Exploring Subaltern Agency in Colonial Systems: Metals and Resource Access in 18th Dynasty Lower Nubia (1550–1292 bce )

Abstract

This article examines the material dimensions of subaltern agency within the colonial landscape of New Kingdom Nubia (1550–1070

), focusing on metal artefacts from mortuary contexts in Debeira, Lower Nubia. Drawing on portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) analysis of artefacts excavated during the UNESCO Nubian campaign, the study reveals significant variation in alloy composition across elite and subaltern burials. These patterns reflect differential access to metallurgical resources structured by colonial hierarchies and shifting administrative regimes. By integrating compositional data with burial architecture, object typologies and chronological indicators, the analysis foregrounds how subaltern communities engaged with restricted materials in contextually specific ways. Rather than passive recipients of colonial imposition, these groups navigated material constraints with discernment, offering insights into the complex interplay between colonial power, access to resources controlled by colonial structures, and local social interactions. These findings contribute to broader anthropological debates on materiality, colonial encounters and the theorization of agency in contexts of structural inequality.