Chronology Workgroup (Chair: Stan Hendrickx)
Wednesday 30th July
9:00am–12:00pm Sackler Seminar Room
The chronological backbone necessary for the study of Predynastic Egypt continues to present problems. The terms ‘Kaiser chronology’ and ‘Hendrickx chronology’ are now used rather frequently in the literature, which is not a very satisfactory situation, particularly as neither Kaiser (1956) nor myself (Hendrickx 2006) have published the results of our research in detail. I considered my work essentially as an update and elaboration (with criticisms and suggested corrections) of Kaiser’s work and would prefer the term ‘Naqada chronology’.
Despite the great importance of local and regional chronological sequences such as those developed for the recent excavations at Abydos (presented by Rita Hartmann), Adaïma (presented by Nathalie Buchez), Tell el-Farkha (Jucha 2005: 63-78), Helwan (Köhler 2004), as well as the earlier excavations at Gerzeh (Stevenson 2006) and Naq’ ed-Deir (Friedman 1987), it should nevertheless be possible to develop an overall relative chronological framework for the Naqada period, which – in its archaeological definition – also includes the Early Dynastic period.
The phases of the Naqada culture that (in my opinion) are the most problematic and deserving of special attention are the early Naqada I period (Naqada IA–B) and the Naqada IIIC–D period (end of the First Dynasty and Second Dynasty). For the Naqada I period, it remains to be seen if the tombs with a specific ceramic assemblage (consisting mainly of simple, straight-sided black-topped bowls and cups) have been considered correctly as a separate chronological group. For the Naqada IIIC–D period, the results of recent work at Helwan, Adaïma, Abydos and Tell el-Farkha should allow for a more detailed picture than was previously possible. Furthermore, it remains to be seen whether the difference presently accepted between Naqada IID1 and IID2 is relevant or not.
- During a preliminary meeting of the Scientific Committee in Cairo (IFAO, 1st April 2007), the following names (and sites) were mentioned for this workgroup:
Krzysztof M. Ciałowicz | Tell el-Farkha
Eva-Maria Engel, Vera Müller and Günter Dreyer | Abydos, Umm el-Qa'ab
Renée Friedman and Stan Hendrickx | Hierakonpolis
Rita Hartmann and Ulrich Hartung | Abydos, Cemetery U
Werner Kaiser
Christiana Köhler and Jane Smythe | Helwan
Karla Kroeper | Minshat Abu Omar
Béatrix Midant-Reynes and Nathalie Buchez | Adaïma, Kom el-Khilgan
Alice Stevenson | Gerzeh
Yann Tristant | Abu Rawash
The aims of the workshop on Wednesday 30th July 2008 are to discuss these thorny issues of the Naqada chronology and the possibilities for creating a uniform relative chronological framework and terminology. The ultimate goal should be to connect the local chronological sequences within this overall framework.
Contributors and Pre-Paper Abstracts
The following abstracts have been accepted onto the programme for discussion during the workshop:
| Presenter(s) | Affiliation(s) | Title | Paper/Poster |
| Nathalie Buchez | Université Paul Sabatier, Toulouse III, CRPPM-Archéologie, Toulouse, France | A reconsideration of predynastic chronology: the contribution of Adaïma | Paper |
| Rita Hartmann | German Archaeological Institute, Cairo | The chronology of Naqada I tombs in the Predynastic Cemetery U at Abydos | Paper |
Bibliography
Friedman, R.F., 1987. Spatial Distribution in a Predynastic Cemetery: Naga ed Dër 7000. Berkeley, rev. MA thesis.
Jucha, M., 2005. The Pottery of the Predynastic Settlement. Tell el-Farkha II. Kraków/Poznan.
Kaiser, W., 1957. Zur inneren Chronologie der Naqadakultur. Archaeologia Geographica 6: 69-77.
Hendrickx, S., 2006. Predynastic – Early Dynastic Chronology [in:] Hornung, E.; Krauss, R. & Warburton, D.A., (eds.), Ancient Egyptian Chronology. Handbook of Oriental Studies. Section One. The Near and Middle East, vol. 83. Leiden/Boston: 55–93, 487–488.
Köhler, E.C., 2004. On the Origins of Memphis [in:] Hendrickx, S.; Friedman, R.F.; Ciałowicz, K.M. & Chłodnicki, M. (eds.), Egypt at its Origins. Studies in Memory of Barbara Adams. Proceedings of the international Conference “Origin of the State. Predynastic and Early Dynastic Egypt”, Kraków, 28th August - 1st September 2002. Orientalia Lovaniensia Analecta 138. Leuven/Paris/Dudley: 295-315.
Stevenson, A., 2006. An Analysis of the Predynastic Cemetery of el-Gerzeh: Social Identities and Mortuary Practices during the Spread of the ‘Naqada Culture’. Cambridge, PhD.
