Terminal Pleistocene and Holocene hunters and gatherers in the eastern Sudan

Excavations by the joint University of Khartoum/Southern Methodist University Butana Project in the area just north of Khashm el Girba on the upper Atbara River have uncovered a series of preceramic and early ceramic occupations by hunters and gatherers which date fromca 10,000 bp toca 6200 bp. The earlier sites show no direct relations with those of similar age in the northern Sudan, while the later, early ceramic sites show only minor similarities with contemporary occurrences in the central Nile Valley. Thus, it appears that the upper Atbara River Valley played no role in the development of the Khartoum Mesolithic and that Nilotic influences were late reaching the eastern Sudan.

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Résumé Des fouilles entreprises par le projet Butana dirigé en commun par l'université de Khartoum et le Southern Methodist University dans la région juste au nord de Khashm el Girba sur le cours supérieur de l'Atbara, ont découvert une série d'occupations précéramiques et céramiques anciennes de chasseurs-cueilleurs, qui datent deca 10,000 bp àca 6200 bp. Les gisements les plus anciens ne semblent pas avoir eu de relations directes avec ceux de la même période dans le nord du Soudan, tandis que les gisements plus tardifs à céramiques ne montrent que de petites analogies avec des occupations contemporaines dans la vallée centrale du Nil. Il semble donc que la haute vallée de l'Atbara n'a joué aucun rôle dans le développement du Mésolithique de Khartoum et que des influences nilotiques n'atteignirent que bien plus tard le Soudan oriental.

     

Glacial Stratigraphy of the Upper Mersey Valley,Tasmania

The upper Mersey Valley was glaciated on three occasions during the Pleistocene. The youngest, Rowallan Claciation, probably commenced after 28000 years B.P. The maximum ice limit was attained before 13500 years B.P., and retreat occurred before 10000years B.P. Deposits associated with Rowallan Glaciation are weakly weathered chemically. They overlie moderately weathered deposits that were formed during the Arm Glaciation, which is inferred from relative dating data to have occurred before the Last Interglacial Stage. North of the deposits and ice limits of the Arm Glaciation extremely weathered tills and rhythmites occur. They were formed by ice of the Croesus Glaciation which is inferred to be of Early Pleistocene age or older.     

Book reviews

Barbara Harrisson. Pusaka: heirloom jars of Borneo. xvi, 55 pp., 142 plates. Singapore, etc: Oxford University Press, 1986. (Oxford Asia Studies in Ceramics.) £48.

E. E. van Delden (comp). Klein repertorium: index op tijdschriftenarti‐kelen met betrekking tot voormalig Nederlands‐Indië. Deel l. Tijdschrift voor het Binnenlandsch Bestuur, 1887–1900. 79 pp. Amsterdam: Koninklijk Instituut voor de Tropen, 1986. Guilders 40.     

Migration in Finland,a multi-level system of regions

A systems approach is applied to the study of migration trends in Finland for the period 1971-1981, with particular attention to the period 1971-1978. The results indicate the existence of six permanent migration regions linked by a multilevel system. "The organization of this system varies from one part of the country to another, the most common modes being hierarchical tree flow networks belonging to a nodal system and polar and dendritic networks associated with a highly polarized system. The nodal system mode is seen to be increasing in currency."