Cereals and agricultural risk management in northern Sudan, past and present

Summary

Nubian agricultural practices are rapidly altering due to infrastructure development, as well as technological and environmental changes. We have been interviewing Nubian farmers about crop choices, land-use and irrigation. Farmer interviews have focused on a car- and electricity-free Nile island, Ernetta, where many 'traditional' practices have continued for a comparatively long time. We are also interviewing farmers in other villages throughout the north to understand variability. This research is part of a broader project “Sustainability and subsistence systems in a changing Sudan” (funded by the AHRC 2013-2016) which compares present-day and ancient crop choices to investigate agricultural risk management within Nile settlements. Managing risk can include using a diverse range of crops with different growing tolerances and land-use strategies. In this paper, we will discuss changes in cereals grown and agricultural practices over the last century, as well as land-use and irrigation in Nubia. By examining which crops or practices are considered ‘traditional’, we are forming reference points from which to make comparisons with the archaeological record. Amara West (1300 – 800 BC), an ancient Nile Island town, will be discussed as a case study.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 81st Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL (2016)   •
• Fire, Food, Farms, and Fortifications: Recent Advances in the Archaeology of Africa

Keywords

Spatial Coverage