Technical Traditions and Social Boundaries. The Case of Predynastic Egypt
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.12775/EtudTrav.38.002Keywords
pottery technology, social boundaries, Predynastic Egypt, borderscapesAbstract
This contribution illustrates the potential of the technological approach for the study of archaeological material (particularly ceramics) to highlight boundaries. Not only those related to the territory but also those associated to the organisation of human societies, which can often be invisible if not researched with specific methodologies. To this end, after a methodological introduction, the results obtained from the technological analysis of various predynastic ceramic assemblages from the Delta, the Nile Valley and, in particular, the First Nile Cataract will be illustrated, and the interaction and evolution over time of the different technical traditions identified will be explored. The paper concludes with a comparison of the situation at both ends of Egypt and highlights the various aspects and implications of technical boundaries and how they changed with the birth of the Egyptian state.
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