Early Makuria Research Project: Interim report on the excavation at el-Detti in 2014 and 2015 with Appendix: Metal objects from the el-Detti cemetery

Abstract

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.