VERMEERSCH P. M., P. VAN PEER \u0026 E. PAULISSEN, 2000. El Abadiya, a Shuwikhatian Site. In P.M....

$Page 1: VERMEERSCH P. M., P. VAN PEER \u0026 E. PAULISSEN, 2000. El Abadiya, a Shuwikhatian Site. In P.M. Vermeersch (Ed.), Palaeolithic Living Sites in Upper and Middle Egypt. Leuven University$
7- EL ABADIYA, A SHUWIKHATIAN SITE

P. M. Vermeersch, E. Paulissen & P. Van Peer

Figure 7.1 - Position of the site

7.1 - Introduction

7.1.1 - Site discovery

During the 1985 survey we discovered several Pa-laeolithic sites in the Naqada area, Upper Egypt. One

was the site of El Abadiya, near Abu Diyab Shark, Danfiq (fig. 7.1: E85/13).

The aim of the 1990 campaip was to test the im-

portance of some of the sites discovered in 1985, to start the excavation of the one which was most prom-ising and to continue our survey for Palaeolithic sites in the Qena area. After a few days of testing the site of

Absdiyk it loolceá te be so promising that we de-cided to concentrate our work at El Abadiya during the eady 1990-season and the late 1990-season.

7.1.2 - Site survey and grid system

The centre of the site has the following bearing to-wards a high power pylon of the inner row #85: 204'; the outer row pylon: 208'; next outer row pylon 246'; next inner row pylon #86: 285° and the following outer row pylon: 317°.

Grid construction started from two perpendicular lines, south north and west east (fig. 7.2). The inter-section point is considered the 0-point of the grid. Each point or surface within the research area can be identi-fied by its distance from this 0-point in the different cardinal directions. Two iron rods, positioned at 20NOW and 10NOE, have been left in the ground. Thea elevation has been approximated on the basis of the elevation of the fioodplain as indicated on the topographic map of the Survey of Egypt (1:100000). The height of the floodplain, East of the village of El Abadiya, is estimated at 74 m a.s.l. The tops of the iron rods are at 5.24 and 5.20 m above the floodplain re-spectively, or 79.24 and 79.20 in above sea level. We

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159

P.M. Vermeersch, E. Paulissen, P. Van Peer & W. Van Neer

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drew a plan of the area based on our topographic sur-vey (fig. 7.2).

At the end of the excavations some material, which lacked any clear stratigraphic connection, has been buried in the field. It is located in excavation trenches 25N20W and 21-22N/9W. The rest has been prepared for conservation and was registered in the register book # 59 of the Egyptian Museum, under numbers 267 -

298. The artefacts have been put in an unsealed wooden box that has been stored in the sealed store-room of the Antiquities Department near the Dandara temple.

7.1.3 - Excavation procedure

Excavations were performed by our scientific team

160


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assisted by six local workmen who carried dumped earth. Excavation dump was sieved, according to the circumstances, through a mesh of 4 mm.

7.2 - Geomorphology and stratigraphy

This area is situated west of the village of El Aba-diya, 7 km south of Naqada. It is on the southern edge of a large plain in the lower desert, at an elevation of about 79 m a.s.l. It is located (fig. 7.3) on a small spur, about 0.5 m higher than the surroundings. This spur connects two hillocks, with the northern at about 1 m and the southern about 3 m above the surroundings (fig. 7.6).

The southern and northern hillocks are made up of gravel and cobbles, while the mouth of the wadi bottom to the West, the spur between the two hillocks and the plain to the East consists of silts and clays. The strati-graphic column of El Abadiya comprises from bottom

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Figure 7.4 - Lay out of the excavation trenches

to top the stratigraphic units that are compiled in figure 7.5.

7.2.1 - Unit E

This unit is the main sedimentological unit in the hillocks. It is composed of gravels containing, at least at the top, Middle Palaeolithic artefacts. This unit rep-resents former wadi fan deposits. A survey trench row at 9W and a second at 65W starting from the southern hillock (fig. 7.2) disclosed the lay out of the gravels, which disappear in the central depression below the silt and day deposits. On the hillocks, reworked gravels and cobbles form a coarse desert. Some sectors (fig. 7.7) have been excavated. The hillocks are erosion remnants of a wadi terrace that is still preserved to-wards the South.

7.2.2 - Unit D

Unit D is composed of in situ brown yellowish Nile silts and clays. The highest level at which these silts and clays have been found within the wadi bed to the west of the site (fig. 7.6: b) is 80.4 m a.s.l. (+ 6.4 m above the floodplain). Its unexposed base is deeper than 78.5 m (thickness > 4.5 m). We presume, based on its geomorphologic position, its colour, its consistency and its texture that it may correlate with the Shuwikhat

161


Formation (cf. chapter 5 & 6). These deposits represent an aggrading phase of a silt and clay Nile, gradually covering up the eroded remnants of the former wadi terrace.

Unit D is tapering out towards the hillocks where the older deposits (Unit E) are outcropping. The high-est level of this Nile aggradation is estimated at about 81 m a.s.l. Where Unit D is thick, we observed a downward textural change towards greenish, more sandy deposits.

7.2.3 - Unit C

Unit C is a heterogeneous unit, consisting of brown silts and clays, mainly derived from Unit D and depos-ited by running water. It is situated on the spur and more precisely on the basal part of the concave slope, adjacent to the Southern hill. Because these deposits occur only at the spur and are absent in the lower area, we presume that, after the deposition of this unit C, a more recent erosion phase still has occurred that low-ered the wadi bottom. This unit is considered as a playa deposit that truncates and covers Unit D. The deposit is locally strongly consolidated by a calcrete. It also has been affected by a polygonal system of desiccation cracks, along which sands and occasionally Corbicula

shells came down. It is clear that the deposit of Unit C is anterior to the Corbicula shells-phenomenon. Unit C is covered by a loose, dusty thin layer of silts and clays on which top a desert pavement of pebbles with a

Figure 7.6 - Topographical profile; a: highest level of Corbicula consobrina shells (Unit B); b: highest level of brown Nile silt (Unit D); c & d: gravels and cobbles (Unit E) covered with slope di.nnsits

maximum diameter of 3 cm and numerous Corbicula

consobrina shells had developed. The pebbles are de-rived from both hillocks. An aridisol formed on the surface. Unit C is subdivided into two Subunits: Cl and C2.

Subunil S

The artefacts from the southern concentration (3- 6S17-21W) are imbedded in a heterogeneous colluvial or run off deposit (fig. 7.8: 3) that is superposed on a thin veneer of gleyfied silty sand, which is related to the sandy silts and clays of Unit D. Subunit S deposits are made up of coarse sandy silt with rice quartz, nu-merous angular calcareous concretions, small pebbles and fragments of larger pebbles. No stratification within the deposits was observed. The deposits are

Mixed

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- Root ka

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Palaeo

Figure 7.5 - General East-West profile in between the hillocks (not to scale)

162


because of the fact that the concretions are less rolled and thus more angular than in Subunit Cl. The silty sand, presumed to belong to Unit D, is superposed on gravels in a matrix of greenish sand that is correlated with Unit E.

SH

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15 14 13 12 11 10 9W

Figure 7.7 - Trenches on the southern hill-

similar to those of Unit C. Several artefacts were in a vertical position. The vertical scatter of the artefacts is about 15 cm. Consequently, the artefacts are not con-sidered as being archaeologically in situ. We presume, however, that the transport of the deposits of Subunit S was less important than that of Subunits Cl and C2

Subunit Cl

The sedimentologic characteristics of Subunit Cl suggest that it has been deposited by running water and is therefor considered a playa deposit filling a shallow, 1.1 m wide, gully running east-west. The deposits con-sist of sandy silt and day containing numerous rolled calcitic concretions and artefacts. At the base, broken pebble fragments, artefacts in different preservation conditions and artefact fragments are found together. The broken artefacts were fragmented before their deposition in the present deposits. Where the deposits are coarser, more artefacts have been recovered. Along the edge of the gully, artefacts are often in a vertical position. Some larger artefacts occurred at the base of Cl creating a pavement we consider as a channel lag deposit. Some of them have a somewhat lustrated sur-face that seems to be caused by water.

For these reasons, the lithics within Subunit Cl are not considered to be archaeologically in situ. There are a number of arguments however, that indicate that the redeposition involved was only over a short distance.

