The Evolution of Social Complexity in Predynastic Egypt: An Analysis of the Naqada Cemeteries

Abstract

A large territorial state emerged in Egypt by 300 BC, but its origins are not well known. Because what we know about the Predynastic period is mainly from cemeteries, archaeological evidence for the rise of the state in Egypt is lacking. An analysis of the largest Predynastic cemetery at Naqada shows increasingly differentiated graves over time, as well as an increasing interest in elite goods. An interpretation of the cemetery analysis seems to indicate increasing social differentiation and very possibly the emergence of political roles.