This paper explores the implementation of community archaeology at Old Dongola in Sudan from the point of view of the author as a field archaeologist. Focusing on recent efforts to actively involve local communities in archaeological practices, this contribution reflects on how participatory methods can foster mutual trust, address the historical marginalization of local labor, and enhance collaborative interpretation within the trenches. Drawing on the experiences of the UMMA and Dialogue projects, the paper reflects on methodological adaptations that honor local knowledge and address complex community dynamics, including the delicate balance between cultural narratives. By positioning community engagement as an essential, integrated practice rather than a peripheral approach, this case study illustrates the broader potential for community archaeology to bridge the gap between academic research and local heritage, ultimately advocating for its role as a standard in modern archaeological methodology.
Community engagement approaches, along with the development of capacity building and knowledge transfer under the aegis of such, have grown rapidly in recent years within archaeology as a discipline. With increasing adaptation of community-engaged methodologies among archaeological projects in Sudan have come additional opportunities for further engagement in the realm of bioarchaeological research. Given the unique aspects of bioarchaeology centered around documentation of burials and analyses of skeletal remains, a key arena of engaged approaches has been the development of dedicated workshops to provide methodological training in conjunction with hands-on opportunities during fieldwork. Such capacity development plays an important role in facilitating bioarchaeological inquiry and remains a component of project development in Sudanese contexts that discussion with local stakeholders has demonstrated to be desirable and sought where possible. Such capacity development through three methodologically driven bioarchaeology workshops in conjunction with opportunities for engaging with individuals in Khartoum around bioarchaeological approaches was undertaken in the winter of 2022 as a component of "The People of Ghazali: Tracing the Human Experience in a Nubian Desert Monastic Community (680-1275 CE)" project. This paper explores the dynamics of capacity development and community engagement in the context of bioarchaeological research in Sudan.
Although public engagement has a long tradition in anthropology, the public role of anthropology is still a largely unorganized and informal specialization, not free from controversies due to the entanglement of science in historical processes and the subjective nature of social phenomena. The paper examines some activities of an engagement nature (social interaction, interest in local culture, education, and social criticism) that resulted from the systematic ethnographic research on the occasion of archaeological work in and around Old Dongola. The paper aims to look for connections between ethnographic research and public engagement and their possible outcomes.
Ghaddar is a Sudanese village of about 6000 inhabitants. It is located next to the archaeological site of Old Dongola, which has been excavated by the Polish archaeological expedition since 1964. In February 2019, a quantitative social survey was conducted among the local community as part of the "ArcheoCDN. Archaeological Centre of Scientific Excellence" project. The survey aimed to understand the social environment of the local community and to identify their perceptions and expectations with regard to local heritage, archaeology, and tourism. The results were used as a starting point for designing community outreach programs and ensuring the transfer of necessary knowledge to members of the local community.
Aesthetic experience may foster positive connections between visitors and heritage sites. However, the way people engage with and esthetically experience archaeological heritage is not yet well understood. To address this gap, in the present on-site study, we explored how viewers' cultural backgrounds might wall paintings. Specifically, Sudanese and Western subjects were asked to view 17 paintings from the Monastery on Kom H in Old Dongola (Sudan) while their eye movements and fixations were recorded with a mobile eye-tracker. After the viewing session, participants reported which paintings they preferred and would select for a museum exhibition. Our analysis explored whether and how viewing time on the entire wall painting, and on its specific elements (faces of characters depicted in the paintings and areas outside the faces), mediated later aesthetic choices. The results showed that the viewing time partly predicts the aesthetic choices of participants from both groups. Interestingly, although both groups based their aesthetic choices on viewing with heritage, which in turn partly affects their aesthetic choices. ways viewers engage with archaeological heritage.
In 2019, the Dialogue community engagement project at Old Dongola began collaborating with local communities to develop community-based businesses that would deliver direct economic benefits to the people living near the archaeological site. Archaeologists are usually not trained in economics or marketing, and there are limits to the social impact an archaeological project can achieve. Yet the implementation of two collaborative programs -one focused on community-owned tourist accommodation and the other on souvenir handicraft production- offered insights into the potential roles that archaeologists can play in supporting community-based initiatives and safeguarding intangible heritage. They also demonstrated how archaeology can contribute to local economy, empowerment, and heritage. The article discusses the ways in which the author worked together with the local community within the framework of the Dialogue project, citing visitor data and the results of community surveys collected in Old Dongola.
Amid growing threats to cultural heritage in Sudan - even prior to the outbreak of conflict in April 2023- the National Corporation for Antiquities and Museums (NCAM) and various national and international archaeological missions emphasized an urgent need for capacity building to support the conservation and management of archaeological sites. Community work has proved effective in this regard. Training Sudanese archaeologists and university students, developing educational programs for learners at various levels, and involving local communities in the protection and management of heritage sites can significantly contribute to the sustainable development and long-term preservation of cultural heritage. This article provides an overview of the latest two community engagement projects conducted by the Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology, University of Warsaw (PCMA UW) at Old Dongola. Both projects, the training program in 2021 and the Baraka project, aimed to establish and strengthen the connection between archaeologists and local communities by fostering engagement and collaboration to raise awareness of cultural heritage and encourage community involvement in its preservation and protection. This was achieved by training Sudanese graduates in Archaeology and Tourism from various universities, particularly those of local origin, to serve as facilitators and instructors in community engagement programs targeting diverse local groups, including school students.
