Plant remains from the Napatan settlement in Wadi Umm-Rahau: An interim report

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "Plant remains from the Napatan settlement in Wadi Umm-Rahau: An interim report"

Oscar Fox
5 years ago
Views:

1 Hans-Peter Wotzka (ed.), Proceedings of the Third International Conference on the Archaeology of the Fourth Nile Cataract, University of Cologne, July Africa Praehistorica 22 (Köln: Heinrich-Barth-Institut), 2012: Monika Badura Plant remains from the Napatan settlement in Wadi Umm-Rahau: An interim report Abstract This paper presents the first results from carpological analysis of cultural layers in the Napatan settlement HP736 against the background of the pertinent archaeological interpretation. The site is located in the Wadi Umm-Rahau in the Fourth Nile Cataract region. Preliminary archaeological results suggest that the area was inhabited by an early agrarian community. The archaeobotanical samples were obtained from five structures and included large amounts of mineralised seeds and fruit remains as well as sheep/goat coprolites. The analysis of this material revealed the presence of both cultivated and wild plants. The majority of wild plants found at the site must have been brought into the settlement intentionally by humans. Palynological studies are in progress and are expected to provide new data on both animal fodder as well as the natural vegetation of the area. Keywords: Fourth Nile Cataract archaeobotany crops macro-botanical remains settlement site wild plant use Napatan period 1. Introduction For several years, the northern Sudan has been a centre of interest for archaeologists. The Gdańsk Archaeological Museum Expedition (GAME) concession covers an area along a 250 km-long stretch on the right bank of the Nile, between Karima and Abu Hamed. The study area belongs to ancient Nubia, which played an important role in the history of plant exploitation. In former times, Nubia probably served as a trade corridor between Egypt and more southerly regions of Africa. Rescue excavations have been conducted ahead of the construction of the new Merowe Dam in the Fourth Cataract region. So far, the GAME results indicate that this region offered a favourable environment for humans from at least the Middle Stone Age onwards (PANER & BORCOWSKI 2005). Apart from archaeology, another method of studying the ancient economy of this region is archaeobotany. Although the high temperatures and seasonal wetting and drying of the soil limit the presence of plant remains, increasing numbers of archaeobotanical investigations in the north of Africa deliver more and more results about the past; this is especially the case in Sudan. The study of plant macro-remains and pollen can be used to improve our knowledge of not only the introduction of economic plants to the desert area, but also of former vegetation and the processes involved in plant domestication (van ZEIST 1983; BARAKAT 1995; JAHNS 1995; NEUMANN 2003; EDWARDS & FULLER 2005). The main aim of the archaeobotanical study, conducted within the framework of cooperation between GAME and the University of Gdańsk Laboratory of Palaeoecology and Archaeobotany, is to describe the role of agriculture and plant gathering in the economy of different cultures, and to collect information for the reconstruction of past environments in the area of the Fourth Nile Cataract. The present paper presents the first results of the carpological analysis of cultural layers in the Napatan settlement HP736 against the background of the archaeological interpretation of the site. Plant remains from the Napatan settlement in Wadi Umm-Rahau 77

2 Fig. 1 Site HP736, feature 6: section showing organic layers, indicated by arrows (phot. E. Kołosowska). 2. Site location and archaeological setting The archaeobotanical material discussed in this article was recovered from site HP736, that was excavated by GAME in The site is situated in the Wadi Umm-Rahau, on one of the islands scattered along the bed of the dried up wadi, where the settlement was protected from destruction by water during the rainy season. Preliminary archaeological results suggest that the settlement was probably occupied by an early agrarian community (KOŁOSOWSKA & MAHMOUD, this volume). Among the archaeological features recorded at the site were stone structures that are thought to represent domestic buildings. Traces of fire were found in and around some rooms, and some of the structures were apparently used as storage places, an interpretation suggested by the presence of numerous fragments of large storage jars found in situ. On the basis of the characteristics of the pottery finds and 78 Monika Badura radiocarbon dates on charcoal samples, settlement HP736 dates to the Napatan period. 3. Methods of analysis Archaeobotanical samples were collected from each organic layer of the architectural structures (Fig. 1). The volume of the soil samples analysed ranged from 1 to 3 kg; only in a few cases were the samples smaller. After experimentation using different methods, water flotation was applied as the most successful. Samples were sieved through 2.0 and 0.5 mm meshes, and the fraction retained in the sieves was examined for plant remains under a microscope at 10 20x magnification. A total of 20 samples were collected in this manner. Most of the seeds and fruits were preserved in mineralised form; charred material was not plentiful. The mineralisation of the plant remains was due

Results and first conclusions Of special interest is the evidence for cultivated plants. Cereals are represented by spikelet base fragments of emmer, Triticum cf. dicoccum (= dicoccon) (Fig. 2).

