Sheikh Muftah Ante Portas in Balat

An Example for Cultural Contacts in Egypt’s Western Desert?

Abstract

The area of Balat in the Dakhla Oasis (Western or Libyan Desert, Egypt) is best known for the remains of the Pharaonic Egyptian culture coming from the Nile Valley. The settlement area Ayn Asil and necropolis Qila al-Dabba date from the late Old Kingdom to the early Middle Kingdom (c. 2350–1900 BCE) and are investigated by the Institut français d’archéologie d’orientale (IFAO) since 1977. However, little is known about the indigenous population of the oasis, the so-called Sheikh Muftah group, dating to the 4^th/3^rd millennia BCE. A large campsite was recently investigated in Balat, located directly north of the Ayn Asil enclosures. Dating to the early 4^th Dynasty, around 2600 BCE, it predates Ayn Asil but is contemporary with other Pharaonic Egyptian settlements in the oasis, as well as activities in the Western Desert. Moreover, studies of material culture enabled research into the survival of local traditions in later Pharaonic Egyptian culture. Consequently, Balat has been designated as micro-region for cross-cultural influence and processes of assimilation, although the limited archaeological evidence makes tracing historical processes during the Old Kingdom difficult.