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[QUOTE]Originally posted by Tukuler: [QB] [QUOTE][b]Originally posted by Djehuti:[/b] [b]Neolithic Period to Egypt's Dynasty 1[/b] by Bruce B. Williams, Research Associate Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago [i] Cultures of Northern Egypt From the western delta to south of the Fayum, the cultures of northern Egypt occur largely in single sites or restricted areas, rather than extensive horizons. The emergence of distinct cultural traditions in northern Egypt has often been connected to the later canonical division between Upper and Lower Egypt, [b]although these early cultures were actually located in large part south of the Delta in areas assigned to Upper Egypt.[/b] In order of appearance, the site phases are Merimda (early and main) at the western edge of the delta; Fayum A; sites near the northern shore of Lake Oarun el-Omani and Maadi just south of modern Cairo; and possibly Buto, in the northwest delta. 1. Domestic Economies. The domestic economies of northern Egypt were substantially supported by agriculture which concentrated on the cultivation of cereals. Animals such as sheep, goats, cattle, and dogs were kept; fish and a wide range of animals were taken. [b]Even hippopotamus bones occur in the settlements[/b] (Hayes 1965: 93, 112). Hunting this dangerous animal requires the coordinated tactics of bands or crews (but see Eiwanger 1988; 44). 2. Structures and Settlements. Like earlier playa settlements, [b]most habitations were light, irregular or oval structures made of posts and reeds, sometimes plastered with mud.[/b] Many had hearths and circular storage pits nearby, some of which were lined with baskets or mud. At Maadi, some light structures were rectangular. The settlements had no regular plan, but part of a ditch and palisade were found at Maadi, in addition to large communal storage areas. Merimda contained a number of oval structures about two meters long, built of mud or mud slabs with floors below ground level. [b]Sometimes a small jar would be imbedded in the floor near one end of the oval, and a stick or hippopotamus tibia would be plastered against the wall near the opposite end[/b] (Hayes 1965: 105). The buildings, some arranged as though on a lane (Hayes 1965: 105), were built only in restricted areas, probably for a special purpose (Eiwanger 1982: 68). They may be related to structures at Maadi that were sunk into the ground over two meters and approached by steps. One very large (10 x 6 x 2 m) and elaborate brick-lined sunken structure had a special entry and a niche. It was found with a cemetery and large deposits of fish and pottery vessels, many containing grain. These structures at Merimda and Maadi, especially the large building, may represent a tradition of religious architecture (Anonymous 1986). 3. Religious Practice. Other evidence of religious practice includes burials, deposits, and possibly structural features. Early Merimda contained a small cemetery of contracted burials, [b]mostly placed with the heads south, on the right side.[/b] Later, burials in the Merimda levels were oriented irregularly (Eiwanger 1982; Hayes 1965: 112-13). In the el-Omari and Maadi phases, burials were made in cemeteries, some of them very large. [b]Grave goods were deposited with later burials, and some later graves have simple dolmen-like superstructures.[/b] Even some goats were buried at Heliopolis with grave goods (Debono and Mortenson 1988: 39, 46-48). Female figurines and an eggshaped terra-cotta head from Merimda are not readily connected to known traditions, [b]but a deposit with axes and a hippopotamus figurine (Eiwanger 1982: 76-80; 1988; 46) and the hippopotamus tibia used as steps may be forerunners of Egyptian magical practices.