The Mesolithic period represents a key stage in the human history of Sudan, but its complexity is not yet fully understood. Since the beginning of prehistoric research in this region, efforts were made to understand Mesolithic site formation processes and post-depositional disturbances. Responsibility for the destruction of most Mesolithic sites' deposits rests mainly on later use of the ancient mound-like settlements as burial places by Meroitic and post-Meroitic people. Excavations at several sites in the El Salha and Al Khiday areas (White Nile, south of Omdurman) have provided recent progress in our knowledge of Mesolithic living structures in their palaeoenvironmental contexts. Detailed stratigraphic and geoarchaeological investigations enabled us to distinguish, within the sequences identified at excavated mounds, the existence of basal archaeological strata still in situ that had remained unaffected by subsequent anthropogenic disturbances and to understand the functional aspects of several archaeological features associated with Mesolithic living floors. This offers the opportunity to reassess the Mesolithic cultural sequence in the region and reconsider some statements on the economic and social aspects of Mesolithic life and landscape exploitation strategies.Résumé La période mésolithique représente une étape clé dans l'histoire humaine du Soudan, mais elle n'est pas encore comprise dans toute sa complexité. Depuis le début des recherches préhistoriques dans cette région, les travaux ont cherché à élucider les processus de formation et perturbations post-dépositionnelles des sites mésolithiqes. Malheureusement, les dépôts de la plupart de ces sites sont perturbés. Ces destructions resultent en majorité de la réutilisation postérieure des buttes Afr Archaeol Rev (2011) 28:177-211
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