3 to the presence of animal coprolites. Jugding from their morphology, the coprolites derived from sheep/ goats. Organic-rich coprolites were sampled successfully for pollen; these data will be the topic of a separate report (Małgorzata Latałowa and Joanna Święta-Musznicka, pers. comm.). 4. Results and first conclusions Of special interest is the evidence for cultivated plants. Cereals are represented by spikelet base fragments of emmer, Triticum cf. dicoccum (= dicoccon) (Fig. 2). Despite its Middle East origin, emmer has an ancient African heritage, and it remains a major cereal throughout North Africa and the Middle East. It was probably the only type of wheat known in Ancient Egypt, and it retained its dominance in the Nile Valley until as late as Hellenistic times. This kind of crop was highly appreciated as a source of food and drink. It was replaced by naked durum wheat (Triticum durum) by the Ptolemaic rulers (ZOHARY & HOPF 2000; FAHMY 2003). At the settlement site HP736, single glumes of what was probably barley (cf. Hordeum vulgare) were also identified. Remains of these winter crops, emmer and barley, were also found in the vicinity of HP736, at the Meroitic site 3-J-5, on the island of Umm Muri (EDWARDS & FULLER 2005). Among the plant remains, single fragments of water-melon seeds, Citrullus lanatus (syn. C. vulgaris), were found. This plant from the Cucurbitaceae family was cultivated in the Nile Valley at least from the beginning of the 2 nd millennium BC (ZOHARY & HOPF 2000). Early evidence for this species comes from Egypt (WASYLIKOWA & van der VEEN 2004), and in Sudan water-melon remains were found in the foundation deposits beneath the walls of two temples near Semna, c BC (van ZEIST 1983). It is thought that this plant is native to Africa; its fruits may have been an important water source in times of drought (SCHERY 1972). The material under discussion also contained wild plant species, a few of which have economic value. These plants were probably collected for food or animal fodder by people living in the settlement. Colocynth (bitter apple, Citrullus colocynthis) seeds were found (Fig. 3). Colocynth is closely related to the water-melon (ZOHARY & HOPF 2000). It is a desert plant with a rich history as an important medicinal Fig. 2 Fossil spikelet base of emmer, Triticum cf. dicoccum (= dicoccon) (phot. M. Badura). plant and a source of valuable oil. The fruits are still collected by nomads in the Sahara and the Near East and sold to pharmacies. All parts of the plant are very bitter and used as a purgative. After special preparation, the seeds were used for human food (OSBORN 1968). Colocynth is native to dry areas of North Africa, being common throughout the Sahara, in areas of Morocco, Egypt, Sudan, and eastward through Iran to India and other parts of tropical Asia (BOULOS 2000). Known since biblical times, it has been cultivated in the Mediterranean region for many centuries. Fig. 3 Fossil seed of Citrullus colocynthis (phot. M. Badura). Plant remains from the Napatan settlement in Wadi Umm-Rahau 79

4 Large deposits of glumes of wild grasses (Poaceae) mixed with coprolites were recovered from archaeological structures. Grasses have a high nutritional value, and they may, therefore, have been collected for animal fodder. Historically, wild grasses are known to have been harvested and to have formed a significant component in the diet of various Saharan tribes (HARLAN 1989; PELLING 2003). At the site HP736, Panicum turgidum, Echinochloa type and Setaria type were recorded. Grains of these grasses were probably ground, cooked and eaten as a kind of porridge; the grain could also be roasted. These grasses were also used for building material, fibre, brooms and medicine (WASYLIKOWA et al. 1995). Panicum turgidum made especially good fodder for animals. This grass produces seeds that loosely resemble proso millet (Panicum miliaceum). It was once abundant across the Sahara and in desert lands as far east as Pakistan (NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL 1996). Other remains represent desert plants (Arnebia cf. hispidissima) and weeds (Solanum nigrum; Eleusine cf. indica; Zaleya cf. decandra). The literature provides information that the appearance of Arnebia cf. hispidissima at the site might suggest that the plant was gathered. Dry plants may also have been collected for fuel (WASYLIKOWA et al. 1995). Some of the plant remains are still undetermined; this is due primarily to the lack of information on the morphology of seeds and fruits in the flora of the Sudan but also to limited access by the author to modern reference collections; this material will be investigated in the next stage. A preliminary analysis of coprolites shows that the samples contain pollen (Małgorzata Latałowa and Joanna Święta-Musznicka, pers. comm.). The pollen in the coprolites may give a general indication of the pollen fallout in the area and could indicate the food plants eaten by animals during the flowering season (AKERET et al. 1999; HUNT et al. 2001). Coprolites from HP736 contain assemblages with Poaceae and diverse steppic flora, including Asteraceae pollen. In addition, pollen of Tribulus sp. is present in the samples. The genus comprises seven species that could have grown in the northern Sudan (BOULOS 2000). They represent typical desert plants as well as weeds. All species can thrive even in desert climates and on poor soils. So far, cereal pollen has not been found. The present study of site HP736 in Sudan has provided a unique opportunity to compare archaeobotanical information with assumptions as to the function of the settlement made on the basis of the archaeological investigations. While the analysis is still in progress, we have already gained evidence for agrarian practices. All plant remains stem from clearly defined archaeological structures, and the examined archaeological objects contained more or less the same plant taxa. The analysis of this material revealed the presence of both cultivated and wild plants. Remains of cultivated plants are present in small numbers. The majority of plants found at the site must have been brought to the settlements intentionally by humans. Some of the collected species could have been used by people as medicine. Particular structures, with layers containing many coprolites, may have been used as goat or sheep pens. Further palynological studies should provide new data relating to both animal fodder and the natural vegetation of the area. 80 Monika Badura

