History of ancient Egypt 377363 225757577 2008-07-15T07:17:50Z Rjwilmsi 203434 gen fixes + link/fix date fields in cite templates (explanation [[User:Rjwilmsi#My_correction_of_dates_in_templates|here]]) using [[Project:AutoWikiBrowser|AWB]] {{History of Egypt}} The '''History of [[ancient Egypt]]''' spans the period from the early [[Predynastic Egypt|predynastic]] settlements of the northern [[Nile Valley]] to the [[History of Roman Egypt|Roman conquest]] in 30 BC. The Pharaonic Period is dated from around 3150 BC, when [[Lower Egypt|Lower]] and [[Upper Egypt|Upper]] [[Egypt]] became a unified state, until the country fell under Greek rule in 332 BC. ==Chronology== {{Egyptian Dynasty list}} Ancient Egyptian history is broken into several different periods according to the dynasty of the ruling [[pharaoh]]. The dating of events is still a subject of research. The conservative dates are not supported by any reliable absolute date for a span of about three millennia. The following is the list according to [[conventional Egyptian chronology]]. * [[Predynastic Period of Egypt|Predynastic Period]] (Prior to 3100 BC) * [[Protodynastic Period of Egypt|Protodynastic Period]] (Approximately 3100 - 3000 BC) * [[Early Dynastic Period of Egypt|Early Dynastic Period]] (1st&ndash;2nd Dynasties) * [[Old Kingdom of Egypt|Old Kingdom]] (3rd&ndash;6th Dynasties) * [[First Intermediate Period of Egypt|First Intermediate Period]] (7th&ndash;11th Dynasties) * [[Middle Kingdom of Egypt|Middle Kingdom]] (12th&ndash;13th Dynasties) * [[Second Intermediate Period of Egypt|Second Intermediate Period]] (14th&ndash;17th Dynasties) * [[New Kingdom of Egypt|New Kingdom]] (18th&ndash;20th Dynasties) * [[Third Intermediate Period of Egypt|Third Intermediate Period]] (21st&ndash;25th Dynasties) (also known as the Libyan Period) * [[Late Period of Egypt|Late Period]] (26th&ndash;31st Dynasties) ;Note: For alternative 'revisions' to the chronology of Egypt, see [[Egyptian chronology]]. ===Paleolithic and Neolithic periods=== [[Archaeology|Archaeological]] evidence indicates that a developed Egyptian society and culture extended far beyond the borders of unified Egypt into [[prehistory]] (see [[Predynastic Egypt]]). The Nile River, around which much of the population of the country clusters, has been the lifeline for Egyptian culture since nomadic hunter-gatherers began living along the Nile during the [[Pleistocene]]. Traces of these early people appear in the form of artifacts and rock carvings along the terraces of the Nile and in the oases. Along the Nile, in the 11th millennium BC, a grain-grinding culture using the earliest type of sickle blades had been replaced by another culture of [[hunting|hunters]], [[fishing|fishers]], and [[hunter-gatherer|gathering]] people using [[stone tool]]s. Evidence also indicates human habitation and cattle herding in the southwestern corner of Egypt, near the [[Sudan]] border, before 8000 BC. Geological evidence and computer climate modeling studies suggest that natural climate changes around 8000 BC began to desiccate the extensive pastoral lands of northern Africa, eventually forming the [[Sahara]] (c.2500 BC). Early tribes in the region naturally tended to aggregate close to the Nile River where they developed a settled agricultural economy and more centralized society. There is evidence of [[pastoralism]] and cultivation of cereals in the East Sahara in the 7th millennium BC. Continued desiccation forced the early ancestors of the Egyptians to settle around the Nile more permanently and forced them to adapt a more sedentary lifestyle. However, the period from 9,000 to 6,000 BC has left very little in the way of archaeological evidence. By about 6000 BC, organized agriculture and large building construction had appeared in the Nile Valley.<ref name="Redford 6">Redford, Donald B. ''Egypt, Canaan, and Israel in Ancient Times.'' (Princeton: University Press, 1992), p. 6.</ref> At this time, Egyptians in the southwestern corner of Egypt were herding cattle and also constructing large buildings. [[Mortar (masonry)|Mortar]] was in use by 4000 BC. The Predynastic Period continues through this time, variously held to begin with the [[Naqada]] culture.. ===Predynastic period=== {{main|Predynastic Egypt}} [[Image:Egypte louvre 316.jpg|thumb|right|A Naqada II vase decorated with gazelles, on display at the [[Louvre]].]] Between 5500 and 3100 BC, during Egypt's Predynastic Period, small settlements flourished along the Nile, whose [[river delta|delta]] empties into the [[Mediterranean Sea]]. By 3300 BC, just before the first Egyptian dynasty, Egypt was divided into two kingdoms, known as [[Upper Egypt]], ''Ta Shemau'' to the south, and [[Lower Egypt]], ''Ta Mehu'' to the north.<ref name = "Adkinsp155">Adkins, L. and Adkins, R. (2001) ''The Little Book of Egyptian Hieroglyphics'', p155. London: Hodder and Stoughton. ISBN .