Hotels in Bani Salamah

For historical context on Bani Salamah, the Neolithic settlement site of Merimde Beni Salama is a specific historical subject. Its history encompasses early building forms, burials, later use as a cemetery, and archaeological investigations. This places the focus on a different historical layer from the monuments of the broader travel destination of Giza.

A Neolithic settlement

Hermann Junker discovered Merimde Beni Salama in 1928 during his West Delta expedition. The settlement consisted of small huts made of wattle and reeds. Their ground plans were round or elliptical. Together, these features describe a settlement form whose architectural details differ from the monumental structures many associate with ancient Egyptian history.

The burials also provide a concrete insight into the settlement at the time. The dead were buried within the settlement area in a crouched position in oval pits without grave goods. During the Maadi culture, Merimde Beni Salama was used as a cemetery. These are distinct historical aspects: the burial practice within the settlement and its later use as a burial ground. The later phase of the Merimde Beni Salama culture corresponds to the Fayum Neolithic (Fayum A) and the Badarian culture.

Finds and archaeological context

Merimde Beni Salama is considered the first site in northeastern Africa to have included fully developed architectural structures, domesticated animals, and cultivated plants. Finds from Merimde Beni Salama in the Petrie Museum include stone tools and pottery. These groups of finds complement the picture provided by the settlement forms and burials with material evidence.

Geomagnetic surveys have recorded further archaeological evidence. Cornelius Meyer and Dana Pilz of Eastern Atlas Berlin surveyed the area at and beside the currently registered archaeological site. Initial trial trenches confirmed the results and indicated a larger settlement area than previously known. An abandoned canal crossing the site was also identified. A further magnetic survey by Kristian Strutt of the University of Southampton at Wadi el-Gamal in the Merimde Beni Salama area led to the discovery of previously unknown structures in 2015. Together, these investigations illustrate different aspects of the research: evidence within and beside the site, a possible expansion of the settlement area, and newly discovered structures.

Area and location

A 1996 government decision designated the archaeological site area as archaeological land. It specifies a government-owned area of 7 feddans, 9 qirats, and 3 sahms within plot no. 95 in the al-Sawān No. 4 basin. The area is located on land owned by Bani Salamah, Imbaba, Giza Governorate. Bani Salamah railway station is on Al-Khattatbah Road in Bani Salamah, Imbaba, Giza Governorate.

Giza as the broader historical context

The broader travel destination of Giza encompasses other eras and topics. Memphis was Egypt’s principal administrative capital during the Old Kingdom; the Temple of Ptah is in Mit Rahina. The three pyramids built for Khufu, Khafre, and Menkaure stand on the Giza Plateau. The Pyramid of Khufu is the last surviving Wonder of the Ancient World. The Great Sphinx is beside the Valley Temple, which leads to the mortuary temple and pyramid of King Khafre. The plateau also includes queens’ pyramids, as well as the settlement and tombs of the workers. These historical focal points differ from the Neolithic settlement history of Merimde Beni Salama.

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Merimde Beni Salama represents Neolithic settlement history; Giza, as the broader travel destination, offers other topics in ancient Egyptian history. Compare the details of a specific hotel with your plans and tailor your search to the place where you want to stay.

Discover more destinations: Bani Majdul, Abū Şīr, Giza, Kerdasah, Bawīti, Mandishah, Atati, Al Doqi.

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