Transformations in the Socio-Economy of an African City. The Pottery from Old Dongola in the 14th–18th centuries CE

Old Dongola, located in northern Sudan, has a long and significant role in its history. The country is home to royal pyramids and wall paintings adorning medieval churches. The archaeological site of Old Dongola has been excavated by the Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology, University of Warsaw, since 1964. Recently, the project “UMMA” has produced data that has revolutionised our understanding of the liminal phase of Christian and Islamic communities in Nubia. This volume draws on the pottery data from Old Dongola from the fourteenth to the eighteenth centuries CE to offer an in-depth analysis of the socio-economic life of the city population. Focusing on the pottery used in daily and ceremonial life, the author explores the diachronic data from across this period to shed light on the transmission of pottery-making knowledge and use between Christian and Islamic communities and provide insights into their implications for society and their practices, traditions, and beliefs at the crucial moment of Sudanese history.