Dust, Demons and Pots: Studies in Honour of Colin A. Hope. Edited by A.R. Warfe, J.C.R. Gill, C.R. Hamilton, A.J. Pettman and D.A. Stewart, Orientalia Lovaniensia Analecta 289, 2020, Jun 2020
This volume brings together fifty-four studies on ancient Egypt and its interconnections with nei... more This volume brings together fifty-four studies on ancient Egypt and its interconnections with neighbouring regions to celebrate the career of Colin Hope. Presented by friends, colleagues and former students, contributions to the volume offer original research and fieldwork discoveries informed by new interpretations and insights on contemporary issues in Egyptology. In recognition of Colin Hope’s extensive research interests, the subjects of discussion are wide-ranging in their exploration of the art, archaeology, language and literature of Egypt from prehistory to the pharaonic period, the Roman period and later. Also included are studies on the reception of Egyptology and discussions on museum collections and material conservation. A feature of the volume is the range of studies that come from contexts within the Nile Valley proper and the desert regions beyond. Together, the contrasting perspectives reflect important directions in an ever-expanding discipline and in the long-standing contributions made to it by Colin Hope.
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In this paper we report on our findings, which potentially indicate Old Kingdom–Sheikh Muftah relations at ‘Ain al-Gazzareen, contemporary to, and postdating those at Mut al-Kharab. We consider the implications of this in three ways:
1. there is a sustained Old Kingdom–Sheikh Muftah presence in the west of the oasis, an area that revealed a dearth of Sheikh Muftah sites during the initial survey;
2. the Old Kingdom–Sheikh Muftah overlap at ‘Ain al-Gazzareen suggests an extended period of cultural interaction in the oasis;
3. the presence of Sheikh Muftah remains at two major Old Kingdom sites in the oasis – and those recorded also at Balat North/1 near ‘Ain Asil in the eastern end of the oasis (Jeuthe 2014) – raises questions about networked practices of interaction during the early settlement period.
In this paper we report on our findings, which potentially indicate Old Kingdom–Sheikh Muftah relations at ‘Ain al-Gazzareen, contemporary to, and postdating those at Mut al-Kharab. We consider the implications of this in three ways:
1. there is a sustained Old Kingdom–Sheikh Muftah presence in the west of the oasis, an area that revealed a dearth of Sheikh Muftah sites during the initial survey;
2. the Old Kingdom–Sheikh Muftah overlap at ‘Ain al-Gazzareen suggests an extended period of cultural interaction in the oasis;
3. the presence of Sheikh Muftah remains at two major Old Kingdom sites in the oasis – and those recorded also at Balat North/1 near ‘Ain Asil in the eastern end of the oasis (Jeuthe 2014) – raises questions about networked practices of interaction during the early settlement period.
Since the 1970s, an increasing body of archaeological evidence has been revealed within the Western Desert and its oases that challenges this assumption, and instead demonstrates an extensive record of Egyptian activity spanning the entire Old Kingdom. Dakhleh Oasis is particularly rich in material including a wide array of sites, from the administrative capital and seat of the governors at 'Ayn Asil, a regional administrative centre and reprovisioning stop at Ain al-Gazzareen, watch posts at the oasis periphery, and several sites with pottery kilns. This thesis focuses upon the archaeological material in an attempt to determine the date and nature of Egyptian activity in the Western Desert.
The earliest activity, during Dynasty III, was focussed upon exploration; the only evidence for permanent settlement within Dakhleh Oasis is located at Mut al-Kharab and suggests that a positive relationship with the indigenous inhabitants, the Sheikh Muftah people, was intentionally fostered. In Dynasty IV, several sites indicate the establishment of a permanent Egyptian presence in Dakhleh Oasis, particularly at Ain al-Gazzareen, where the site was enclosed by a mud brick wall from its inception; activity also continued at Mut al-Kharab. This is coupled with desert activity at Khufu Hill, indicating that the search for, and exploitation of, raw resources was a large determinant in activity at this time.
Dynasty V remains poorly defined, largely due to the difficulty in identifying and isolating material of this date from that of earlier and later periods. It is likely, however, that exploratory and perhaps mining activity in the desert continued, while there is no evidence for a hiatus in the occupation of Dakhleh Oasis, suggesting that this also continued.
Egyptian activity in the Western Desert reached its peak in Dynasty VI. The oasis was governed and controlled by the administration centred at 'Ayn Asil, ruled by the semi-autonomous 'governors' buried at the nearby cemetery of Qila el-Dabba; textual evidence indicates the exertion of control over all aspects of oasis life, including hunting, herding and the movement of people. A regional administrative centre also operated at Ain al-Gazzareen, monitoring activity in the west on behalf of the governorate. Activity at this time appears linked to use of trade routes passing through the Western Desert, particularly the Abu Ballas Trail, which may have led to Yam. Other evidence from sites such as Meri's Inscription and Bahariya Oasis indicate that Egyptians were active in, or passed through, much of the Western Desert.
This thesis definitively demonstrates that the Western Desert witnessed Egyptian activity throughout the Old Kingdom. Early Old Kingdom activity centred on exploration, followed by raw resource exploitation, as witnessed in Nubia and the Sinai. Activity in Dynasty VI shifted to a greater focus upon trade routes to the south and west, likely necessary due to the re-emergence of the C-Group Nubians. Uniquely, Dakhleh Oasis represents the only known example of the occupation and annexation of foreign territory in the Old Kingdom. While excavations and discoveries are ongoing, the evidence and arguments presented here clearly demonstrate that the Western Desert witnessed as much, or perhaps more, Egyptian activity than other neighbouring regions at this time.