Beyond the Nile: Stratified (>59 ka) and surface Middle Stone Age evidence from the Bayuda Desert, Sudan

In this paper, we present new research results from the Bayuda Desert (Sudan) based on 2021–2022 surveys and excavations at two localities (BP424 and BP1316), complemented by sedimentological and luminescence dating results. At BP 424, a small lithic assemblage comprising 28 artefacts was discovered within a ceiling unit of disorganised gravel and sand. Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) Dating results indicate that the layer is older than 59 ka. So far, this is only the second stratified site in the Bayuda Desert that dates back to the Pleistocene. This assemblage can be associated with the Middle Stone Age based on the presence of Levallois technology. The second site, BP 1316, located on the summit of the caldera known as Jebel Gheinab, is an example of a surface site heavily disturbed by aeolian processes, where numerous archaeological materials are scattered across the surface. What is more characteristic of these surface sites in the Sahara is that the phenomenon of cumulative palimpsest causes the mixing of technologically distinct elements that may relate to different episodes of settlement of the area. Technological analysis has shown that the material found here is primarily associated with the Middle Stone Age. The MSA sites discovered in the studied area are usually located directly on or in the immediate vicinity of the highest hills and high-quality raw material outcrops.