Pottery tempered with sponge from the White Nile, Sudan

Abstract

Pottery containing abundant organic and siliceous particles of the swamp-dwelling spongeEunapius nitens occurs at occupation sites dated between 3500 and 1500 bp flanking the White Nile in central Sudan. Megascleres, gemmoscleres and gemmules in vast numbers are well preserved in the pottery, megascleres forming the temper. Common features of sponge pottery are: fine paste; wall thickness in the range 4 to 9 mm; internal scoring; deepish, steep-walled bowls with straight or slightly everted rims often decorated with chevron pattern; and a variety of well executed external decoration by incision, rouletting and stamping. Thorough study of the distribution, economy, affinities and chronology of the peoples practising this swamp-based technology is yet to be made. The pottery forms part of a wider tradition in the Nile basin.