Badarian culture facts for kids

The Badarian culture was one of the earliest groups of people in Ancient Egypt. They lived in Upper Egypt a very long time ago, between about 4400 and 4000 BC. This was during the Predynastic Era, before the pharaohs ruled all of Egypt. The Badarian people were among the first to farm in this part of Egypt. They might have even started as early as 5000 BC.

Where Did the Badarians Live?

The Badarian culture gets its name from the place where it was discovered. This place is called El-Badari, in Upper Egypt. It's about 200 kilometers (124 miles) northwest of modern-day Luxor. The Badari area stretches for 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) along the east side of the Nile River.

Many old cemeteries from this time were found there. One important early settlement was found at Hammamia. Some Badarian sites also show signs of being used by later ancient cultures.

Who Found the Badarian Culture?

Archaeologists Guy Brunton and Gertrude Caton-Thompson first explored the Badari area. They worked there between 1922 and 1931. During their excavations, they found about 40 settlements and 600 graves.

How Did the Badarians Live?

The Badarian people mostly got their food from agriculture, fishing, and raising animals. They grew crops like wheat, barley, and lentils. They also kept cattle, sheep, and goats. They even buried their livestock and dogs in special ways. This suggests these animals were very important to them.

They used boomerangs for hunting. They fished in the Nile River. They also hunted animals like gazelle.

Badarian Homes

We don't know much about their houses. Archaeologists have found some wooden stumps. These might have been part of simple huts or shelters.

Badarian Burials and Beliefs

The Badarians buried their dead in pits. They wrapped the bodies in reed mats or animal skins. The heads of the buried people usually faced south, looking west. This might be linked to later Egyptian beliefs about the west being the land of the dead.

Sometimes, people were buried with special items. These included small figures carved from ivory. They also had personal things like shells and flint tools. Some graves had amulets shaped like animals, such as antelopes and hippopotamuses. Jewelry made of ivory, quartz, or copper was also found. Green malachite was used for decoration.

Badarian Tools and Pottery

Their tools included axes and sickles for farming. They also made arrowheads with a special shape.

One of the most famous things about the Badarian culture is their pottery. They made beautiful black-topped pottery. This pottery has a unique rippled pattern. It is a key sign of the Badarian culture.

Social Life

Archaeologists believe some people in the community were richer than others. This is because more important people were buried in a different part of the cemetery. This suggests there was some social difference among them.

Badarian Trade and Connections

The Badarians were not isolated. They traded with other groups. They got basalt vases from areas up the Nile River. Shells came from the Red Sea. Turquoise might have come from the Sinai Peninsula.

A special four-handled pot suggests they had connections with Syria. Some black pottery with white designs might have come from the west or south. These findings show that the Badarians were in touch with many different cultures around them. They were not nomads, as their large, fragile pots would have been hard to carry around.

Who Were the Badarian People?

Archaeologists and scientists have studied the bones of the Badarian people. They believe the Badarian culture had different origins. The Western Desert was likely a big influence.

The Badarian culture was probably not just in the Badari region. Similar finds have been made further south. These include places like Mahgar Dendera, Armant, Elkab, and Nekhen. Finds have also been made to the east in the Wadi Hammamat.

Studies of their bones show that the Badarian people were a mix of different groups from Northeast Africa. They were connected to other populations in the Sahara, Nubia, and the Nile Valley. This suggests that people moved and mixed in this region a long time ago. They were likely descendants of people who had lived in these parts of Africa for many thousands of years.

A Badarian burial. 4500–3850 BC

Images for kids

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  Vase in the shape of a hippopotamus. Early Predynastic, Badarian. 5th millennium BC. From Mostagedda. This vessel is carved from elephant ivory. The fine modeling and attention to detail show the skill in achieving these pieces.

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  Badarian arrowhead, 4000-3800 BC.

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  String of bead, Badarian, 4400-3800 BC.

Relative chronology

See also

• Early Dynastic Egypt
• First Dynasty of Egypt
• List of Pharaohs
• Merimde culture
• Scorpion I
• Scorpion II
• Scorpion Macehead
• Tasian culture