From skeletons to stories
The transformative role of bioarchaeology in rewriting the history of medieval Nubia
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21263686 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Joanna A Ciesielska (0000-0001-8087-3079, University of Warsaw, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 5 |
| Publication date | 2026-06-24 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Frontiers in Environmental Archaeology (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2813-432X • E-ISSN: 2813-432X |
| Publisher | Frontiers Media SA (PUBLISHER • CH) |
| DOI | 10.3389/fearc.2026.1878091 |
| OpenAlex | W7165748233 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 32 |
Medieval Nubia (ca. sixth–fifteenth centuries CE) is frequently portrayed as a culturally uniform landscape—Christianized, politically cohesive, and materially consistent from Nobadia to Alwa. This apparent homogeneity, reinforced by standardized mortuary customs and limited textual evidence, has long shaped interpretations of the period. Yet bioarchaeological sciences increasingly reveal a far more complex picture. Drawing on recent studies, this paper argues that human remains offer a critical corrective to the perceived unity of medieval Nubian society
Archaeological evidence · Assemblage (archaeology) · Bioarchaeology · Medieval history · Rewriting · Transformative learning · Ancient Egypt and Archaeology · Historical, Religious, and Philosophical Studies · Paleopathology and ancient diseases
Savanna on the Nile
The Nubian Past
Vertebral infection in a male individual buried in the monastic cemetery (Cemetery 2) at Ghazali (ca. 670–1270 CE), northern Sudan
The First Appearance of the Negroes in History
Dietary seasonal variations in the Medieval Nubian population of Kulubnarti as indicated by the stable isotope composition of hair
Diet reconstruction through stable isotope analysis of ancient mummified soft tissues from Kulubnarti (Sudanese Nubia)
Multi-isotope analysis of dietary variation among the early Christian communities of northern Sudan
The cattle factor. Faunal evidence for the study of social and economic processes in the medieval Middle Nile Valley. Sudan
Moving Forward
Possible neurogenic disorder in a female buried in the monastic cemetery at Ghazali (ca. 670–1270 CE), northern Sudan
Proximal femur fractures among a medieval Christian population of northern Sudan
Stable Carbon and Nitrogen Isotopes as Dietary Indicators of Ancient Nubian Populations (Northern Sudan)
The grasshopper or the ant
Isotopic Determination of Seasonality in Diet and Death from Nubian Mummy Hair
Isotopic Evidence for Socio-economic Dynamics Within the Capital of the Kingdom of Alwa, Sudan
Kulubnarti III
An Isotopic Assessment of Makurian Monastic Diet at the Medieval Nubian Monastery of Ghazali, Sudan (Ca. 680–1,275 CE)
Bridging Worlds
Monks on the move? An assessment of mobility at the medieval Nubian monastery of Ghazali, Sudan (ca. 680–1,275 CE)
Temporal trends in stable isotopes for Nubian mummy tissues
Age‐related variation in isotopic indicators of diet at medieval Kulubnarti, Sudanese Nubia
Early settlers of Soba
Faith embodied
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |