A manifesto for the study of the ancient Egyptian environment

The study of ancient Egypt lags behind other historical and archaeological disciplines by failing to prioritize the study of the environment. In order to generate meaningful knowledge about past societies situated along the Nile, it is necessary to pursue holistic research agendas with interdisciplinary frameworks that incorporate a broader range of specialists, including those drawn from the sciences. More robust data must be sought and assessed, including geomorphological and paleo-climatic data, and methodology must be expanded to incorporate ecological models of occupation and land-use and of human responses to environmental change. The participants of the 2017 Colloquium on Ancient Egypt and the Environment propose the following three goals for the study of ancient Egypt and, more generally, for historical inquiry. Proceedings of the conference Gift of the Nile? A Symposium and Workshop on Ancient Egypt and the Environment held at Quest University Canada, April 2, 2017, and at the University of British Columbia, April 3, 2017