Jebel Sahaba was the first violent conflict ever known. It took place in modern day Sudan, 12th millennium BC. This word literally means 'Mountain of the Companions'. The minor battle is said to be fought over part of the Nile River. The section is now called Lake Nasser, where the future people built an artificial lake in the borders of modern Egypt and Sudan. The far ancient Qadan culture was deeply connected to the conflict. The remains of the battle site shows that about 61 were killed. Recent studies in 2021 show that a skeleton found in Wadi Kubbaniya relates with those which are found in Jebel Sahaba. The one most notable thing about this archaeological founding is not only that it was the first 'war', but the oldest discovery ever using weapons, such as wooden spears and sharp stones.

Discovery

The remains of Jebel Sabaha was first found in 1964 by an archaeological team led by Fred Wendorf, an American anthropologist. Later, in 2021, further studies found that the majority of skeletons were wounded in different occurences, so scientists predict a series of raids; not direct combat. Some skeletons have wounds that have healed, so this shows even more supporting evidence for that theory. Another archaeologist named Hoffman, in 1993, argued that the conflict was not just a series of raids, but a fight for resources in the Nile Valley. The idea was so sensible, that until now, other experts still didn't reject or question that theory, mainly because they didn't have enough evidence and facts. Even another 2021 study agreed to Hoffman that Northeastern Africa may have experienced climate change, bringing drought to the lands.

In 1988, the decision was made between experts that the battle occured about c.13,029-16,618 BC. Scientists used the surviving piece of DNA from the collagen of skeleton sample JS 43. On 2021, the decision was remade to be between 11,450 and 16,650 BC. The skeletons were 48.7% female and 51.3% male. But unexpectedly, the ages are still unknown.

Jebel Sahaba Media

Location and images of the observed osseous lesions on JS 14. See file description for full legend.