Re-assessing Middle Nubian cultural constructs through ceramic petrography

Abstract

This study employs ceramic petrography to establish if the existing typology-based divisions for the so-called Middle Nubian cultures can be related to variations in Nubian ceramic technologies during the mid-second millennium BC (c. 1800–1550 BC). Raw materials, paste recipes, and firing technology are analyzed to identify similarities and differences between the C-Group, Pan-Grave, and Kerma ceramic traditions. Three distinct fabric groups could be identified. Each corresponds, suggestively, to one of the existing cultural units. It is proposed that these variations reflect different approaches to resource acquisition and processing as well as distinct firing processes. Although these technological groups may relate to chronology and subsistence strategies, more evidence is needed before directly linking ceramic technologies to cultural units.