Dwelling after Makuria: the organisation and function of space in houses of the Funj period in Old Dongola, Nubia

Abstract

ABSTRACT Old Dongola, the capital of the Makurian kingdom of medieval Nubia, remained a significant town after the collapse of Makuria throughout most of the Funj period between the sixteenth and nineteenth centuries AD. After its incorporation into the sphere of influence of the Funj sultan residing in Sennar, Old Dongola’s prominence within the region persisted as an important political and socio-economic centre. Remains of houses from the Funj period have been excavated as part of work undertaken by the Polish Archaeological Mission to Old Dongola since 1964. Preliminary reports from excavations of the houses enable an archaeological analysis focused on the function of particular spaces within their walls. The identification of the houses’ installations and the distribution of artefacts, as well as the localisation of traces of several household tasks, lead to conclusions regarding the multifunctionality of space within them. The abundance of ethnographic records concerning modern Nubian settlements provides valuable sources for the interpretation of the organisation of space in functional, symbolic, gender and privacy-related terms. This paper therefore presents an interpretation of the organisation of space within houses of the Funj period in Old Dongola on the basis of the analysis of accessibility and ethnographic analogy.