Dakhleh Oasis in the Late Neolithic: The Sheikh Muftah Cultural Unit

Join us to trace the story of the Sheikh Muftah, ancient pastoralists of Egypt’s Dakhleh Oasis, and their resilience in a changing world.

During the Old Kingdom, the Nile Valley Egyptians began a process of colonisation and annexation of the Dakhleh Oasis in Egypt's Western Desert. This 'tiny island of green', later referred to by Herodotus as the 'Isle of the Blessed', was a frontier zone amongst the shifting sands. The Nile Valley Egyptians, however, were not the first people to set foot in this frontier. It had been the home for thousands of years to indigenous pastoralists now referred to as the Sheikh Muftah. Who were these people? What is their story? And more importantly, what can they teach us about resilience and adaptation to a changing world and environment?

This talk will introduce the enigmatic Sheikh Muftah Cultural Unit, their material culture, and their sites. It will synthesise the state of research on this Western Desert culture and their incredible ability to adapt to an oscillating and often unpredictable environment.