[/b] 4. Manufactured Goods. The handmade pottery of earliest Merimda was relatively fine, but apart from some stands, the mostly ovoid shapes were simpler than later pottery. Many vessels were pattern burnished with a pebble. Some vessels have a band of incised herringbone decoration, a feature that occurs both in Palestine [b]and elsewhere in northern Africa[/b] (Eiwanger 1984: 61). The pottery of later Merimda was coarser, with vegetable temper. Shapes remained simple, but knobs and lugs were sometimes applied (Hayes 1965: 106-107; Eiwanger 1979: 28-38, 56; 1988: 15-33, pls, 1-32). Most vessels were burnished, with a dark surface color. This simple pottery continued at Maadi. Only a few pieces were decorated in red paint on a light ground, and the finer red and black burnished vessels were accompanied by much coarse dark pottery, and some very large storage jars (Ibrahim and Seeher 1987: pls. 2,2 and 28,2). In other industries, the stone vessels of Maadi were more elaborate than those found at Merinda (Hayes 1965:126). Copper was also worked at Maadi from imported ores. 5. Trade. Trade and contacts expanded greatly between the time of Merimda and Maadi, [b]but imports from the East primarily consisted of raw materials such as copper ore and asphalt, or oils; most objects were made locally or regionally, although wavy-handled jars were imported from southwest Asia and some vessels and other objects were imported or imitated from Upper Egypt[/b] (Kaiser 1985: 70; Ibrahim and Seeher 1984; vorr der Way 1987; 242-247, 256-257). 6. End of Northern Egypt. Maadi ended early in the second phase (II) of Upper Egypt's Naqada culture; Kaiser 1985: fig.10). The settlement seems to have been finally destroyed by fire (Hayes 1965: 123). Maadi was the last of Lower Egypt's cultures in the area, although Buto in the Delta where a settlement with a cemetery has recently been found may continue (von der Way 1986; 1987: 242-247, including Naqada II pottery; Kaiser 1985: fig.10). 7. Summary. In northern Egypt, a large number of small, shifting villages probably sustained a few more permanent large settlements (Eiwanger 1987: fig.9). Consolidated in the area of Helwan and Maadi, these centers transcended the shifting earlier habitations without eliminating cultural variations (Kaiser 1985: 67), a contrast with the more uniform Naqada culture of Upper Egypt.[/i] [...] Most importantly, the earliest known permanent settlements in Lower Egypt were made in the southwest with the first one being in the Fayum! [...] [IMG]http://www.philae.nu/akhet/LowerSepatMap.gif[/IMG] (For more on Egyptian sepati look [URL=http://www.ancientegyptonline.co.uk/nomeslower.html]here[/URL]) The 1st sepat of Lower Egypt, Mennefer (Memphis) was the Egyptian capital first established by Narmer after his alleged conquest of the Delta, yet the predynastic culture of that sepat as well as the last two sepati of Upper Egypt (the 21st and 22nd) all show strong cultural connections to the neolithic Fayum A culture which in turn descends from the Sahara. [...] "[i]..the early cultures of Merimde, the Fayum, Badari Naqada I and II are essentially African and early African social customs and religious beliefs were the root and foundation of the ancient Egyptian way of life.[/i]" Shaw, Thurston (1976) [i]Changes in African Archaeology in the Last Forty Years in African Studies since 1945[/i] ... archaeologist Barbara Barich in her work [i]Archaeology and Environment in the Libyan Sahara[/i] commented on similarities between Capsian culture farther west in Libya and the neolithic cultures of Egyptian oases like the Fayum such as oval shaped reed huts, the hearths and storage pits, and even the bodies interred in the homes. Fekri Hassan cites other material evidence like ground axes, tabular flint tools, lens-shaped bifacial arrowheads, concave-based arrowheads, ostrich shells, amazonite beads, and bone points. For more info on the archaeology you can read [i]The Archaeology of the Faiyum and Western Delta[/i]. [...] Greek legends say that Libya was once ruled by Amazons the most prominent of which was a queen named Myrina. The name may be a Greek corruption of the name Merinit (Merineith) which was a popular name in Lower Egypt and was in fact the name of the Delta princess who became Narmer's queen after his conquest of the Delta. [...] ... in the Tale of Sinuhe, Sinuhe himself who is a Delta man says when he traveled to Upper Egypt he thought he was in an entirely different country since the customs and looks of the people were different and he could barely understand their speech! Perhaps 'barely' is the key word here. That the Delta and Valley folk spoke dialects of the same language is the likely guess many Egyptologists make. [/QUOTE] [/QB][/QUOTE]
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