Fuzzy Boundaries or Hard Borders? Cultural Groupings in Second Millennium bc Nubia from the View of Linguistic Evidence

Abstract The region of Sudan and Nubia has always been witness to a complicated nexus of linguistic groupings, frequently exhibiting episodes of linguistic shifts, migration, and extinction. From Nilo-Saharan languages like Meroitic, to Afroasiatic languages like Beja, the region of the Second Millennium bce Middle Nile was certainly not homogenous ethno-linguistically. Linguistic enigmas provide further confusion, like the unknown languages of Lower Nubia that correlate to A- and C-Group material horizons. This paper describes the limits of the evidence in organizing linguistic groupings of ancient Nubia and critiques the issue as to whether these linguistic blocs correlate to geographic boundaries of specific material cultures. Does homogeneity in the archaeological record demonstrate similar homogeneity in linguistic identity? How do we expect nomadic pastoralists, seasonal movements, and migrations to affect this linguistic map? With a focus on pragmatic arguments and the use of later linguistic evidence, this paper reflects on the peopling of the Middle Nile region.