<p>Pottery production in the Nile Valley, from south of the First Cataract down to the confluence between the White and Blue Nile rivers, dates back to the 9th millennium BC. This production took place in a context of hunter-gatherer-fishers and, while it exhibits some shared characteristics, it also shows significant regional variation from north to south. Although pottery manufacturing was family-based and therefore highly variable, analytical studies have made it possible to define several macro-regions, each with its own distinctive features, particularly in terms of techniques, tools, and decorative motifs. Impressions created with tools involving cord elements have been mentioned in the literature, but they have never been studied in detail. This type of impression is frequently found in the pottery produced at the al-Khiday sites, located on the left bank of the White Nile and dating to the 7th millennium BC. Based on extensive observations of a large ceramic assemblage, a series of experimental studies were conducted to identify the specific tool used and to reproduce the motifs found on the ancient materials. Finally, the “formal” analysis of these decorative motifs has once again proven to be a key tool in understanding the peopling dynamics of the Nile Valley. The study contributed to identifying the cord-impressed decorations documented at al-Khiday as characteristic of a specific macro-region along the White Nile.</p>