This volume contains the collected papers from the international colloquium on early Egypt held at the British Museum in July 1993. It includes contributions on the interpretation of excavated material from various sites, some of which allow comparisons of Predynastic funerary practices in Upper and Lower Egypt, whilst others focus on the development of major cult centres. Material from excavated contexts has been reassessed and analyzed by modern techniques to allow the presentation of new conclusions on chronology, material culture, administration and trade in early Egypt.