Halfan Culture

Halfan culture represents one of the earliest known human societies in the Upper Nile Valley, emerging around 22.5-22.0 thousand years ago (calibrated Before Present). This Epipalaeolithic culture, primarily located in northern Sudan, is characterized by its distinctive stone tool industry, which includes backed-bladelet technology. The Halfan industry is closely related to the Khormusan culture and shares similarities with the contemporaneous Kubbaniyan culture in Egypt.

Evidence suggests that the Halfan people relied on specialized hunting, fishing, and gathering techniques for survival. They consumed a diet consisting of large herd animals and fish, indicating a diverse subsistence strategy. Unlike some of their predecessors, the Halfan people were not strictly nomadic but rather settled in preferred locations for longer periods, with occasional seasonal movements.

Key artifacts of the Halfan culture include stone tools, flakes, and rock paintings. The stone tool assemblage is characterized by Halfa flakes, backed microflakes, and backed microblades. These tools served various purposes, reflecting the adaptability and technological sophistication of the Halfan industry. The Halfa core, a specific type of stone core, played a significant role in tool production, demonstrating a high degree of development compared to other core types like Levallois cores.

While Halfan culture shares similarities with contemporaneous cultures like the Iberomaurusian industry in the Maghreb, its exact chronological relationship remains uncertain. However, it is clear that Halfan culture represents an important stage in the prehistoric development of human societies in the Nile Valley, laying the foundation for subsequent cultural developments such as the Qadan culture and Sebilian culture.