POTTERY PRODUCTION AT THE MESOLITHIC SITE OF KABBASHI HAITAH (CENTRAL SUDAN): AN INTEGRATED MORPHOLOGICAL, PETROGRAPHIC AND MINERALOGICAL ANALYSIS

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Fabrizio Antonelli
Isabella Caneva
Lorenzo Lazzarini
Lara Maritan

Abstract

This paper presents the results of an interdisciplinary archeometric study on Early Mesolithic pottery from


the prehistoric site of Kabbashi Haitah, located 35 km north of Khartoum (central Sudan), along the Nile


Valley. A large set of potsherds, selected after a preliminary macroscopic analysis of 1075 fragments


representing the various vessels (mainly plain and globular in shape, with various rim diameter),


macrofabrics and decoration types (either with or without incised or stamped decorations, i.e. incisedwavy


line and rocker stamp) was analysed to define the type of the raw materials used and their manufacturing


technology. The mineralogical and petrographic features, determined by optical microscopy and X-ray


powder diffraction, indicate that the pottery was produced using an illitic clay tempered with quartz and/or


K-feldspar derived from granite/syenite grinding, and fired in the temperature range between 750 and


900°C.

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