5 5. References AKERET, Örni, Jean Nicolas HAAS, Urs LEUZINGER & Stefanie JACOMET 1999 Plant macrofossils and pollen in goat/sheep faeces from the Neolithic lake-shore settlement of Arbon Bleiche 3, Switzerland. The Holocene 9: BARAKAT, Hala N Middle Holocene vegetation and human impact in central Sudan: charcoal from the Neolithic site at Kadero. Vegetation History and Archaeobotany 4(2): BOULOS, Loutfy 2000 Flora of Egypt, Volume 2: Geraniaceae Boraginaceae (Cairo: Al Hadara Publishing). EDWARDS, David N. & Dorian Q. FULLER 2005 Excavations and survey in the central Amri-Kirbekan area, Fourth Cataract, In: Henryk Paner & Stefan Jakobielski (eds.), Proceedings of The Archaeology of the Fourth Nile Cataract, Gdańsk Gniew, July Gdańsk Archaeological Museum African Reports 4 (Gdańsk: Gdańsk Archaeological Museum) FAHMY, Ahmed Gamal-El-Din 2003 Palaeoethnobotanical studies of Egyptian Predynastic cemeteries: new dimensions and contributions. In: Katharina Neumann, Ann Butler & Stefanie Kahlheber (eds.), Food, fuel and fields. Progress in African archaeobotany. Africa Praehistorica 15 (Köln: Heinrich-Barth-Institut) HARLAN, Jack R Wild-grass seed harvesting in the Sahara and sub-sahara of Africa. In: David R. Harris & Gordon C. Hillman (eds.), Foraging and farming: the evolution of plant exploitation. One World Archaeology 13 (London: Unwin Hyman) HUNT, Chris O., G. RUSHWORTH, David D. GILBERSTSON & David J. MATTINGLY 2001 Romano-Libyan dryland animal husbandry and landscape: pollen and palynofacies analyses of coprolites from a farm in the Wadi el-amud, Tripolitania. Journal of Archaeological Science 28: JAHNS, Susanne 1995 A Holocene pollen diagram from El Atrun, northern Sudan. Vegetation History and Archaeobotany 4(1): NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL 1996 Lost crops of Africa. Volume I: Grains (Washington D.C.: National Academy Press). NEUMANN, Katharina 2003 The late emergence of agriculture in sub-saharan Africa: archaeobotanical evidence and ecological consideration. In: Katharina Neumann, Ann Butler & Stefanie Kahlheber (eds.), Food, fuel and fields. Progress in African archaeobotany. Africa Praehistorica 15 (Köln: Heinrich- Barth-Institut) OSBORN, Dale J Notes on medicinal and other uses of plants in Egypt. Economic Botany 22: PANER, Henryk & Zbigniew BORCOWSKI 2005 Gdańsk Archaeological Museum Expedition. A summary of eight seasons work at the Fourth Cataract. In: Henryk Paner & Stefan Jakobielski (eds.), Proceedings of The Archaeology of the Fourth Nile Cataract, Gdańsk Gniew, July Gdańsk Archaeological Museum African Reports 4 (Gdańsk: Gdańsk Archaeological Museum) PELLING, Ruth 2003 Medieval and early modern agriculture and crop dispersal in the Wadi el-agial, Fezzan, Libya. In: Katharina Neumann, Ann Butler & Stefanie Kahlheber (eds.), Food, fuel and fields. Progress in African archaeobotany. Africa Praehistorica 15 (Köln: Heinrich-Barth-Institut) SCHERY, Robert W Plants for man (Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall). van ZEIST, Willem 1983 Fruits in foundation deposits of two temples. Journal of Archaeological Science 10: WASYLIKOWA, Krystyna, Romuald SCHILD, Fred WENDORF, Halina KRÓLIK, Lucyna KUBIAK-MARTENS & Jack R. HARLAN 1995 Archaeobotany of the early Neolithic site E-75-6 at Nabta Playa, Western Desert, South Egypt (preliminary results). Acta Palaeobotanica 35(1): WASYLIKOWA, Krystyna & Marijke van der VEEN 2004 An archaeobotanical contribution to the history of watermelon, Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai (syn. C. vulgaris Schrad.). Vegetation History and Archaeobotany 13: ZOHARY, Daniel & Maria HOPF 2000 Domestication of plants in the Old World (Oxford: Oxford University Press). Plant remains from the Napatan settlement in Wadi Umm-Rahau 81

CIVILIZATION IN AFRICA NUBIAN Necklace B.C.

CIVILIZATION IN AFRICA NUBIAN Necklace 1700 1550 B.C. overview - How and why did Civilization emerge? Archaeological record demonstrates that early humans practiced nomadism for many thousands of years