Egypt and the Levant in the 1st millennium B.C. on the ceramic material of the Memphite region: New data

Abstract

The article analyzes Levantine ceramics of the 1st millennium B.C., discovered in the Memphite region including the materials of the Russian Archaeological Mission at Giza. Memphis and its environs is a key region for Egypt, located on the border of Upper and Lower Egypt, which did not lose its significance when other cities received the role of the capital. Archaeological studies have revealed a significant amount of Levantine pottery – fragments of “torpedo” amphorae of the 7th–3rd centuries B.C., amphorae with basket handles of the “Cypriot type” of the 7th–4th centuries B.C., less often – Cypriot tableware and cosmetic vessels. Along with imports, local imitations of foreign amphorae were found. In the 1st millennium B.C. the Memphite region demonstrated stable relations with the Eastern Mediterranean, founded in earlier times and expressed in active trade, political and cultural interaction. Fluctuations in regional trade turned out to be a direct reflection of the general Egyptian-Levantine ties, which were bilateral; it is demonstrated not only by the presence of ceramic imports on Egyptian archaeological sites, the distinct influence of Eastern Mediterranean products on Egyptian handicraft products, but also by the appearance of Egyptianized objects in Palestine, Phoenicia and Cyprus. The abundance of Levantine imports in the Late Period and its growth since the annexation of Egypt by Persian Empire in 525 B.C. shows the involvement of foreigners in ancient Egyptian life. Fluctuation of the amount of imported pottery at archaeological sites is directly dependent on political events that affected the economy and regional trade.