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Figure 7.9 - Topography of the oval depression. The outer extent of the excavation surface is hatched. In 15-19N9-12W, a cliff with gravels and silts bloes at its base extended southwards. Triangles corre-sponds with the presence of root remains and the rectangular symbols with numbers are foot prints.

164


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Indeed, most artefacts are in a fresh, even very fresh state of conservation.

Subunit C2

In the eastern part of the central sector, Subunit Cl disappears and is truncated by Subunit C2, which con-sists of sandy silts and clays intennixed with small gravels and rolled calcareous concretions. C2 deposits are the infills of an erosional feature, probably a shal-low gully ruiming in a more or less north-south direc-tion, destroying the eastem part of the artefact concen-tration in Cl. Artefacts were also found in Subunit C2 but are generally less frequent than in Subunit Cl.

Subunit Z

In trench 14N7-8W, 1.4 m below the surface (78.15-78.30 m) and below the base of the oval depres-sion (cf. infra), another artefact bearing layer (Subunit Z) was disclosed in a small survey pit (fig. 7.10). The Subunit Z dips towards the south-west and rests upon greenish sand (Y). It consists of very heterogeneous silty sand containing fragments of large gravels, rice sand and fresh and rolled artefacts. Artefact distribution was limited to the western part of square 7N14W, whereas in the east, Subunit Z was truncated by the

bottom of the oval depression. We presume that Sub-unit Z may correspond to a phenomenon similar to that of the Subunit C2: an erosional gully in Unit D (here provisionally described as Subunit Y), filled with col-luvial and fluviatile deposits from local origin. We could not confirtn this however, because the deposits were strongly consofidated by calcrete making it too difficult to dig a survey trench. Subunit Z therefor was barely uncovered and has not been subjected to further excavations.

7.2.3 — A sand -filled erosional depression

The Unit C and D deposits have been eroded in the 10-32N4-10W area, creating an oval, maximum 1.5 m deep, 9 m wide and 22 m long, closed depression with gentle slopes (fig. 7.9). The depression has been sub-jected to secondary changes due to the deposition of Unit B, which covers the base of the oval depression.

165


I `ikiff7=1-

Figure 7.117- Artefacts from Unit E, Zone SH1, HSA

7.2.4 - Unit B

The Unit B deposits (fig. 7.10) contain Corbicula shells at their base. To the east and south of the exca-vated area, the surface was littered with Corbicula con-sobrina shells, a bivalve still living in the Nile. The occurrence in large quantities of this type of snail in the lower desert is a typical characteristic of the Nile silts and clays that were deposited at around 12,500 BP when very high and catastrophic Nile floods of the Wild Nile' inundated the valley (cf. Makhadma 2 and 4). We found these shells in several survey trenches, some of them still as bivalves. The distribution of the bivalves of the Corbicula shells shows that the highest level of these inundations (fig. 7.6: a) was at least 82 m a.s.l. (+8 m) here, with well developed river beach de-posits between 80.4 and 79.7 m (+6.4 and +5.7 m). Dark Nile silts and clays, termed the Sheikh Houssein clays, were also deposited during that event. In the type

area of the Sheikh Houssein clays, the Corbicula shells are always concentrated at their base. In areas where these clays have been eroded - as is the case at El Abadiya - the Corbicula shells are spread out over the surface. They still indicate, however, the areas inun-dated by the catastrophic floods of the Wild Nile'.

The water of the Wild Nile' beaches at El Abadiya was eroding the Unit E gravel hillocks. Consequently the beach deposits consist of gravels with fresh and reworked artefacts. From the distribution of the clays and the Corbicula shells, we conclude that the inunda-tions occurred in an area with a topography quite simi-lar to the actual. During the inundation by the Wild Nile' waters, depressions such as the oval depression, became covered by 4 m of water. Transgression of the inundation waters resulted in the transport of the gravely deposits into the southern part of the oval de-pression. Later, during the high water period, Sheikh Houssein clays were deposited on top of the coarse beach deposits. They form the Unit B deposits.

166


A detailed analysis of the oval depression morphol-ogy revealed that the north-eastem oriented depression slope had been eroded by the waves of the inundating Nile waters, creating a notched cliff at 17N8.3W. The cliff is very steep and the notch is about 10 cm high (fig. 7.10). At its foot, a gravely deposit is present, con-taining day bloes, apparently undermined and detached from the cfiff. Because the gravel is derived from the deposits of Unit E, it contains numerous fresh and rolled artefacts. The notched cliff can be best related to the wave action of the Nile waters activated by a long fetch, eventually from the north.

As can be read from the profile in 14N6-10W (fig. 7.10), the western slope of this depression shows some steps that are always covered by gravels. In the deepest part of the depression the lower gravel accumulation

As to the origin of the oval depression, it is clear that Nile waters have at least modified its original fonn. The primary ofigin remains uncertain. It may have ofiginated as a local scour by Nile water erosion, probably during an event of the wild Nile stage. Taking into account its general N-S orientation and its closed character, we presume it may also have been the result of aeofian defiation, mainly by northem winds. Be-cause the bottom has a north-west to south-east orienta-tion, north-western winds may also have played an im-portant role. We have no indication that the depression may have a human origin.

It is important to note that units C and Z do not con-tam n Corbicula shells. It is therefore assumed that these deposits are anterior to the Will Nile event.

3

Figure 3-12 - Artefacts from Unit E, Zone SH1, HSB

can reach a thickness of 25 cm. Numerous artefacts and Corbicula consobrina bivalves, often in a living posi-tion, are present. The gravels are covered with a thin veneer of black Sheikh Houssein clays, which are themselves covered by a thin layer of aeolian sand that is capped with a thin calcitic concretion. This succes-sion is repeated at least three times. In the upper layers Corbicula shells are present but less numerous than in the lower successions. The succession of beach depos-its and aeolian sands is a good indication of the fact that aeolian activity was important during the 'Wild Nile' event.

The cfiff itself is masked by a significant accumula-tion of fallen day bloes.

7.2.5 - Unit A

The large oval pit (10-32N 5-12W) is filled up completely with aeolian sand (Unit A). On top of this aeolian sand, a brownish red slightly developed aridisol, about 5 cm thick, hos developed.

It is important to mention that on top of Unit A a very loose desert pavement occurs and that also Units C And S are truncated by this phenomenon.

The area 0-10N 18-28W was disturbed by recent digging.

167

41:1

4


7.3 - Raw material

In the different artefact assemblages chert has been used to a very large extent. Only rarely are quartz arte-facts present. Several different qualities of chert have been used.

Type la is a light brown chert with grey, mostly linear but sometimes with circular bands and/or white dots. The cortex is white and fresh.

Type lb is a dark brown homogeneous chert, with the occasional dark inclusion. The cortex is white and fresh.

Type 2 is a grey brown chert with variations in col-our, occasionally with dark inclusions. The cortex is a rolled one. Its colour valies from white to brown.

Type 3 is a homogeneous dark grey glossy chert with a red or dark brown rolled cortex.

Type 4 is a homogeneous light grey chert that is very glossy with white dots. The cortex is white and fresh.

Type 5 is a banded, mostly grey, but with internal variations, chert with a yellow fresh cortex.

Type 6 is a reddish chert with grey yellow bands and a fresh white cortex.

No intensive survey relating to the origin of the dif-ferent chert qualities has been initiated, but types such as 3, 4, 5 and 6 seem to be derived from the chert ter-race gravels that are outcropping from the hillocks and other nearby gravel terrace remnants.

Figure 7.13 - Artefacts from Unit E, Zone SH1; 1-6: HSC and 7-8: HSE

168


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Figure 7.14 - Artefacts from Unit E: 1-2: Zone SH2; 3-11: Zone SH3

Southern Hillock 7.4 - Prehistorie assemblages

Several test pits were dug (fig. 7.3bis & 7.7) on top of the hill bordering the depression to the south and on the northern slope. Their sections reveal a complex

7.4.1 - Unit E stratigraphy with a considerable amount of anthropo-genic influence in the form of pits. Although the extent of our excavation work, which was primarily intended

169


to locate the presence of in situ artefacts, was limited we will present an overall picture of the different as-semblages. At this point it seems clear that they are all related in one way or another to the extraction of chert pebbles from the local gravel deposits (Unit E). We did not find prehistoric artefacts in the undistuibed Unit E deposits. The stratigraphy became complex because some of the artefact bearing layers have been affected by beach activity of the Wild Nile'.

