Overview
- Archaeologists report a solitary Bayuda Desert burial dated to roughly 2050–1750 BCE within the Kingdom of Kerma, published November 13 in the journal Azania.
- A ceramic jug from the grave held charred plants, acacia wood, animal bones, insects and coprolites, with the unscorched vessel suggesting the materials were burned elsewhere and then deposited.
- Additional grave goods included two ceramic vessels placed behind the head—one upside down and empty—and 82 blue-glazed disc beads around the neck, items typical of non-elite burials.
- Botanical remains such as legumes, cereal grains and weevils indicate the area was once a more humid, savanna-like environment than the desert seen today.
- Researchers say they know of no close Kerma-era parallels for this assemblage and urge further comparative fieldwork to assess whether it reflects local variation or cultural exchange.