Pan-Grave and Medjay: at the intersection of archaeology and history

For almost a century, many scholars have assumed that the Medjay of the Egyptian textual record can be directly associated with the Pan-Grave archaeological culture. In this article, the authors deconstruct this connection and consider the extent to which the archaeological and textual evidence can be reconciled based on geography and cultural circumstances. Both groups shared pastoral nomadic roots linked to the Eastern Desert, both went through similar processes of acculturation, and both groups had some of their members fight as mercenaries during the wars of the Second Intermediate Period. However, the evidence from the Nile Valley and Eastern Desert of Egypt and Nubia demonstrates that a direct connection between the Pan-Grave culture and the Medjay cannot be supported.