Most excavated archaeological sites in Egypt have been in Upper Egypt, as the alluvial silt has totally buried the early sites in the delta area and the damp has destroyed any organic material such as papyrus. There is some debate whether there were two ethnic groups in Egypt, one in the Delta in the north and one in Upper Egypt in the south. In prehistoric times people settled along the Nile and various races have since arrived and interacted, notably from West Asia, Nubia and Libya. The people in the north of Egypt are paler skinned and almost certainly of West Asian ancestry. The people in the south as far as Aswan are darker skinned but similar in stature to the northerners so probably related. However, the early culture of Lower Egypt could well have been quite different from Upper Egypt, but is less known because of the lack of archaeological evidence. Severe flooding of the Nile from melting glaciers at its source made occupation difficult until around 6,000 BC. The cultural distinction between Upper and Lower Egypt pervaded their later relationship. Various cultures, some quite sophisticated, existed in Upper and probably Lower Egypt from 10,000 to around 5,000 BC, although information on them is rather skimpy. Around 5,000 BC in the north at Merimda, near Cairo, the Neolithic villagers used reed baskets coated with clay to store grain, and made undecorated pottery cups, vases, bowls and unique clay figures. From early times Nile Delta inhabitants made fired clay heads of their gods that could be carried in processions and for rituals.

Prior to 9,000 BC Nubian sites to the south of Egypt were grinding the grain of wild wheat and barley. Around 6,000 BC cultivated wheat and barley arrived in North Egypt from West Asia. Generally agricultural development was more rapid in the south than in the north, possibly because of the more abundant food in the delta region, reducing its necessity.

9.18 Egyptian Clays

Egyptian pottery can be divided into two broad categories dependant on the type of clay used. The most abundant is made with reddish-brown Nile clay, high in iron and very plastic. The product is sometimes known as Nile Silt Ware. After firing it has a very characteristic predominantly red colour. It was the main body used for utilitarian purposes and most was undecorated and unpainted. The other type of pottery was made from “marl clay” that is almost stone-like to start with, not very plastic and high in calcium carbonate (limestone), silica and other mineral salts. It fires at a higher temperature and needs better-controlled conditions to achieve a pale yellow, green or white body. It is found on the edge of the desert notably in Upper Egypt around Qena. This latter pottery was considered superior and was often used for decorative and ritual purposes. It was usually burnished, the high silica content giving a shiny surface similar to glaze. Straw was a common form of temper with both clays. As usual the cores of these early pottery vessels, seen clearly in sherds, can be a greyish colour due to incomplete firing.

Cross section of sherd

Marl clay became preferred for the storage of valuable liquids such as perfume, oil and wine, as the surface was compacted by the burnishing during manufacture so vessels were less permeable than those made from Nile clay. However, Nile clay was particularly used to store water as evaporation from the porous surface cooled the contents. Around 8,000 to 7,000 BC the earliest pots are likely to have been large, well-fired, siltware that were unburnished and decorated with designs impressed using fish spines to resemble baskets.