Amratian culture

Amratian culture/ Naqada I
	el-Amra
Dates	circa4000 BC —circa3600 BC.
Major sites	El-Amrah, Egypt
Preceded by	Tasian culture,Badari culture,Merimde culture
Followed by	Naqada II(Gerzeh culture)

TheAmratian culture,also calledNaqada I,was anarchaeological cultureofprehistoric Upper Egypt.It lasted approximately from 4000 to 3500 BC.^[2]

Overview

The Amratian culture is named after the archaeological site ofel-Amrah,located around 120 km (75 mi) south of Badari in Upper Egypt. El-Amrah was the first site where this culture group was found without being mingled with the laterGerzeh culture(Naqada II). However, this period is better attested at theNagadasite, thus it also is referred to as theNaqada Iculture.^[3]Black-topped pottery continued to be produced, but white cross-line pottery, a type which has been decorated with close parallel white lines being crossed by another set of close parallel white lines, begins to be produced during this time. The Amratian falls between S.D. 30 and 39 inFlinders Petrie'ssequence datingsystem.^[4]^[5]

Trade between the Amratian culture bearers in Upper Egypt and populations ofLower Egyptis attested during this time through new excavated objects. A stone vase from the north has been found at el-Amrah. The predecessorBadarian culturehad also discovered thatmalachitecould be heated intocopperbeads;^[a]the Amratians shaped this metal by chipping.^[6]Obsidianand a very small amount ofgoldwere both imported fromNubiaduring this time.^[3]^[4]Trade with theoasesalso was likely.^[3]Cedar was imported fromByblos,marblefromParos,as well asemeryfromNaxos.^[6]

New innovations such asadobebuildings, for which the Gerzeh culture is well known, also begin to appear during this time, attesting to cultural continuity. However, they did not reach nearly the widespread use that they were known for in later times.^[7]Additionally, oval andtheriomorphic cosmetic palettesappear to be used in this period. However, the workmanship was still very rudimentary and the relief artwork for which they were later known is not yet present.^[8]

Each Amratian village had an animal deity;amuletswere worn of humans and various animals including birds and fish. Food, weaponry, statuettes, decorations, malachite, and occasionally dogs were buried with the deceased.^[6]

Ovoid Naqada I (Amratian) black-topped terracotta vase, c. 3800–3500 BC
Clay model of four head of cattle,c. 3500 BC, found atEl-Amrah
Clay figure, Egypt Naqada I period, circa 4000 BC. RMO Leiden
Egyptian disk-shapedmacehead,4000–3400 BCE. At the end of the period, it was replaced by the superior Mesopotamian-style pear-shaped macehead, as seen on theNarmer Palette.^[9]

Early cosmetic palettes

Siltstone was first utilized for cosmetic palettes by theBadari culture.The first palettes used in the Badarian Period and in Naqada I were usually plain, rhomboidal or rectangular in shape, without any further decoration. It is in theNaqada IIperiod in which thezoomorphic paletteis most common.

Mudstone cosmetic palette in the form of a turtle with inlaid bone eyes (one missing). Predynastic, Naqada I. 4000–3600 BC. EA 37913 (British Museum)
Mudstone palette in the form of a hippopotamus. Predynastic, Naqada I. 4000–3600 BC. EA 29416. (British Museum)
Naqada I–II palette for blending cosmetics
Palette in the shape of a boat, 3700–3600 BC, Naqada I

Bearded figurines

Many figurines are known from Naqada I, which were carved on animal tusks. The figurines usually have pointed beards, and some trace of hair.^[10]They may represent people dressed in long cloaks.^[10]Bearded men also appear in many other pre-dynastic artifacts, such as theGebel el-Arak Knife.^[11]The headgear of theMesopotamian-style"Lord of Animals"on the Gebel el-Arak knife may also be comparable to the torus-shaped headgear visible on many of the Naqada I figurines.^[11]

Figurine of a bearded man by theNaqada Iculture, 3800–3500 BC, fromUpper Egypt.Musée des Confluences(Lyon,France)
Hippopotamus tusk with carved head of a bearded man with torus-like headgear, LateNaqada I– EarlyNaqada II,3800–3400 BC.Brooklyn Museum.^[11]
Hippopotamus tusk with carved head, 3800–3400 BCE, Naqada I–II
Figurine,Ägyptisches Museum Berlin

Other artifacts

Lower-Egypt basalt jars in the shape of pottery fromMaadi,Naqada I–II, British Museum EA 34398, EA 26654

Relative chronology

References

Footnotes

^Copper may have also been imported from theSinai Peninsulaor perhapsNubia.