</ref> The dividing line was drawn roughly in the area of modern [[Cairo]]. The Tasian culture was the next to appear in Upper Egypt. This group is named for the burials found at Der Tasa, a site on the east bank of the Nile between [[Asyut]] and [[Akhmim]]. The Tasian culture group is notable for producing the earliest blacktop-ware, a type of red and brown pottery which has been painted black on its top and interior.<ref name="Gardiner 388">Gardiner (1964), p.388</ref> The Badarian Culture, named for the [[Badari]] site near Der Tasa, followed the Tasian culture, however similarities between the two have lead very many to not differentiate between them at all. The Badarian Culture continued to produce the kind of pottery called Blacktop-ware (although its quality was much improved over previous specimens), and was assigned the Sequence Dating numbers between 21 and 29.<ref name="Gardiner 389"/> The significant difference, however, between the Tasian and Badarian culture groups which prevents scholars from completely merging the two together is that Badarian sites use copper in addition to stone, and thus are [[chalcolithic]] settlements, while the Tasian sites are still [[Neolithic]], and are considered technically part of the [[Stone Age]].<ref name="Gardiner 389">Gardiner (1964), p.389</ref> The Amratian Culture is named after the site of el-Amra, about 120&nbsp;km south of [[Badari]]. El-Amra was the first site where this culture group was found unmingled with the later Gerzean culture group, however this period is better attested at the Naqada site, thus it is referred to also as the Naqada I culture.<ref name="Grimal 24">Grimal (1988) p.24</ref> Black-topped ware continues to be produced, but white cross-line ware, a type of pottery which has been decorated by close parallel white lines being crossed by another set of close parallel white lines, begins to be produced during this time. The Amratian period falls between S.D. 30 and 39 in Petrie's [[Sequence Dating]] system.<ref name="Gardiner 390">Gardiner (1964), 390.</ref> Trade between Upper and Lower Egypt is attested at this time, as new excavated objects attest. A stone vase from the north has been found at el-Amra, and copper, which is not present in Egypt, was apparently imported from the Sinai, or perhaps from Nubia. [[Obsidian]]<ref name="Grimal 28">Grimal (1988) p.28</ref> and an extremely small amount of [[gold]]<ref name="Gardiner 390"/> were both definitively imported from Nubia during this time. Trade with the oases was also likely.<ref name="Grimal 28"/> The Gerzean Culture, named after the site of Gerza, was the next stage in Egyptian cultural development, and it was during this time that the foundation for Dynastic Egypt was laid. Gerzean culture is largely an unbroken development out of Amratian Culture, starting in the delta and moving south through upper Egypt, however failing to dislodge Amratian Culture in Nubia.<ref name="Redford 16">Redford, Donald B. ''Egypt, Canaan, and Israel in Ancient Times.'' (Princeton: University Press, 1992), p. 16.</ref> Gerzean culture coincided with a significant drop in rainfall,<ref name="Redford 17">Redford, Donald B. ''Egypt, Canaan, and Israel in Ancient Times.'' (Princeton: University Press, 1992), p. 17.</ref> and farming produced the vast majority of food.<ref name="Redford 16"/> With increased food supplies, the populace adopted a greatly more sedentary lifestyle, and the larger settlements grew to cities of about 5,000 residents.<ref name="Redford 16"/> It was in this time that the city dwellers started building using mudbrick to build their cities.<ref name="Redford 16"/> Copper instead of stone was increasingly used to make tools,<ref name="Redford 16"/> and weaponry as well.<ref name="Gardiner 391"/> Silver, gold, lapis, and faience were used ornamentally,<ref name="Redford 16"/> and the grinding palettes used for eye-paint since the Badarian period began to be adorned with relief carvings.<ref name="Gardiner 391">Gardiner (1694), p.391</ref> ===Early dynastic period=== {{main|Early Dynastic Period of Egypt}} [[Image:Raneb-Stela MetropolitanMuseum.png|thumb|150px|right|Stela of the 2nd dynasty pharaoh [[Raneb]], displaying the hieroglyph for his name within a [[serekh]], surmounted by [[Horus]]. On display at the [[Metropolitan Museum of Art]].]] The historical records of ancient Egypt begin with Egypt as a unified state, which occurred sometime around 3150 BC. According to Egyptian tradition [[Menes]], thought to have unified Upper and Lower Egypt, was the first king. This Egyptian culture, customs, art expression, architecture, and social structure was closely tied to religion, remarkably stable, and changed little over a period of nearly 3000 years. [[Egyptian chronology]], which involves [[regnal year]]s, began around this time. The [[conventional Egyptian chronology]] is the chronology accepted during the twentieth century, but it does not include any of the major revision proposals that also have been made in that time. Even within a single