A typical Naqada II jar decorated with gazelles. (Predynastic Period)

In Predynastic and Early Dynastic times, the
Egyptian climate was much less arid than it is today . Large regions of Egypt were covered in treed
savanna and traversed by herds of grazing
ungulates . Foliage and fauna were far more prolific in all environs and the Nile region supported large populations of waterfowl. Hunting would have been common for Egyptians, and this is also the period when many animals were first domesticated . [11]
By about 5500 BC , small tribes living in the Nile valley had developed into a series of cultures demonstrating firm control of agriculture and animal husbandry , and identifiable by their pottery and personal items, such as combs, bracelets, and beads. The largest of these early cultures in upper (Southern) Egypt was the Badarian culture , which probably originated in the Western Desert; it was known for its high quality ceramics, stone tools , and its use of copper.