Textiles in the Funerary chaîne opératoire. Perspectives from Meroitic and Postmeroitic Sudan and Nubia (c.350 BCE–550 CE)

Abstract

This paper exploits the rich but little-studied corpus of archaeological textiles found in modern Sudan and Nubia and dated to the Meroitic and Postmeroitic periods (c.350 BCE–550 CE). It allies current approaches developed in the field of mortuary archaeology with an in-depth analysis of textile artefacts discovered in situ in the graves of the ancient Sudanese people. Going beyond the simple description of textile items and their potential place in the tomb, the concept of funerary chaîne opératoire is used to trace and interpret textile gestures around the deceased. Through many examples and the detailed case study of an ‘archer’ grave from Gebel Adda (Lower Nubia), this article aims at demonstrating the active and important role of textiles in the transformation of the dead, from an inert body to a revered ancestor.