Two Southern sudanese pottery traditions in a historical perspective

The author observed two very different pottery traditions in Southern Sudan: (1) the Dinka pottery, made by coiling technique and decorated with twisted palm roulette, (2) the Jur Molo pottery, which was a lump of clay and decorated with mat impressions. The present‐day distribution of people using rouletting pottery in this area is to the Nilotic speaking group, while the makes of the mat‐impressed pots belong to the Central Sudanic speaking group. The author hypothesizes that the prehistoric distribution and datings of the mat impression ware indicate that this is the oldest pottery tradition and might be associated with the Iron Age distribution of the Central Sudanic people in Southern Sudan.