Division of Egyptian prehistory: Lower Palaeolithic – 700,000-250,000 BP Middle Palaeolithic – 250,000-50,000 BP Upper & Late Palaeolithic – 50,0000-10,000 BP Neolithic - 9,000-4,700 BC (note BP/BC switch!) Badarian – 4,400-4,000 BC Naqada I – 4,000-3,500 BC Naqada II – 3,500-3,200 BC Naqada III – 3,200-3,000 BC (Dynasty 0) Archaeological complexes and cultures are ways of defining groups of material (e.g. the Naqada culture)

Prehistoric (predynastic) Egypt Environmental conditions variable From hyperarid (today!) to less arid, savannah-like conditions (e.g. 9000-4,700 BC) Nile also variable – sometimes hospitable, sometimes very fast flowing (Younger Dryas) Obscuring the archaeology – Nile sediments covering sites Nile eroding away archaeological sites

Must have been first occupant of Egypt H. Erectus. Must have been first occupant of Egypt

Acheulean complex (named after the site in France where first discovered) Associated with H. Erectus Biface handaxes Found in Abydos area, also especially in Nubia These dated ca.500,000-300,000/250,000 BP Show preparation of foodstuffs (scrapers, cutters)

Acheulean sites: Kharga, Dakhla, Bir Sahara, Bir Tarfawi Climatic conditions much preferable to now (warmer, wetter) We can assume the presence of big game animals (and smaller) on the Saharan savannah

The Middle Palaeolithic (250,000-50,000 BP): the Saharan Mousterian Complex Tools made by LEVALLOIS FLAKING from blade cores (improvement on Acheulean) Usually associated with H. Sapiens (anatomically modern humans)

Mousterian sites: again, in Nubia, and the Western Desert Climatic conditions similar to Lower Palaeolithic, but perhaps becoming more arid Can extrapolate continued food-gathering in the Sahara and in Nubia; use of spears to bring down larger animals? Perhaps increasing population? Hard to ascertain in the Nile valley because of Nile erosion/alluviation First burial of an Egyptian! Child, ca.55,000 BP at site of Taramsa-1

What does this indicate? Deliberate disposal of the dead and recognition of the change of state Raises issues; correct (normative) behavior; ritual & beliefs?

The Upper Palaeolithic (50,000-24,000 BP) curiously absent. Period of extreme aridity? All settlements in the Nile valley? Covered by sediment? The Late Palaeolithic (24,000-10,000 BP) Significant cultural developments… Great variety in stone-tools across Egypt (bow and arrow!) Diversified environments; exploited natural plant resources, fish, animals. Sites still seasonal (no sedentism, i.e. permanent villages)

First proper cemetery in Egypt, at Gebel Sahaba Ca.12,000 BP; 59 skeletons in total All lying in the same way; left hand side of body, head to south 24 showed signs of violent death; EITHER chert points (spears/arrowheads) embedded in vital areas OR cut marks to long bones What does this tell us? Inter-group competition for diminishing resources in the Nile Valley (this is an arid period)? Uniform belief/religion?

Another hiatus in Egyptian settlement 11,000-9,000 BP (coincides with the Younger Dryas) – the “Wild Nile”? Around 10,000 BP switch to Neolithic (so move to BC/AD! 10,000 BP = 8,000 BC)… this period subdivided: Early Neolithic Middle Neolithic Late Neolithic CYCLICAL ENVIRONEMTAL CHANGE: Again, warmer and wetter between 8,000 BC and 4,000 BC

The Saharan Neolithic: not the Neolithic you were expecting… NO EVIDENCE FOR CEREAL DOMESTICATION! BUT; evidence that people in the Sahara ca.8,000-4,000 BC were keeping cattle (domesticated? To what extent?)

First ceramics! Storage? Decoration? (n.b. the first red/black polished pots…) …but also traditional hunting (gazelle, wild sheep etc)

In the Nile Valley… 7,000 BC, communities of hunter-gatherers at el-Kab, but not much else… BUT: ca.5,400 BC, the FAIYUM CULTURE and the MERIMDE CULTURE Both of these Neolithic; known as early predynastic cultures…

Faiyum (Kom W) True Neolithic cultures: Lower Egypt Cereal and animal domestication (wheat, sheep/goat): 3000yrs behind Levant 109 storage pits: these pits grouped Sedentism - villages! Ceramics. Lithics associated with the Sahara LN lithics – relationship?

MERIMDE BENI SALAMA True Neolithic cultures: Lower Egypt 5,000-4,100 BC Agriculture, animals, fishing and hunting Oval dwellings with hearths and storage areas Burials between houses; no grave goods First human representational art! Human head with holes for ‘hair’ – i.e. space for feathers

True Neolithic cultures: Upper Egypt BADARIAN

BADARIAN True Neolithic cultures: Upper Egypt Ca. 4,400-4,000 (but could be as early as 5,000) Sites at Hammamiya, Mostagedda, Matmar, as far south as Hierakonpolis Very fine ceramics; relationship to Nabta Playa red/black wares BURIAL EVIDENCE; differential amounts of material interred (beads, combs, greywacke cosmetic palettes) Meaning: SOCIAL RANKING (differences in wealth) Body ornamentation and display (related to status)

First evidence of social ranking INESTIMABLY IMPORTANT – shows differential access to goods and status; increasing SOCIAL COMPLEXITY! Continuity of this, and full realization, in the NAQADA PERIOD! Named for site (Naqada) where Petrie discovered the culture Divided into I (4,000-3,500), II (3,500-3,200) and III (3,200-3,000) Extremely important: sees shift from emergent social complexity (4,000 BC) to Egyptian state (3,000 BC)… NAQADA I Main changes in burial goods…

Naqada I ceramics: Human depictions Animal depictions Sexual characteristics emphasized; power

Naqada I ceramics Hunting scenes (again, power) Prefigure dynastic imagery Humans v nature? Control over the wild

Naqada I: In general… Very little settlement archaeology known Increasing disposal of wealth with the deceased This wealth a marker of status Statuses different – emergence of basic social classes? Imagery – making power claims? Sets the scene for development of Naqada II…