This project provides for Dr. Wenke and his collaborators to conduct one season of archaeological excavation at the site of Kom el-Hisn, an Old Kingdom settlement located in Egypt's western delta. The site dates from approximately 2686 to 2040 BC. The site is important because in contrast to most archaeological sites studied from this period, it represents a rural community where people lived rather than a more impressive but less representative ceremonial site. The investigators plan to continue their excavation at the site to recover ceramics and other cultural remains which will allow them to date the occupation more exactly and trace changes in the settlement overtime. They will also collect floral and faunal remains which will permit them to reconstruct the subsistence of the inhabitants. Progress to date has been excellent. The team has recovered materials for radiocarbon dating, ceramics, abundant food remains and also large numbers of clay seals. During the next season they hope to continue excavations to provide additional information on architecture, craft production, exchange, economy and settlement pattern. They will also conduct geological studies and use satellite imagery to set Kom el-Hisn in a broader regional content. This research is important because it will help anthropologists to understand the process by which complex civilizations arose. While much is known about "high" ancient Egyptian civilization, little is understood about the process which led to this phenomenon in large part because the sites which would provide this information are not spectacular in nature. What this project will do is help to fill in this gap and increase our understanding of the forces which give rise to civilizations such as our own.
