From unpromising mounds of debris, the excavation of selected localities has yielded a wealth of new information. Discoveries have included the oldest preserved house in Egypt (c.3600BC), that of a potter who accidentally burnt his house down (HK29), as well as a number of early pottery kilns which provide insight into Predynastic craft specialization (HK11, Hk59). The world’s first industrial scale brewery (c.3600BC) has also been found in the form of huge vats capable of brewing over 300 gallons of beer a day (HK24a). At that rate, it could supply a daily ration for over 200 people, and so far only a small fraction of this quarter has been investigated. The secret to Hierakonpolis greatness may have been the early development of the redistributive economy that kept Egypt alive.

Nestled in the center of the vast Predynastic town is Egypt's earliest temple (HK29A) (c. 3500 BC). A large structure, originally fronted by huge, possibly cedar, timbers, it was to become the prototype for temple architecture for millennia to come. On the outskirts of town, the site also includes rock art locations, herding camps, flint mines and more!

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