Abstract
Fluctuations in the levels of Lake Qarun, Fayum, Egypt have long been recognized and are associated with Epipalaeolithic and Neolithic occupations dating to the early to mid-Holocene, some of which contain early evidence for the presence of southwest Asian domestic plants and animals. Here evidence for the extent and timing of these lake level changes is reassessed based on the analysis of a satellite derived digital surface model of the north shore of Lake Qarun. A more accurate topography for the region casts doubts on previously published lake level changes. The topography of a series of lake edge basins is assessed and used to make inferences about the nature of the early to mid-Holocene palaeoenvironment. This assessment in turn allows discussion of the significance of environmental change for shifts in the mid-Holocene palaeoeconomy documented in the Fayum.
Highlights
The Fayum is a natural depression, separated from the Nile Valley by a ridge known as the Nile-Fayum divide (Sandford & Arkell 1929)
We report on new data obtained from satellite imagery of the Fayum north shore used to construct a Digital Surface Model (DSM)
Using recorded mid-Holocene archaeological remains at the sites investigated by Caton-Thompson and Gardner (1934) as well as Wendorf and Schild (1976) as an estimate of the absolute maximum lake level height, Ball’s (1939) suggestion of lake level change can be used to examine the connectedness of the basins to the lake during low and high lake levels
Summary
The Fayum is a natural depression, separated from the Nile Valley by a ridge known as the Nile-Fayum divide (Sandford & Arkell 1929). The north shore of this basin refers to the shoreline of Lake Qarun and is well known archaeologically because of work by Caton-Thompson and Gardner (1934) who studied deposits that are known to date from the early to mid-Holocene. Their initial work showed the presence of domesticates both plants (wheat and barley) and animals (sheep, goat, cattle and pig) all of which originated from southwest Asia. Their work was followed up by a number of projects in the second half of the 20th century, which confirmed their findings and demonstrated the relatively late arrival of domesticates into Lower Egypt, well after they were domesticated in southwest Asia (Kozlowski & Ginter 1989; Wendorf & Schild 1976; Wenke, Long, & Buck 1988)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
