Town in the northeastern Delta (modern Tell el-Fara'in) in the sixth Lower Egyptian nome, the location of the towns Pe and Dep. Together they formed the twin capital cities of Lower Egypt, just as Hierakonpolis and Elkab were the twin capital cities of Upper Egypt. The protective goddess of Lower Egypt, the cobra Wadjet, was worshipped here. The name Buto can be traced back to ancient Egyptian 'per-wadjet' ('House or temple of Wadjet'), a name used from the Ramesside Period on. The Buto oracle was famous in ancient times, and Herodotus says that it was very reliable. According to this Greek author, the island of Chemmis was situated close by, where Isis bore her son Horus or hid him from his uncle Seth. Buto was occupied from the late Predynastic Period until Roman times.