The Origins of Egyptian Civilization: From Cultural Evolution and Cosmic Alignments to Mythological Foundations

We explore how rural communities contributed to the foundation of Egyptian society through their beliefs. The study of the rural cemetery of Adaima and its 504 funerary structures in Upper Egypt (3300–2700 BCE) reveals progressive ritual variability from the First to the Third Dynasty. By the Third Dynasty, a correspondence emerges between the heliacal rising of Sirius, the summer solstice, and the Nile’s inundation, marking a pivotal shift in funerary and religious practices. The central authority used this celestial conjunction to transform materially illustrated beliefs, including the ritual significance of a dismembered and reassembled body, which remained a focal point of worship for over 300 years, into a system of immaterial beliefs that ultimately served royal power. By comparing earlier necropolises and later Pyramid Texts, we demonstrate how cosmogonic myths emerge from ritualized practices and how, by leveraging celestial events and an elite imitation process, the state selectively absorbs and reframes local traditions to consolidate power.