Mendes

The first interim report on the PSU Mendes Expedition's excavations in Field AJ, which details a stratigraphic sequence from the Naqada III period to the Middle Kingdom. NOTE that a second report is due to be published in Delta Reports II (expected at any moment), which has significant updates to the conclusions drawn here. Much of this report is distilled from the Author's 2007 PSU dissertation.

This project presents a stratified archaeological sequence spanning the Early Dynastic Period and Old Kingdom at Tell er-Rub’a, Mendes, in the eastern Egyptian Delta. This sequence, excavated between 1999 and 2005, has provided the longest stratified sequence from these periods in all of Egypt. Stratigraphic probes around the site indicate that further excavation of the sequence will go as far back as the 5th millennium BCE. This thesis presents the stratigraphic and ceramic data from this excavation and places the sequence within the historical and cultural developmental framework of the 3rd
millennium.

The interpretive aspect of this sequence is viewed through the lens of Robert J. Wenke’s “First Dynastic Cycle”. The adoption of an agricultural subsistence strategy, around 4000 BCE, is the first spark of a trajectory toward the great nation-state of the Old Kingdom which achieved its apex of power and stability the 5th Dynasty and collapsed suddenly at the end of the 6th Dynasty around 2200 BCE. This “single epoch of transformation” is a broad approach to the normally narrow focus of studying the rise and collapse of the state in Egypt. The entire development from nascent agricultural society to the collapse of the first state in the late Old Kingdom is an evolutionary process which must be assessed holistically. Thus ‘state formation’ is perhaps best seen, not merely in the final centuries of the 4th millennium, but as a lengthy process, spanning some two millennia, during which the first iteration of the Egyptian state is actualized. Because of the stratified sequence presented in this project, Mendes provides a unique opportunity to excavate in one place the entire First Dynastic Cycle: the rise of agriculture and complex society, prehistoric period of Egypt, the formation of the state, the first 400 years of experimentation in statehood, the apex of the first successful nation state in the world, and the last hurrah before its sad decline. This archaeological sequence, therefore, will be the first to stratigraphically, and consequently ceramicly, unify prehistoric Egypt to its successor, the great state of the Old Kingdom.

This project presents a stratified archaeological sequence spanning the Early Dynastic Period and Old Kingdom at Tell er-Rub’a, Mendes, in the eastern Egyptian Delta. This sequence, excavated between 1999 and 2005, has provided the longest stratified sequence from these periods in all of Egypt.  Stratigraphic probes around the site indicate that further excavation of the sequence will go as far back as the 5th millennium BCE. This thesis presents the stratigraphic and ceramic data from this excavation and places the sequence within the historical and cultural developmental framework of the 3rd millennium.

The interpretive aspect of this sequence is viewed through the lens of Robert J. Wenke’s “First Dynastic Cycle”. The adoption of an agricultural subsistence strategy, around 4000 BCE, is the first spark of a trajectory toward the great nation-state of the Old
Kingdom which achieved its apex of power and stability the 5th Dynasty and collapsed suddenly at the end of the 6th Dynasty around 2200 BCE. This “single epoch of transformation” is a broad approach to the normally narrow focus of studying the rise and collapse of the state in Egypt. The entire development from nascent agricultural society to the collapse of the first state in the late Old Kingdom is an evolutionary process which must be assessed holistically. Thus ‘state formation’ is perhaps best seen, not merely in the final centuries of the 4th millennium, but as a lengthy process, spanning some two millennia, during which the first iteration of the Egyptian state is actualized.

Because of the stratified sequence presented in this project, Mendes provides a unique opportunity to excavate in one place the entire First Dynastic Cycle: the rise of agriculture and complex society, prehistoric period of Egypt, the formation of the state, the first 400 years of experimentation in statehood, the apex of the first successful nation state in the world, and the last hurrah before its sad decline. This archaeological sequence, therefore, will be the first to stratigraphically, and consequently ceramicly, unify prehistoric Egypt to its successor, the great state of the Old Kingdom.

