Sheikh Muftah and Old Kingdom Connections at Mut al-Kharab: A Lithic Study

It was originally believed that the Nile Valley Egyptians commenced their permanent occupation of the Dakhleh Oasis, in Egypt’s Western Desert, during the late Old Kingdom. This is being challenged with evidence emerging from recent archaeological excavations, which has necessitated a reassessment of this previously held notion. This thesis explores the initial connections between the indigenous Sheikh Muftah people and the Old Kingdom Egyptians in Dakhleh, with a focus on the lithic material from the site of Mut al-Kharab. This site represents the earliest known in situ evidence of intermixed cultural material of the Sheikh Muftah and Old Kingdom Egyptians in the Western Desert, and is a key site for understanding the nature of early interactions between these two cultural groups.