What is the literal meaning of the ancient Egyptian name tA šmA for Upper Egypt?
The name tA šmA literally translates to the Land of Reeds or the Sedgeland. This designation derived directly from the sedges that grew abundantly along its banks.
Questions about Upper Egypt
Short answers, pulled from the story.
When did Neolithic societies in Upper Egypt begin raising crops and domesticating animals?
Neolithic societies along the Nile began their culture based on raising crops and domesticating animals by approximately 3600 BC. A new distinctive pottery appeared during this period that related closely to Levantine ceramics.
Which city served as the administrative center of Upper Egypt for most of ancient history?
Thebes served as the administrative center of Upper Egypt for most of Egypt's ancient history. After Thebes was devastated by the Assyrians, Ptolemais Hermiou took over the role of capital city under the dynasty of the Ptolemies.
Why did large numbers of pastoralists known as Hilalians flee Upper Egypt in the eleventh century?
Degraded grazing conditions associated with the beginning of the Medieval Warm Period appear to be the root cause of this migration. The climate shift forced these communities to abandon their traditional lands and move westward into Libya and as far as Tunis.
What skeletal evidence links inhabitants of Upper Egypt to Nubia and the Sahara?
Bioarchaeologist Nancy Lovell found that ancient Egyptian skeletons give strong evidence linking inhabitants of Upper Egypt and Nubia to people of the Sahara and more southerly areas. S.O.Y. Keita characterized skeletal morphologies of predynastic southern Egyptians as a Saharo-tropical African variant.