it is the 1st part of an encyclopedia concerning the monuments of the governorates of the delta.  The 1st part is about the sites of dakahlia governorate and its puplished scientific excavations until 2019. the number of the sites mentioned in this book is more than 30 sites.  the book is consisted of 347 pages in addition of a large number of new and colored plates including photos that i have taken when i visited these sites.  really you will never regret reading this book.
الكتاب يعد الجزء الأول من موسوعة تتناول اثار محافظات الدلتا بتقسيمها الحالي.  يتناول الجزء الاول محافظة الدقهلية وما تضمه من مواقع اثرية تتجاوز اكثر من 30 موقع.  يشمل الكتاب ابرز نتائج الحفائر العلمية المنشورة منذ القدم حتى 209.  يتكون الكتاب من 347 وعدد كبير من اللوحات الملونة بعضها التقطه بنفسي عند زيارة هذه المواقع.  كتاب لن تندم على اقتنائه.

This report supplements the previous report on the excavations a Field AJ North at Mendes, adding updated stratigraphic data from the 2007 and 2009 seasons and modifying interpretations as appropriate. While excavation from these seasons added new data for all strata presented previously, this report focuses primarily on those preceding and contemporary with the Old Kingdom temple podium and the cemetery of Phase I, with only brief notes on other strata.

This is a draft of the paper which will appear in D.B. Redford (ed.), Delta Reports 2.

ABSTRACT: This lecture focuses mainly upon this author's excavations, findings, and analysis of a late Old Kingdom fort at Ras Budran in el-Markha Plain, South Sinai, and the broader context of both its time period and East Mediterranean in general. In essence, the time period (Dynasty 6), need, and placement of the fort seem to suggest a felt need for such added security in South Sinai (where no earlier fort/forts have been found --yet).  After covering the findings from the fort, the lecture proceeds with a broader discussion. In the context of 2,300-2,200 BCE, climatic change (namely increasing aridity and a few major droughts) plays a definite role in the "collapse" (decline) of Egypt’s Old Kingdom ca. 2,200 BC, while several other factors also played a significant part (albeit much debated regarding their exact role in relation to climate).  Increasing aridity toward end of Old Kingdom translated into droughts, which in-turn created famines and led to internal & external instability.  At the time of the late Old Kingdom, Egypt’s neighbouring city-states in Palestine (Early Bronze Age III) shifted into a mostly de-urbanized landscape (Early Bronze Age IV: ca.2300-2000 BCE): i.e., reflecting strife. During the same EB IV period, Syrian city-states become much more impoverished, but fared better than de-urbanized Palestinian to South. Egyptian accounts from Dyn.6 report Bedouin massacres of Egyptian expeditions to the Red Sea and in northern Nubia, alongside accounts of military expeditions into Palestine and allusions to forts (or fort-building) along the eastern frontier. Later (propagandistic) Egyptian accounts hearken back to Asiatic Bedouin incursions into the East Delta, and general unrest in peripheral regions (drought?). Evidence for dramatic rise in Bedouin seasonal campsites in EB IV northern Sinai Peninsula: i.e., potential enemies on Egypt’s E. frontier.  Evidence for late OK destruction and mass burials at major East Delta city (Mendes), which may suggest civil strife, incursions, or other things. Evidence for the establishment of late Old Kingdom fort(s) in South Sinai, which may suggest a new circumstance where earlier forts are unknown (as of yet). Other evidence, however, suggests that the E. Desert and Sinai Bedu were always somewhat hostile and a threat, such as Egypt’s felt need to have troop escorts here, build fortified camps, and subdue Bedouin tribes.  The situation in Dyn.6 (early EB IV) seems to have been a dramatic intensification of former conditions: i.e., Bedu hostility and conflict over marginal resources (i.e., Egyptian exploitation of local wells, game, etc.).  Despite all these factors, which are related to climatic factors, Egypt also displays non-climatic factors that had been building in Old Kingdom and also contributed to its “collapse”: i.e., a “last straw” scenario?  The lecture continues with a discussion of various factors leading up to the decline/collapse of the Old Kingdom in Dynasty 6.  A series of summary text slides are placed at the end of the lecture to provide a quick reference and narrative to the main points.  UPDATED: 3 April, 2023. Adding in selected sources, and some minor edits and formatting.