Sector SH1

In the area 13-16W/24-26S, on the very top of the southern hillock (fig. 7.7), a number of squares were excavated. The stratigraphic situation is very complex: different sedimentological units were observed, each of

HSB: A layer of loose gravely black silts with salt spots has a thickness of approximately 20 cm. About 1100 mostly fresh artefacts were found in this layer and are apparently largely homogeneous. The debitage techniques used are rather rough and not standardised. Flaking was oriented towards flake production, with no special core preparation applied. Cortical fiakes are well represented. The bulk of the material is not diag-nostic. The presence of bifacial tools (fig. 7.12: 1) and a resharpening fiake of an axe (fig. 7.12: 3) is interest-ing as the latter may point to a predynastic affiliation. Ceramics are absent. This unit does not contain Cor-bicula shells.

HSC: consolidated gravels beneath the HSB layer. This unit yielded numerous fresh Middle Palaeolithic

Figure 7.15 - Artefacts from Unit E, Sector S115

which is associated with lithics. The profile thickness is about 0.9 m and presents from top to bottom following assemblages.

HSA: this stratigraphic unit of loose sfity sands mixed with gravels and a desert pavement at its top, includes the artefacts at the surface, apparently no longer in situ. Fresh Levallois fiakes (fig. 7.11: 2, 4, 6) and a resharpened foliate (fig. 7.11: 1) belong to this layer. This unit also contains Corbicula shells, some of which are still bivalves.

artefacts (fig. 7.13). According to the Levallois ele-ments present, this assemblage seems to belong to the Mid-Middle Palaeolithic Lower Nile Valley complex or is possibly evolved Levallois material.

In HSD gravels, below the HSC gravels, relatively few artefacts were present. Technologically, they are similar to the HSC material. In the lower HSE gravels, very few artefacts were recovered. They are also simi-lar to those of the HSC.

170


Sector SH2

Sector 9W/43.10-44.6S is situated on the south-eastem slope of the hill (fig. 7.7). A trench dug in this sector yielded a large collection of fresh largely homo-geneous artefacts with a white patina. The debitage products are large and display a clear Levallois com-ponent (fig. 7.12: 1-2). This assemblage is possibly the oldest assemblage present in the area. It belongs to the Early Middle Palaeolithic.

Sector SH3

Situated on the eastem hillside (fig. 7.7), the arte-facts assemblage from SH3, 9W/21-22S is rather het-erogeneous. There are both wom artefacts and ex-tremely fresh Middle Palaeolithic material of an Nu-bian complex affiliation (fig. 7.12: 3-11). It is likely that reworked artefacts have been mixed in with in situ material from a pit-structure. A similar situation is pre-sent in zone SH4 (9W/30.5-32.5S).

Sector SH5 In trench 2.5-3W/28.5-29S (fig. 7.3), the presence

of two sedimentological units was notecl. Lithic arte-facts are associated with both of them.

The upper unit consists of white slopewash deposits containing Corbicula shells. Fresh and weathered arte-facts are present. The fresh material is not very diag-nostic. In general, the debitage products are small. A few Upper Palaeolithic toot types, such as a truncation (fig. 7.15: 2), occur. There are no traces of the Leval-lois technology. As far as raw material types are con-cemed, there seems to be some similarity with Subunit cl.

The lower unit is made up of white slopewash de-posits without Corbicula shells. The lithics are very different from those of the upper assemblage. Very fresh Middle Palaeolithic N-group material (fig. 7.15: 1, 3-4) is present.

Sector SH6 This sector is situated on the northem hillside

(9W18-9S). The trench yielded very fresh material, with a clear Levallois component. Occasionally, quartz has been utilised as a raw material, in one case even for a Levallois core. According to its stylistic units, this Levallois technology seems rather late. However, it also appears to be different from anything we have seen so far.

Northern Hillock

To the north, the area with the oval depression is bordered by a minor hillock, with its top just 1 m higher than the depression (fig. 7.3bis). A few test pits were dug here, through the slope deposits and into the gravel and cobble deposits (Unit E). Again, the slope deposits yielded fresh material. From a trench on top of the hill, Middle Palaeolithic artefacts of a Nubian com-plex affiliation were recovered. The physical aspect of this collection is quite different from most of the SH-collections. The artefacts bear an intense whitish pat-ina. From more eastem and lower areas of the hill, more recent material was recovered, possibly related to an evolved Levallois technique.

Work on the northem hill, however, has been very restrictecl so far, nothing more can be said for certain at this moment.

7.4.2 - Unit D

No excavations were organised for this stratigraphic unit. It seems, however, that artefact concentrations are present, such as the Middle Palaeolithic artefacts that were recovered in a stratigraphic pit in 29N3-5E. There, the workmen collected an important concentra-tion of fresh artefacts. Artefacts were found at a depth of 0.5 m, 78.4 m a.s.1., in an erosional horizon at the base of the green silts and clays.

Moreover, it is not yet clear if the Subunit Z be-longs to Unit D or Unit C. This issue will be discussed below.

7.43 - Unit C

Earlier we stated that the lithic artefacts comprised in Cl and C2 are not archaeologically in situ and that they have been redeposited by running water. There are, however, a number of arguments suggesting that the redeposition involved was only over a short dis-tance. Indeed, the artefacts are, for the most part, in a fresh and even very fresh physical condition. The hori-zontal distribution (fig. 7.16) of the artefacts is limited. Artefact densities quickly decrease towards the edges of the concentration. Unfortunately, pits dug by local people in search for fertilisers have destroyed the west-ern part of the site.

171


193 ION

9N 5

399 '55 71 'ir 8N

476 1 476 402 2 2 , , 47 7N

446 681 1 6N

SN

4N

6 3N

17W 16W 15W 14W 13W 12W

1-4 5-8 9-16 17- 7

33- 64

65- 1'151

139- 976

277- 5 59

Figure 7.16 - Artefact distribution in the Cen-tral Sector

In this sector we are dealing with two separate pre-historic concentrations: one to the west in which arte-fact densities are the highest (Subunit Cl) and one to the east (Subunit C2). Because of its stratigraphical position, it is fikely that artefacts from C2 are, at least partially, derived from Cl. Because both subunits are in secondary position and derive from a single original deposit, we did not separate them in the description or the discussion of the archaeological material. Artefacts from both concentrations will be studied as a single assemblage. The assemblage will be called the Centra!

Sector.

The Central Sector

Artefacts display all orientations: horizontal, dip-

ping in different directions and vertical. They are often associated with calcitic concretions, derived from the original deposit. Artefacts are mostly fresh. Very char-acteristic is the presence of fragmented burnt stones, which never occur together with the conjoining frag-ments, suggesting that they are no longer in the same place as where they cracked.

The assemblage study was done in the field and as a result is not detailed. The abundance of drawings will hopefully supplement the short description of the arte-fact technology and typology.

Chert has been used to a very large extent. Only a few quartz artefacts were found. Two varieties of chert occur very frequently: a brownish fine chert with a white or yellow cortex, which is reminiscent to what is called Egyptian flint (type 1) and a grey, banded chert, which displays quite a bit of internal variation (type 5). This chert is clearly of local origin. Next to these well represented categories, a few artefacts are made out of chert varieties which are quite rare. The artefacts made out of these rarer cherts are either blades or retouched tools. Debitage products in these chert types are absent. The presence of these chert types in the area has not been documented until now. It is quite likely that such artefacts were imported to the site. However, work needs to be done on this topic.

In addition to the chert, twenty pieces in quartz have been recovered.

The state of preservation of the artefacts varies. Some pieces are very fresh, whereas others are more or less rolled. Similar observations can be made in rela-tion to the patination. This situation fikely resulted from the fact that the artefacts are no longer in their primary position and that it is possible that older arte-facts have been mixed into the assemblage. The older artefacts may have been reworked from the nearby Unit E.

Almost 17 percent of the artefacts suffered heat cracking.

About 47 percent of the total number of pieces found consist of chips and debris (tab. 7.1). Of these, 30 percent are burnt. Traces of burning are also seen on the large artefacts, but not as frequently as with the chips. The large amount of debris is mainly related to the effects of scattering of artefacts due to heat.

