The Dolphin Vase which was excavated from a Middle Kingdom Egyptian tomb at the capital city of Lisht, is so named because of its naturalistic depiction of dolphins. This pottery jug, dated ca. 1750-1700 BC, epitomized the network of international relations of a prosperous period: found in Egypt, the dolphins appear to be Minoan in style and yet the vessel shape and manufacture are of Levantine inspiration. Statistical evaluation of the chemical composition of its pottery ware by neutron activation analysis (NAA) makes it virtually certain that the Dolphin Vase originated in the Gaza region of southern Palestine. Trade relations between the latter region and Egypt, with a consequent stylistic and technological exchange, intensified under the so-called “Hyksos,” a Semitic dynasty that controlled the eastern Nile Delta between ca. 1700 and 1550 BC.