There were a number of small medieval settlements, and churches, at the south end of the Second Cataract. These included an unusual early church [11-D-1], on the west bank (known as Qasrantawu/Kasantawu), and another small church on Meili island [5-X-44].

Upstream, in Murshid, on the west bank there was another settlement with a church [11-I-1], part-excavated in 1964.