Ägypten und Levante 34, pp. 233-258, 2025/02/05
Internationale Zeitschrift für ägyptische Archäologie und deren Nachbargebiete
International Journal for Egyptian Archaeology and Related Disciplines
Bargat El-Shab is situated in the southern part of the Western Desert, southwest of the well-known complex of prehistoric sites at Nabta Playa. Traces of Early and Middle Holocene prehistoric settlements have been recorded around the palaeolake basin. The current research focuses on the environmental conditions surrounding the seasonal campsite E-05-1, located on the eastern shore of the playa, which dates to the Holocene climatic optimum during the El Nabta/Al Jerar phase of Egypt’s Southwestern Desert. The site was excavated during the 2005–2019 seasons, and the primary results were published. For this study,several features from site E-05-1, dated to the El Nabta/Al Jerar phase and containing a significant number of animal and plant remains, were specifically selected. The combined interpretation of these data facilitated an assessment of the environmental conditions and the impact of climate on the lives of the camp’s inhabitants. The research confirmed that small game hunting, including gazelles and hares, as well as the gathering of plant foods such as sorghum, occurred in the vicinity of the playa.
Keywords: animal remains, plant remains, environmental conditions, Early Holocene, El Nabta/Al Jerar period