Event
The Merimde Culture, so far only known…
The Merimde Culture, so far only known from a big settlement site at the edge of the Western Delta some forty-five kilometers northwest of Cairo, flourishes in Lower Egypt from about 4800 to 4200 BCE.
The settlement consists of small huts made of wattle and reed with a round or elliptical ground plan.
The culture has strong connections to the Faiyum A Culture as well as the Levant.
People live in small huts, produce a simple undecorated pottery, and have stone tools.
Merimde pottery lacks rippled marks.
Cattle, sheep, goats, and pigs are kept.
Wheat, sorghum, and barley are planted.
Archaeological evidence suggests that the Merimde economy was dominated by agriculture although some fishing and hunting were practiced to a lesser degree.
The Merimde people bury their dead within the settlement and produce clay figurines.
The first Egyptian life-size head made of clay comes from Merimde.
There are no separate areas for cemeteries and the dead are buried within the settlement in a contracted position in oval pits without grave goods and offerings.
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The Middle of The Earth
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