Introduction

The earliest humans arose in Africa. They lived there for hundreds of thousands of years. They started out as foragers, eating food they found. Later, though, they began to farm. So, why did they shift from foraging to farming? One reason, especially in this section of Africa, was the impact of naturally occurring climate change. As this area became dryer, fewer resources were available. The Nile River had many resources. The land along it had everything humans needed to thrive. The river also connected Egypt and Nubia, its southern neighbor.

Nubia, A-Group culture (c. 3800-2900 BCE)

The settlements of Nubia grew where the country of Sudan and southern Egypt are today. Some of the earliest farming communities began there. Archaeologists call this society A-Group culture. Archaeologists are scientists. They learn about ancient people by studying artifacts. Artifacts are objects these people left behind.

Archaeologists have studied about 200 ancient Nubian sites. They have found stone tools, gold, and pots. Some of these artifacts were made from local sources. Others came from Egypt. There was a great deal of trade between the two cultures.

Research shows Egypt and Nubia shared many traits. For example, they buried their dead in similar ways. The bodies were positioned facing west. Offerings were put with the burials. Objects of the two cultures were decorated with similar styles. Their styles of writing were also similar.

Lapis lazuli has been found in both Nubian and Egyptian archaeological sites. It is a deep blue stone. It was mined in Asia and brought to this part of Africa. This stone was used to carve the female figure below. Such figures may have been symbols of fertility. Fertility is the idea of birth and life. (See the Venus of Willendorf discussed in Unit 2. It is also considered a fertility symbol.)

Such objects offer important clues about the past. They suggest the cultures of Nubia and Egypt were closely connected.

Ancient Egypt—predynastic, protodynastic, and early dynastic periods (c. 6000- 2700 BCE)

There are three periods of Ancient Egypt. These periods were ruled by different dynasties, or lines of rulers in the same family. These rulers were known as pharaohs. These dynasties really began to rule Egypt around 3000 BCE. In this article, we are mainly focusing on:

• The Predynastic Period. This lasted between 6000-3200 BCE. This was the period before dynasties of kings ruling a unified Egypt.
• The Protodynastic Period. This lasted between 3200-3000 BCE. This was the period in which a centralized kingdom began to emerge.
• The Early Dynastic Period lasted from 3000-2700 BCE. This was the time of the earliest pharaohs.

The very early history of Egypt is hard to piece together. The first farming settlements grew along the Nile River Valley. The shift to farming took 2,000-2,500 years. It may have been caused by a change in climate. There likely was a long, dry period. More people moved closer to the Nile’s life-giving waters.

Egypt’s rulers became more powerful. They reached out toward other kingdoms, including Nubia. The sharing of beliefs and religious sites became more common. The city of Abydos is one example. It was a burial site for the Nubians. Later, Egyptian rulers were also buried there.

The unification of Egypt was important. Egyptian kings came together. This only added to their power. This began the Early Dynastic Period in Egyptian history.

Unification of Egypt



Northern and southern Egypt joined together around 3100 BCE. Egypt became a superpower.

The early kings of Egypt were seen as gods and humans. This idea of two parts joined together was important in their society. It included thoughts about life and the afterlife. The relationship between male and female was another example.

As a result, women were often treated as nearly equal to men in these cultures. As in Nubia, women held important roles in religious rituals and agriculture. Egyptian women received equal pay for equal work. They could own land. They sometimes ran businesses. Such equality has rarely been seen in human history.