172

(404 ber/


Figure 7.17 - Artefacts from El Abadiya Central Sector

173



174



175



176

-45

ii 22



177


Table 7.1 - General inventory of the Central Sector

At the level of the artefact categories, the most

striking point is the low representation of cores (tab. 7.1 and 2). Those that are present are of the single plat-form (fig. 7.18: 5, 7, 13) or opposed platform type (tig 3.17: 2-10; fig. 7.18: 1-2, 4, 6, 9, 11-12).

Most cores are clearly intended for blade and bla-delet production. The dimensions of the single platform and opposed platform cores are in table 7.3. The dis-coidal core (fig. 7.17: 1) has a deep whitish patina that is lacking on the other cores. The prefonns consist of choppers and chopping tools, two of which are in quartz.

Table 7.2 - Core categories from the Central Sector

-, Single platform cores : 8 , Opposed_platfonn cores 1 23 Core_preforms i 2 i Discoidal - Levallois core i 1 Preforms .1 4 Total 38

Table 7.3 - Core dimensions (in mm) from the Central Sector

Length Width Thickness Avera_ge 54.03 45.05 28.78 a 14.22 26.61 12.76

Only occasionally have traces of core preparation, mainly involving a control over the core width, been observed. This observation is somewhat in contradic-tion with the high number of rejuvenation flakes and

blades (fig. 7.18: 10; 7.19: 2-3), but can be attributed to core exhaustion. It is our impression, even with virtu-ally no rejoining (fig. 7.19: 10) done, that most cores are of the opposed platform type. This presumption is corroborated by the dorsal lay out of the blades. Among the core preparation remains, the presence of unilateral and bilateral crests refers to a careful core preparation. The cortex is always preserved on the ob-verse surface of the core.

As for the debitage products, blades are well repre-sented (lig 3.19,4-5; 7-13; 16-18), together with flakes and debris (which are generally burnt). The blades are generally thin and rather short. For the most part, the butts are plain, although the occasional carefully fac-eted butt was found. A very characteristic technique of striking platform preparation is represented on both blade and crested blade butts. This technique involves a considerable amount of smoothing of the ridge between the striking platform and the flaking surface (fig. 7.19: 13, 16) and is apparently meant to increase its regular-ity.

Almost 30 percent of the chips have been heated.

Ninety-three retouched tools were recovered (tab. 7.6). A single (fikely derived from the extraction pits on top of Unit E) retouched Levallois flake (fig. 7.19: 1) was present.

Table 7.4 - Blade dimensions (in min)

T r , 1 1 length : width thickness : :

Averag_e i 44.2 i 16.8 6.0

4.94 I r t t 1 i

1 a : 17.55 : , 3.02 1 ,

Table 7.5 - Raw material among tools

22 9 3 2

2 38

100

Burins are the best-represented tools (fig. 7.19: 19- 22; 7.20: 1-18, 10-17). In addition to the very classical Upper Palaeolithic burin types, such as dihedral burins

N 38 60 29

7 53

277 5

58 207 449 939

91 10

3230 820

6292

178


(fig. 7.20: 7) and burins on a truncation (fig. 7.20: 4-5), a few Corbiac burins (a burin on a natural edge) (fig. 7.20: 6, 8, 15-17), burins on a break (fig. 7.19: 22; 7.20: 1, 10) and multiple burins (fig. 7.20: 2-3, 14) occur. Ten burin spalis have been recovered.

Table 7.6 - Retouched tools from the Central Sector

A number of end-scrapers (fig 7.19, 14-15, 18) and combination tools, such as scraper-burins (fig. 7.19: 19-20) are also present. Truncated pieces are numerous (fig. 7.21: 2-8, 11-12). Retouched blades (fig. 7.21: 1, 14--26), occasionally Ouchtata-retouched (fig. 7.21: 17, 19-20), notched (fig. 7.21: 23) and denticulated blades (fig. 7.21: 9, 16, 23) occur as well. The 'atter are

reminiscent of the characteristically heavily denticu-lated blades of the Shuwikhatian. The basal blunting of blades is present. Next to these tools on blades or flakes, there is a microlithic component in the tool kit: a few truncated microblades (fig. 7.21: 12) are present.

There is a significant number of flakes in quartz but no specific tools have been encountered.

The Southern Sector

A very dense artefact concentration, called the Southern Sector, has been discovered in the area 3-6S 17-20W, inside the deposits of Subunit S. Careful ex-cavation and registration of the material revealed that the extent of this concentration is very limited. The concentration consists of three well-defined elongated artefact accumulations from the northwest to the south-east, parallel to each other (fig. 7.24). When analysing the different distribution plans (fig. 7.25-28) of the artefact categories, it is clear that we are dealing with similar scatters: two or three parallel concentrations, clearly related to a deposit at the mouth of a gully structure. The concentrations have a similar width of about 1 m. Such a distribution suggests the existence of three parallel shallow gullies in which artefacts have been concentrated.

The southernmost concentration has many more ro15.4 mutefacts than the others do. This can be ex-plamed by a shift in provenance of the artefacts. We presume that a site (or part of it), which was probably already situated at the surface and submitted for some time to weathering, characteristic for surface material, was eroded by the gully that now contains the deposits of southernmost concentration. When the gully shifted towards the northeast, more and more artefacts from the site were eroded and redeposited. During the exca-vations we were unable to delimit the outline of the deposits, likely because of the effect of vertisol activ-ity. While excavating it became clear, due to their het-erogeneous composition, that the deposits containing

5.84- +

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+ 5.4+

Figure 7.22 - Vertical artefact distribution of all pieces within 0.5 m of each side of the 4.5S grid line

179


the artefacts were run off deposits. present surface is the result of areal denudation.

***,, h3t

Gs+ ss+

4. * — * 4I *k*

31+

Figure 7.23 - Vertical artefact distribution of all pieces within 0.5 m of each side of the 19.5W grid line

Table 7.7 - General artefact inventory of the Southem Sector

N % Cores 119 4.24 Core rejuvenation products S .. 7 025 Blades and bladelets i 223 7.94 Blade and bladelet fragments 86 3.06 Cortical flakes 44 157 Flakes 1661 59.17 Flake fragrnents 1 .. 195 6.95 Tools 17 0.61 Chips i .. 388 13.82 Debris 67 2.39 Total 2807 100.00

No single artefact horizon is present, but the arte-facts are vertically scattered in the deposits over a depth of about 30 cm (fig. 7.22 & 7.23). Because nu-merous artefacts are outcropping, it is suggested that we recoverecl only part of a larger, but nearby site that, eventually, was situated on a northern concave slope of the hillock and has been eroded. Thus, the horizontal distribution plan probably reflects artefact redistribu-tion. We presume that it only has a very poor connota-tion with the original artefact distribution. The horizon-tal and vertical artefact scatter are thus, unfortunately, more a natural phenomenon than a human artefact. We do not believe we can connect this scatter with anything conceming human behaviour.

Based on the horizontal and vertical distribution of the artefacts we befieve that the run off deposits were fillecl with sediments and artefacts derived from a nearby site, probably stratified in or on top of Unit D. The redeposited artefacts, together with calcitic concre-tions and even a few Middle Palaeofithic artefacts, de-rived from Unit E, have been incorporated into the de-posits of Unit C that was built up to an unknown eleva-tion. The outcropping of the channel deposits at the

The presence of numerous burnt silt and day frag-ments, similar to those from the Central Sector and from Shuwikhat, was noted. Some small manganese concretions, the largest ones associated with the largest artefacts, were also present.

The homogeneous technology of the assemblage confirms that, even with minor contamination, the as-semblage is derived from a single site. It is character-ised by the presence of numerous opposed platform blade cores (fig. 7.29: 1, 4, 5, 11; 7.30: 3, 5; 7.31: 1) that have been exhausted for the most part. Intensive

Table 7.8 - Core inventory

N 1 Single platform cores 13

Opposed platform cores 82 Irregular cores 21 Core fra,gments 2

1 Levallois core 1

Table 7.9 - Core dimensions (in mm)

Single platform Length Width Thickness Average 55.06 37.10 30.39

9.49 11.41 8.16

1 Opposed platform

Average 54.69 35.75 27.49 1 a 1 9.57 7.76 1 8.83

preparation by lateral or anterior crests can be deduced from the scars on the obverse core surface. On the ob-verse surface large patches of cortex have been pre-served. After exhaustion, most cores are of a flat type. In the case when a flake came off a little bit wider than normally, the remaining core (fig. 7.30: 6) or flake (fig. 7.30: 4) may have some Levallois resemblance. How-ever, no genuine Levallois method is present in the flaking.

