I am very happy to announce that a paper focusing on Nubian-style pottery from Sai Island has just been published, being part of a special issue of Old World: Journal of Ancient Africa and Eurasia [OW], vol. 5 (2025), dedicated to the theme „De-Constructing Nubia“.

My paper presents the Eighteenth Dynasty Nubian pottery from Sai city, especially quantities, shapes, wares and parallels from various sites, in context and discusses its social and cultural implications.

My main argument is that Nubian pottery as an integral part of the pottery corpus of Sai allows us to address social practices of a local group with a specific cultural identity. Within the colonial context of Sai as an Egyptian administrative town, the community practices reflected in the pottery show that the legacy of the Kerma empire was never completely abandoned but updated regarding the new political, social and religious situation.

Furthermore, I tried to discuss whether Sai represents an elite phenomenon in urban space which differs from rural contexts in the hinterland of the city. This aspect is closely related to ongoing research ̶ I am currently studying the pottery from the 18th Dynasty site AtW 001 in Attab West, with a special focus on Nubian-style pottery. We recently found more close parallels to Sai and pieces which attest to an intercultural mixing like a new basketry-impressed Nubian-style cooking pot with a painted red rim.

For now, I am very grateful to Aaron De Souza, the organiser of the workshop which lead to this special issue and its main editor as well as to all the other persons involved realising this important collection of papers. “De-Constructing Nubia” is still an urgent research matter and our current work in Attab West can add much data in this respect.