work, archaeologists often will offer several possible dates or even several whole chronologies as possibilities. Consequently, there may be discrepancies between dates shown here and in articles on particular rulers or topics related to ancient Egypt. There also are several possible spellings of the names. Typically, Egyptologists divide the history of pharaonic civilization using a schedule laid out first by [[Manetho]]'s ''Aegyptiaca'' (History of Egypt) that was written during the Ptolemaic era, during the third century BC. Prior to the unification of Egypt, the land was settled with autonomous villages. With the early dynasties, and for much of Egypt's history thereafter, the country came to be known as the ''Two Lands''. The [[Pharaoh|rulers]] established a national administration and appointed royal governors. According to [[Manetho]], the first [[Pharaoh|king]] was [[Menes]], but archeological findings support the view that the first pharaoh to claim to have united the two lands was [[Narmer]] (the final king of the [[Protodynastic Period of Egypt|Protodynastic Period]]). His name is known primarily from the famous [[Narmer Palette]], whose scenes have been interpreted as the act of uniting Upper and Lower Egypt. Funeral practices for the elite resulted in the construction of [[mastaba]] tombs, which later became models for subsequent Old Kingdom constructions such as the [[Step pyramid]]. ===Old Kingdom=== {{main|Old Kingdom}} [[Image:MenkauraAndQueen MuseumOfFineArtsBoston.png|thumb|right|[[Graywacke]] statue of the pharaoh [[Menkaura]] and his consort Queen Khamerernebty II. Originally from his Giza Valley temple, now on display at the [[Museum of Fine Arts, Boston]].]] The Old Kingdom is most commonly regarded as spanning the period of time when Egypt was ruled by the [[Third dynasty of Egypt|Third Dynasty]] through to the [[Sixth dynasty of Egypt|Sixth Dynasty]] (2686 BC – 2134 BC). The royal capital of Egypt during the Old Kingdom was located at [[Memphis, Egypt|Memphis]], where [[Djoser]] established his court. The Old Kingdom is perhaps best known, however, for the large number of [[pyramid]]s, which were constructed at this time as pharaonic burial places. For this reason, the Old Kingdom is frequently referred to as "the Age of the Pyramids." The first notable pharaoh of the Old Kingdom was [[Djoser]] (2630&ndash;2611 BC) of the Third Dynasty, who ordered the construction of a pyramid (the [[Pyramid of Djoser|Step Pyramid]]) in Memphis' necropolis, [[Saqqara]]. It was in this era that formerly independent ancient Egyptian states became known as [[Nome (Egypt)|nomes]], ruled solely by the pharaoh. Subsequently the former rulers were forced to assume the role of governors or otherwise work in tax collection. [[Egyptians]] in this era worshiped their pharaoh as a god, believing that he ensured the annual flooding of the Nile that was necessary for their crops. The Old Kingdom and its royal power reached their zenith under the [[Fourth dynasty of Egypt|Fourth Dynasty]]. [[Sneferu]], the dynasty's founder, is believed to have commissioned at least three pyramids; while his son and successor [[Khufu (pharaoh)|Khufu]] erected the [[Great Pyramid of Giza]], Sneferu had more stone and brick moved than any other pharaoh. [[Khufu]] ([[Greek language|Greek]] ''Cheops''), his son [[Khafra]] (Greek ''Chephren''), and his grandson [[Menkaura]] (Greek ''Mycerinus''), all achieved lasting fame in the construction of [[Pyramids of Giza|their pyramids]]. To organize and feed the manpower needed to create these pyramids required a centralized government with extensive powers, and Egyptologists believe the Old Kingdom at this time demonstrated this level of sophistication. Recent excavations near the pyramids led by [[Mark Lehner]] have uncovered a large city which seems to have housed, fed and supplied the pyramid workers. Although it was once believed that slaves built these monuments, a theory based on the biblical [[Exodus]] story, study of the tombs of the workmen, who oversaw construction on the pyramids, has shown they were built by a [[corvée]] of [[peasant]]s drawn from across Egypt. They apparently worked while the annual [[Nile]] flood covered their fields, as well as a very large crew of specialists, including stone cutters, painters, mathematicians and priests. The [[Fifth dynasty of Egypt|Fifth Dynasty]] began with Userkhaf (2465&ndash;2458 BC), who initiated reforms that weakened the central government. After his reign [[civil war]]s arose as the powerful [[nomarch]]s (regional governors) no longer belonged to the royal family. The worsening civil conflict undermined unity and energetic government and also caused famines. The final blow came when a [[22nd century BC drought|severe drought]] in the region that resulted in a drastic drop in precipitation between 2200 and 2150 BC, which in turn prevented the normal flooding of the [[Nile]].<ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/egyptians/apocalypse_egypt_04.shtml The Fall of the Old Kingdom] by Fekri Hassan</ref> The result was the collapse of the Old Kingdom followed by decades of famine and strife. ===First Intermediate Period=== {{main|First Intermediate Period}} [[Image:AncientEgyptianModelOfAHouse-ROM.png|thumb|right|Pottery model of a house used in a burial from the First Intermediate Period, on display at the [[Royal Ontario Museum]].]] After the fall of the Old Kingdom came a roughly 200-year stretch of time known as the First Intermediate Period, which is generally thought to include a relatively obscure set of pharaohs running from the end of the [[Sixth dynasty of Egypt|Sixth]] to the [[Tenth dynasty of Egypt|Tenth]], and most of the [[Eleventh dynasty of Egypt|Eleventh]] Dynasty. Most of these were likely local monarchs who did not hold much power outside of their own limited domain, and none held power over the whole of Egypt. While there are next to no official records covering this period, there a number of fictional texts known as Lamentations from the early period of the subsequent Middle Kingdom that may shed some light on what happened during this period. Some of these texts reflect on the breakdown of rule, others allude to invasion by "Asiatic bowmen". In general the stories focus on a society where the natural order of things of both society and nature was overthrown. One particularly interesting phrase talks about times of high taxation even when the waters of the river Nile were abnormally low ("Dry is the river of Egypt, and one can cross it by foot"). It is also highly likely that it was during this period that all of the pyramid and tomb complexes were robbed. Further lamentation texts allude to this fact, and by the beginning of the Middle Kingdom mummies are found decorated with magical spells that were once exclusive to the pyramid of the kings of the sixth dynasty. By 2160 BC a new line of pharaohs (the [[Ninth dynasty of Egypt|Ninth]] and [[Tenth dynasty of Egypt|Tenth]] Dynasties) consolidated [[Lower Egypt]] from their capital in [[Herakleopolis Magna]]. A rival line (the [[Eleventh dynasty of Egypt|Eleventh Dynasty]]) based at [[Thebes, Egypt|Thebes]] reunited [[Upper Egypt]] and a clash between the two rival dynasties was inevitable. Around 2055 BC the Theban forces defeated the Heracleopolitan Pharaohs, reunited the Two Lands. The reign of its first pharaoh, [[Mentuhotep II]] marks the beginning of the Middle Kingdom. ===Middle Kingdom=== {{main|Middle Kingdom of Egypt}} [[Image:MentuhotepII-FuneraryStatue-CloseUp MetropolitanMuseum.png|thumb|right|An [[Osiris|Osiride]] statue of Mentuhotep II, the founder of the Middle Kingdom, on display at the [[Metropolitan Museum of Art]].]] The Middle Kingdom is the period in the history of [[ancient Egypt]] stretching from the establishment of the [[Eleventh dynasty of Egypt|Eleventh Dynasty]] to the end of the [[Fourteenth dynasty of Egypt|Fourteenth Dynasty]], roughly between 2030 BC and 1640 BC. The period comprises two phases, the [[Eleventh dynasty of Egypt|11th Dynasty]], which ruled from [[Thebes, Egypt|Thebes]] and the [[Twelfth dynasty of Egypt|12th Dynasty]] onwards which was centered around [[el-Lisht]]. These two dynasties were originally considered to be the full extent of this unified kingdom, but historians now<ref>Callender, Gae. ''The Middle Kingdom Renasissance'' from <cite>The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt</cite>, Oxford, 2000</ref> consider the [[Thirteenth dynasty of Egypt|13th Dynasty]] to at least partially belong to the Middle Kingdom. The earliest pharaohs of the Middle Kingdom traced their origin to a [[nomarch]] of Thebes, "Intef the Great, son of Iku", who is mentioned in a number of contemporary inscriptions. However, his immediate successor [[Mentuhotep II]] is considered the first pharaoh of this dynasty. An inscription carved during the reign of Wahankh [[Intef II]] shows that he was the first of this dynasty to claim to rule over the whole of Egypt, a claim which brought the Thebeans into conflict with the rulers of [[Herakleopolis Magna]], the [[Tenth dynasty of Egypt|Tenth Dynasty]]. Intef undertook several campaigns northwards, and captured the important nome of [[Abydos, Egypt|Abydos]]. Warfare continued intermittently between the Thebean and Heracleapolitan dynasts until the 14th [[regnal year]] of Nebhetepra [[Mentuhotep II]], when the Herakleopolitans were defeated, and the Theban dynasty began to consolidate their rule. Mentuhotep II is known to have commanded military campaigns south into [[Nubia]], which had gained its independence during the [[First Intermediate Period]]. There is also evidence for military actions against Palestine. The king reorganized the country and placed a [[Vizier (Ancient Egypt)|vizier]] at the head of civil administration for the country. Mentuhotep IV was the final pharaoh of this dynasty, and despite being absent from various