Predynastic Egypt, primarily the Naqada I–II culture, ca. 4000–3500 B.C.

Predynastic Egypt, primarily the Naqada I–II culture, ca. 4000–3500 B.C.
Collection of stone tools and cosmetic palettes.
Flaked flint and stone, including greywacke.
Set of twenty-four pieces.
It retains its original identification label with numbering and provenance notes.
Provenance: acquired in Egypt in November 1965. According to the original inscription, flint pieces E1–E17 were found in El Fayum, Lower Egypt; the miniature axe E18 and the schist pieces E19 and E20 come from Abydos, south of Luxor, Upper Egypt.
They show signs of wear, patina, and minor losses consistent with their age.
Measurements: variable; the largest measurement is 15 cm.

This collection brings together a significant selection of material culture from Predynastic Egypt, consisting of flint projectile points, knives, scrapers, blades, and axes, along with small stone artifacts. The diversity of profiles and flaking techniques highlights the high level of technical mastery achieved by the communities of the Nile Valley in stone tool production, particularly evident in the finely retouched blades and tools with carefully standardized shapes. The Fayum region, in fact, preserves some of the most fundamental evidence for understanding Egyptian Neolithic stone tool industries.

Of particular interest are the pieces made of grauvaca or schist associated with predynastic cosmetic palettes. These objects were used to grind and prepare mineral pigments for body decoration, and during the Naqada phases they evolved from relatively simple geometric forms toward zoomorphic profiles and, later, toward elaborate ceremonial compositions. Greywacke specimens dating to the Predynastic period are preserved in major international archaeological collections.

The preservation of the original identification label and find information, along with the documented date of acquisition in Egypt in 1965, lends the collection a particularly significant provenance. The inclusion in a single lot of materials associated with El Fayum and Abydos also allows for the comparison of two fundamental areas for the study of prehistoric and Predynastic Egyptian cultures. Comparable sets of flint tools and scrapers are found in leading institutions such as the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology, the British Museum, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.