Naqada III

The Protodynastic Period in ancient Egypt was characterised by an ongoing process of political unification, culminating in the formation of a single state to begin the Early Dynastic Period. Furthermore, it is during this time that the Egyptian language was first recorded in hieroglyphs. There is also strong archaeological evidence of Egyptian settlements in southern Canaan during the Protodynastic Period, which are regarded as colonies or trading entrepôts. Archaeologists Pierre de Miroschedji and Moain Sadeq hypothesise that the Egyptian activity in the Levant of this period can be classified in three parts: an area of permanent settlement including Tell es-Sakan (which may have been the administrative centre) and En Besor; an area extending north along the coast of seasonal habitation, and beyond this to the east and further north was an area of interaction between the Egyptians and the Canaanites. State formation began during this era and perhaps even earlier. Various small city-states arose along the Nile. Centuries of conquest then reduced Upper Egypt to three major states: Thinis, Naqada, and Nekhen. Sandwiched between Thinis and Nekhen, Naqada was the first to fall. Thinis then conquered Lower Egypt. Nekhen's relationship with Thinis is uncertain, but these two states may have merged peacefully, with the Thinite royal family ruling all of Egypt. The Thinite kings were buried at Abydos in the Umm el-Qa'ab cemetery. Early Egyptologists such as Flinders Petrie were proponents of the Dynastic race theory which hypothesised that the first Egyptian chieftains and rulers were themselves of Mesopotamian origin, but this view has been abandoned among modern scholars. The "City of Gold' "Naqada" (Nubt) literally means "City of Gold", reflecting the exceptional wealth of the eastern desert region in gold, and the strategic position of Naqada and its facing town of Koptos for the commerce of that gold. The exploitation of precious metals from the Eastern Desert, and the development of floodplain agriculture creating surpluses which could generate demand for a variety of crafts, made the region especially advanced in term of economic specialization and diversification, much more advanced than the regions of contemporary Lower Egypt. Naqada was at the center of the developing trade of gold from the eastern desert of Egypt. This may have stimulated the direct involvement of Mesopotamian traders, who, accompanied by artists and various skilled personnel, may have introduced Mesopotamian styles and practices. The exploitation of gold may also have stimulated the development of the first organized proto-state structures in Egypt. Gold production is documented through the creation of gold artifacts, going as far back as about 3500 BC. The extraction of gold occurred mainly in the older and younger granites of the Eastern Desert, through open pits and moderate underground digging. Golden figurines At Tell el-Farkha, on the Eastern Kom, a deposit of "gold foil, carnelian and ostrich eggshell beads of a necklace, and two large flint knives " was found. When reconstructed the gold fragments formed two statues of naked men with lapis lazuli eyes. The statuettes represent standing naked males. The tall one is 60 cm, and the other one 30 cm tall. The statues featured "large protruding ears, unnaturally large phalluses, and carefully modeled fingernails and toenails". The lapis lazuli came from what is now modern day Afghanistan. They are thought to belong to the Naqada IIIB period (c. 3200–3000 BC), or possibly even Naqada IIIA (circa 3300 BC). Maadi was first conquered during Naqada II c-d. Naqada III extended all over Egypt and was characterized by some notable firsts: • The first hieroglyphs • The first graphical narratives on palettes • The first regular use of serekhs • Possibly the first example of irrigation And at best, a notable second: • The invention of sail navigation (derived from its prior invention in the Persian Gulf 2,000 years earlier) According to the Egypt's Ministry of Antiquities, in February, 2020, Egyptian archaeologists have uncovered 83 tombs dating back to 3,000 BC, known as the Naqada III period. Various small ceramic pots in different shapes and some sea shells, makeup tools, eyeliner pots, and jewels were also revealed in the burial. Decorative cosmetic palettes During Naqada III, the highly decorated ivory sculptures of Naqada II were replaced by decorated greywacke palettes. Many notable decorative palettes are dated to Naqada III, such as the Hunters Palette. During the Naqada IIIA period (IIIA1 and IIIA2), cosmetic palettes are dominated by rectangular shapes. File:Mudstone palette with hieroglyphs in relief. Late Predynastic, Naqada III. 3250-3100 BC. From El-Amra.jpg|The Min Palette: a mudstone palette with the archaic hieroglyph for the god of fertility Min in relief. Naqada III, c. 3250–3100 BC. El-Amra. File:Palette with quadrupedes-E 11052-IMG 9460-9470-gradient.jpg|"Four Dogs Palette" (c. 3300–3100 BC). File:Fragment of a ceremonial palette illustrating a man and a type of staff,ca. 3200–3100 BC.jpg|Fragment of a ceremonial palette illustrating a man and a type of staff, c. 3200–3100 BC. File:Carved ceremonial palette with serekh, Late Naqada III ca. 3200–3100 BCE. MET DP237718.jpg|Carved ceremonial palette with serekh, Late Naqada III c. 3200–3100 BC. File:Palette with Bull-E 11255-IMG 9459-9466-gradient.jpg|Bull Palette, 3100 BC. File:The Battlefield Palette 3100 BC - Joy of Museums.jpg|The Battlefield Palette, possibly showing the subjection of the people of the Buto-Maadi culture, by the Egyptian rulers of Naqada III, c. 3100 BC. File:Man in patterned and fringed dress, behind naked prisoner, The Battlefield Palette 3100 BCE (reconstruction).jpg|Man in patterned and fringed dress, holding a naked prisoner, in the Battlefield Palette, c. 3100 BC. Numerous male statuettes from the Naqada I-III period are shown displaying penile sheaths, a characteristic attribute of many hunter-gatherer societies. Penile sheath (karnatiw) may also have been used for medical reasons, in a mistaken attempt to avoid schistosomiasis and contamination by cercariae. ==Pottery vessels==

