Cultural convergence in the Neolithic of the Nile Valley: a prehistoric perspective on Egypt's place in Africa

The African origins of Egyptian civilisation lie in an important cultural horizon, the ‘primary pastoral community’, which emerged in both the Egyptian and Sudanese parts of the Nile Valley in the fifth millennium BC. A re-examination of the chronology, assisted by new AMS determinations from Neolit...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Antiquity 2014-03, Vol.88 (339), p.95-111
Main Authors:	Wengrow, David, Dee, Michael, Foster, Sarah, Stevenson, Alice, Ramsey, Christopher Bronk
Format:	Article
Language:	eng
Subjects:	Africa Analysis Anthropological research Anthropology, Prehistoric Archaeology Badarian Climate change Culture Economy and society Egypt Egypt and Sudan Egyptian civilization Egyptian culture Ethnology and art Funerary art Methodology and general studies Neolithic and chalcolithic Pastoral systems pastoralism Prehistoric anthropology Prehistoric era Prehistory and protohistory primary pastoral community Sahara Stress
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Summary:	The African origins of Egyptian civilisation lie in an important cultural horizon, the ‘primary pastoral community’, which emerged in both the Egyptian and Sudanese parts of the Nile Valley in the fifth millennium BC. A re-examination of the chronology, assisted by new AMS determinations from Neolithic sites in Middle Egypt, has charted the detailed development of these new kinds of society. The resulting picture challenges recent studies that emphasise climate change and environmental stress as drivers of cultural adaptation in north-east Africa. It also emphasises the crucial role of funerary practices and body decoration.
ISSN:	0003-598X 1745-1744