Pottery making processes at Esh Shaheinab, Sudan

Esh Shaheinab is located on the west bank of the river Nile about 50 km north of Omdurman. It was one of the first sites excavated by Arkell in 1953 in the Sudan and is mainly known for its Neolithic occupation, although Arkell’s excavation brought to light remnants of a previous Early Khartoum occupation and later, Late Neolithic and Meroitic graves (Arkell 1953). The ceramic assemblage from Arkell’s excavation is presently stored in the National Museum in Khartoum and was recently restudied by the present author. The majority of the examined sherds belongs to the Neolithic (764 pieces), some are from the Early Khartoum period (177 pieces) and a few from the Late Neolithic (28 pieces).