Geochemical analysis of domestic spaces. Studying activity areas in houses at 17th-century Old Dongola, Sudan

Understanding the organisation of domestic space and activity areas is crucial for reconstructing the daily lives of household members. The identification of activity areas tends to be challenging due to the unpredictable nature of site formation processes, as well as the variation in patterns related to cleaning and deposition of waste. Although the arid climate of the Nile Valley favours the preservation of organic material, cleaning of domestic spaces often leaves them without macro-remains of human activities. This paper presents the results of chemical analysis of floors from the excavation of a sun-dried brick house compound in the 17th century Old Dongola (Sudan). High-resolution sampling for elemental analysis provided a map of chemical enrichments indicative of anthropogenic input on surfaces cleared of macro-remains of human activities. The analysis of ethnoarchaeological samples from the vicinity of the archaeological site and the calculation of the Chemical Index of Alteration helped to distinguish enrichments related to human activities as well as those related to various building materials of floors. As a result, the presented analysis allowed the identification of previously unrecognised activity areas, as well as the determination of some function of rooms within the house compound.