A chemical examination of faience found in Nubia: preliminary observations

• Detailed analysis of faience from Nubia (c.2160BC–AD350) • Potential cementation glazing present in C-Group material. • Identification of glassy faience at the site of Kerma. • High lead levels observed in Napatan Period faience sample. Egyptian faience has been extensively studied, while faience found in Nubia has received little attention. This pilot study uses scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectrometry (SEM-EDS) to examine 30 faience samples (bead and vessel fragments) from sites in Lower Nubia (Faras) and Upper Nubia (Kerma, Kawa, Sanam, Meroe) dated from the C-Group to the Meroitic Period (c.2160BC–AD350). The findings show the varied quality of the production of faience from Nubia with the potential identification of the use of cementation glazing in C-Group material, the presence of ‘glassy faience’ at Kerma, and the presence of high lead levels in a Napatan Period sample. The discussion that follows highlights the potential innovation in the development of faience found in Nubia set in the wider historical/social/political context. These results highlight the need for further examination of this vitreous material when found in Nubia and how it might have developed alongside—and separately from—faience found in Egypt.