The Nile has long dominated discussions about Egypt’s trade and
communication networks. As a navigable waterway it links the country
together internally, and connects it with the Mediterranean and
southern countries. The river was both a natural and a strategic route.
Although the first conclusive evidence of Egyptian seafaring only
appeared during the Old Kingdom, the Pre- and Early Dynastic periods
are less sparse in terms of information than some might think. Many
types of evidence such as scale models, iconographic depictions and
real boats from elite burials, bear witness to the development of naval
technology in Egypt during the 4th millennium BC. They also attest to
the gradual inclusion of boats in the ideological, political and religious
discourses of the time. This presentation offers an overview of the
birth of navigation in Egypt in the context of the formation of the
Egyptian state, and a fresh perspective on the questions it raises in the
light of our current knowledge.