Towards an understanding of hunting equipment used by early Holocene foragers of the Egyptian Southwestern Desert: Triangles of the El-Ghorab Unit

• Published in: Journal of archaeological science, reports Vol. 56; p. 104578
• Main Authors: Winiarska-Kabacińska, Małgorzata, Mugaj, Jakub, Ibrahim, HebatAllah A.A., Hill, Christopher L., Osypińska, Marta, Kabaciński, Jacek
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01.06.2024
• Subjects: Egyptian Western Desert; El Ghorab Unit; Functional analysis; Gebel Ramlah; Hunter-gatherers; Triangles; Gebel Ramlah; Egyptian Western Desert; Functional analysis; Hunter-gatherers; El Ghorab Unit; Triangles
• ISSN: 2352-409X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jasrep.2024.104578

•El-Ghorab activity areas in Gebel Ramlah reflect short-term, spring hunting camps.•Microwear studies revealed that chert triangles were mounted in different ways.•Hafting technology shows that several El Ghorab groups visited Gebel Ramlah area.•El Ghorab people were practicing a reduced hunter-gatherer, foraging economy. One of the Early Holocene archaeological cultures distinguished in the Egyptian Western Desert is defined as the El Ghorab Unit, and is dated to the 10th millennium cal BP. These hunter-gatherer groups lived on the shores of seasonal lakes (playas) and wetlands typical for the Early and Middle Holocene landscape of that part of the Saharan North Africa. They manufactured characteristic lithic artifact assemblages that have not been studied, so far, from a microwear perspective. The El Ghorab Unit lithic artifact assemblages are dominated by morphologically distinct triangular microliths, ca. 30–40 mm long and made from relatively wide blades, ca. 10 mm in width. This paper presents the results of morphological and functional analyses of El-Ghorab triangles from site E-16-03 located in the Gebel Ramlah/Nabta Playa region. At this locality, remnants of a few activity areas have been recorded on the northwestern margin of the Gebel Ramlah paleo-lake basin. The site consists of lithic artifact concentrations scattered around burned-earth hearth features (fireplaces). The function of the triangles is examined and interpreted here by also taking into account the specific paleoenvironmental and paleozoological record from site E-16-03. The El-Ghorab area of the Gebel Ramlah basin at E-16-03 contains three seasonally-specific, short-term hunting camps where hunting equipment was repaired and hunted game was brought to the site during spring time. Triangles were the main goal of lithic production. In the course of this research it has become evident that triangular microliths were mounted in hafts in different ways. This observation can be used as supporting evidence to conclude that various prehistoric human groups visited the Gebel Ramlah area during several seasonal cycles.