A03_01

The Meryt Model: towards a new chronometric model for the Egyptian Old Kingdom

Quiles A¹, Aubourg E², Beck L³, Ciavatti A¹, Delqué-Kolic E³, Ferrant M^1,4, Muller S⁵, Salati P⁶

¹Institut français d'archéologie orientale (IFAO), Cairo, Egypt, ²Laboratoire AstroParticule et Cosmologie, Paris, France, ³Laboratoire de Mesure du Carbone 14/LSCE, Gif-Sur-Yvette, France, ⁴Laboratoire De la Molécule aux Nano-objets : Réactivité, Interactions et Spectroscopies, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France, ⁵Institut de Systématique, Évolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), , France, ⁶Laboratoire d'Annecy-le-Vieux de Physique Théorique, Université de Savoie Mont Blanc & CNRS, Annecy, France

The MERYT project aims to build an accurate, high-resolution and multi-technical chronological model for the Egyptian Old Kingdom (~2900-2200 BCE), through an integrated approach bringing together all the analytical criteria of Egyptology, Archaeology and Archaeometry. It addresses two major issues: to develop a definitive chronological framework of the Old Kingdom, reign by reign, by building a statistical model reconciling Egyptological and analytical data; to explore the IntCal calibration curve considering the specific environmental conditions in Egypt, in particular due to the Nile flooding.

In that respect, through a historical approach, we have re-evaluated textual sources owing chronometric evidence to re-evaluate all reign certificates and assess their reliability to restore an updated succession of kings’ list and the most accurate estimates of their reigns’ duration. Through an archaeometric approach, we have carried out ¹⁴C dating’s series almost all on samples collected directly on on-going archaeological excavations in Egypt, which age is clearly associated with a single reign. Specifical improvements have been performed on textile samples’ analysis protocol to ensure their dating when contaminated by funeral chemicals, and accurately model their result. We also have investigated possible regional offset to IntCal within the Egyptian land due to seasonal effect, by analyzing botanical samples from the Paris Herbarium. The whole is finally confronted together in a statistical Bayesian model whose formalism is fully developed for this project.

This talk will present first results of the Meryt Model and be completed by open perspectives, bringing new insights on the start of the Egyptian state.