Naqada Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Naqada نقادة

Naqada نقادة Location in Egypt
Country	Egypt
Governorate	Qena
Area
• Total	35.94 sq mi (93.08 km²)
Population (2021)
• Total	188,984
• Density	5,258.56/sq mi (2,030.34/km²)
Time zone	UTC+2 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+3

Naqada is an important town in Egypt. It is located on the west bank of the Nile River in the Qena Governorate. Naqada is about 20 kilometers (12 miles) north of the famous city of Luxor. The town includes several smaller villages like Tukh, Khatara, Danfiq, and Zawayda.

Long ago, Naqada was home to an ancient cemetery with about 2,000 graves. An archaeologist named Sir Flinders Petrie first explored this site in 1894. He worked for the Egypt Exploration Fund. During his digs, he found many ancient items from the Amratian culture (also called Naqada I) and the Gerzeh culture (Naqada II).

Discovering Ancient Naqada
Naqada in Pop Culture
Images for kids
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Discovering Ancient Naqada

Naqada is very close to an ancient Egyptian burial ground. This old town, once called Ombos, was a special place for the god Set. Large tombs were built there around 3500 BCE (Before Common Era).

The many artifacts found in Naqada have helped experts figure out the dates for a whole period of ancient Egyptian history. This is why the name Naqada is used for the Naqada culture. This culture existed from about 4400 BCE to 3000 BCE. Other important places from the Naqada culture include el Badari, Gerzeh, and Nekhen.

Early Digs and Discoveries

When Sir Flinders Petrie first dug in Naqada, he thought he had found a new group of people who had taken over Egypt. However, another archaeologist named Jacques de Morgan later did his own research in the Naqada area. Morgan's findings showed that the items were much older. This helped Petrie understand his own discoveries better.

This image shows how pottery styles changed in ancient Egypt, from Naqada I to Naqada II and Naqada III.

The graves found at Naqada were different from typical Egyptian burials. The bodies were not as well preserved. They were often placed near streams or in covered pits. This was unlike the usual Egyptian practice of putting graves on cliffs or high ground, often in hollows or caves. Also, these bodies were not embalmed, which was a common Egyptian practice.

Life in Ancient Naqada

Studies of the ancient burial sites in the Naqada region show that the people were moving from a simple chiefdom to a more organized civilization. Many graves held various items, such as good luck charms, hairpins, and knives made of flint. Some graves had valuable items, suggesting that there was a growing upper class and a stable middle class. This wealth might have come from the region's gold trade, as shown by seals found in the cemeteries.

Modern Research at Naqada

Between 1978 and 1981, a team led by Fekri Hassan from Washington State University conducted a survey called Predynastic of Naqada. They wanted to find more cemetery sites. This project did lead to the discovery of more burial grounds. It also helped them find and re-examine the Royal Tomb that de Morgan had found earlier.

During the survey, they found that the area of Nubt, in the southern part of the town, had been disturbed. Farmers had used the soil as fertilizer, a practice called Sebakh. Many ancient objects had been moved from their original spots or sold illegally.

Protecting the Past

In August 2018, the Egypt Exploration Society started new tests in the Nubt area. Their goal was to see if the site could be used for more research and to help protect it. Future plans include finding the best ways to keep these historical sites safe for years to come.

Naqada in Pop Culture

You might have heard the name Naqada in the Stargate TV shows and movies. In the Stargate story, alien civilizations use a special mineral called "naquada," which was named after this important archaeological site.

Images for kids

This sickle, made of flint, is from the Naqada period in Egypt, around the end of the fourth millennium BCE. It is displayed at the Dagon Museum in Haifa.
An Acheulean hand-axe found on a hilltop near Naqada, Egypt. This tool is from the Paleolithic (Old Stone Age) period and is now at the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology in London.
A black granite statue of Sennefer with the name of Amenhotep II on its arm. It was found at the temple of Seth in Naqada and is now in the Petrie Museum.
A bone figure from the Naqada I period. The blue lapis lazuli parts were added later. This figure is at the British Museum.
This image shows how Egyptian pottery changed over time, from the Naqada I period to Naqada II and Naqada III.
A limestone piece from a doorway. It came from the temple of Seth in Naqada, which was built by Thutmosis III during the 18th Dynasty. It is now in the Petrie Museum.

Naqada facts for kids

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