Circulation of goods between Egypt and the southern Levant in the 4th millennium BC.

An Approach from Recent Archaeological Finds in Tell el-Farkha and Tel Erani

Abstract

The nature of the relations between Egypt and the southern Levant in the IV millennium BC has been in the center of a wide debate, mainly since the mid-twentieth century. The archaeological record evidencing these links dates back to the Late Chalcolithic period and is considerably accentuated during the Early Bronze Age I. These findings allow us to account for different types of goods that have circulated between both regions and that form a complex network of interaction from early times. Therefore, the main goal of this article is to identify and analyze the mechanisms involved in the networks of goods circulation between Egypt and the southern Levant and the dynamics involved in this network of relationships. To do this, the focus of analysis has been placed on two sites that allow us, through different archaeological indicators, to draw specific parallels and shed light on these relationships: Tell el-Farkha (in the eastern area of the Nile Delta) and Tel Erani (in the south-central area of the southern Levant).