Bridging Worlds: Unraveling Alwan Cultural Identity at the Nexus of the Savannah and Nile Valley Through Subsistence Practices

ABSTRACT This study investigates the subsistence patterns of the inhabitants of Soba, the capital of the medieval Kingdom of Alwa in modern Sudan. Dental enamel of 28 individuals was sampled for the isotopic analysis of carbon (δ 13 C) and oxygen (δ 18 O). Overall, the δ 13 C values indicate overwhelming reliance of Soba inhabitants on C 4 plants and/or faunal produce from C 4 ‐fed animals. The results of oxygen analysis (δ 18 O) fall within the expected range for individuals who primarily consumed water from the Blue Nile, suggestive of their local background. The isotopic data highlight Soba's dietary connections with the southern savannah ecosystems.