Revisiting the Khartoum Variant in its environment

Many interpretations and explanations of the Khartoum Variant have been, and still often are, based on old collections from lost sites located in the presently-flooded Wadi Halfa-Second Cataract area that can no longer be revised or revisited. In turn, other areas both to the north and to the south of the Wadi Halfa-Second Cataract region have provided new insights on the essence of the Khartoum Variant. Among them, Sai Island is the closest area with an environment similar to the Wadi Halfa-Second Cataract region. Its location, between the Dal and the Third Cataracts of the river Nile, is in a strategic position between Upper and Lower Nubia. This paper presents the results of continuing excavations at the Khartoum Variant site 8-B-10C at Sai Island and provides a review of the Khartoum Variant in relation to its environment and economic conditions.