North-Eastern African Stone Age

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alice Leplongeon
Keyword(s):  
Red Sea ◽  
Eastern Africa ◽  
Nile Valley ◽  
Stone Age ◽  
Research Projects ◽  
Sinai Peninsula ◽  
Human Occupation ◽  
Land Bridge ◽  
The North ◽  
North Eastern

Research on the North-Eastern African Stone Age is intrinsically linked to the study of human occupation along the Nile, which flows north through the now hyperarid eastern Sahara to meet the Mediterranean, forming a natural route toward the Sinai Peninsula. Since this is the only land bridge between Africa and Eurasia, the region is often referred to as a “corridor,” with the hypothesis that the Nile Valley may have repeatedly acted as a possible route used by hominins out of (and back into) Africa, guiding many research projects on the Stone Age of this region. However, past human occupation of North-Eastern Africa is far from restricted to the Nile Valley and includes evidence from areas that are now desert on either side of the Nile, as well as the Red Sea Mountains. Throughout the Pleistocene (2.58–0.01 Ma), the region was subject to climatic and environmental fluctuations that may have alternately rendered the desert habitable or the Nile Valley inhospitable for hominin settlement.

scholarly journals Not just a corridor. Human occupation of the Nile Valley and neighbouring regions between 75,000 and 15,000 years ago

10.5852/nes03 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Eastern Africa ◽  
Population Substructure ◽  
Human Populations ◽  
Nile Valley ◽  
Modern Humans ◽  
Climatic Fluctuations ◽  
Sea Levels ◽  
The North ◽  
North Eastern

The end of the Pleistocene (~75-15 ka) is a key period for the prehistory of the Nile Valley. The climatic fluctuations documented during this period have led human populations from the Middle and Late Palaeolithic to adapt to a changing Nile. In particular, the global shift to more arid conditions regionally translated into the expansion of the Sahara, the lowering of sea levels and the desiccation of some major eastern African lakes. These climatically-induced environmental changes influenced the behaviour of the Nile – although how exactly is still debated – and its role as an ecological refugium for human populations living in its vicinity. Genetic and fossil evidence highlight a strong population substructure in Africa during this period, suggesting the alternation of phases of major dispersals of modern humans within the continent, as well as out-of and back-into Africa, with phases of relative isolation of populations, which might be linked to the creation of environmental refugia during the climatic fluctuations of this period. Understanding to what extent the technological variability observed in north-eastern Africa between 75,000 and 15,000 years ago is linked to environmental changes and/or possible contacts between different human populations is critical in this context. The best-preserved evidence for past human behavior are archaeological assemblages, most often lithic assemblages. However, the use of different terminologies, whether they refer to cultural or techno-typological entities, hampers any systematic comparison between the Nile Valley on one hand and neighbouring regions on the other hand. An outcome of this practice is the artificial ‘isolation’ of the north-eastern African record from its neighbouring regions. This monograph groups together chapters presenting updated reviews and new data on regional archaeological, palaeoenvironmental, palaeoanthropological and geological records from north-eastern Africa, North Africa, the Levant and eastern Africa for the period ranging from 75,000 to 15,000 years ago. While north-eastern Africa, and the Nile Valley in particular, is generally considered as one of the main possible routes of migrations out of Africa, few recent studies allow the data from this region to be viewed from a macro-regional perspective. This book allows the exploration of topical issues, such as modern humans’ capacity for adaptation, particularly in the context of climate change, as well as population interactions and human dispersals in the past, taking a multidisciplinary approach.

Sudan

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marius Schneider ◽  
Vanessa Ferguson
Keyword(s):  
Red Sea ◽  
South Sudan ◽  
Central Africa ◽  
Eastern Africa ◽  
North Eastern ◽  
The Republic

Sudan is situated in north-eastern Africa bordered by the Red Sea, Egypt, Libya, Chad, Central Africa Republic, South Sudan, Ethiopia, and Eritrea. It has an area of 1,886 million square kilometres (km) and an estimated 2019 population of 42.81 million. South Sudan gained independence from Sudan on 9 July 2011, and as such the provisions only relate to Sudan (North), which is now formally known as the Republic of Sudan. The capital of Sudan is Khartoum. The working week in Sudan is from Saturday to Wednesday with business hours beginning at 0800 and ending at 1630, Thursday’s hours are from 0800 to 1300, whilst Friday is day off. The currency in Sudan is the Sudanese pound (SDG/Ls).

