Last 100 years of research on the origins of the Lower Egyptian Neolithic communities, (original) (raw)

2023, ICE XII: Proceedings of the Twelfth International Congress of Egyptologists, 3rd - 8th November 2019, Cairo Ola El-Aguizy (éd.), Burt Kasparian (éd.), Cairo: 588-594.

The Naqada Period in Thebes 567 ThewesternpartofWadiGwasdividedbythemissionintofiveareas:Ga,Gb,Gc,Gd,Ge andGf(fig.1). 15 Themission'sobjectivewastoinvestigatesystematicallyforthefirsttimethe archaeologicalremainsintheseareasofthewadi,toinvestigatethepossibleshaftsandcliff-tomb suggestedbyCarterandthegraffitipreviouslyrecordedbybothCarterandČerný. 2. EXCAVATION RESULTS DespiteCarter'sfindinggraffitiofPredynasticdateinthisarea,itwasinterestingtodiscover specificevidenceofhumanactivityinWadiGdatingtotheNaqadaPeriod.Thisevidenceappeared intheformoftwopotentialhutsinareasGaandGe,flintandsandstonetools,thecharcoalleft fromthreesmallfiresonthebedrock(twoinareaGaandthethirdinareaGb),togetherwith NaqadaIIpotterysherds.Carterhadrecordedgiraffesandostrichgraffitionthecliffsinarea Gbtothewestofthe127-niche.However,themainconcentrationofgraffitiinWadiGistobe foundinthe127-nicheitselfwhichliesinGa.Thisnicheformsanaturalshelterwhichwasreused inCoptictimes,judgingbythegraffitiinsideit,anditwasatthemouthofthisshelterthatthe principalPredynastichutwasfound 16. 2.1. AREA GA (INCLUDING THE 127 NICHE AND THE SMALL "CAVE") AreaGacontainedasingleroomhutsituatedatthemouth,andtotheeastofthe127-nicheup againstthesoutherncliffwall.Thismeasuredapproximately1.70mE-Wby1.50mN-Swithan entranceopeningtothewest.Threeflintobjectswerefoundthere.Onewasprobablyapotstand andonebearssomesignsofwearonsideasthoughithasbeenusedforsmoothingorrubbing. Athirdsmallflintobject,shapedlikeanapplecore,hasnoobvioususe.Anotherlimestoneobject showssignsofwearandmayalsohavebeenatoolofsomesort.Heretooabundleoftiedplant stalkswereexcavateddirectlyonthebedrockfloorofthathut.Inaddition,thereweretwosets ofcharcoalfragments,oneonthesandy,siltfloorofthehut,theotheronthelimestonebedrock totheeast. NearbywefoundaPredynastic(NaqadaII)decoratedjar,decoratedwithwavyhorizontal linesofredpaintconnectedbyverticallines(fig.2A). 17 Thispotisrepresentativeoftheoldest prehistoricactivityrecordedonWadiG.Thesefeatureswerecoveredbysiltysanddepositsmixed withlimestonechipsthatwerecontainingmaterialfromavarietyofperiodsincludingPredynastic Naqada II,OldKingdomandPtolemaic. Alsonearthishut,sherdsfromanotherdecoratedpotofNaqadaIIdatewasfoundonthe bedrock (fig.2B).Thesherdsformedpartofaglobularjarwithaledgedrimandtwosmallvertical handles(TypeDinPetrie'sclassification). 18 Thejarwasmadeofmarlclayanddecoratedwith redpaint(10R3/1)onabeigebackground(5YR7/3),theverticallinesimitatingwater.Afew 15. Litherland 2015, p. 73. 16. The full publication is in progress by NKRF team.