Sudan), Comparative Studies in the Nubian Context

Mirosław Masojć,Amel Hassan Gismallah,Maciej Jórdeczka,Grzegorz Michalec,Andrzej Gałaś

doi:10.23858/apa58.2020.003

Abstract

This work presents Acheulean material discovered in Khor Shambat (Omdurman, Sudan), situated on the left-bank Nile valley a few km. north of Khor Abu Anga and about 7 km from the Nile valley, 10 km to the north-west of the confluence of the Blue and White Nile. The artefacts occur randomly in the channel or in the channel deposit, the latter forms elongated bars composed of fluvial deposits with a low degree of sorting. The assemblage consists of 34 artefacts made from highly eroded Nubian sandstones. The most common shape of the hand-axe from Khor Shambat is the cordiform type with lenticular cross section made on a chunk or cobble. The hand-axes from Khor Shambat were subject to a morphometric analysis together with the assemblage from two other Nubian Acheulean sites. The geometric-morphometric approach to 2D objects attempted to identify differences between the assemblages. The broad chronology of the Acheulean proposed for Khor Abu Anga by Roy L. Carlson (2015) might potentially be applicable to the Khor Shambat assemblage, which may fall within the range of 350–200ka.

Highlights

In his pioneering work from 1949, A
Arkell mentions two Acheulean sites in the vicinity of Omdurman; the first was situated in Khor Abu Anga – a left-bank tributary flowing into the Nile, c. 1 km to the north of the confluence of the Blue Nile and White Nile – and the other was situated in Wadi Siru – a left-bank valley joining the Nile c. 15 km to the north of their confluence (Arkell 1949)
| Acheulean Bifaces from Khor Shambat, Omdurman (Sudan), Comparative Studies in the Nubian Context 41 young deposits connected with climatic cycles – dry/wet season in the Nile valley (Carlson 2015)

Summary

Introduction

In his pioneering work from 1949, A. KEY-WORDS: Acheulean, hand-axes, Khor Shambat, Dakhla Oasis, EDAR J. Arkell mentions two Acheulean sites in the vicinity of Omdurman; the first was situated in Khor Abu Anga – a left-bank tributary flowing into the Nile, c.

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Conclusion