Ain Farah is an archaeological site in Darfur in western Sudan. It was at one time the capital of the last Tunjur ruler, Shau Dorshid. It comprises large-scale area of stone and brick walls. It has been visited or described many times. Ain Farah moved one author to quote Macaulay – “like an eagle’s nest that hangs on the crest”, for it is built some 100 metres (330 ft) above a spring. It is characterised by several hundred brick and stone structures and terraces, and is defended by steep ridges and by a massive stone wall 3–4 kilometres (1.9–2.5 mi) long. There is a brick and stone edifice which appears to have served as a mosque, a large stone group which may have served as a public building, and a main group on the highest point of the ridge, described variously as a royal residence or military defence.
 Pottery from Ain Farah. | |
| Location | Darfur |
|---|---|
| Region | Western Sudan |
| Type | Archaeological site |
| Height | 100m |
Geography
editIt lies in the Furnung Hills some 130 kilometres (81 mi) northwest of El Fasher, and 600 miles (970 km) to the southwest of Dongola.[1] The region is picturesque, with relatively fertile hills and spring sources. The archaeological site is situated close to a hill, about 100 metres (330 ft) above the source lakes. Date palms thrive in the lakes. From there, the access goes through a dry valley, which was previously secured in the back by a wall.
Archaeology
editArchaeological work is in early stages. A survey of a sample of houses and excavation of a grave was undertaken by Ibrahim Musa Mohammed (1986) during his survey of Darfur.[2] The grave contained a flexed burial and over 200 iron beads, an ostrich eggshell necklace, a perforated cowrie shell, and iron jewellery. One of the corroded iron objects yielded a surprisingly early date (1500 +/- 200 bp, Q 3155), falling at least six and perhaps as many as eleven centuries before the likely time of the Tunjur; Mohammed interprets this as signifying a pre-Islamic presence and continuation into Islamic times. Christian Nubian pottery has been found at the site in the ruins of a brick-built monastery.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b Oliver, Roland; Fagan, Brian M. (29 October 1975). Africa in the Iron Age: c.500 BC-1400 AD. Cambridge University Press. pp. 125–. ISBN 978-0-521-09900-4. Retrieved 5 August 2012.
- ^ Mohammed, Ibrahim Musa (1986). The archaeology of Central Darfur (Sudan) in the 1st millennium A.D. B.A.R. Retrieved 5 August 2012.