More remarks on settlement patterns in the Nile Delta in the 3rd millennium BC

Abstract

Research on settlement patterns in the Nile Delta in the 3rd millenium BC is still in its infancy. The work to date has been limited mainly to microregions and is related to the surveys conducted intensively since the 1980s, especially in the northeastern Delta and the area of Tell el-Fara’in/Buto. Recent inventorying and mapping work by the Egypt Exploration Society Delta Survey, which included also the results of new fieldwork, has created a map presenting the distribution of the Early Dynastic and Old Kingdom settlements in the Delta. Assuming that the recognized distribution of sites reflects to some extent the ancient settlement network, it gives grounds for considering the underlying reasons behind its formation. This paper highlights factors that could be of key significance for understanding this phenomenon, identifying areas that were pivotal to the process and those clearly marginal in their role. In effect, planning ground surveys and excavation research should gain in effectiveness.