1. Predynastic Egyptian Pottery Image courtesy of the Petrie Museum, UCL

2. What is Predynastic Egypt? Essentially, it is Egypt before the time of the pyramids It was a collection of different cultures and provinces One culture would eventually dominate, helping Egypt to unify

3. Sir William Matthew Flinders Petrie The Father of Egyptology Worked in Predynastic cemeteries at Naqada Flinders Petrie established sequence dating He arranged pots in a relative chronological order (classes) based on the resemblances of the types. Each was assigned a number between 30 and 80. He started at 30 because he presumed that older pots would be found in the future. System still used by archaeologists today Image from GoogleMaps

4. Petries Pottery Classes White Cross lined (C) Black Top (B) Wavy Handled (W) Red Polished (P) Fancy (F) Black Incised (N) Decorated (D) Rough (R) YourHistory AGripton2013

5. Petries Pottery Classes Black Top (B) Red Polished (P) Fancy (F) Rough (R) White Cross lined (C) Black Incised (N) Decorated (D) Wavy Handled (W) Late (L) An Egyptian Predynastic black-top jar Naqada I-II, circa 4000-3200 B.C Image courtesy of http://www.bonhams.com

6. Petries Pottery Classes Black Top (B) Red Polished (P) Fancy (F) Rough (R) White Cross lined (C) Black Incised (N) Decorated (D) Wavy Handled (W) Late (L) Naqada Ic (ca. 3700 BC), Naqada, Tomb 1644. Pottery, paint (White Cross-lined Ware) Image courtesy of Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

7. Petries Pottery Classes Black Top (B) Red Polished (P) Fancy (F) Rough (R) White Cross lined (C) Black Incised (N) Decorated (D) Wavy Handled (W) Late (L) Black Incised Ware Bowl, Predynastic Period, ca. 3850-2960 BC Image courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art

8. Petries Pottery Classes Black Top (B) Red Polished (P) Fancy (F) Rough (R) White Cross lined (C) Black Incised (N) Decorated (D) Wavy Handled (W) Late (L) Neolithic Egyptian Vessel Southern Egypt, 3500 BC - 3200 BC Image courtesy of http://ancientartifax.com/classic.htm

9. Petries Pottery Classes Black Top (B) Red Polished (P) Fancy (F) Rough (R) White Cross lined (C) Black Incised (N) Decorated (D) Wavy Handled (W) Late (L) PREDYNASTIC PERIOD, LATE NAQADA II-EARLY NAQADA III, CIRCA 3200 B.C. Image courtesy of Metrop;oitan Museum of Art, New York

10. Petries Pottery Classes Black Top (B) Red Polished (P) Fancy (F) Rough (R) White Cross lined (C) Black Incised (N) Decorated (D) Wavy Handled (W) Late (L) Image Naqada II Image courtesy of Petrie Museum, UCL

11. Petries Pottery Classes Black Top (B) Red Polished (P) Fancy (F) Rough (R) White Cross lined (C) Black Incised (N) Decorated (D) Wavy Handled (W) Late (L) Naqada 3700-3100BCE Image Courtesy of Anne Gripton taken at Petrie Museum, UCL

12. Petries Pottery Classes Black Top (B) Red Polished (P) Fancy (F) Rough (R) White Cross lined (C) Black Incised (N) Decorated (D) Wavy Handled (W) Late (L) Naqada/Gerzean 3500- 3200BCE Naqada III 3200 – 3000BE Images courtesy of the Petrie Museum, UCL

13. Petries Pottery Classes – Accepted Order Black Top (B) Red Polished (P) Fancy (F) Rough (R) White Cross lined (C) Black Incised (N) Decorated (D) Wavy Handled (W) Late (L)

14. Why is pottery important in the Predynastic Period? Lack of written texts Evidence comes from material remains & art What does it tell us about Predynastic Egyptian Society?

15. What does pottery tell us about Predynastic Egyptian Society? Social stratification Everyday life - hunting scenes, cattle herding, leisure Conveys abstract, ideological, symbolic, religious concepts