Early Human Occupation at al-Jamrab (White Nile Region, Central Sudan): A Contribution to the Understanding of the MSA of Eastern Africa

2018 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 193-209 ◽  
Author(s):  
Enza Elena Spinapolice ◽  
Andrea Zerboni ◽  
Michael Meyer ◽  
Donatella Usai
Keyword(s):  
Middle Stone Age ◽  
Eastern Africa ◽  
Site Formation ◽  
Stone Age ◽  
Cultural Layer ◽  
Human Occupation ◽  
Stratigraphic Sequence ◽  
Central Sudan ◽  
Out Of Africa ◽  
White Nile

AbstractThe middle reaches of the Nile River play a key role in the current models about the diffusion of modern Humans out of Africa, nevertheless the Early and the Middle Stone Age (Early Palaeolithic and Middle Palaeolithic) in central Sudan are poorly known. On-going investigation at al-Jamrab (White Nile region) highlights the archaeological potential of the central Sudan and illustrates the importance of an integrated approach combining archaeological excavation and palaeoenvironmental reconstruction for understanding cultural site formation and post-depositional dynamics. The stratigraphic sequence at al-Jamrab includes a thick cultural layer rich in Early and Middle Stone Age artefacts, preserved in a deeply weathered palaeosol developed on fluvial sediments. The cultural layer includes a two-fold human occupation covering the Middle Stone Age, with Acheulean and Sangoan bifacial artefacts, although an Early Stone Age/Middle Stone Age transitional phase cannot be excluded. The artefact-bearing unit is attributed to the Upper Pleistocene based on preliminary OSL dating, the local palaeoenvironmental context, and strong pedogenetic weathering. Considering the paucity of archaeological data for the Pleistocene of Sudan and the importance of this region in the study of human dispersal out of Africa, this preliminary work on a new site and its associated stratigraphic context provides insights into the early peopling of Sudan and adds one more tessera to the Eastern Africa picture.

A New Act East Approach: Revisiting INDO-ASEAN Relations via Northeast Window

2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hina Hassan Khaki
Keyword(s):  
Geographic Location ◽  
Asia Pacific ◽  
Eastern Region ◽  
Land Bridge ◽  
Border States ◽  
North East ◽  
The North ◽  
East Region ◽  
North Eastern ◽  
The Look

The idea envisaged under the Look East Policy was to interact and build relationships with our immediate strategic neighbourhood in the east, namely Myanmar, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Thailand. It was believed that trade with the neighbouring countries would resurrect the economies of the border-states in the region, bringing peace and stability. The objective of the policy predominantly focuses on the regional economic integration with renewed emphasis on the development of the North East Region of India. Most recently, development of the North Eastern Region has been the need of the hour and the Look East Policy for the advancement of the Region is Initiating a number of substantive endeavours. One among the several geostrategic imperatives that necessitate the development of North East Region is the border it shares with Myanmar. It was perceived if ASEAN was gateway to wider Asia Pacific Region, Myanmar was a land bridge to ASEAN and North East Region the gateway to Myanmar. In spite of being at a congenial geographic location to grasp the benefits from Indo-ASEAN cooperation the North East Region is cited as one of the remote landlocked regions of vibrant Indian Economy that has miserably failed to taste the fruits of development. This paper discusses how Look East Policy is fundamentally induced to diminish India’s internal development disparity by promoting the significance of the North east as gateway to east; to critically analyse the reasons for major disconnect between Look East Policy’s vision and ground realities so far as north east is concerned and to devise possible policy solutions for greater engagement and development of the region so that it will not remain just a corridor.

