The embodiment of colonial strategy: Osteoarthritis in ancient Nubia

Abstract

AbstractThe Egyptian Empire conquered and colonized Nubia, what is today northern Sudan, on multiple occasions. The colonization strategy employed was highly variable through time, ranging from the construction of militarized fortresses (Middle Kingdom 2050–1650 BCE) to an amicable co‐existence approach (New Kingdom 1550–1050 BCE). Egyptian tactics also varied spatially, depending on several factors including a colonized community's utility to the empire and the potential for revolt. Using a large dataset (n = 341), this paper compares osteoarthritis between seven Nubian communities to (1) evaluate whether imperial strategy impacted osteoarthritis severity and (2) assess whether rates of osteoarthritis differed between colonized communities.Age‐controlled analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) suggests there was significant variation in the frequency and severity of osteoarthritis throughout the empire. The Middle Kingdom C‐Group, an indigenous Nubian population that lived outside the Egyptian‐built and ‐occupied fortresses, displayed the highest rates of osteoarthritis for nearly all joint systems. Osteoarthritis then decreased during the postcolonial Second Intermediate Period (1650–1550 BCE) and again increased during the recolonization of the New Kingdom. However, there is significant variation of osteoarthritis at three New Kingdom sites, each of which experienced a differing colonization approach. This study suggests that the varying imperial strategies utilized by the Egyptian Empire may have impacted the physical activities and daily lives of Nubians and that these tactics were not equal throughout Nubia but were tailored to communities. It is therefore difficult to discuss a singular outcome of colonization; rather, these interpretations need to be nuanced with community‐level archaeological context.