Ceramic jug with charred insects, fossilised faeces: Sudan’s site reveals forgotten burial traditions of an African kingdom
A solitary grave uncovered in Sudan has offered an unexpected glimpse into a little-known ancient African kingdom, revealing traces of a 4,000-year-old funeral ritual never documented before. The find, described in a recently published study, has left archaeologists puzzled and intrigued in equal measure.
The burial, located in the remote Bayuda Desert of northeast Sudan, was first identified during a 2018 archaeological survey. Researchers found the remains of a middle-aged man whose grave dates back to between 2050 and 1750 BCE. This timeline places him within the Kingdom of Kerma, one of the earliest Nubian states and a contemporary neighbour of ancient Egypt.
The study, published on November 13 in the journal Azaniasuggests that this isolated grave, though humble in appearance, may reshape understanding of ancient Nubian funerary customs. Although the burial mound itself was modest, a simple oval rise of earth, it held a combination of objects that would soon raise questions about the rituals of this early civilisation.
Inside the grave, archaeologists discovered two ceramic vessels positioned behind the man’s head and an assortment of 82 blue-glazed ceramic disc beads around his neck. According to Henryk Paner, an archaeologist at the Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology in Warsaw and a co-author of the study, these items were typical of non-elite burials. But what set this grave apart was the contents of one particular vessel.
The medium-sized ceramic jug contained charred remains of plants, wood, animal bones, insects and even coprolites (fossilised faeces). Researchers believe these fragments may be remnants of a funeral feast, possibly gathered after being thrown into a fire and then placed inside the jug. The vessel showed no signs of scorching, suggesting the items had been added after burning rather than being cooked within it.
Most of the wood fragments were identified as acacia, and among the botanical remains were two types of legumes, likely a lentil and a bean, as well as grains from ancient cereals. A few ancient weevils were also found, likely having burrowed into the plant materials long before they were charred. These elements point not only to ritual practices but also to the environment of the time: the region appears to have been a more humid, savanna-like landscape, in stark contrast to today’s arid desert.
The second vessel, placed upside down near the skeleton, was empty, adding another layer of ambiguity to the burial. With no other known Kerma-era graves containing similar ritual debris, archaeologists believe this discovery may highlight variations in cultural practices within the kingdom or possibly reflect exchanges with neighbouring cultures.
For now, the unusual assemblage remains without parallel, offering a rare and mysterious window into life, death and ceremony in a largely understudied African civilisation.
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