Egypt’s Old Kingdom in Contact with the World

2020 ◽  
pp. 397-458
Author(s):  
Pierre Tallet
Keyword(s):  
Red Sea ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Mineral Resources ◽  
Nile Valley ◽  
Sinai Peninsula ◽  
Building Projects ◽  
Old Kingdom ◽  
Trade Routes ◽  
The World ◽  
Written Sources

Throughout the Old Kingdom period, the Egyptian state maintained close relations with all the regions surrounding the Nile valley. At the time when the pharaonic state launched monumental construction projects—notably the building of the gigantic pyramids of the Fourth Dynasty—the exploitation of mineral resources in the desert margins and in more distant areas was sharply accentuated. The establishment of harbors on the Red Sea shore served to reach the south of the Sinai peninsula for the exploitation of copper and turquoise, as well as to bring back aromatics and exotic products from the land of Punt in the Bab el-Mandab area. The need for labor to realize building projects and develop the Egyptian infrastructure, for example as required to control major trade routes, led to repeated military raids against Libya, Nubia, and the Levant. Drawing on archaeology and written sources, including the tomb autobiographies of state officials of the Sixth Dynasty, this chapter offers perspectives on the complex military and diplomatic activities that linked the Old Kingdom to the surrounding regions.

scholarly journals Middle Palaeolithic find spots with Nubian cores from the Southern Negev and the Arava, Israel

2017 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mae Goder Goldberger ◽  
Hanan Ginat ◽  
Gidon Ragolski ◽  
Gregory Seri ◽  
Itay Abadi
Keyword(s):  
Dead Sea ◽  
Modern Human ◽  
Geographic Region ◽  
Eastern Africa ◽  
Middle Paleolithic ◽  
Nile Valley ◽  
Science Center ◽  
North West ◽  
The North ◽  
Core Technology

This is a report of results from a cursory survey of several Middle Paleolithic find spots from the Arava, Israel, conducted as part of a broader collaboration between the Dead Sea and Arava Science Center and the Israel Antiquities Authority.  A series of find spots were recorded on the eastern flanks of the Zehiha hills and on the northern terraces of Wadi Paran. These finds consist of mostly Middle Paleolithic artifacts including Levallois centripetal, bidirectional and Nubian cores. The presence of Nubian cores within this technological constellation is of interest in light of recent discussions regarding archaeological markers of modern human dispersals out of Africa and feasible routes into Eurasia and Arabia. The Nubian core technology, a specific variant of the Levallois technology is found within a defined and continuous geographic region and is perceived as penecontemporaneous. Sites with a similar technological package are found to the east at Al-Jawf, within the Arabian Peninsula, as well as to the North-West, within the central Negev highlands, at the localities of Har Oded and H2. The distinctive technological characteristics, geographical extent and chronology advocate its use as a possible marker for human dispersals and interactions between Eastern Africa, the Nile Valley, the southern Levant and Arabia.

IV. England, Italy, the Nile Valley and the European Balance, 1890–91

1964 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 94-119 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. N. Sanderson
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Policy ◽  
Eastern Africa ◽  
Nile Valley ◽  
North Eastern ◽  
International Rivalry ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Mediterranean

In the negotiations relating to eastern and north-eastern Africa which Lord Salisbury conducted with Germany and Italy in 1890 and 1891, the desire to safeguard the waters of the Upper and Middle Nile usually played the predominant part. But this problem could not be solved in isolation from the more general considerations of Britain's position towards the powers of the Triple Alliance and, less directly, towards France. It was important that disputes relating to the upper basin of the Nile should not be permitted to disrupt the friendly relations with Germany and Italy which were themselves the diplomatic guarantee of Britain's continued presence in Egypt and indeed, since the Mediterranean Agreements of 1887, the main foundation of Salisbury's foreign policy. But it was equally important that the friendly settlement of these disputes should not result in alignments with Rome and Berlin so close as to destroy the generally tolerable relations with France which enabled Salisbury to avoid complete commitment to the Triple Alliance and an excessive dependence upon German goodwill. The history of the Anglo-Italian controversy and the immediate consequences of its settlement, which took place over a period of nearly two years, reveals more explicitly than the much briefer negotiation with Germany the perturbing influence of international rivalry in Africa upon Salisbury's delicate adjustments in Europe. For Salisbury the problem was complicated, rather than simplified, by the fact that Britain's rivals in Africa were friends nearer home.

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