180


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Figure 7.24 - Distribution plan of all artefacts recovered from the Southern Sector E: core; *: flake; 1 : blade; : tool; rejuvenation piece; • : chips and debris; P: undefined piece; fl- re cracked artefact; 0: rolled artefacts; • : heated silt: hammer stone; quartz

The presence of a single Levallois core (fig. 7.30: 1) should be interpreted as an intrusive element from the southern hillock.

The blades are generally robust. Bladelets are rare. Almost half of the blades (fig. 7.29: 2-3, 7-10, 13; 7.30: 2, 7-8) of which the proximal part was preserved are characterised by a convex faceted or a chapeau de gendarme bun. Their striking platform preparation involved a considerable amount of smoothing of the ridge between the striking platform and the flaking sur-face at times. The proximal part of such blanks is also

characterised by a thick prominent bulb, which is rare on blades of other buit types.

The tools are few. They consist of several end-scrapers, mostly end-scrapers on a blade (fig. 7.29: 12, 14; 3.31: 9) but there is also a notched end-scraper (fig. 7.31: 8). The burins (fig; 3.31: 2-3, 6-7) include the Corbiac type and a multiple burin. A borer (fig. 7.31: 5) has been carefully prepared on a large blade blank. The truncations (fig. 7.31: 11, 13, 15-18) are convex or concave, proximal or distal.

181


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Fig-ure 7.25 - Distribution of cores, rejuvenation flakes, debris and chips in the Southern sector (legend as in fig. 7.24)

r r "lin

r ill 11 ON

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Figure 7.26 - Tool distribution at the Southem Sector of Abadiya (legend cf fig. 24)

182


3S

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* IK 42 x 5« ?k

42

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Figure 7.27 - Distribution of heated sik and fire cracked artefacts from the Southern Sector at Abadiya (legend cf. Fig. 7.24)

•

•

38

4

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Figure 7.28: Distribution of quartz flakes from the Southern Sector of El Aba-diya (legend cf fig. 7.254

183


i lil

11 lo.

Figure 7.29 - Artefacts from El Abadiya Southern Sector

12

184

_

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185

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SID



The Z-Sector

At 1.4 m below the surface, in trench 14N, an arte-fact assemblage was collected from Subunit Z. Only a very small surface area (± 1 m 2) of the artefact bearing deposits was exposed. In absence of an exact strati-graphical position of the deposits, we only presume it belongs to stratigraphic Unit C or D.

186

116

/

18 17 .."‘.

1 Ti

1 1 , ■

i

1 19 20

4111.•

,

21

A SHUWIKHATIAN SITE AT El ABADIYA

Figure 7.32 - Artefacts from El Mtadiya Z Sector

187

2

l

QtY:CW.


Figure 7.33 - Artefacts from El Abadiya Z Sector

Table 7.11 - Tool inventory of the Southern Sector

Unfortunately, only a few artefacts could be recov-ered and it seems that many should be considered intru-sive since some of them have been rolled. Conse-quently, characterising the assemblage remains diffi-cult. Among the cores, a few Levallois cores are pre-sent but they may have come from Unit E. Blade (fig. 7.32: 3, 5-23) production was the main purpose of the fialdng activity. It was performed using opposed plat-form blade cores (fig. 7.32: 1, 4). The tools include a few Levallois flakes (fig. 7.33: 1-3), an end-scraper on a blade (fig. 7.33: 6), an edge burin on a convex trunca-tion (fig. 7.33: 4) and a few retouched blades and fiakes. Some of the retouched blades bear a proximal retouch (fig. 7.33: 5, 7-8). A double truncated blade representing a trapeze is shown in figure 7.33: 9.

188


I 2 * • -S -. 7, 4

6

/ 15

Figure 7.34 - Artefacts from the base of the oval depression, Unit B

189


Figure 7.35 - View from on the oval depression with the cliff

7.4.4 - Unit B

The oval depression

This sector is the large oval depression at 10-32N5- 12W (fig. 7.9 & 35). The depression base was covered with artefact bearing layers intercalated between brown silts and clays. Three superposed artefact bearing gravel layers have been distinguished, named the lower, the middle and the upper gravel layer respec-tively (fig. 7.10). Lenses of aeolian sand and Nilotic day separate these layers, but they coalesce in the deepest part of the depression. We have already ex-plained in detail why we consider these deposits as beach gravels that were eroded nealby and redeposited in the oval depression during the high water levels of the Wild Nile'.

At places the clays are consolidated. In the western part of the oval pit, the consolidated clays disappear. Here, the artefact floor is covered by numerous Cor-bicula shells and sealed off immediately by the loose aeolian sands.

Thousands of artefacts have been collected. Within the archaeological material there is quite some horizon-tal variation. Fresh and rolled artefacts are, however, often mixed together, clearly suggesting that most arte-facts are not in their primary position. It seems that these beach deposits represent a mixture of artefacts

eroded during the high waters of the 'Wild Nile' from the surrounding sites in Units E, D and C.

Chips are rare. Several types of Levallois (fig. 7.34: 2, 4-6, 9, 15) and blade debitage (fig. 7.34: 7-8, 11, 14, 16-17) are present, similar to those from Unit E and C from which they have probably been eroded from. Be-cause transport took place on a very small scale, some pieces remained in a very fresh condition. Others were subjected to rolling for a much longer time period. Tools are rare, but a truncated piece (fig. 7.34: 10) may be aftributed to the Afian, which is contemporaneous with the Wild Nile' event.

As the assemblage of the oval depression is clearly a mixture of several, mainly older, assemblages, we did

Figure 7.36 - The root fragments in the ae-olian sand

190


not study this assemblage in detail. It is a mixture of artefacts from the Middle Palaeolithic, the Shuwik-hatian and possibly the Afian.

Foot prints in the oval depression

A very striking feature is the presence of footprints in the depression bottom. They are three to five cm deep imprints in the soft black Sheikh Houssein day deposited in the oval depression. They have been pre-served and were easily recognisable by the infilling of aeolian sand that was later covered by a more recent thin black Sheikh Houssein day layer (for discussion of the footprints see 7.5.2).

7.4.5 - Unit A

The aeolian sand deposit (Unit A) filling the major part of the oval depression reaches a thickness of up to 1,5 m in squares 28-30N/7-9W. It overlies a desert pavement formed on top of the deposits of Unit B. At regular intervals within the aeolian fill, thin gravely layers with lithic artefacts occur.

At the interface between the deposits of Unit D and A in 10.84N5.63W, 10.85N5.49W and 10.84N5.40W (fig. 7.9, triangles 1-4), four large in situ root fragments (their diameters around 8 cm) were collected. Only the roots' bark was preserved. Its outside was coated with cakite. Inside, all wood was replaced by humic sand. The root fragments were still standing vertically in the deposits and seem to be related to plants that grew on the present surface. Therefor, the vegetational growth period should be posterior to the deposition of Unit A. A 14C-date on the bark was obtained with the following result: 6150 ± 60 BP (IRPA-1054). This date refers to a period during the Holocene wet episode when larger trees were still present in the lower desert (Vermeersch et al. 1992).

7.4.6 - Other artefact bea ring layers

On many occasions artefacts were discovered dur-ing the stratigraphical study of the various sediments, but we did not have the possibility to excavate larger areas. In some cases we felt that we may have exposed real human occupational zones, such as in trench 36N2.5-4E at a depth of 1.5 m below surface, where, imbedded in Nilotic fine deposits, Middle Palaeolithic

artefacts formed an important concentration. We as-sume that the fine deposits belong to the Shuwikhat Formation (Unit D), but this can not be checked. If the Middle Palaeolithic occupation is situated in the Shu-wikhat Formation, the artefacts may not be in their primary position, but could be derived from the Middle Palaeolithic assemblages on the gravel terraces. If, however, the Middle Palaeolithic occupation occurs within the Shuwikhat Formation, it is an important new element in the Nile stratigraphy.

7.5 - Faunal remains from Upper Pa- laeolithic contexts at El Abadiya

(Egypt)

Wim Van Neer

7.5.1 - Introduction

Very few faunal remains were discovered during the excavations at El Abadiya, an open-air site located on the left bank of the Nile, about 7 km south of Naqada. The site lies a few metres above the flood-plain, about 1.5 km from the present-day Nile. Ar-chaeological material belonging to the Middle and Up-per Palaeolithic was found in strata that are mainly re-worked deposits.

