Around 3500 BC Lower Nubia was occupied by people who farmed the flood-plain of the River Nile and raised large herds of sheep, goat and cattle.
Leaders emerged within these communities, controlling the trade in ivory, ebony, incense, vegetable oils and leopard and panther skins between regions to the south and Old Kingdom Egypt. They obtained pottery vessels from Egypt filled with exotic comestibles such as beer, wine, cheese and oil, copper tools including axes and fishhooks, linen cloth, malachite (green copper ore) and galena (lead ore) for cosmetics.
These elite individuals and selected retainers were buried in the many cemeteries for which this so-called 'A group' people are best known. At Qustul graves of up to twelve rulers contained many fine examples of the locally-made 'eggshell' pots and cosmetic palettes, but also elaborately decorated vessels and incense burners of Egyptian manufacture, imported gifts for these rulers of Lower Nubia.
Around 3000 BC these people were driven out of Lower Nubia by Egyptian expansion, bringing to an end what may well have been the first Nubian kingdoms.
