Tell el-Farkha and Its Implications for Understanding the Earliest Architecture of Lower Egypt

Abstract

Discoveries made at Tell el-Farkha prove that the presence of mud brick was well rooted in Lower Egyptian building tradition. The oldest known examples from the site are breweries connected with the activity of Lower Egyptian culture. Soon thereafter, bricks were used in more innovative ways as separating walls. A period of stronger Naqadan influence, which started in Naqada IID1, resulted in the further development of mud brick buildings, initially in the creation of massive walls and rounded corners. From their very first appearance at Tell el-Farkha, these characteristically shaped corners accompanied monumental structures of special significance. A large mastaba from the site dated to Naqada IIIA2/B1, represents the next evolutionary stage of the rounded corner idea, which was continued during the Early Dynastic period by sepulchral enclosure no. 55. These two constructions show that the architectural legacy of the Delta contributed to the formation of the typical Egyptian mastaba. However, due to the scarcity of evidence from other sites, this picture is based mostly on data collected at Tell el-Farkha.