lists of pharaohs, his reign is attested from a few inscriptions in [[Wadi Hammamat]] that record expeditions to the [[Red Sea]] coast and to quarry stone for the royal monuments. The leader of this expedition was his vizier Amenemhat, who is widely assumed to be the future pharaoh [[Amenemhet I]], the first king of the [[Twelfth dynasty of Egypt|12th Dynasty]]. Amenemhet is widely assumed by some Egyptologists to have either usurped the throne or assumed power after Mentuhotep IV died childless. Amenemhat I built a new capital for Egypt, known as [[Itjtawy]], thought to be located near the present-day [[el-Lisht]], although the chronicler [[Manetho]] claims the capital remained at Thebes. Amenemhat forcibly pacified internal unrest, curtailed the rights of the [[nomarch]]s, and is known to have at launched at least one campaign into [[Nubia]]. His son [[Senusret I]] continued the policy of his father to recapture [[Nubia]] and other territories lost during the First Intermediate Period. The Libyans were subdued under his forty-five year reign and Egypt's prosperity and security were secured. [[Senusret III]] (1878 BC{{ndash}} 1839 BC) was a warrior-king, leading his troops deep into Nubia, and built a series of massive forts throughout the country to establish Egypt's formal boundaries with the unconquered areas of its territory. [[Amenemhat III]] (1860 BC{{ndash}} 1815 BC) is considered the last great pharaoh of the Middle Kingdom. Egypt's population began to exceed food production levels during the reign of Amenemhat III, who then ordered the exploitation of the [[Fayyum]] and increased mining operations in the [[Sinaï]] desert. He also invited Asiatic settlers to Egypt to labor on Egypt's monuments. Late in his reign the annual floods along the Nile began to fail, further straining the resources of the government. The [[Thirteenth dynasty of Egypt|Thirteenth Dynasty]] and [[Fourteenth dynasty of Egypt|Fourteenth Dynasty]] witnessed the slow decline of Egypt into the [[Second Intermediate Period of Egypt|Second Intermediate Period]] in which some of the Asiatic settlers of Amenemhat III would grasp power over Egypt as the [[Hyksos]]. ===Second Intermediate Period and the Hyksos=== {{main|Second Intermediate Period|Hyksos}} The Second Intermediate Period marks a period when [[History of Ancient Egypt|Ancient Egypt]] once again fell into disarray between the end of the [[Middle Kingdom of Egypt|Middle Kingdom]], and the start of the [[New Kingdom of Egypt|New Kingdom]]. This period is best known as the time the [[Hyksos]] made their appearance in Egypt, the reigns of its kings comprising the [[Fifteenth dynasty of Egypt|Fifteenth]] and [[Sixteenth dynasty of Egypt|Sixteenth Dynasties]]. The Thirteenth Dynasty proved unable to hold onto the long land of Egypt, and a provincial ruling family located in the marshes of the western Delta at [[Xois]] broke away from the central authority to form the [[Fourteenth dynasty of Egypt|Fourteenth Dynasty]]. The splintering of the land accelerated after the reign of the Thirteenth Dynasty king [[Neferhotep I]]. The Hyksos first appear during the reign the [[Thirteenth dynasty of Egypt|Thirteenth Dynasty]] pharaoh [[Sobekhotep IV]], and by 1720 BC took control of the town of [[Avaris]]. The outlines of the traditional account of the "invasion" of the land by the Hyksos is preserved in the ''Aegyptiaca'' of [[Manetho]], who records that during this time the Hyksos overran Egypt, led by [[Salitis]], the founder of the Fifteenth Dynasty. In the last decades, however, the idea of a simple migration, with little or no violence involved, has gained some support.<ref>Booth, Charlotte. <cite>The Hyksos Period in Egypt</cite>. p.10. Shire Egyptology. 2005. ISBN 0-7478-0638-1</ref> Under this theory, the Egyptian rulers of [[Thirteenth dynasty of Egypt|13th Dynasty]] were unable to stop these new migrants from travelling to Egypt from Asia because they were weak kings who were struggling to cope with various domestic problems including possibly famine. The Hyksos princes and chieftains ruled in the eastern Delta with their local Egyptian vassals. The Hyksos Fifteenth Dynasty rulers established their capital and seat of government at [[Memphis, Egypt|Memphis]] and their summer residence at [[Avaris]]. The Hyksos kingdom was centered in the eastern [[Nile Delta]] and [[Middle Kingdom of Egypt|Middle Egypt]] and was limited in size, never extending south into [[Upper Egypt]], which was under control by [[Theban]]-based rulers. Hyksos relations with the south seem to have been mainly of a commercial nature, although Theban princes appear to have recognized the Hyksos rulers and may possibly have provided them with [[tribute]] for a period. Around the time Memphis fell to the Hyksos, the native Egyptian ruling house in [[Thebes, Egypt|Thebes]] declared its independence from the vassal dynasty in Itj-tawy and set itself up as the [[Seventeenth dynasty of Egypt|Seventeenth Dynasty]]. This dynasty was to prove the salvation of Egypt and would eventually lead the war of liberation that drove the Hyksos back into Asia. The two last kings of this dynasty were [[Tao II the Brave]] and [[Kamose]]. [[Ahmose I]] completed the conquest and expulsion of the Hyksos from the [[Nile Delta|delta region]], restored Theban rule over the whole of Egypt and successfully reasserted Egyptian power in its formerly subject territories of [[Nubia]] and [[Canaan]].