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Naqada (the Ancient Egyptian town Nubt)

Excavations: W.M. Flinders Petrie in 1895 (together with Quibell, who worked at Ballas which is situated a few kilometres north of Naqada)

Publication: W. M. Flinders Petrie. J. E. Quibell. Naqada and Ballas. London 1896

The archaeological features near Naqada comprise a series of settlement sites and cemeteries at the edge of the desert, about 24 km north of Thebes. A temple excavated by Petrie belonged to Seth. The site is of special interest because Petrie found here for the first time tombs which are dateable to the time before the First Dynasty (earlier than 3000 BC). Petrie did not initially, and in the publication of his excavation, recognise the age of the cemetery. He thought the tombs belong to a New Race which invaded Egypt in the First Intermediate Period. Later research by J. de Morgan showed that he was wrong. Naqada must have been one of the major sites from about 4000 - 3000 BC in Egypt.

The most important Upper Egyptian prehistoric culture is nowadays named after Naqada: Naqada Period; Naqadan (or sometimes Naqadian).

Further research:

further information to the publication

 


 

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