This paper examines the rock-cut and masonry-built conduits designed to convey liquids discovered during excavations in the Agora and adjacent areas in Nea Paphos, Cyprus. Analysis of these structures has led to the identification of five general types of structural solutions. A comparative study, supported by parallels from other urban sites across Cyprus and the Eastern Mediterranean, suggests that most examples were designed for rainwater drainage. Additionally, a chronological analysis based on stratigraphic studies of the archaeological site has allowed for the reconstruction of four main stages in the development of this infrastructure, reflecting architectural changes in both the Agora and the wider city of Nea Paphos.
This article is a summary presentation of the meticulous research, conservation, and construction efforts undertaken on the Northern Colonnade on the Middle Terrace of the Temple of Hatshepsut. Over the past 150 years, the Temple’s archaeological and conservation missions have contributed invaluable research, enriching our understanding of its historical context. A significant portion of this work, often overlooked, remains unpublished and is only documented in field notes or typescripts, the sole testament to the thoroughness and dedication of these endeavors. This article draws on these unpublished reports, as well as on the results of the authors’ own fieldwork focused on the analysis of the construction techniques of the Northern Colonnade and the state of preservation of this part of the Temple. The effects of the work carried out in the 1970s and 1980s could only be assessed after years of closely monitoring the preservation of the north wall on the Temple’s Middle Terrace. After numerous attempts and analyses, the technique employed to secure this particular part of the Temple proved effective, ensuring that the wall remained structurally sound.
This paper reports on an emergency archaeological survey demonstrating the potential of the archaeological site of Enda Abune Niwaye Kirstos of the Asgede Tsimbla Woreda in the Northwestern Zone of Tigrai, Ethiopia. The study area is rich in archaeological findings like pottery, lithic artifacts, remains of structures, and inscriptions. Aksumite structures with inscriptions are the most abundant discoveries. Data collecting relied on field surveys as well as recording oral traditions. The data obtained through archaeological fieldwork, as well as through observation, review of literature, and interview were subjected to qualitative analysis and a preliminary chronology was established. The site could be tentatively dated to the Aksumite period based on parallels from other sites in the region. The research helped to reconstruct the culture of the site’s inhabitants, and the site was documented before it was lost forever. The new data provides insights into the archaeological landscape, settlement patterns, and cultural traditions of the region, suggesting a remarkable continuity of cultural interactions between sites in the area. Lastly, the paper indicates human and natural destruction agents at the archaeological site under consideration and provides point-of-departure data for further archaeological investigations as well as prospective heritage and land management works.
This is a report on the second season of a five-year (2022-2026) archaeological project at the site of Mycenaean Pefkakia, which is a collaboration between the Polish Archaeological Institute at Athens and the Ephorate of Antiquities of Magnesia. In 2023, following an extensive geophysical survey and geoarchaeological corings conducted during the previous season, two trenches were opened in sectors designated as B and C. In Sector B, a burial ground from the late Hellenistic-Roman period was found, and several amphora burials as well as a single tile grave were excavated. However, layers dating to the Late Helladic (LH) period have not been revealed, despite a significant depth reached. In Sector C, stone walls of a multi-phase building dated to LH IIIA2 period were found. In addition, traces of continued habitation past 1200 BC in the area were attested by pottery fragments from the more developed LH IIIC period.
The paper describes the process of conservation and restoration of a severely damaged polychrome stone slab decorated in sunken relief. The slab was found broken into over 30 fragments in a Third Intermediate Period tomb on the third terrace of the Temple of Hatshepsut in Deir el-Bahari during the 2005/2006 season of the Polish-Egyptian Archaeological and Conservation Expedition at the Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari. The sandstone relief depicts Ramesses II and the official Tia as the main figures. The stele was in a state of advanced degradation, to a point of powdering of the stone surfaces. It was first cleaned and consolidated using a silico-organic preparation. Then, the remains of polychromy were reinforced, the slab was reassembled from the fragments, and the gaps between them were filled. Lastly, the object was prepared for future display in the Temple at Deir el-Bahari. The treatments performed allowed for the restoration of the aesthetic and historical value of this artifact dating from the Nineteenth Dynasty.
The issue of the existence of local ceramics production in the ancient city of Nea Paphos in the Hellenistic period has been a subject of scientific discussion since the 1980s. The first programs for archaeometric analysis of ceramic samples were also implemented at that time, but unfortunately, for various reasons, they were discontinued. The program of archaeometric analyses was resumed on a large scale as part of the Paphos Agora Project and other Polish research initiatives implemented in Paphos. Samples of various categories of ceramics, analyzed at the Fitch Laboratory of the British School at Athens, were taken both from material collected during the research of the University of Warsaw conducted since 1965 in the area of Jagiellonian University in Krak & oacute;w since 2011 in the Agora. The the results of macroscopic, physio-chemical, and petrographic analyses, which confirm the local production of ceramics in produced categories of pottery are briefly presented.
