Holocene landscape evolution in the environs of the ancient Egyptian city of Bubastis ('Tell Basta'), southeastern Nile Delta

• Applicant: Professorin Dr. Julia Meister
• Subject Area: Physical Geography
• Term: since 2022
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 507687060

The reconstruction of the Holocene landscape evolution plays a central role in the study of human-environment relationships in the Nile Delta of ancient Egypt, as ancient settlement activity was strongly influenced by the dynamics of the ancient river network. Especially for inner-Egyptian traffic and trade, as well as for agriculture, the course of large Nile arms was of such importance that larger ancient Egyptian cities can only be found in their immediate vicinity. In addition, settlements were often built on the embankments of larger Nile arms or Pleistocene sand hills ("Geziras") to protect them from seasonal Nile floods.The ancient city of Bubastis was continuously inhabited from the end of the fourth millennium BC until Roman times, making it the only urban center in the delta that was continuously settled over a period of several millennia. Its outstanding strategic and supra-regional importance is attributed to its good transport and trade connections, which was probably characterized by its close proximity to the Pelusiac and the Tanitic branch of the Nile. While the history of human occupation of this key archaeological site is well studied, it is still unclear how the river network in the hinterland of Bubastis developed, what environmental conditions prevailed during the settlement period, and what influence these had on landscape use and design, urban development, and settlement processes in Bubastis. The aim of the proposed research project is therefore to investigate the hydro-geomorphological setting of Bubastis, the Holocene landscape changes in its environs, and the land use activities of its inhabitants. By studying Bubastis at different spatial scales, i.e., (i) the temple areas, (ii) the settlement areas, (iii) the urban hinterland, and integrating traditional and modern geoarchaeological methods at selected representative sites, the project will for the first time systematically investigate the natural setting of the city. The resulting paleoenvironmental reconstruction provides an important basis for discussing the environmental context in which the ancient city of Bubastis was founded and developed, so that possible relationships between landscape and urban development can be identified and contribute to a better understanding of human-environment interactions in ancient Egypt.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: Egypt
• Co-Investigators: Privatdozentin Dr. Eva Lange-Athinodorou; Professor Dr. Tobias Ullmann
• Cooperation Partners: Professor Dr. Amr El-Raouf; Dr. Ashraf Es-Senussi