<ref name="Grimal 194">Grimal, Nicolas. ''A History of Ancient Egypt'' p. 194. Librairie Arthéme Fayard, 1988.</ref> His reign marks this beginning of the [[Eighteenth dynasty of Egypt|Eighteenth Dynasty]] and the [[New Kingdom]] period. ===New Kingdom=== {{main|New Kingdom of Egypt}} Possibly as a result of the foreign rule of the [[Hyksos]] during the Second Intermediate Period, the New Kingdom saw Egypt attempt to create a buffer between the Levant and Egypt, and attain its greatest territorial extent. It expanded far south into [[Nubia]] and held wide territories in the [[Near East]]. Egyptian armies fought [[Hittites|Hittite]] armies for control of modern-day [[Syria]]. ====Eighteenth Dynasty==== [[Image:tutmask.jpg|thumb|right|Golden mask from the mummy of [[Tutankhamun]]]] This was a time of great wealth and power for Egypt. Some of the most important and best-known Pharaohs ruled at this time. [[Hatshepsut]] was a pharaoh at this time. Hatshepsut is unusual as she was a female pharaoh, a rare occurrence in Egyptian history. She was an ambitious and competent leader, extending Egyptian trade south into present-day Somalia and north into the Mediterranean. She ruled for twenty years through a combination of widespread propaganda and deft political skill. Her co-regent and successor Thutmose III ("the [[Napoleon I of France|Napoleon]] of Egypt") expanded Egypt's army and wielded it with great success. Late in his reign he ordered her name hacked out from her monuments. He fought against Asiatic people and was the most successful of Egyptian pharaohs. [[Amenhotep III]] built extensively at the temple of [[Karnak]] including the [[Luxor temple]] which consisted of two [[Pylon (architecture)|pylons]], a colonnade behind the new temple entrance, and a new temple to the goddess [[Ma'at]]. ====Nineteenth Dynasty==== [[Image:NE 1300bc.jpg|thumb|300px|left|Egypt and its world in 1300 BC.]] [[Image:SFEC EGYPT ABUSIMBEL 2006-003.JPG|thumb|left|Colossal depictions of [[Ramesses II]] at a temple dedicated to him at [[Abu Simbel]].]] [[Ramesses I]] reigned for a couple of years and was succeeded by his son [[Seti I]]. Seti I carried on the work of Horemheb in restoring power, control, and respect to Egypt. He also was responsible for creating the temple complex at [[Abydos, Egypt|Abydos]]. Arguably Ancient Egypt's power as a nation-state peaked during the reign of [[Ramesses II]] ("the Great") of the 19th Dynasty. He reigned for 67 years from the age of 18 and carried on his immediate predecessor's work and created many more splendid temples, such as that of [[Abu Simbel]] on the Nubian border. He sought to recover territories in the [[Levant]] that had been held by 18th Dynasty Egypt. His campaigns of reconquest culminated in the [[Battle of Kadesh]] in 1274 BC, where he led Egyptian armies against those of the Hittite king [[Muwatalli II]] and was caught in history's first recorded military ambush. Ramesses II was famed for the huge number of children he sired by his various wives and [[concubine]]s; the [[KV5|tomb]] he built for his sons, many of whom he outlived, in the [[Valley of the Kings]] has proven to be the largest funerary complex in Egypt. His immediate successors continued the military campaigns, though an increasingly troubled court complicated matters. Ramesses II was succeeded by his son [[Merneptah]] and then by Merenptah's son [[Seti II]]. Seti II's throne seems to have been disputed by his half-brother [[Amenmesse]], who may have temporarily ruled from Thebes. Upon his death, Seti II son [[Siptah]], who may have been afflicted with [[polio]] during his life, was appointed to the throne by [[Chancellor Bay]], an Asiatic commoner who served as vizier behind the scenes. At Siptah's early death, the throne was assumed by [[Twosret]], the dowager queen of Seti II (and possibly Amenmesses's sister). A period of anarchy at the end of Twosret's short reign saw a native reaction to foreign control leading to the execution of the chancellor, and placing [[Setnakhte]] on the throne, establishing the [[Twentieth Dynasty]]. ====Twentieth Dynasty==== The last "great" pharaoh from the New Kingdom is widely regarded to be [[Ramesses III]], the son of Setnakhte who reigned three decades after the time of [[Ramesses II]]. In Year 8 of his reign, the [[Sea Peoples|Sea People]], invaded Egypt by land and sea. Ramesses III defeated them in two great land and sea battles. He claimed that he incorporated them as subject people and settled them in Southern Canaan, although there is evidence that they forced their way into Canaan. Their presence in Canaan may have contributed to the formation of new states in this region such as Philistia after the collapse of the Egyptian Empire. He was also compelled to fight invading Libyan tribesmen in two major campaigns in Egypt's Western Delta in his Year 6 and Year 11 respectively.