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SUMMARY:Intercultural Relations in the late Middle Kingdom in Egypt (1820-
 1720 BC) - Dr Bettina Bader\, Research Fellow of McDonald Institute for ar
 chaeological research
DTSTART:20091201T131000Z
DTEND:20091201T140000Z
UID:TALK21088@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Dr Hilary Powell
DESCRIPTION:The project ‘A Bridge to Canaan’ focused on the archaeolog
 y of a settlement of the late Middle Kingdom in the north eastern Nile Del
 ta at Tell el-Daba-Avaris\, dating to about 1820 to 1720 BC. The site was 
 excavated between 1966 and 1980. The geographic position of the site at th
 e periphery of Egypt and close to the Levant via the Sinai peninsula led t
 o the development of a centre of contacts and interconnections between Egy
 pt and the Levant. It is likely that this development was not a by-product
  of chance but that the foundation of Avaris (around 2000 BC) was led by a
  desire to create such a hub. By the late Middle Kingdom the central admin
 istration of Egypt was in decline due to short reigning pharaohs. This los
 s of power as well as the special position might have favoured a unique de
 velopment of the settlement not observed in the rest of Egypt. The biggest
  difference to other Egyptian settlements is the construction of graves in
  the settlement\, which contained Egyptian and Levantine objects as burial
  goods (weapons\, jewellery\, ceramics). Such a combination is unique with
 in Egypt. The analysis of the settlement\, however\, showed that the inhab
 itants mostly used Egyptian material culture. A large proportion of the ce
 ramic material found (20-40% in each context) was imported to the site and
  must be attributed to trade activities. Quantitative analysis and analysi
 s of the raw material allow an estimate of trade volume and trade partners
 . The presence of a small amount (2-3%) of local imitations of imported ce
 ramics (small jugs for small amounts of liquids (precious oils)\, a specia
 l kind of cooking ware\, and some dishes) is the only hint towards a prese
 nce of immigrants from the Levant. Even more so\, because the manufacturin
 g technique seems the same as in the imported material\, which suggests sp
 ecialist knowledge. The difference between grave and settlement contexts c
 an be attributed to a almost total assimilation of immigrants in the realm
  of the living\, while they seemed to have only adapted within their origi
 nal burial customs. This interpretation shows a differentiated outcome of 
 acculturation processes at work in the Ancient World that not necessarily 
 always arises but represents one result of a complicated system with many 
 determinants.
LOCATION:Entertaining Room\, Darwin College
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