Trade or conquest? The nature of Egyptian-South Levantine relations in Early Bronze I from the perspective of Tell el-Farkha, Egypt and Tel Erani, Israel

Early Egyptian colonization in the Early Bronze I period is one of the most widely discussed issue in modern archaeology of the Near East. The text focuses on two sites of major importance: Egyptian Tell el-Farkha and Levantine Tel Erani. Discoveries of imported pottery both in Egypt and in Israel, as well as Egyptian-style brick architecture found at Tel Erani suggest that relations between these two regions were based on long-distance trade. The article briefly discusses the most significant imported finds at both sites and the socio-economic changes which followed interregional contacts.