This volume presents the findings of three seasons of excavation in the 1980s at Kom el-Hisn, "e;the mound of the fortress,"e; in the northwest Nile Delta. This provincial community was often in the orbit of Memphis, the capital and administrative center of Egypt's Old Kingdom period. Small areas of occupations of the First Intermediate and early Middle Kingdom periods were also excavated. One of the goals of the excavations was to complement and compare the substantial ancient textual record of this era with Kom el-Hisn's archaeological record because such evidence is sparse for Lower Egypt between about 2500 and 1800 BC. The findings presented here reveal the complexity of small Old Kingdom settlements in the context of the Memphite state organization and shed light on the changing relationships of this administrative center with its provincial communities. Kom el-Hisn's faunal, floral, lithic, and architectural remains are presented and discussed in detail, as are some theoretical and methodological issues relevant to this research. With contributions by Paul E. Buck, Anthony J. Cagle, Michal Kobusiewicz, Karla Kroeper, Richard R. Redding, Sarah Sterling, Robert J. Wenke, Wilma Wetterstrom, Anna Wodzinska, and Alexandra Witsell.

This volume presents the findings of three seasons of excavation in the 1980s at Kom el-Hisn, "the mound of the fortress," in the northwest Nile Delta. This provincial community was often in the orbit of Memphis, the capital and administrative center of Egypt's Old Kingdom period. Small areas of occupations of the First Intermediate and early Middle Kingdom periods were also excavated. One of the goals of the excavations was to complement and compare the substantial ancient textual record of this era with Kom el-Hisn's archaeological record because such evidence is sparse for Lower Egypt between about 2500 and 1800 BC. The findings presented here reveal the complexity of small Old Kingdom settlements in the context of the Memphite state organization and shed light on the changing relationships of this administrative center with its provincial communities. Kom el-Hisn's faunal, floral, lithic, and architectural remains are presented and discussed in detail, as are some theoretical and methodological issues relevant to this research. With contributions by Paul E. Buck, Anthony J. Cagle, Michal Kobusiewicz, Karla Kroeper, Richard R. Redding, Sarah Sterling, Robert J. Wenke, Wilma Wetterstrom, Anna Wodzinska, and Alexandra Witsell.

Acknowledgments List of Figures List of Tables Abbreviations 1 Robert J. Wenke: Methods and Objectives of the Kom el-Hisn Archaeological Project 2 Paul E. Buck: Site Geomorphology and Regional Fluvial Reconstruction and History 3 Anthony J. Cagle: Stratigraphic Analysis 4 Karla Kroeper: Inscribed Seals and Sealings 5 Richard W. Redding: The Vertebrate Fauna from the Excavations at Kom el-Hisn, Giza, and Other Sites 6 Wilma Wetterstrom and Robert J. Wenke: Kom el-Hisn's Plant Remains 7 Robert J. Wenke: Introduction to the Analysis of the Kom el-Hisn Ceramics 8 Karla Kroeper: A Selection of Ceramic Types Found at Kom el-Hisn 9 Anna Wodzinska: Notes on the Kom el-Hisn Ceramics 10 Sarah L. Sterling: Analyses of Dimensional Variations in Meidum Bowls from Kom el-Hisn and Other Sites 11 Michal Kobusiewicz: Chipped and Ground Stone Assemblages from Kom el-Hisn 12 Anthony J. Cagle: Human Burials at Kom el-Hisn: Chronology and Context 13 Robert J. Wenke: Summary and Conclusions Appendix 1. Floral Remains from the 1988 Season. Identifications by C. D'Andrea Appendix 2. Measurements taken on individual sherds discussed in chapter 11, identified by location and dynastic attribution
site and dynasty Appendix 3. Drawings of representative ceramics arranged by vessel form Bibliography Index