New excavations at Predynastic Egyptian site of Kafr Hassan Dawood

[lawrenceowens]

KHD (Kafr Hassan Dawood) is a very large cemetery site in the Delta area, which spans 3500-2800 BC, the time at which Egypt was unified under King Narmer (c. 3100 BC). The pharaonic groups, the Greek and the Romans also settled and buried their dead here, resulting in an extraordinarily rich site that is just about unique in this area of Egypt.

The excavation project is motivated to find out what the biosocial correlates of state formation may have been, although the urgency of the project has increased owing to the rising water levels, the expansion of a local cemetery, and intensification of Delta agriculture. The test project in 2019 (before the onset of C19...) resulted in a series of magnificent contracted burials with a range of grave goods including pottery, mineral beads/jewellery and - in earlier excavations - copper tools. They seem to have been a healthy, non-urbanised population, blissfully unaware of the changes around the corner that would turn Egypt into a superpower.

The project receives no funding so is being crowdfunded instead. If you can help, please do. The lack of funding after CoVid has meant that projects are scrabbling for funds, which is extra difficult in Egypt because if the project does not take place this year, the permits will be withdrawn, and the site will literally be lost. All the information is here:

https://gofund.me/98696a67

Many thanks

Lawrence Owens (director)

[Minimalist]

A scholarly paper on the site: Over a thousand burials does seem quite impressive.

https://www.archeonil.fr/images/revue%2 ... _et_al.pdf

Social Dynamics at the Late Predynastic to Early Dynastic Site of Kafr Hassan Dawood, East Delta, Egypt

Fekri A. Hassan (Institute of Archaeology, University College London),
Geofff. Tassie (loA, UCL), Teri L. Tucker (Washington State University),
Joanne M. Rowland (loA, UCL) & Joris van Wetering (Leiden University).