A River In ‘Drought'? Environment and cultural ramifications of Old Kingdom climate change

While the idea of a catastrophic drought ending the Old Kingdom has been shown to be too simple an explanation, current research suggests that some climatic change was occurring at this time. Increasing aridity, developing since the third Dynasty, was punctuated with times of unseasonal rain, and both these events would have had some impact upon the environmental circumstances present in the river. This book presents ecological analyses of the riverine habitat as it may have developed in times of excess nutrient load within the river and explores possible environmental consequences. By tracing changes in the tomb decoration repertoire, the author also explores a potential cultural response to the climatic shifts occurring at that time.