Nubian A-Group

The A group is a prehistoric culture in Nubia, whose origin is unsecured. It occurs up to the beginning of the 3rd millennium BC by the first half of the 4th millennium BC and was spread from southern Egypt ( just north of Aswan ) to the territory of the second Nilkataraktes.

In the A group is a cultured people with semi-nomadic lifestyle, the family lived in loose associations. It can hardly account for social differentiation. Only in the late phase, there are some very richly furnished tombs, which are attributed to local chiefs. Sayala, Qustul Dakka and are considered the three largest population centers.

Chronology

The A group is divided into three stages: the early, classical and final phase:

• The early A- group existed simultaneously with the Naqada I and the early Naqada II phase in Upper Egypt, the Fund places ranging from Wadi Kubbaniya to Sayala.
• The classic A- group occurs during the Naqada IId -IIIa phase with finding places in Lower Nubia and south of the second cataract.
• The late A group existed simultaneously with the Naqada IIIb phase, the 0 dynasty and the early 1st dynasty Fund places in Lower Nubia and the northern part of Upper Nubia.

Economy

It wheat, barley, and some fruits, such as date palms were cultivated, and there are receipts for livestock, such as goats and sheep. Cattle are rarely witnessed. The absence of livestock may in this case be due to the specific climatic conditions of Lower Nubia. There was virtually no adequate grazing grounds. In addition to fish and game fishing are accepted. The pottery, leatherworking and basketry were known, not metal on the other hand still.

An important role was played by trade contacts with Upper Egypt, from where you imported cereals, beer, wine and oil in vessels. Determined to produce high quality items, especially for the grave cult include pallets, stone vessels, copper objects, beads and charms made ​​of faience and mussels from the Mediterranean. Special finds are a club with gold handle and an incense burner from Qustul. It shows an unknown Pharaoh with White crown sitting on a boat and is considered the oldest date representation of an Egyptian ruler.

Trade with Egypt took place during the Naqada II period significantly. Important trading centers were Elephantine and Seyala where drawn on rock ship representations were discovered in the style of Naqada II.

Grave cult

The graves of the A group are mainly simple oval pits and oval pits with a side chamber. Graboberbauten have not yet been demonstrated. The buried is usually aligned with the head to the west in a crouching position on the right side of the body. Among the showy grave goods include female Sitzfigurinen and imported luxury goods, such as Egyptian beads.

Graves, which were only simple, or where grave goods were missing entirely, by George Reisner associated with another culture, which he described as a B- group. These tombs were currently considered persons of the A group with geringererem social status.

Ceramics

The pottery of A- Group is handmade, very fine and includes several different tube types. Widespread was red polished, schwarzrandige ceramic with black inside and partly corrugated surface, comparable ceramic also appeared in the Naqada culture in Upper Egypt. Characteristic of the A group are painted geometric or linear patterns. In figurative painting, as it occurs at the same time in Egypt, but has been largely omitted.

Downfall

The A group is from about 2800 BC in Nubia archaeological barely detectable. This was in the past often explained by a depopulation Nubia, which has been associated with the state-building in Egypt. The Egyptians had thus depopulated Nubia and deported the inhabitants to Egypt. However, recent studies According to this theory is untenable; several Egyptian sources mention regular raids by the Egyptian Nubia, where the flock was captured, suggesting a continuous settlement. Therefore, it is more accepted today that the carriers of the A- Group culture returned temporarily to a purely nomadic lifestyle.

On the other hand, there is archaeological evidence to suggest that some people in the A- group lived at the time of the 4th and 5th Dynasty in the region around the city of booing. Furthermore, some find spots between the second and third cataracts of the Nile could be identified ( between Batn el- Hajar and Kerma ), suggesting a migration by Upper Nubia.