Al Badari Travel Guide
Al Badari, or El Badari, is known for its Pre-dynastic cemeteries. The site lies between Qau and Matmar in Upper Egypt. The Al Badari region occupies 30 km of land along the east bank of the river Nile. Two points of significant interest in Al Badari are the Dier Teas and Mostageddan cemetery. The credit for discovering Al Badari and unveiling its marvels to the world goes to Gertrude Caton Thompson and Guy Brunton, who first led the investigation in this area between 1922 and 1931. The findings have been studied extensively since then to learn about the social history and chronology of the Badarian period. (5500-4000 B.C).
Getting There
The nearest city to Al Badari is Asyut, about 40 km away, and Cairo is 338 km away. Asyut also has an airport that tourists can use for a convenient trip. Tourists can book their accommodation in Asyut. Minya is 138 km away, while Qena is 159 km from Al Badari. Depending on their travel plans, tourists can choose any city to stay in. The city of Al Badari has a tiny population.
Badarian Culture
The Badarian economy flourished between 5500 BC and 4000 BC. The culture gives direct evidence of the presence of agriculture in Upper Egypt. Six hundred graves and forty settlements have been discovered, pointing to social stratification. Fishing, animal husbandry, and agriculture were parts of the economy of the Badarian culture, and grains like barley, lentils, and wheat were regularly consumed. The people at that time placed their deceased on mats looking west, which is very different from traditions in later dynasties, which regarded the west as the land of the dead. The influence of the Badarian culture has also been found in the south of Egypt, indicating it was unrestricted to the local area.
Al Badari Site
Many archaeological findings dating back to the Pre-dynastic era have been found in the Al Badari region. Slate palettes, red polished pottery pots, stone vases, ivory and terracotta anthropomorphic figures, and flint have been discovered. The pottery buried with the dead is the most characteristic Element of the Badarian culture. It had been given a distinctive and decorative rippled surface. Many tools like bifacial sickles, end-scrapers, axes, perforators, and concave base arrowheads have also been found. Remains of many animals like sheep, dogs, and cats in cemeteries indicate that the people in this city were engaged in animal husbandry and had pets.
Although there is no clear evidence of buildings at that time, remains of wooden stumps indicate that huts were constructed huts or some shelters in ancient times. Basalt vases and elephant ivory carvings suggest that the Bavarians interacted with the cultures around them. Their pots points show that they were not nomads but lived in a stable stable. Several deep pits were also found, which have been assumed to have been used as granaries.
Cemeteries in the Badarian Region
The decorations of Badarian graves have been very helpful for archaeologists in interpreting the culture of the Bavarians. Excavations have revealed black and thin brown ceramics, indicating that skilled potters were working during that time. The deceased were wrapped in animal skins or reed matting, and simple belongings like stone beads or shells were placed on them. Some simple tools have also been found in graves. The pottery at cemeteries has also pointed to the fact that Bavarians had a good food source, giving them spare time to indulge in the art.
The Nearby Town of Deir Teas
Deir Teas is a village near Al Badari. The pottery found here shows that a great deal of decoration and shape development occurred by the time of this settlement. For example, cups in the form of lotus flowers offer a very high level of art. This cemetery site dates to the Amratian phase, belonging to Egypt's pre-dynastic culture. Some archeologists also believe that this site is an extension of Badarian culture.
Artifacts found at al Badari have been quite varied. Badarian ware is the name Petrie gave to the distinctive pottery, and this is because of the exclusive polished red vessels with black tops. The Badarian people were the first to make copper bead-shaped metal objects in Egypt. Excavation of the site has given a very detailed insight into the Badarian culture, but owing to the growing demand for land, many of the ruins are slowly being lost.
