Archaeology of Holocene hunter-gatherers at the sixth Nile cataract, central Sudan

Jebel Sabaloka at the Sixth Nile Cataract has been known for its strategic importance in late prehistoric stone tool production in central Sudan. Since 2009, archaeological exploration on the west bank of the Nile has revealed a hierarchized settlement structure, with 30 sites of early to mid-Holocene dating. The key findings derive from two principal sites – Sphinx and Fox Hill – that are situated on large granite outcrops and provide evidence of robust occupation by hunter-gatherers of the Early Khartoum Complex (Khartoum Mesolithic, ca. 8,500–5,000 BC). One of the most intriguing elements at these Early Khartoum settlements is the presence of large hunter-gatherer burial grounds, which will enrich the discussions of the character, duration and structuring of these Mesolithic societies at both regional and supra-regional level.