The Archaeology of Late Antique Sudan: Aesthetics and Identity i ...

Chapter 2 is concerned with the ways in which archaeologists have approached and interpreted the remains of X-Group culture. Such a discussion places the changing interpretations of Nubiologists within the framework of the archaeological discipline. Building on this theme, the following chapter is concerned with the implications of other theoretical positions for a reading of the material from Qustul and Ballana. The way in which the remains can be approached, the types of questions that may be asked about them, and the potential for interpretation are explored, especially within the context of identities, embodiment, and aesthetics. Such considerations are crucial to building a reinterpretation of the sites.

Chapters 4 to 6 turn to the specificities of the material culture of Qustul and Ballana. Particular attention is paid to the materiality of artefacts and their processes of manufacture. We also make the important step of examining the colours, decoration methods, and decoration designs in the artefacts from the sites. This discussion of the material qualities of the artefacts from the royal tombs points towards how such qualities were constitutive of past experience. These facets are drawn together in the final chapter to advance an interpretation of life and death at the two sites, based on aspects of the material remains. As such, an interpretation of the nature of X-Group culture, as defined at Qustul and Ballana, can also be proposed.