<ref>Nicolas Grimal, A History of Ancient Egypt, Blackwell Books, 1992. p.271</ref> The heavy cost of these battles slowly exhausted Egypt's treasury and contributed to the gradual decline of the Egyptian Empire in Asia. The severity of these difficulties is stressed by the fact that the first known labor strike in recorded history occurred during Year 29 of Ramesses III's reign, when the food rations for the Egypt's favoured and elite royal tomb-builders and artisans in the village of [[Deir el Medina]] could not be provisioned.<ref>William F. Edgerton, The Strikes in Ramses III's Twenty-Ninth Year, JNES 10, No. 3 (July 1951), pp. 137-145</ref> The main reason for this deficiency was presumably caused by the massive and extended 1159 BC to 1140 BC eruption of the [[Hekla|Hekla III]] volcano in Iceland, which expelled large amounts of plume and rock into the atmosphere thereby causing large-scale failures of Egypt's crop harvest.<ref>Frank J. Yurco, "End of the Late Bronze Age and Other Crisis Periods: A Volcanic Cause" in ''Gold of Praise: Studies on Ancient Egypt in Honor of Edward F. Wente'', ed: Emily Teeter & John Larson, (SAOC 58) 1999, pp.456-458</ref> The presence of significant quantities of volcanic soot in the air prevented much sunlight from reaching the ground and also arrested global tree growth for almost two full decades until 1140 BC. Following Ramesses III's death there was endless bickering between his heirs. Three of his sons would go on to assume power as [[Ramesses IV]], [[Ramesses VI]] and [[Ramesses VIII]] respectively. However, at this time Egypt was also increasingly beset by a series of droughts, below-normal flooding levels of the [[Nile]], famine, civil unrest and official corruption. The power of the last pharaoh, [[Ramesses XI]], grew so weak that in the south the [[High Priests of Amun at Thebes]] became the effective defacto rulers of [[Upper Egypt]], while [[Smendes]] controlled [[Lower Egypt]] even before Ramesses XI's death. Smendes would eventually found the [[Twenty-first dynasty of Egypt|Twenty-First dynasty]] at [[Tanis, Egypt|Tanis]]. ===Third Intermediate Period=== {{main|Third Intermediate Period}} [[Image:Bm taharqa.jpg|thumb|right|Sphinx of the Nubian pharaoh [[Taharqa]].]] After the death of [[Ramesses XI]], his successor [[Smendes]] ruled from the city of [[Tanis, Egypt|Tanis]] in the north, while the [[High Priests of Amun at Thebes]] had effective rule of the south of the country, whilst still nominally recognizing Smendes as king.<ref>Cerny, p.645</ref> In fact, this division was less significant than it seems, since both priests and pharaohs came from the same family. [[Piankh]], assumed control of Upper Egypt, ruling from [[Thebes, Egypt|Thebes]], with the northern limit of his control ending at [[Al-Hibah]]. (The High Priest [[Herihor]] had died before Ramesses XI, but also was an all-but-independent ruler in the latter days of the king's reign.) The country was once again split into two parts with the priests in Thebes and the Pharaohs at Tanis. Their reign seems to be without any other distinction, and they were replaced without any apparent struggle by the Libyan kings of the [[Twenty-second dynasty of Egypt|Twenty-Second Dynasty]]. Egypt has long had ties with [[Libya]], and the first king of the new dynasty, [[Shoshenq I]], was a [[Meshwesh]] Libyan, who served as the commander of the armies under the last ruler of the Twenty-First Dynasty, [[Psusennes II]]. He unified the country, putting control of the Amun [[clergy]] under his own son as the High Priest of Amun, a post that was previously a hereditary appointment. The scant and patchy nature of the written records from this period suggest that it was unsettled. There appear to have been many subversive groups, which eventually led to the creation of the [[Twenty-third dynasty of Egypt|Twenty-Third Dynasty]], which ran concurrent with the latter part of the Twenty-Second Dynasty. After the withdrawal of Egypt from [[Nubia]] at the end of the New Kingdom, a native dynasty took control of Nubia. Under king [[Piye]], the Nubian founder of [[Twenty-fifth dynasty of Egypt|Twenty-Fifth Dynasty]], the Nubians pushed north in an effort to crush his Libyan opponents ruling in the Delta. He managed to attain power as far as [[Memphis, Egypt|Memphis]]. His opponent [[Tefnakhte]] ultimately submitted to him, but he was allowed to remain in power in Lower Egypt and founded the short-lived [[Twenty-fourth dynasty of Egypt|Twenty-Fourth Dynasty]] at [[Sais, Egypt|Sais]]. The country was reunited by the