Location | near Saint Catherine's Monastery, Egypt |
---|---|
Region | Sinai |
Coordinates | 28°33′20″N 33°58′34″E / 28.5555°N 33.9762°E |
Type | Cluster of Tells |
Part of | Settlements |
Length | 20 metres (66 ft) (Abu Madi III) |
Width | 20 metres (66 ft) (Abu Madi III) |
Area | 0.008 hectares (860 sq ft) (Abu Madi I) |
History | |
Material | Granite |
Founded | c. 10100 BP |
Abandoned | c. 9700 BP |
Periods | Khiamian, PPNA |
Cultures | Khiamian, Abu Madi Entity |
Site notes | |
Excavation dates | 1980– |
Archaeologists | Ofer Bar-Yosef |
Condition | Ruins |
Public access | Yes |
Abu Madi (Arabic:أبو ماضي) is a cluster of prehistoric, Neolithic tell mounds in Southern Sinai, Egypt. It is located east of Saint Catherine's Monastery at the bottom of a granite ridge. It was suggested to have been a seasonal encampment for groups of hunter gatherers and contained the remains of two major settlements; Abu Madi I and Abu Madi III.[1][2] Abi Madi I is a small site with the remains of a partially buried 4 metres (13 ft) building containing deposits up to a depth of 1.3 metres (4.3 ft).[3] Abu Madi III was an area of roughly 20 square metres (220 sq ft) that was excavated close to a large nearby boulder.[4] Dwellings were found to have stone built silos next to them.[5] It was first excavated in the early 1980s by Ofer Bar-Yosef.[6]