Tasian Culture

the oldest Neolithic culture of Middle Egypt; it existed in the sixth and the early fifth millenniums B.C. The Tasian culture was discovered in the 1930’s by the British archaeologist G. Brunton near the village of Dahr Tasa. It is represented by settlements and burial grounds. The basis of the economy was the farming of wheat and barley; goat breeding, hunting, and fishing were less important. The dead were buried in a contracted position, wrapped in hides or enclosed in straw coffins. Characteristic pottery included deep sharp-edged vessels with handles, rectangular troughs, and black beaker-shaped vessels with incised designs. Implements, made of flint and limestone, included axes, sickle blades, and saddlequerns. Ornaments made of alabaster, bone, and shell were also found. The bearers of the Tasian culture were Egypt’s earliest farmers.