Naqada III is the last phase of the
Naqada culture of ancient
Egyptian prehistory, dating approximately from 3200 to 3000 BC. It is the period during which the process of
state formation, which had begun to take place in
Naqada II, became highly visible, with named kings heading powerful
polities.
Naqada III is often referred to as
Dynasty 0 or
Protodynastic Period to reflect the presence of kings at the head of influential states, although, in fact, the kings involved would not have been a part of a dynasty. They would more probably have been completely unrelated and very possibly in competition with each other. Kings' names are inscribed in the form of
serekhs on a variety of surfaces including pottery and tombs.