Fieldwork was resumed in May 1999 with a short survey season covering some 40km of the west bank of the river, from Sesi (opposite Delgo) to the cataract zone.The University of Khartoum team was based in Defoi. The project recorded 20 new sites as well as revisiting a number of those recorded in 1990-1991, in order to accurately re-record their position with the benefit of a GPS. The principal sites recorded included:
An archive report on the general progress of the survey was prepared by Amal Awad Mukhtar & Amal Hassan Gismalla, Archaeological Inspectors, Sudan NCAM. A further interim report on the excavation of what appears to have been a Neolithic site at Barae (site 99/23) has been prepared by Azhari Mustafa Sadig.
- extensive spreads of Neolithic and earlier prehistoric material on the low desert terraces west of Shadda (site 99/8)
- post-medieval Qubba cemetery at Kokka, burial place of the Mahas 'meks' (site 99/12)
- several sites around Jebel Noh and Jebel Siti Nafiisa west of Kajbar (prehistoric, medieval, rock drawings)
- Neolithic surface scatters near Halieba
- Kerma and Neolithic surface scatters close to Barae (Defoi)
- Rock Drawings on Jebel Shofein (site 99/23b)
- Medieval occupation sites and a cemetery in Kasakona
- Kerma-period occupation in the Jawgul area
Team:
Prof. Ali Osman Mohammed Salih, Intisar Soghieroun el-Zein, Yahia Fadl Tahir (Administrative Director)
Amal Hassan Gasmalla, Amal Awad Mokhtar, AbdelMonim Ahmed Abdallah, Azhari Mustafa Sadig, Faiz Hassan Osman, Hatim el Nour Mohammed, Howida Mohammed Adam.Many thanks to the villagers of Defoi and the many others who assisted with the work. We are indebted to Abdel Daim Mohammed Fadl, Hussein Mustafa Kheiri, Arbab Abdel Aziz, Sayed Haj Ahmed, Mohammed Arbab Abdel Aziz, Ahmed Saeed & Haider Sayed Sherif.