It derives its name from the archaeological site of Merimde, situated close to the town of Beni-Salame, approximately fifty kilometres northwest of present day Cairo. It was discovered in 1928 by the archaeologist Hermann Junker.
Junker worked his way through the site for 10 years, until 1939. Only his work, carefully monitored, was never to find itself into print — these precious records were permanently lost during the Second World War. Sadly, the scientists had to repeat all the work. It was not until 1977, nearly half a century later, that new excavations were opened here. It took 5 years before the first data could be systematized.
The oldest evidence of a Neolithic civilization
One unique aspect of the Merimde civilization is that it forms the earliest remains of a Neolithic settlement in North Africa. The settlement consisted of small huts first made of twigs and reeds and later of adobe. The houses took a round or elliptical form. The people here are primarily agriculturalists and pastoralists. There was no social differentiation in the society.
Back then, the Merimde group was some kind of communism where everyone was on the same social status, equal resources. The villagers’ diet was complemented by hunting and the catch of fishermen. Archaeologists have discovered evidence that people hunted hippos, crocodiles and turtles as well as consumed river mollusks. Grain was kept in large vessels roughly two-and-a-half meters across, which were buried in the ground.
The people of Merimde produced spectacular ceramic bowls and other tools, but did not use additives to harden their clay. It was an very advanced technique at that time. Some of the small creations were human idols, bull figurines, freshwater shell jewelry and ostrich egg beads. These objects suggest a network of exchange reaching towards the Red Sea, as many of the shell species remains are not from this area.
Why didn’t they have cemeteries?
One of the most curious aspects of the Merimde culture is the absence of cemeteries. The dead, instead, were buried in their own homes. For this purpose, oval places were excavated in a grave, where the dead was laid opposite the entrance in the fetal position. And, as he would later explain to Cangrande, no dowry or gifts were laid in the grave. Based likely on the fact that they were not yet seen as full members of society, children were just thrown in the garbage heap outside the settlement.
Most of the skeletons that had been buried in this manner and have since been discovered in excavations were dolichocephalic, which means that their skulls were longer-than-usual compared with their width. This was typical of pre-dynastic Egyptian cultures.
Unusual Merimde artefacts
Within itself, the Merimde culture exhibits a very interesting transition of cultural influences. Except for its early connection to Southwest Asia, it was a gradual intruder until it became the native Neolithic complex of Lower Egypt. In this march it left an imprint on the later Neolithic cultures of the Faiyum and of Maadi.
Art of merimde includes some terracotta figurines. So the head of an idol, a common knowledge. It is from the 4th millennium BC. It is believed to be the oldest human depiction discovered in Egypt. It was probably an ancient pagan idol.
Eyes, nose, and mouth are all found on the head. There are smears of paint on it, and at the area of the neck, there is a hole in which a rod that once helped to hold it up has broken off. It had also once been covered in hair, including a beard, making it even more similar to a man’s head. Researchers think it was a kind of scepter tip used by priests in religious rituals. Other such artifacts with heads or faces have more of a masklike quality, but all appear to have been used for ritual.
The period of Merimde culture predates ancient Egyptian culture. According to some magical and mytho-historical accounts of the Egyptians themselves, it was an epoch subsequent to the reign of the gods. It was an era of artistic decline and political upheaval.
People are confident they know the ancients, if not all, then much. But in the scientific world, there are new developments every day prove otherwise.
