Palaeoenvironmental Change and Famine? : Diet and Health in Ancient Egypt

Abstract

This thesis investigates the potential role of environmental change on the diet and physiological health of individuals during the First Intermediate Period (2200 – 2040 BC) in ancient Egypt. Ancient inscriptions from Egypt recount a horrific famine, which coincided with socio-­‐political changes that had severe consequences for the population. In the past, it has been proposed that this was directly linked to environmental change, especially low Nile flow. An alternative view is that the Egyptian people were aware of historic environmental fluctuations and low Nile levels, and therefore were able to manage their resources accordingly without enduring lasting biological consequences. It is hypothesised that there will be significant differences in dental and skeletal markers during the First Intermediate Period compared with the periods preceding and following it. The hypothesis is tested by analysing diet as reflected in dental macrowear, microwear texture, and antemortem tooth loss. In addition, non-­‐specific biological stress indicated by cribra orbitalia and porotic hyperostosis is examined. The skeletal samples represent twelve cemetery sites from the northern and southern regions in ancient Egypt. Data was collected and analysed from 769 skulls. The samples spanned five periods to detect temporal changes to contrast to the First Intermediate Period. These were the Predynastic period (4500 – 3150 BC), the Early Dynastic period (3150 – 2700 BC), the Old Kingdom (2700 – 2190 BC), the First Intermediate Period (2200 – 2040 BC), and the Middle Kingdom (2040 – 1674 BC). The findings from this research show no significant changes in dental conditions or skeletal indicators during the First Intermediate Period compared to the periods immediately before nor after. Contrary to expectations, the Early Dynastic period stood out as exhibiting differences in multiple markers indicative of good physiological health from the consumption of animal protein, and variety in the diet compared with other periods. These results suggest that the effect of environmental changes over time on the diet and health of the population was moderated by other factors such as the socio-­‐ political economy and technological innovations. It supports the supposition that populations can effectively manage resources during recorded environmental fluctuations and opens avenues for future research. Keywords: Egypt, environmental change, dental wear, cribra orbitalia, porotic hyperostosis