Neonile sediments

The more recent (Neonile) sediments in the area include the Masmas formation (clay and sandy silts deposited some 40,000 years ago). Neonile sediments called the Sahaba formation are younger (ca. 20,000 B.C.), and, as seen in Figure 1, these sediments cover much of the area bordering the modern flood plain on which most of the Predynastic sites are located. Some chemical differences are seen between these two Neonile sedimentary units... 

A final Neonile sediment is the younger (ca. 9000 B.C.) El-Kab lith-ozone that is exposed in only one area near locality 24 (14, 15). It was anticipated that most of the El-Kab formation sediments were covered by the modem Nile sediments on the flood plain and would be found directly under these cultivated soils. 

Figure 4. Concentrations of Co and Sc in bulk samples of sediments found at Hierakonpolis. The Nubian sandstone ( ) and the Protonile sediments contain far less Co and Sc than the Neonile (Masmas, Sahaba, and El Kab) sediments ( + ). For comparison the average concentrations for Units B ( ), N (x), C ( ), and the NRSC (A) are shown. Although sediments from Units B and N are Neonile, the low concentrations suggest higher proportions of sand (dilutant) than in the older Neonile sediments from the low desert area.

Below Unit B a silty sand layer (Unit C) was encountered in the cores taken between the mouth of the Great Wadi and the center of the Kom el Ahmr. Unit C contained a sequence of Old Kingdom to late Predynastic artifacts dating from about 2500 B.C. to 3200 B.C. Below Unit C, a very compact, well-sorted thick layer of Nile clay and sand was encountered (Unit N). No cores or trenches reached below this sedimentary deposit. Unit N contained occasional Predynastic ceramic and flint artifacts. Samples were collected from each 10-15-cm auger cut within each sedimentary unit in each core or trench. In addition, numerous samples of the Neonile deposits and other sediments from the nearby low desert and Great Wadi were taken for analysis. 

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