This is a report on the second season of a five-year (2022–2026) archaeological project at the site of Mycenaean Pefkakia, which is a collaboration between the Polish Archaeological Institute at Athens and the Ephorate of Antiquities of Magnesia. In 2023, following an extensive geophysical survey and geoarchaeological corings conducted during the previous season, two trenches were opened in sectors designated as B and C. In Sector B, a burial ground from the late Hellenistic–Roman period was found, and several amphora burials as well as a single tile grave were excavated. However, layers dating to the Late Helladic (LH) period have not been revealed, despite a significant depth reached. In Sector C, stone walls of a multi-phase building dated to LH IIIA2 were found. In addition, traces of continued habitation past 1200 BC in the area were attested by pottery fragments from the more developed LH IIIC period.
The paper presents a hypothetical reconstruction of the tomb of a provincial dignitary, Nomarch (district governor) Ini I, who lived during the First Intermediate Period (late 3rd millennium BCE) and was buried in the Northern Necropolis of Gebelein. The tomb was discovered by Virginio Rosa in 1911. An unpublished account of the tomb’s discovery offers exact dimensions and a detailed description allowing to propose a reconstruction of its form and furnishing. Blender, an open-source software designed for three-dimensional modeling, has been employed for the task. The modeling process is described and followed by a discussion of the validity and usefulness of such reconstructions for archaeology and dissemination of research results.
This article summarizes the research conducted between 2019 and 2022 by a Jagiellonian University (JU) team at three important sites in southern Jordan: Umm Tuweyrat, Wadi Quseir/Huseiniya, and Wadi Faynan 731. The data gathered provide new perspectives on population groups inhabiting the southern part of modern Jordan during Late Prehistory and give insights provoking reconsiderations of previous assumptions. The excavated sites offer new vantage points on the human presence in this area, illustrating the everyday life of these communities and elements of their spiritual culture, as well as their intriguing relationships with the surrounding landscape. The Umm Tuweyrat site is a dolmen field shedding light on spirituality and family traditions. A recent analysis preliminarily dates these structures within the Bronze Age. The other two sites represent settlement and farming traditions and are preliminarily dated to the transition period between the Chalcolithic and the Early Bronze Age.
This paper offers a new identification of two paintings executed on the first layer of plaster in the northern transversal aisle of the Faras Cathedral, which, due to their poor state of preservation at the time of discovery, were impossible to remove from the walls. Interpretations to date have linked the first painting with the Apostles or Christ teaching in the Temple and the second one with the Resurrection cycle or treated both scenes as unidentified. I propose, instead, that both paintings belonged to the cycle of the Childhood of the Virgin and showed her entrance to the Temple and being fed by an angel. This identification, based on a comparison of these scenes with Cappadocian and Byzantine masterpieces, is further reinforced by the placement of the paintings within the iconographic program of the Faras Cathedral.
This paper discusses data from excavations at Trial Trench III, set in the western part of the Villa of Theseus in Nea Paphos, Cyprus. The study aims to reconsider the diachronic development of Street A, located at the site of Maloutena, based on the results of stratigraphic analysis correlated with a typological study of collected pottery assemblages. More than 15000 pottery fragments representing a chronology ranging from the Late Classical (4th century BC) to the Byzantine period (7th century AD) were examined in their stratigraphic contexts in order to clarify the sequence observed during the excavations. As a result, it was possible to distinguish three phases of site development: Early Hellenistic, Middle Hellenistic, and Early Roman, followed by a phase related to robbing activity dated to the Byzantine period, and the final phase associated with natural processes on the abandoned site. This approach has allowed to correlate the new stratigraphic research results with previous knowledge about Maloutena as well as to challenge prior assumptions about its early history — in particular, those pertaining to the establishment of Street A and the first use of the Hellenistic street grid in the area.
The ancient region of Pisidia, located in southwest Turkey, has a settlement history extending from the Prehistoric period to the end of the Byzantine era. Numerous settlements established in this area lay along the Via Sebaste — a vital route connecting the East and the West. During the Roman period, socio-cultural development flourished there with the spread of colonization. Later, as part of the Byzantine Empire, Pisidia, became a focal point of political and social conflict due to its strategic position, leading to the construction of fortified settlements in strategically important rural areas to ensure their defense. Among these settlements is Balama Castle, situated atop a commanding hill. The site features houses, cisterns, churches, and fortification walls with towers placed at regular intervals. The walls, constructed of rubble stone, lime mortar, and broken bricks, suggest that the fortifications were constructed in no specific order. The main goal was apparently to quickly build defensive structures to protect the region. Balama Castle was not a renovation of an earlier structure but a part of a newly developed defense system. This system, created by the Byzantines in the 11th century AD, remained in use through the 12th century AD. Balama Castle, dating to the Middle Byzantine period, was identified during an archaeological survey conducted in the region in 2017. This study serves as a preliminary report presenting the initial findings from the site.
