During the Old Kingdom, Byblos emerged as one of the main ports of trade between Egypt and the Levant. This is not only suggested by Egyptian textual references but also by a surprisingly large number of Egyptian objects dating to the Old Kingdom from Byblos. However, various chronological and contextual problems hugely diminish the value of the Aegyptiaca from Byblos for the reconstruction of the relations between Egypt and the Levantine coast. Excavations at Tell Fadous-Kfarabida undertaken between 2004 and 2016 helped establish a more secure chronology for the Early Bronze Age in Byblos. As the site is only 12 km north of Byblos, it certainly must have been in the economic and political orbit of Byblos. This paper presents the few Aegyptiaca from Tell Fadous-Kfarabida and discusses Tell Fadous-Kfarabida’s relationship to Byblos. As Fadous-Kfarabida lacks a good natural harbor, it is very likely that the Aegyptiaca retrieved reached the site via Byblos.
Central Levant; Byblos; Tell Fadous-Kfarabida; Old Kingdom; Early Bronze Age
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