Naqada II pottery mainly uses two types of clay. First, a grey clay from the alluvium of the Nile, which is rich in ferrous oxide and becomes red to brown upon firing in an oxidizing environment. Second, a clay of limestone origin or marly (a mix limestone and clay), obtained from regular rivers and wadis, which is yellowish to white due to its high content in calcium, and becomes creamy upon firing. • Late ware (type "L", Naqada IIC, IID): a type of pottery in creamy marly clay, which became the majority of Naqada III production • Decorated ware (type "D", all Naqada II): a type of pottery with beige to pink surface and ochre to brown paintings, which disappeared with Naqada III • Black Top ware (type "B", all Naqada II): polished red body with black top, an archaic type known since the Badarian • Fancy Forms ware (type "F", all Naqada II): Pottery with fancy shapes or animal-shaped • Polished Red ware (type "P", Naqada IIB, IIC, IID): red polished pottery • Rough ware (type "R", all Naqada II): a type of pottery with vegetal particles which burn upon firing and create an uneven surface. • Wavy-handled ware (type "W", Naqada IIC, IID): type of vessels with wavy handles, becoming cylindrical During the Naqada IIIA period (IIIA1 and IIIA2) Decorated ware ("D-ware") and Polished Red ware ("P-ware") decline, while Late ware ("L-ware") increases considerably. Wavy-handled ware ("W-ware") exist only with banded decoration. During Naqada IIIB, L-ware dominates, together with important productions of W-ware in the form of cylindrical incised jars. Rough ware ("R-ware") declines, especially pointed-base styles. File:Naqada III pottery.jpg|Naqada III pottery File:Cylindrical Jar MET LC-12 187 5 EGDP026693.jpg|Typical Naqada III cylindrical jar File:Wine jar with serekh, 3300-2900 BCE, Egypt.jpg|Wine jar with serekh, 3300-2900 BCE File:Vase mit Vogelfries.jpg|Naqada III stone vessel ==Dynasty 0==

, Dynasty 0, Eastern Kom, Tell el-Farkha. , carbon dated to . They are similar to contemporary tags from Uruk. The Egyptian rulers of the period belong to the so-called "Dynasty 0", and may have ruled over some parts of Upper Egypt. They include rather obscure rulers such as Crocodile, Iry-Hor, Ka, and perhaps by the king Scorpion II, whose name may refer to, or be derived from, the goddess Serket, a special early protector of other deities and the rulers. The period ended with the rise of Narmer, who became the first king of the First Dynasty and the first unifier of Egypt. For Upper Egypt in the south, the following Dynasty 0 rulers have been listed: A, Finger Snail, Fish, Elephant, Stork, Bull, Scorpion I, Crocodile, Iry-Hor, Ka, Scorpion II, Narmer / Menes For Lower Egypt in the north, the following Dynasty 0 rulers have been listed: Hedju Hor, Ny-Hor, Ni-Neith, Hat-Hor, Pu, Hsekiu, Khayu, Tiu, Thesh, Neheb, Wazner, Mekh, Double Falcon, Wash File:AbydosSatMap 1stDyn.jpg|Iry-Hor's tomb at the Umm el-Qa'ab comprises two separate chambers B1 and B2, and Ka's tomb is in B7, B8, B9 File:Kingscorpion.jpg|Dynasty 0 Pharaoh Scorpion II on the Scorpion Macehead, 3200-3000 BC, Ashmolean Museum File:King Scorpio. Minor Macehead (detail).jpg|An individual carrying presents, on King Scorpion's Minor Macehead ==Early dynastic genetics==

For the first time in 2025, a study was able to give insights into the genetic background of Early Dynastic Egyptians, by sequencing the whole genome of an Old Kingdom adult male Egyptian of relatively high-status, radiocarbon-dated to 2855–2570 BC, which was excavated in Nuwayrat (Nuerat, نويرات), in a cliff 265 km south of Cairo. Before this study, whole-genome sequencing of ancient Egyptians from the early periods of Egyptian Dynastic history had not yet been accomplished, mainly because of the problematic DNA preservation conditions in Egypt. Genomes from the Neolithic/Chalcolithic Levant only appeared as a minor third-place component in three-source models. This suggests a pattern of wide cultural and demographic expansion from the Mesopotamian region, which affected both Anatolia and Egypt during this period. The Mesopotamian ancestors of the Nuwayrat individual may have migrated to Egypt during the Neolithic period, or may have arrived in a relatively recent period through a yet unknown migration through the Near-East, or alternatively through direct sea-routes in the Mediterranean or the Red Sea. ==Other artifacts==

File:Male statuettes with penile sheathes, Hierakonpolis. Late Predynastic, Naqada III (3300–3000 BCE) – Early Dynastic, Dynasty I (3000–2890 BCE).jpg|Male statuettes with penile sheaths, Hierakonpolis. Late Predynastic, Naqada III (3300–3000 BC) – Early Dynastic, Dynasty I (3000–2890 BC). File:Male portrait, Hierakonpolis. Late Predynastic, Naqada III (3300–3000 BCE) – Early Dynastic, Dynasty I (3000–2890 BCE). Ashmolean Museum.jpg|Male portrait, Hierakonpolis. Late Predynastic, Naqada III (3300–3000 BC) – Early Dynastic, Dynasty I (3000–2890 BC). Ashmolean Museum. File:Hierakonpolis, female statuettes.jpg|Female statuettes Hierakonpolis, Hierakonpolis. Late Predynastic, Naqada III (3300–3000 BC) – Early Dynastic, Dynasty I (3000–2890 BC). File:Human_figurine_from_the_Hierakonpolis_Main_Deposit.jpg|Human figurine from the main deposit at Nekhen, Naqada III period. Ashmolean Museum, E.294. ==See also==