Sustainability and subsistence systems in a changing Sudan

这项研究旨在更好地了解人与苏丹北部尼罗河流域生态系统之间的相互作用，以及今天和古代人民如何找到应对危险环境的解决方案。大规模的技术变革正在戏剧性地改变粮食生产模式，并带来新的环境挑战。近年来，人们从岛屿上迁徙，尼罗河流域的新地区被殖民，新的农业技术也得到了应用。这项研究将为适应性解决方案创造一个长期的视角，以及这些解决方案如何与未来相关。这将通过对古代和现代尼罗岛定居点的农业和植物开发做法的案例研究来实现，背景是考古记录对生存系统的时间概述。传统上，岛屿一直是重要的居住地，因为适合传统农业的宽阔泛滥平原区域较少(与埃及相比)。阿马拉·韦斯特将提供一个考古案例研究，探索古镇的生存系统如何受到干旱的影响。一旦位于一个岛屿上，沉积物研究表明，公元前2000年末，一条附属河道干涸，使该镇暴露在风沙中(促使建筑修改)，并减少了农业用地。对保存完好的建筑和特征(如烤箱和研磨安置点)中发现的考古植物遗骸的分析，将允许对与局部干旱开始有关的生存变化进行年代地层评估。位于尼罗河上游5公里的尼罗岛Ernetta没有汽车和电力，它将为研究当今努比亚传统食物和当地自然资源的开发提供基线。调查结果将与河岸定居点进行对比，这些定居点在农业技术、用于房屋建设的现代材料以及获得新的公路网和进口方面有更大的发展。将主要通过审查与生计有关的文献，将当代的生存数据和来自阿马拉的数据置于更广泛的时间概览中，以创建关于农业风险管理战略和适应性解决办法的新视角。研究将考察：考古证据能否为现在和未来发展可持续农业实践的决策和建议提供依据？古代和现代努比亚传统农业和植物开发实践的比较能否为我们提供风险管理和可持续战略方面的信息？农业实践和其他自然资源的获取在远古和最近的过去是否受到环境变化(包括气候)的影响？食物和资源开发模式的变化如何与人口动态和进口模式相联系？研究将记录和推广与未来自然资源管理相关的可持续资源开发的当地知识。将为与可持续生计和农业有关的组织和机构编写一份报告(并将其翻译成阿拉伯语)。研究将通过学术界内外的会议、多学科学术受众的同行评议论文以及通过大英博物馆向更广泛的公众、学童和学术受众传播。大英博物馆的产出将包括印刷和网络媒体，以及开发新的关键阶段2教师资源。研究将支持大英博物馆和其他英国政府机构在阿拉伯苏丹共和国正在进行的工作和培训以及文化关系，但也将使博物馆和大学部门作为未来战略制定过程中的关键利益相关者，因为它了解人类住区模式和长期的生存战略。

This research seeks a better understanding of the interaction between people and the Nile Valley ecosystem in northern Sudan, and how present-day and ancient peoples have found solutions for coping with a risky environment. Massive technological shifts are dramatically altering modes of food production and bringing about new environmental challenges. Recent years have seen relocation of populations from islands, colonisation of new areas of the Nile valley and implementation of new agricultural technologies. This study will create a long-term perspective of adaptive solutions and how these are relevant to the future. This will be achieved through case studies of agricultural and plant exploitation practices from ancient and present day Nile island settlements, set within the context of a temporal overview of subsistence systems from the archaeological record.Traditionally, islands have been important locations of settlement since there are fewer areas of wide floodplain suited to traditional agriculture (in comparison with Egypt). Amara West will provide an archaeological case study for exploring how subsistence systems in an ancient town were impacted by aridity. Once situated on an island, sediment studies show a subsidiary channel dried up towards the end of the 2nd millennium BC exposing the town to windblown sand (prompting architectural amendments) and reducing agricultural land. Analysis of archaeobotanical remains recovered from well preserved architecture and features such as ovens and grinding emplacements will allow chrono-stratigraphic assessment of subsistence change in relation to the onset of localised aridity. Car and electricity-free Ernetta, a Nile island 5km upstream, will provide a base-line to study present-day traditional Nubian foodways and exploitation of natural local resources. Findings will be contrasted with river bank settlements subject to greater development, in terms of agricultural technology, modern materials used for house building, and access to new road networks and imports. Contemporary subsistence data and that from Amara will be placed in a broader temporal overview to create a new perspective on agricultural risk management strategies and adaptive solutions, predominantly via review of subsistence related literature. Research will examine: Can archaeological evidence inform decisions and advice being given to develop sustainable farming practices in the present and future?Can comparisons of ancient and present-day traditional Nubian agricultural and plant exploitation practices inform us about risk management and sustainable strategies?Were agricultural practices and access to other natural resources effected by environmental change (including climate) in the distant and recent past? How are changing foodways and resource exploitation patterns connected with population dynamics, and import patterns?Research will record and promote local knowledge of sustainable resource exploitation as relevant to future natural resources management. A report will be authored (and translated into Arabic) for organisations and bodies related to sustainable livelihoods and agriculture. Research will be disseminated via conferences within and outside of academia, through peer-review papers with multi-disciplinary academic audiences, and to the wider general public, school children and academic audiences via the British Museum. British Museum outputs will include print and web media, and the development of new Key Stage 2 teacher resources. Research will support the British Museum's, and other UK government agencies', on-going work and training and cultural relations in the Arab Republic of Sudan, but will also position the Museum and University sector, with its understanding of human settlement patterns and subsistence strategies across a long timeframe, as a key stakeholder in the shaping for future strategies.