Ewa Czyżewska-Zalewska

The preliminary report covered the results of the fieldwork conducted in Soba (Sudan, Khartoum State) in 2021-2022. It includes a general description of the idea behind the project as well as results of geophysical surveys, archaeological excavations, pottery studies, analysis of macro organic remains and stone tools, ethnological research, and training program.

Recent geophysical exploration and excavations, together with new radiocarbon dates, have shed light on the spatial organisation of medieval Soba in Sudan, and can partly be connected to the oral histories of the city's demise.

Recent research at Soba focuses on the tangible and intangible heritage of the medieval capital of Alwa kingdom, whose remains cover approximately 275 ha. About 222 ha of this area has been built up or transformed into agricultural land in the past 30 years. An ethnographic survey was also carried out in the built-up area to understand how the residents engage with the archaeological heritage and material remains. The undeveloped area of the capital (53 ha) was the focus of interdisciplinary archaeological fieldwork conducted in 2019 and 2020. A large-scale geophysical survey, using a fluxgate gradiometer and ground-penetrating radar, was initiated in the undeveloped area, and excavation trenches were opened to verify distinctive magnetic anomalies. Along with the ethnographic and geophysical data, the study of the pottery, burials, and stratigraphic sequence (supplemented with radiocarbon dates) provides new insights into the spatial organization of the medieval capital.

The article presents new material excavated during the last season, discusses production technology and surface treatment. Recently excavated material from el-Zuma throws new light on pottery production and its typology, necessitating thus a reexamination of the already known vessel types. Some types of pottery, discovered in 2017, although known from other tumuli excavated in previous seasons and already published in general reports, still need to be reexamined. New types of vessels have also been identified.

Burial structures and the assemblages found inside them at the site of el-Detti, about 13 km downstream from Karima and 7 km upstream from el-Zuma, were explored in 2014 and 2015 by a joint team from the Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology University of Warsaw and the National Corporation for Antiquities and Museums of Sudan. The aim was to enable comparison with the excavated burials at el-Zuma, a nearby tumuli field explored by the Early Makuria Research Project in recent years. Special attention was paid to metal artifacts from the tombs (studied in the appendix), which contribute to a better understanding of the local social and cultural traditions. The focus of the Early Makuria Research Project on examining the mortuary customs at el-Detti has helped to identify the burial practices of Early Makurian society and to trace the spread of Early Makurian society over time.

Continuing excavation in the tumuli field in el-Zuma has yielded an extensive pottery assemblage, adding to the material that has already been published in general reports. New types and variants of vessels have been identified. The article presents the new material and discusses production technologies, surface treatment and peculiarities of usage.