Jeux de la nature en dépôts votifs et funéraire dans le royaumes nubiens

Francigny Vincent (1) , Alex de Voogt (2)

1 OM-MP - Équipe Mondes pharaoniques
2 Drew University

In the Nile valley and since the Neolithic period, ritual offerings and deposits have included oddly-shaped stones whose meaning is still little understood. Both unusually shaped stones and fossils are attested in the Nubian kingdoms, where their presence was thought to be limited to royal graves and temples. Recent finds at Sai Island and Sedeinga show that, in the kingdom of Meroe, such curiosities could be associated with other non-royal contexts. It is also shown that some of these stones were modified by hand, accentuating the resemblance to religious symbols. The evidence points at a more widespread use of these objects than previously assumed and serves as a reminder for archaeologists to document a new aspect of Kushitic ritual practices.

Domaines: Archéologie et Préhistoire

Francigny Vincent, Alex de Voogt. Jeux de la nature en dépôts votifs et funéraire dans le royaumes nubiens. The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology, 2014, 100 (1), pp.233-243. ⟨10.1177/030751331410000113⟩. ⟨halshs-02539281⟩