1. Was there human habitation before 8000 BC in an area in the southwestern corner of Egypt? When was the archaeological evidence for this discovered?

2. What do we know about the period which took place between 8,000-6,000 in Upper Egypt?

The other early Neolithic site in Egypt where the first agritculture is attested is Faiyum. Before this you have possible evidence of domesticated barely of indigenous origin around Wadi Kubinya around 10,000 BP.

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Originally posted by ausar:
I will answer it shortly. Kind of busy right know but I definately know the answer to your question. The most important archaeological site that dates off hand is the one at Nabta Playa which was irst inhabited around 10,000 BP and megalithic structures were built there around 6,7000 BP. The site shows a close connection to Badarian culture in pottery and also shows certain rites with cattle that is very similar to the old Kingdom.

The other early Neolithic site in Egypt where the first agritculture is attested is Faiyum. Before this you have possible evidence of domesticated barely of indigenous origin around Wadi Kubinya around 10,000 BP.

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Thanks...

Where is Wadi Kubinya?

Before the Badarian culture there was the Tasian culture (4500 BC), both settlements took place in Upper Egypt. However what came earlier to the Tasian cultural phrase i don't know. I think the dates are highly exaggerated.

Carbon dating (like many other such techniques) is flawed and it's results should be taken with a grain of salt. It relies on a constant amount of carbon in the atmosphere over the time period for a steady decay rate (and that's not at all a given). I think I've read that it has also physically been proven inaccurate by testing those old giant trees in California (the carbon dating didn't match the tree rings, no trees dated over 4500 years old).

But this is pretty much our best method of "dating" that we have at this time.

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Before the Badarian culture there was the Tasian culture (4500 BC), both settlements took place in Upper Egypt. However what came earlier to the Tasian cultural phrase i don't know. I think the dates are highly exaggerated.

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This was once thought that Tasian was older than Badari in Middle Egypt but both are fairly contemporary. Older than Badari and Tasian are Nabta Playa and some sites in the Dakhla Oasis area.

Here are some websites about findings at Wadi Kubaniya and Nabta Playa

Wadi Kubaniya
http://www.antiquityofman.com/wadi_kubbaniya.html

http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/wadi/hd_wadi.htm

Some about Nabta Playa
http://www.colorado.edu/PublicRelations/NewsReleases/1998/Oldest_Astronomical_Megalith_A.html

http://www.archaeology.org/online/news/nubia.html
http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?articleID=0005AD53-72E2-1CE1-ADD8809EC588EF21

Are there any recent discoveries?

Ancient Egyptian lived in south-western Sahara

Egypt, History
4/15/2000

The Egyptian-German archeological mission has realized an important
discovery which proves that the ancient Egyptian had lived in the area
currently known as the "Great Sea of Sands" in the southwest of Egypt,
in the prehistoric period, or five thousands years ago; it had been a
rainy area. Dr. Gaballah Ali Gaballah, Chairman of the Supreme Council
of Archeology said that the mission made three trips to the Western
Desert "Galf Qabir" southwest Egypt near the junction of the borders of
Sudan, Libya and Chad.

For his part, Dr. Mohammed Al-Sagheer, head of the Egyptian Monuments
Department said that the mission made an archeological survey around the
"Mahariq" Plateau and the "Garah" Cave area, where it discovered several
tools which had been used by the ancient Egyptian living, then, in those
remote areas. The tools included granite pots, fireplaces and human and
animal bones.

The mission delineated and defined the Cave with all its drawings and
geometrical and decorative designs. In addition, the mission delineated
the archeological site in the "Gararah" Valley and drafted a report to
be submitted to Dr. Farouk Hosny, Minister of Culture in order to
appropriate the budget necessary for the completion of the excavations
in the area to find more data on this discovery.
http://www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/Day/000415/2000041550.html

http://www.sis.gov.eg/online/html11/o201024h.htm

October 20, 2004
Important archaeological discoveries in Eastern Desert unearthed

An excavtation mission under Minnesota University in the US which is conducting excacavations in Wadi Qum Heleeg in Sharqeya desert unearthed 132 engravings dating back to pre-historic ages.

Also i found out...

"When the Sahara Turned from Green to Brown--Postglacial Climate Change and Human Settlement in Central Sahara, 12,000 - 2,500 BC."

[This message has been edited by Orionix (edited 20 November 2004).]