Unit E represents a gravel hillock with Middle Pa-laeolithic artefacts at the top, but the single bone that was found in this Unit is considered subrecent.

Unit C is made up of loose brown silts and clays corresponding to playa deposits that were affected by a polygonal system of desiccation cracks. Subunit Cl consists of playa deposits in a shallow gully and yielded Upper Palaeolithic artefacts comparable to the + 25,000 year old assemblage found at Shuwikhat. The lithic material has been redeposited over a short dis-tance. Subunit C2 is partly composed of reworked Cl deposits and its artefacts are contemporary with Cl. The material from Subunit S carmot be considered as being archaeologically in situ either. Here again, the artefacts are similar to those found at Shuwikhat.

Unit B represents Wild Nile beach deposits roughly dated to 12,500 BP. Part of it was deposited in a depression cut into the older deposits and containing archaeological material from these deposits. Both fresh and reworked artefacts occur and are all considered

191


older (Middle and Upper Palaeolithic) than the final date of deposition. Finally, Unit A consists of the ae-olian sand that filled up the depression directly after the deposition of Unit B and thus dates to around 12,500 BP.

It is believed that most of the mammalian fauna is contemporaneous with the Upper Palaeolithic artefacts. The small average size and poor preservation of the faunal remains relates to the destructive effects of sur-face weathering, reworldng and fragmentation as a re-sult of the formation of desiccation cracks and salt weathering at the top of the day deposits.

In addition to the bone, teeth and shells that were found, a series of footprints have also been discovered. They occur in the lowest part of the depression and belong to Unit B (fig. 7.9).

7.5.2 - Material

Table 7.12 lists the faunal remains discovered in the different lithostratigraphical units. The species that have been identified are described in the following paragraphs.

Decapod a i det.

Unit B yielded a fragment of a crab pincer, which was compared to Monod's list (1980) of species, pres-ently living in the Egyptian Nile. The teeth present on

the interior margin of the propode are heavy and broad unlike those of Potamonautes (Acanthothelphusa) niloticus, Potamonautes (Rotun-dopotamonautes) ber-ardi and Sudanonautes (Con-vexonautes) aubryi. For this reason, it has been assumed that the specimen is a marine species, which would mean that we are dealing with a reworked Eocene or Pliocene intrusive element, deposited by the Wild Nile'.

Valvata nilotica

Twenty shells of this small gastropod were found in Unit B. The species inhabits lakes, slow flowing rivers and streams and usually occurs in an aquatic vegetation environment (Brown, 1994: 68). Its modern distribu-tion in Africa is restricted to the lower Nile in Egypt and to the highland area in Ethiopia from Akald north-wards to Lake Tana. The late Pleistocene - Holocene distribution was much larger, extending into Chad, Libya and Southeast Algeria (Van Damme, 1984: 13). The species hos been reported at several archaeological sites along the Nile indicating that they lived as far south as the second Nile Cataract (Kom Ombo: Leigh & Butzer, 1968; Idfu and Isna: Gautier, 1976; Wadi Kubbaniya: Gautier & Van Neer, 1989; near 2nd Nile Cataract: Martin, 1968).

Bulinus truncatus

This small snail is represented by a single shell at

Table 7.12 - Species list for the different geomorphological units. Figures indicate number of specimens (NISP).

E

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

1

0

1

Cl

0

0

0

1

0

0

2

0

4

0

2

14

17

40

C2

0

0

1

0

0

0

0

()

0

0

0

0

()

1

S 0

0

0

0

0

0

1

()

0

0

0

0

6

7

B

1

20

J 0

0

2

1

abundant

1

2

3

1

1

5

37

A

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

1

0

0

0

0

1

total

1

20

1

1

2

1

3

1

7

3

3

16

28

87

, 0

-

,- , 0

-

Decapoda indet.

Val vata nilotica

Bul mus (runcatus

Gastropoda indet,

Uni° abyssinicus

Etheria elliptica

Corbicula consobrina

Bivalvia indet.

Clarias sp.

Aves indet.

Bos primigenius

large bovid

Mammalia indet.

Total

192


the base of Subunit C2. In addition, hundreds of these shells were collected in a small wadi about 100 m east of the site (112E 68S), in beach deposits belonging to the Wild Nile' phase. The species occurs in a wide variety bodies of water, either flowing or standing, some of which may become seasonally dry (Brown, 1994: 234). As an intermediate host for several species of Schistosoma, it is a vector in the transmission of bilharziosis in northern Africa. Numerous late Pleisto-cene and Holocene sites along the Nile and in the Sa-hara have yielded shells of Bulinus truncatus (Van Damme, 1984: 49).

Unio abyssinicus

Two bivalve fragments from Unit B could be identi-fied as Unio abyssinicus on the basis of their heavy teeth in the hinge. This species presently occurs only in Ethiopia but it had a wider distribution in late Pleisto-cene times. It has been found, for instance, at Wadi Kubbaniya (Gautier & Van Neer, 1989) and near El ICilh (Gautier, 1976). Unio abyssinicus is an edible species and its shell can also be used as a container or as raw material for the manufacture of objects. This species typically inhabits permanent water areas, and therefor must have come from the main river. The ani-mals occur inshore and, if they represent human food refuse, were probably harvested during the 10w-water season when they were accessible. Alternative explana-dons, however, could be that the dead shells were col-lected on the surface, or that they represent reworked intrusives.

Caelatura aegyptiaca

A single shell of this bivalve was in beach deposits of the Wild Nile' phase. The species occurs in large rivers and lakes and had a wide distribution in the Late Pleistocene (Van Damme, 1984: 57).

Etheria elliptica

Unit B yielded a single fragment of a bivalve, which has been attributed to the Nile oyster on the ba-sis of its exfoliated appearance. This species lives in colonies in the main Nile, where it can be harvested during the low-water season. Nile oysters are regularly found in archaeological contexts and are usually con-sidered as food refuse. The shells are irregular and tend to exfofiate easily, therefor they are less suitable as a

raw material. It is not clear if the Nile oyster fragment is of anthropic origin as it may have been included in the river beach deposits that were laid down during the 'Wild Nile' phase together with the numerous Corbicula

shells in Unit B.

Corbicula consobrina

Shells of this species were present in Subunit Cl (2 specimens collected), Unit S (1 specimen collected), and occurred in large numbers at the base of Unit B. The former are intrusive from the surface along the desiccation cracks. Specimens from the Unit B context were not systematically sampled. Hundreds of Cor-bicula consobrina specimens in living position were collected from deposits of coarse sands corresponding to beach deposits of the Wild Nile' phase. Corbicula

consobrina typically lives on the sandy bottom of large, perennial waterbodies. Today, the species is found in the Nile and was also present during the late Pleisto-cene and Holocene. Numerous late Quaternary finds have been reported from the Nile valley and from the Sahara (Van Damme, 1984: 79).

Clarias sp.

Remains of the catfish family Clariidae have been found in units A, B and Cl. They comprise a parasphe-noid fragment, 2 fragments of the cranial roof with the typical granulated external ornamentation, as well as 3 pectoral spines. Two of the pectoral spines have their articulation preserved that allowed identification at the genus level. The striations on the large articulating facet, as well as the angle that it forms with the spine itself, are typical of the genus Clarias and distinguishes the specimens from the other Nilotic clariid genus Het-

erobranchus (Gayet & Van Neer, 1990). Clariids typi-cally live in shallow waters and are characterised by their ability to survive in deoxygenated waters of the floodplain. This catfish was also found at Shuwikhat (Van Neer, p 103) and usually occurs in large numbers at late Palaeolithic sites in the Nile Valley (Van Neer, 1989, 1994). Seasonal exploitation of these fish is fa-cilitated by their spawning behaviour that takes place in shallow, marginal parts of the inundated floodplain at the beginning of the fioods. When the waters recede, clariids concentrate into residual pools where they can be easily harvested as well (Van Neer, 1986; Gautier & Van Neer, 1989). The total desiccation of residual pools can lead to the death of the catfish that were un-

193


able to migrate to the main channel or to adjacent pools.