Citations

^Hendrickx, Stan."The relative chronology of the Naqada culture: Problems and possibilities [in:] Spencer, A.J. (ed.), Aspects of Early Egypt. London: British Museum Press, 1996: 36-69":64.{{cite journal}}:Cite journal requires|journal=(help)
^Shaw, Ian, ed. (2000).The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt.Oxford University Press. p.479.ISBN 0-19-815034-2.
^^a ^b ^cGrimal, Nicolas (1992).A History of Ancient Egypt.Blackwell. p.28.ISBN 0-631-17472-9.
^^a ^bGardiner, Alan (1964).Egypt of the Pharaohs.Oxford: University Press. p. 390.
^Newell, G.D. (2012).The relative chronology of PNC I. A new chronological synthesis for the Egyptian Predynastic.ex.cathedra Press.
^^a ^b ^cSmith, Homer W.(2015) [1952].Man and His Gods.Lulu Press.pp. 16–17.ISBN 9781329584952.^{[permanent dead link]}
^Redford, Donald B. (1992).Egypt, Canaan, and Israel in Ancient Times.Princeton: University Press. p.7.ISBN 0-691-03606-3.
^Gardiner, Alan (1964).Egypt of the Pharaohs.Oxford: University Press. p. 393.
^Isler, Martin (2001).Sticks, Stones, and Shadows: Building the Egyptian Pyramids.University of Oklahoma Press. p. 42.ISBN 978-0-8061-3342-3.
^^a ^bHendrickx, Stan; Adams, Barbara; Friedman, R. F. (2004).Egypt at Its Origins: Studies in Memory of Barbara Adams: Proceedings of the International Conference "Origin of the State, Predynastic and Early Dynastic Egypt", Krakow, 28 August – 1 September 2002.Peeters Publishers. p. 892.ISBN 978-90-429-1469-8.
^^a ^b ^cHendrickx, Stan; Adams, Barbara; Friedman, R. F. (2004).Egypt at Its Origins: Studies in Memory of Barbara Adams: Proceedings of the International Conference "Origin of the State, Predynastic and Early Dynastic Egypt", Krakow, 28 August – 1st September 2002.Peeters Publishers. p. 894.ISBN 978-90-429-1469-8.

[6] Copper may have also been imported from theSinai Peninsulaor perhapsNubia.

[SH64-1] Hendrickx, Stan."The relative chronology of the Naqada culture: Problems and possibilities [in:] Spencer, A.J. (ed.), Aspects of Early Egypt. London: British Museum Press, 1996: 36-69":64.{{cite journal}}:Cite journal requires|journal=(help)

[2] Shaw, Ian, ed. (2000).The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt.Oxford University Press. p.479.ISBN 0-19-815034-2.

[Grimal_28-3] Grimal, Nicolas (1992).A History of Ancient Egypt.Blackwell. p.28.ISBN 0-631-17472-9.

[Gardiner_390-4] Gardiner, Alan (1964).Egypt of the Pharaohs.Oxford: University Press. p. 390.

[Newell-5] Newell, G.D. (2012).The relative chronology of PNC I. A new chronological synthesis for the Egyptian Predynastic.ex.cathedra Press.

[gods-7] Smith, Homer W.(2015) [1952].Man and His Gods.Lulu Press.pp. 16–17.ISBN 9781329584952.^{[permanent dead link]}

[Redford_7-8] Redford, Donald B. (1992).Egypt, Canaan, and Israel in Ancient Times.Princeton: University Press. p.7.ISBN 0-691-03606-3.

[9] Gardiner, Alan (1964).Egypt of the Pharaohs.Oxford: University Press. p. 393.

[10] Isler, Martin (2001).Sticks, Stones, and Shadows: Building the Egyptian Pyramids.University of Oklahoma Press. p. 42.ISBN 978-0-8061-3342-3.

[SH-11] Hendrickx, Stan; Adams, Barbara; Friedman, R. F. (2004).Egypt at Its Origins: Studies in Memory of Barbara Adams: Proceedings of the International Conference "Origin of the State, Predynastic and Early Dynastic Egypt", Krakow, 28 August – 1 September 2002.Peeters Publishers. p. 892.ISBN 978-90-429-1469-8.

[HS894-12] Hendrickx, Stan; Adams, Barbara; Friedman, R. F. (2004).Egypt at Its Origins: Studies in Memory of Barbara Adams: Proceedings of the International Conference "Origin of the State, Predynastic and Early Dynastic Egypt", Krakow, 28 August – 1st September 2002.Peeters Publishers. p. 894.ISBN 978-90-429-1469-8.

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