The Archaeological Survey of Nubia Season 2 (1908-9)

Publication of the first season of the Archaeological Survey of Nubia included an in-depth anatomical study of the cemetery populations, but this was not replicated in future years. This book reconstructs the anatomical studies carried out for the second season, using newly discovered records, archival records and the scant surviving

The Archaeological Survey of Nubia was one of the earliest and most extensive studies of the population of ancient Nubia. Beginning in 1907 in southern Egypt, the excavations ran for four seasons and involved the excavation of 151 cemeteries. Publication of the first season’s work included an in-depth anatomical study of the cemetery populations found; this was not however replicated in future years. Until recently, it was assumed that any records for these later years produced by the anatomists in charge, Sir Grafton Elliot Smith and Dr Douglas Derry, were lost. This volume reconstructs the anatomical studies carried out for one of those missing seasons – season two (1908-09) – using newly discovered records, alongside archival records and the scant surviving human remains themselves. An introduction to the Archaeological Survey of Nubia season two excavations is given, alongside discussion of the source materials identified and the limitations these bring for researchers today. Following this, there is a full burial catalogue of the thirty-eight cemeteries where human remains were excavated. Data on the physical and pathological traits observed in each cemetery population are presented, and the detailed anatomical measurements taken by Smith and Derry are recorded as Appendices.

Introduction

Season Two of the ASN (1908-1909)

The Excavation and Recording of Human Remains

The Original Season Two Reporting

Sources of Evidence

The Reconstructed ‘Season Two: Report on the Human Remains’

A Source for Researchers Today?

Burial catalogue

Cemetery 58, West bank, Ginari

Cemetery 58/100, West bank Ginari

Cemetery 59, West bank, Kalabsha

Cemetery 62, East bank, Khor Basil

Cemetery 65, East bank, Wadi Abiad

Cemetery 66, West bank, Abu Regab

Cemetery 67, West bank, Dugheish

Cemetery 68, East bank, Moalla

Cemetery 69/1, East bank, Moalla

Cemetery 69/100, Moalla, East bank

Cemetery 69/200, Moalla, East bank

Cemetery 70, West bank, situated between Faragalla and Musa Kolei

Cemetery 70/100, West bank, situated between Faragalla and Musa Kolei

Cemetery 71, East bank, Sharaf el Din Togog

Cemetery 71/100, East bank, Sharaf el Din Togog

Cemetery 72, West bank, Gerf Husein

Cemetery 73, West bank, Gerf Husein

Cemetery 74, West bank, Gedekol, Gerf Husein

Cemetery 75, East bank, Shalub Batha

Cemetery 76, West bank, Gedekol, Gerf Husein

Cemetery 77/1, West bank, Gedekol South, Gerf Husein

Cemetery 77/100, West bank, Gedekol South, Gerf Husein

Cemetery 78, West bank, Mediq, Gerf Husein      164

Cemetery 79, West bank, Mediq, Gerf Husein

Cemetery 80, West bank, Mediq, Gerf Husein

Cemetery 81, Mediq South, Gerf Husein

Cemetery 82, Gerf Husein

Cemetery 83, Gerf Husein

Cemetery 85, Koshtamna

Cemetery 86, Hamadab, Koshtamna

Cemetery 86/500, Koshtamna

Cemetery 87, Koshtamna

Cemetery 88, Koshtamna

Cemetery 89/1, Awam, Koshtamna

Cemetery 89/500, Koshtamna

Cemetery 90/500, Kuri

Cemetery 91, Kuri

Cemetery 92, Aman Daud

Cemeteries with no surviving human remains

References

Index: Pathology, trauma, non-metric traits and minor anatomical variations

Appendices

Jenefer Metcalfe is Lecturer in Biomedical Egyptology and manager of the KNH Centre for Biomedical Egyptology at the University of Manchester. She teaches extensively on human osteology, the study of mummified remains and medical education. Jenefer’s research focusses on the study and reinterpretation of bioarchaeological collections from ancient Egypt and Nubia. She has published numerous papers focussing on the Archaeological Survey of Nubia and the work of Sir Grafton Eliot Smith.

• By (author) Jenefer Metcalfe

In travelling to numerous museums and research institute archives, Metcalfe undertook significant legwork to access, find, verify, transcribe and understand the multifold pieces of data generated fromthe anatomical studies undertaken as part of the ASNsecond season, as well as adding updated details about research subsequently carried out on the human remains after their initial assessment. This effort of co-ordination, collection and concatenation, as manifest in this volume, is no small task and has resulted in a publication that will be of great use to bioarchaeological researchers with a focus on Egypt, Sudan and adjacent regions. In addition to these specifically targeted audiences, the generation of this volumewill be of use to researchers interested in the integration of archival data sources into archaeological discourses. – Robert J. Stark (2024): Antiquity Vol. 98

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