Keywords
bioarchaeology of children, pot burials, Askut, Nubia, fetal osteology
Abstract
The skeletal remains in this study were excavated from the Nubian archaeological island fortress site of Askut (ca. 1850 BC - 1070 BC, New Kingdom/Third Intermediate period), located at the 2nd Cataract of the Nile river in Sudan. These remains were recovered as part of an archaeological expedition from 1962-1964, which was an effort to learn as much as possible about this site before the building of the High Dam in Aswan. Seven fetal skeletons (dated ca. 1260-770 BC) were examined for their biocultural significance. Biological analysis of these individuals indicates a range in developmental age from 36 to 40 weeks gestation. Three of the seven individuals show signs of pathology, including vertebral lesions, a deformed sphenoid, and cranial infectious bone reaction. These individuals, all interred in ceramic pots, were excavated from the pomoerium (the religious/sacred boundary or symbolic wall) of Askut's fortress. The interment style and burial location indicate that these individuals were treated differently in comparison to the children and adults of Askut, who were most likely buried in the cemeteries along the banks of the Nile. As Nubia was an Egyptian colony at this point in history, Egyptian influences and ideology would have had a large impact on Nubian culture, and this is reflected in the burial treatment of these individuals. Biocultural analyses of these individuals are used to interpret the particular burial patterns of these individuals.
Notes
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Graduation Date
2009
Advisor
Dupras, Tosha
Degree
Master of Arts (M.A.)
College
College of Sciences
Department
Anthropology
Degree Program
Anthropology
Format
application/pdf
Identifier
CFE0002920
URL
http://purl.fcla.edu/fcla/etd/CFE0002920
Language
English
Release Date
February 2010
Length of Campus-only Access
None
Access Status
Masters Thesis (Open Access)
STARS Citation
Britton, Lauren, "A Biocultural Analysis Of Nubian Fetal Pot Burials From Askut, Sudan" (2009). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 4022.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/etd/4022