Timeline of Pre Historic Cultures of Nile Valley

Paleolithic Period

100,000 BCE 

Paleolithic hunter-gatherers inhabit the Nile Valley, relying on hunting, fishing, and gathering wild plants for sustenance.

Mesolithic Period (30,000 BCE to 10,000 BCE)

22,500 BCE

Halfan Culture

The Halfan culture flourished around 22,500 to 22,000 BC. They relied on hunting, fishing, and gathering wild grains.

17,600 BCE

Kubbaniyan culture (again, an industry) was to all intents and purposes the same cultural expression as the Halfan. Lasting between about 17,600-15,000 BC, it was located to the north of the Halfannorth, in Egypt itself. Both cultures have little to differentiate them from one another. The Kubbaniyan can be pinpointed to Wadi Kubbaniya, in which area twelve sites had been uncovered by 1989.

15,000 BCE

The Qadan culture is generally viewed as a cluster of Mesolithic Stage communities living in Nubia in the upper Nile Valley prior to 9000 BCE. It is said to have originated in Nubia and spread to Upper Egypt by 13,000 BCE. It existed till 9,000 BCE.

13,000 BCE

Sebilian culture began around 13,000 BC and disappeared by 10,000 BC. The Sebilian culture is thought to be semi-sedentary, meaning they may have lived in a place for some time but also moved around. Evidence suggests they lived near the Nile River and relied on fish for food, with occasional crocodile and turtle consumption.

Neolithic Period (9000 BCE - 6000 BCE)

8800 BCE

Harifian Culture is seen as merger of late mesolithic and pre pottery neolithic stage. The Harifian culture, a desert adaptation of the Natufian culture, emerged in the Negev and Sinai around 10,800bp and is credited with the first use of arrowheads.

Pre Dynastic Period Cultures (6000 BCE - 3100 BCE)

6200 BCE

Faiyum A Culture was a neolithic culture stemming from Migrants from fertile cresent bringing agriculture to the region.

Weaving is evidenced for the first time during the Faiyum A Period. People of this period, unlike later Egyptians, buried their dead very close to, and sometimes inside, their settlements.

5000 BCE

From about 5000 to 4200 BC, the Merimde culture flourished in Lower Egypt. People in this culture lived in small huts, made simple undecorated pottery, and used stone tools. They raised cattle, sheep, goats, and pigs, and planted wheat, sorghum, and barley. They buried their dead within the settlement and made clay figurines. The Merimde culture is the one that produced the first life sized Egyptian head out of clay.

4500 BCE

Tasian culture

There is some debate amongst Egyptologists about the Tasian culture. Some believe it to be a separate culture from the Badarian culture, while others believe it is a part of the Badarian culture.

Those who believe it to be a separate culture point to the fact that the Tasian culture produced the earliest black-topped pottery, a type of red and brown pottery that is colored black on its top and interior. This pottery is vital to the dating of Predynastic Egypt.

4400 BCE

Badarian culture in Upper Egypt, existed from about 4400 to 4000 BC. The Badarian culture followed the Tasian culture, but they were so similar some consider them one continuous period.

The main difference is that Badarians used copper tools alongside stone tools, making them Chalcolithic, while Tasians were still Neolithic (Stone Age).

Characteristics:

They continued making black-topped pottery, though of better quality.

Their flint tools became sharper and more shaped. They were also the first to develop faience, a glazed ceramic material.

Their settlements have been found from Nekhen to north of Abydos.

Comparison with other cultures:

The Fayum A culture overlapped significantly with the Badarian/Tasian period, but it was less agricultural and remained Neolithic.

Studies suggest biological similarities between the Badarians and other Northeast African populations. Analyses show a close resemblance to later ancient Egyptians and Afroasiatic-speaking populations in Northeast Africa and the Maghreb.

Archaeological evidence suggests that the Tasian and Badarian Nile Valley sites were a peripheral network of earlier African cultures that featured the movement of Badarian, Saharan, Nubian and Nilotic populations. Bruce Williams, Egyptologist, has argued that the Tasian culture was significantly related to the Sudanese-Saharan traditions from the Neolithic era which extended from regions north of Khartoum to locations near Dongola in Sudan.

4000 BCE

El Omari culture is known from a small settlement near modern Cairo. People seem to have lived in huts, but only postholes and pits survive. The pottery is undecorated. Stone tools include small flakes, axes and sickles. Metal was not yet known. Their sites were occupied from 4000 BC to the Archaic Period (3,100 BC).

Maadi culture 

the Maadi culture was the most important prehistoric culture in Lower Egypt existing from 4000 to 3500 BC. It was contemporary with Naqada I and II phases in Upper Egypt. People of the Maadi culture lived in small huts and made undecorated pottery and stone tools. They also used copper and had some knowledge of metalworking. Farming and animal husbandry were practiced. The Maadi culture was succeeded by the Naqada III culture around 3500 BC. Whether this happened through conquest or infiltration is still debated.

Amratian culture (Naqada I)

The Amratian culture thrived in Upper Egypt from about 4000 to 3500 BC.

Key points about the Amratian culture:

Timeline and Name: Existed between 4000-3500 BC. Also called Naqada I culture due to finds at the Naqada site.

Pottery: Continued making black-topped ware, but introduced a new style that is white cross-line ware.

Trade: Increased trade with Lower Egypt, Nubia, and the oases. Imported materials like copper, obsidian, and gold.

Innovations: Pioneered mud-brick buildings (common in later periods) and early forms of cosmetic palettes.

3500 BCE

Gerzean culture (Naqada II)

The Gerzean culture, existing from about 3500 to 3200 BC, marked a significant period in Egyptian prehistory, laying the foundation for dynastic Egypt.

Successor to Amratian Culture: Developed from the Amratian culture, but Gerzean influence didn't reach Nubia.

Pottery: Distinct pottery style with red paintings depicting animals, people, and geometric symbols.

Settled Lifestyle and Urbanization: Decline in rainfall led to a more reliant and sedentary agricultural lifestyle. Cities grew with mud-brick buildings. 

Advancements in Toolmaking: Increased use of copper for tools and weapons. Stone tool construction techniques changed.

Ornamental Materials: Silver, gold, lapis lazuli, and faience were used for ornaments.

Early Tombs: Construction of the first tombs in the classic Egyptian style.

Mesopotamian Influence: Distinct Mesopotamian influence in art, architecture, and objects like the Gebel el-

Ar knife. 

Trade: Increased trade with Asia Minor and possibly the Red Sea, indicated by foreign objects and materials.

Proto Dynastic Period (3200 - 3000 BCE)

3200 BCE

Naqada III

The Naqada III period, roughly 3200 to 3000 BC, marks a turning point in Egyptian history. It coincides with the Protodynastic period, a time of significant advancements that paved the way for the Early Dynastic Period and the unification of Egypt.

Key characteristics of Naqada III/Protodynastic Egypt:

Emergence of Writing: The first hieroglyphs appear during this period, although some debate this claim. 

Serekhs and Royal Power: The use of serekhs, a royal emblem enclosing the name of a ruler, becomes widespread. This suggests the rise of powerful leaders and potentially competing states.

Irrigation: Egyptians develop and implement irrigation techniques, allowing for increased agricultural productivity and supporting larger populations. 

Royal Cemeteries: The construction of dedicated cemeteries for royalty signifies a growing social stratification and the veneration of rulers.

Foreign Influence: Debate exists about the extent of Mesopotamian influence, but some aspects of art and architecture may reflect cultural exchange. 

Biological Connections:

Studies suggest a close biological link between the inhabitants of Upper Egypt and Nubia with people from the Sahara and other parts of Africa.