Jebel Sahaba

Prehistoric cemetery site in the Nile Valley

Jebel Sahaba, is a site where evidence of past activity is preserved near the northern borders of Sudan and Egypt, closed to the Aswan High Dam.[3] Archaeologists found 61 remains of early hunter-gatherers, including men, women, and children. Before the discovery in 1960, many experts believed that prehistoric people did not fight each other. This view changed when Fred Wendorf discovered bones from the 12th millennium B.C., which showed a large number of injuries, damaged bones, and pieces of flint arrows.[4]

Violence at Jebel Sahaba
Part of resource competition in the Nile valley
Jebel Sahaba is located in Sudan
Jebel Sahaba
Jebel Sahaba
Jebel Sahaba (Sudan)
Datec. 12th millennium BC
(see Dating)
Location
Jebel Sahaba (جَبَل ٱلصَّحَابَة)
(in the north of present-day Sudan)

21°59′N 31°20′E / 21.983°N 31.333°E / 21.983; 31.333
Belligerents
Qadan people (probably)
Casualties and losses
61 killed
Jebel Sahaba: Remains of "JS 14"
Jebel Sahaba remains, JS 14
Name Age Cause of Death Location of Death Location of Birth
JS 14 [1] c.13400[2] Projectiles Jebel Sahaba Unknown
Egypt (Green) and Sudan (Orange)

Studies

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Fred Wendorf

Wendorf and his team discovered the prehistoric massacre site in the 1960s. Then, Isabelle Crevecoeur[2] from the French National Center for Scientific Research[2] discovered over 100 more signs of trauma and injuries, in 2014.[2] The remains also show how the victims might have died. For example, young men were absent [5] because they probably escaped or survived. The hands were damaged when they warded off blows. [2] Some back-sided ribs had sharp cuts, maybe because they died fleeing. [2] A pregnant woman had her hands twisted together, showing a possibility of being tied up. These medieval-like actions were very unusual and surprising for archaeologists and scientists.

References

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  1. "Search media - Wikimedia Commons". commons.wikimedia.org. Retrieved 2024-02-19.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 "The Roots of Violence - Archaeology Magazine". www.archaeology.org. Retrieved 2024-02-19.
  3. "The Roots of Violence - Archaeology Magazine". www.archaeology.org. Retrieved 2024-02-19.
  4. "Saharan remains may be evidence of first race war, 13,000 years ago." www.linkedin.com. Retrieved 2024-02-19.
  5. "The Roots of Violence - Archaeology Magazine". www.archaeology.org. Retrieved 2024-02-19.