Body size reconstruction could be carried out on some of the catfish bones from Abadiya. Unit B yielded one individual of 30-35 cm SL (standard length or dis-tance from its snout to the base of its tail). The speci-men from Unit A corresponds to an individual of 20-30 cm SL, whereas in Unit Cl the following reconstructed lengths were obtained: 20-25 cm, 30-35 cm, and > 50 cm SL. Since clariids can attain sizes of over 1 metre. The reconstructed lengths seem to indicate that mainly smaller individuals were captured. The analysis of the abundant Late Palaeolithic clariid remains from Wadi Kubbaniya has demonstrated that on the basis of fish lengths a distinction can be made between deposits accumulated at the beginning of the floods and those deposited later in the season when the waters were re-ceding and residual pools were present. The average length of the fish from residual ponds is smaller than those collected from the spawning places (Van Neer, 1986; Gautier & Van Neer, 1989). Similar size differ-ences have been used to define dry and wet season oc-cupation in the lacustrine environment at Olduvai Gorge sites (Stewart, 1996). Find numbers are low at Abadiya but it is tempting to consider the average small size of the clariids as an indication for floodplain ex-ploitation of catfish at a moment that the levels of the Nile were dropping.

Bos primigenius

Aurochs are represented by an upper molar frag-ment from Unit B and by two jugal tooth fragments from Subunit Cl. Sixteen additional tooth enamel fragments, one from Unit E, 14 from Subunit Cl and one from Unit B, also fall within the size variation of aurochs but they may also be derived from other large bovids such as the hartebeest (Alcelaphus buselaphus) which is another typical herbivore in the Nile valley. Therefor, they have been listed under 'large bovid' in table 7.12.

Unidentified material

The material that could not be identified in detail includes a snail fragment (Gastropoda indet.), a frag-ment of a large bivalve and three bone splinters of birds (Aves indet.). In addition, 28 unidentifiable remains of mammals were counted. These are mainly flakes of long bones of rather large mammals.

Foot prints

About 30 footprints (stars in fig. 7.9) were found on the surface of a day layer in the oval depression (10- 32N4-10W), corresponding to the Wild Nile' phase (see 7.4.4). They formed a three to five cm deep im-print in the soft black Sheilch Houssein day, deposited in the oval depression. Judging from the unclear con-tours of the traces and from the fact that the prints made by individual toes merge into each other, the day must have been moist at the time the prints were made. The footprints were preserved by an infilling of aeolian sand, that later, was covered by a new thin black Sheikh Houssein day layer. After removing this sedi-ment, photographs were taken and plaster casts of all imprints were made.

Among the three casts and a series of photographs that were available for study at least two traces clearly belong to wild cattle. The cast of a large foot print (#22) can be identified on the basis of overall size, morphological features and circumstantial evidence. The piece was compared to illustrations of spoors from African mammals (Walker, 1981; Liebenberg, 1990) and to hoofs of modern domestic cattle breeds of large sizes. Spoor 22 is clearly from an animal with doven hoofs, (fig. 7.37A) although they are splayed only in the posterior part of the track. The prints of the indi-vidual toes are merged at the front. This is related to the wet and soft conditions of the substrate. The great-est antero-posterior distance measured on the cast is 14.7 cm and 14.9 cm for the left and right hoof respec-tively. The greatest width measured across the two hoofs is approximately 15.5 cm. Taking into account the large size of the spoor and the archaeozoological and palaeontological record of the Late Pleistocene of northem Africa, only a limited number of species re-main as possible candidates. These include wild cattle (Bos primigenius) and hartebeest (Akelaphus buse-laphus) which are the most conunonly encountered large herbivores in Palaeolithic sites of the Nile valley (Gautier, 1988). Evidence for other large ungulates is poor and comprises a few bone finds of giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) and wild camel (Camelus thomasi). The African buffalo (Syncerus caffer) and giant buffalo (Pelorovis antiquus) have only been reported from the Sahara thus far.

The broad and round shape of the hoofs is typical of massive ungulates such as buffalo and cattle (fig. 7.37), and excludes identification as a hartebeest or a giraffe,

194


A

FORE HIND

Figure 7.37 - Drawing of cast (A) corresponding to spoor number 22 and right fore and hind foot of domestic cattle (B) and African buffalo (C) (redrawn after Liebenberg, 1990)

which have more elongated and pointed hoofs (fig. 7.38). Camefids can also be eliminated since their hoofs are less splayed posteriorly than the specimen from Al Abadiya. Minor differences in the general shape of the spoors of buffalo and cattle are suggested by the drawings in Liebenberg (1990). Despite the poor quality of the tracks from the site it appears that they match more closely to those of cattle. The best fit oc-curs with the front foot. The comparison of the cast to hoofs from domestic cattle available in the osteological collection of the Royal Museum of Central Africa con-firms this identification. The general shape is similar but there is a size difference due to the fact that the Egyptian cast is from the wild ancestor of cattle.

The identification of the footprints documented by photographs only was difficult. In one instance (spoor 30), the size and round shape of the spoor seems to correspond welf with wild cattle (fig. 7.39). The other traces are not very clear, although the large size of most

Figure 7.38 - Prints of the right foot of giraffe (A) and hartebeest (B) and print of drome-dary foot on wet sand (C) (redrawn after Lie-

of them suggests that they correspond with aurochs as welf.

From their position in the depression, which was filled with water from the high floods of the Wild Nile' episode we suggest that the bottom of this depression served, during some short time period, as a drinking place for animals.

7.53 - Concluding remarks

The faunal remains from El Abadiya are very lim-ited in number and are also in a poor state of preserva-tion. For the interpretation of the molluscs please refer to the description of the geomorphology and stratigra-phy. The catfish, bird, aurochs and large bovid bones probably represent human food refuse. The overrepre-sentation of large bovid material is due to differential preservation that favoured the heaviest skeletal ele-ments. Nevertheless, wild cattle and maybe also harte-beest were likely the game animals that yielded most of the meat. Both species also dominate the faunal re-mains of Shuwikhat, which is more or less contempo-raneous to the majority of the fauna preserved at El

195


Figure 7.39 - Photograph of spoor 30; black line equals 10 cm

Abadiya. Floodplain fishing may have played an im-portant role in the subsistence, as was the case else-where in the Nile Valley during the Middle and Late Palaeolithic. The small average size of the clariid cat-fish at El Abadiya suggests that the remains correspond to fish captured during the season that the waters of the Nile receded from the floodplain.

The season of receding floodwater of the Nile, may also be the season, which the footprints of wild cattle were left at a much later period around 12.500 BP. We do not have clear traces of occupation at that period, except for the questionable single Afian remain (fig. 7.33: 9), but the possible inhabitants of El Abadiya may have exploited the bivalves Unio and Etheria liv-ing in the main river, an activity that, for reasons of access, must have been fimited to the period when the Nile levels were at their lowest. It seems more likely, however, that the bivalves have been introduced by the Nile water itself and are therefor not related to human occupation.

Despite the small amount of faunal material from the Upper Palaeolithic period, it seems that food pro-curement strategies at El Abadiya were similar to those seen elsewhere in the Egyptian Nile Valley during Middle and Late Palaeofithic times (Gautier, 1988).

7.6 - Conclusions

The El Abadiya area appears to be very promising as far as the presence of prehistoric occupations is con-cemed. Two field campaigns are not enough to disclose its potential, but we can draw a few conclusions.

7.6.1 - Natural environment

The hillocks are the oldest geomorphological land-scape elements. They belong to a system of wadi gravel fans of unknown age, but which are clearly older than the Early Middle Palaeolithic and thus probably of Middle Pleistocene age. No artefacts have been found within these wadi gravels. The gravels are the remnants of the wadi fans anterior to the wadi incisions and the development of the actual wadi floor. This gravel fan landscape has been subjected to a long period of denu-dation, creating the round landscape forms. The gravel top has been exploited as raw material by Middle Pa-laeolithic humans. The gravels provided the raw mate-rial also for the later occupations of the area.

The terrace landscape was covered by Nilotic fine deposits (Unit D), which are similar to the clays of the Shuwikhat Fonnation. If we accept that the fresh Mid-dle Palaeolithic artefacts from 29N-5E are archaeologi-

196


cally in situ, then the deposition of these clays started before the end of the Middle Palaeolithic. Our data on the stratigraphy of that assemblage is, however, not firm enough to be sure that it is in situ. Referring to the situation at Shuwikhat, we presume that deposition came to an end slightly after 25 ka BP. Apparently, towards the end of the day deposition, prehistoric oc-cupation took place at the floodplain edge and the pre-historic remains have been incorporated into the depos-its of the Shuwilchat Formation. We have no idea as to how extensive the Upper Palaeolithic occupation bas been. Several artefact concentrations have been cre-ated, contemporaneous or not. Original position of the site(s) is similar to that of Shuwikhat 1, in the flood-plain, but near its edge.

After the deposition of the Shuwikhat clays and the lowering of the phreatic surface, evaporation resulted in the creation of a slight calcrete in the upper part the day deposit (mainly small calcitic concretions). The landscape was remodelled by areal erosion. Depres-sions were created, probably by water erosion but pos-sibly also by deflation. These depressions were filled with sheet wash water and playa deposits, bringing in clays of the Shuwikhat Fonnation, together with cal-citic concretions and human artefacts. Deposits from this depression fill compose the Units C and S. The sheet wash resulted in the redeposition of the Upper Palaeolithic artefact concentrations into several units: Sector Z (eventually), Subsector Cl and C2 and South-ern Sector. Transport distance of artefacts was limited.

Taking in account that Unit C, deposited in shallow depressions, can be found up to an elevation of 82 m (fig. 7.6), i.e. +8 m above the flood plain, we must ac-cept that the highest position of the deposits of the Shuwikhat Formation was at least +8 m. This elevation can be compared with the +2 m elevation in the Shu-wikhat area.

On a separate occasion it has been argued that, pos-tenor to the Shuwilchat Nile terrace building (cf. Mak-hadma) a wet climatic spell hos affected the geomor-phology of the Nile valley (Paulissen & Vermeersch 1987). We can tentatively correlate the erosion and deposition of the Unit C sediments with that wet cli-matic spell, slightly posterior to 25 ka. It is however also plausible that a single heavy ram n shower caused this erosion phenomenon.

Posterior to the run off erosion episode, aeolian ac-tivity can be held responsible for the formation of the

oval depression. The aeolian deflation is anterior to the 'Wild Nile' event. The position of the oval depression is probably related to the micro-topography of the area, but this theory has not been studied. If we think in terms of the general accepted model of the interpreta-tion of Late glacial climatic conditions, suggestions that the period responsible for the important deflation activ-ity, by winds mainly from a northem direction, is re-lated to the LGM (Late Glacial Maximum) around 22- 18 ka BP are proposed. Another possibility is to con-sider the depression as a local deeper scour of the Wild Nile' episode, but no other traces of a Nile bed have been found in the site surroundings.

Around 12.5 ka BP, the surge of the Wild Nile' creates a lake in the Nile valley of which a beach is situated on the site. The gravel deposits of Unit E and the remains of the human gravel extraction activities were eroded and either partially transported along the beach or into the oval depression. The westem edge of the depression was undercut and a small cliff was formed. Occasionally that diff collapsed, fonning scree of consolidated fragments of Shuwikhat clays at the base of the diff in the oval depression.

As is the case at Shuwikhat 1 and Makhadma 2 and 4, numerous Corbicula consobrina shells are associ-ated with the day deposits of the Wild Nile' (Sheikh Houssein Formation). From the succession of the beach gravels, clays and aeolian deposits (Units B), it can be concluded that the aeolian accumulation in the oval depression started during the 'Wild Nile' phase around 12.5 ka BP.

Valvata nilotica, Bulinus truncatus, Caelatura ae-gyptiaca, Etheria elliptica and Corbicula consobrina populated the oval depression and the area inundated by the Wild Nile'. Unio abyssinicus has been intro-duced in the "Wild Nile'" deposits. There are no indi-cations that its presence may have been the result of human action.

The footprints in the oval depression suggest that large animals, such as wild cattle and/or aurochs, came to drink from the residual pool in the oval depression as soon as the waters of the 'Wild Nile' high floods re-ceded. When the residual water in the oval depression completely evaporated the Clarias fish living there died and their remains were incorporated in the deposits.

Once the Wild Nile episode came to an end, the oval depression was completely filled with aeolian sand (Unit A) in which some coarser deposits from the sur-

197


roundings were occasionally incorporated. Finally, a desert pavement covered all the deposits.

During the Holocene wet period, the sand fill above the impermeable D and C deposits retained some ground water, creating possibilities for the development of a scrub vegetation. Also during this wet phase, a desertic soil developed on top of the Unit A sand. Be-cause of increasing dryness, the vegetation died, leav-ing some root remains (fig. 7.36). Their age of 6150 ± 60 BP (IRPA-1054) may correspond to the disappear-ance of the local groundwater and to the onset of harsh desert conditions.

7.6.2 - Human occupations

The Middle Palaeolithic occupation of the area was very intensive, but our research was not oriented to-wards understanding the occupation periods. However, several different assemblages have been recognised. In sector SH2 Early Middle Palaeolithic artefacts were present, whereas in Sector 5H3 and on the Northern Hillock, Middle Palaeolithic material of N-group af-filiation was collected. Sector 5H6 yielded an assem-blage with a rather late Levallois technology, which appears to be different from anything we have collected in Egypt so far. The heterogeneity and the fichness in debitage material suggests that the chert outcrops of the hillocks were intensively mined during the Middle Pa-laeolithic, which is not astonishing when viewed in the light of the Taramsa, the Nazlet Khater and the Nazlet Safaha data (Verrneersch 1999). Apparently, extraction was organised using a system of pits and on site flak-ing.

The assemblages recovered from within Unit C originate from eroded deposits of the Shuwikhat For-mation (Unit D). The artefacts are no longer in their primary position but as the distinct artefact scatters with high densities suggest, displacement was very re-stricted, preserving the original assemblage composi-tion to a large extent. Chips are likely underrepresented due to their elimination by sheet wash that affected the original deposit. Judging by the presence of rolled arte-facts, Middle Palaeofithic artefacts, which came from the inunediate environment, may be mixed in with the assemblages from Unit C.

There is no doubt that the assemblages from the Central Sector, from the Southern Sector and presuma-bly from the Z-Sector as well are very similar. Flaking

technology with the utifisation of opposed platform cores for blade production is characteristic for the as-semblages. The core types and dimensions are similar. Careful preparation of the blade butt and the presence of a smoothing of the ridge between the strildng plat-form and the core table occur in those assemblages as well. The tool inventory is poor but end-scrapers, bu-rins and truncations are always amidst the most impor-tant tool categories. Numerous bumt day fragments were collected. We presume they are the remains of hearths destroyed by water erosion. Similar characteris-tics have been described for the Shuwikhatian assem-blage from Shuwikhat 1 (see this volume) and the Esna site E71K9 (Wendorf & Schild 1968), aurributed to the Upper Palaeolithic.

An age of 24-25 ka BP has been accepted for the Shuwikhatian at Shuwikhat. There are certainly no field arguments that would contradict a similar age for the El-Abadiya assemblages from Unit C. It is interesting to note that the geographical site situation of El Abadiya and Shuwikhat is also very similar: at the edge of the former flood plain. Tooth enamel fragments, recovered from Subunit Cl point to the presence of wild cattle and possibly also of hartebeest. Their asso-ciation with the lithic assemblages suggests that they were probably the game anima's that yielded most of the meat. Both species also dominate the material of Shuwikhat. Floodplain fishing may have played an im-portant role in the subsistence as well. The remains correspond to fish (Clarias) captured during the season when the waters of the Nile receded from the flood-plain. We presume that part of the activities of the Shuwikhatian of El Abadiya may be related to raw ma-terial extraction, however, no extraction pit could be attributed to them but the position of the sites near the chert bearing hillocks is probably not fortuitous.

It remains unclear whether or not there was a hu-man presence at the site during the 'Wild Nile' phase. The oval pit has apparently been used as a drinking place for large heibivores during the late sununer and fall, when the high waters receded. No lithic assem-blage can be attributed to a human presence except a few artefacts, such as small truncations that bear some resemblance to those from the Afian, which is contem-poraneous with the 'Wild Nile'. Humans from this pe-riod may have exploited the bivalves Unio and Etheria.

Finally, the presence of a late, probably Predynas-tic, occupation is attested by the presence of the black

198


layer on the southem hillock.

199

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VERMEERSCH P. M., P. VAN PEER \u0026 E. PAULISSEN, 2000. El Abadiya, a Shuwikhatian Site. In P.M....

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