Twenty-Second Dynasty founded by [[Shoshenq I]] in 945 BC (or 943 BC), who descended from [[Meshwesh]] immigrants, originally from [[Ancient Libya]]. This brought stability to the country for well over a century. After the reign of [[Osorkon II]] the country had again splintered into two states with [[Shoshenq III]] of the Twenty-Second Dynasty controlling Lower Egypt by 818 BC while [[Takelot II]] and his son (the future [[Osorkon III]]) ruled Middle and Upper Egypt. The [[Nubian]] kingdom to the south took full advantage of this division and political instability. [[Piye]] waged a campaign from Nubia and defeated the combined might of several native-Egyptian rulers such as Peftjaubast, Osorkon IV of Tanis, and [[Tefnakht]] of Sais. Piye established the Nubian [[Twenty-fifth dynasty of Egypt|Twenty-Fifth Dynasty]] and appointed the defeated rulers to be his provincial governors. He was succeeded first by his brother, [[Shabaka]], and then by his two sons [[Shebitku]] and [[Taharqa]]. The international prestige of Egypt declined considerably by this time. The country's international allies had fallen under the sphere of influence of [[Assyria]] and from about 700 BC the question became when, not if, there would be war between the two states. [[Taharqa]]'s reign and that of his successor, [[Tanutamun]], were filled with constant conflict with the Assyrians against whom there were numerous victories, but ultimately Thebes was occupied and [[Memphis (Egypt)|Memphis]] sacked. ===Late Period=== {{main|Late Period of Ancient Egypt}} From 671 on, Memphis and the Delta region became the target of many attacks from the [[Assyria]]ns, who expelled the Nubians and handed over power to client kings of the [[Twenty-sixth dynasty of Egypt|Twenty-Sixth Dynasty]]. [[Psamtik I]] was the first to be recognized as the king of the whole of Egypt, and he brought increased stability to the country during a 54-year reign from the new capital of [[Sais, Egypt|Sais]]. Four successive Saite kings continued guiding Egypt successfully and peacefully from 610-526 BC, keeping the [[Babylonia]]ns away with the help of [[Greece|Greek]] mercenaries. By the end of this period a new power was growing in the Near East: [[Persia]]. The pharaoh [[Psamtik III]] had to face the might of Persia at [[Pelusium]]; he was defeated and briefly escaped to Memphis, but ultimately was captured and then executed. ===Persian domination=== {{main|History of Achaemenid Egypt}} Achaemenid Egypt can be divided into three eras: the first period of [[Persian Empire|Persian]] occupation when Egypt became a [[satrap]]y, followed by an interval of independence, and the second and final period of occupation. The Persian king [[Cambyses]] assumed the formal title of Pharaoh, called himself Mesuti-Re ("Re has given birth"), and sacrificed to the Egyptian gods. He founded the [[Twenty-seventh dynasty of Egypt|Twenty-seventh dynasty]]. [[Egypt]] was then joined with [[Cyprus]] and [[Phoenicia]] in the sixth [[satrap]]y of the [[Achaemenid Dynasty|Achaemenid Empire]]. Cambyses' successors [[Darius I the Great]] and [[Xerxes I of Persia|Xerxes]] pursued a similar policy, visited the country, and warded off an [[Athens|Athenian]] attack. It is likely that [[Artaxerxes I of Persia|Artaxerxes I]] and [[Darius II of Persia|Darius II]] visited the country as well, although it is not attested in our sources, and did not prevent the Egyptians from feeling unhappy. During the war of succession after the reign of Darius II, which broke out in 404, they revolted under [[Amyrtaeus]] and regained their independence. This sole ruler of the [[Twenty-eighth dynasty of Egypt|Twenty-eighth dynasty]] died in 399, and power went to the [[Twenty-ninth dynasty of Egypt|Twenty-ninth dynasty]]. The [[Thirtieth dynasty of Egypt|Thirtieth Dynasty]] was established in 380 BC and lasted until 343 BC. [[Nectanebo II]] was the last native king to rule Egypt. [[Artaxerxes III of Persia|Artaxerxes III]] (358&ndash;338 BC) reconquered the Nile valley for a brief period (343&ndash;332 BC). In 332 BC Mazaces handed over the country to [[Alexander the Great]] without a fight. The Achaemenid empire had ended, and for a while Egypt was a satrapy in Alexander's empire. Later the [[Ptolemaic dynasty|Ptolemies]] and then the [[Roman Empire|Romans]] successively ruled the Nile valley. ===Ptolemaic dynasty=== {{main|Ptolemaic dynasty}} In 332 BC Alexander III of Macedon conquered Egypt with little resistance from the Persians. He was welcomed by the [[Egyptians]] as a deliverer. He visited [[Memphis, Egypt|Memphis]], and went on pilgrimage to the oracle of [[Amun]] at the [[Oasis of Siwa]]. The oracle declared him to be the son of Amun. He conciliated the Egyptians by the respect which he showed for their religion, but he appointed Greeks to virtually all the senior posts in the country, and founded a new Greek city, [[Alexandria]], to be the new capital. The wealth of Egypt could now be harnessed for Alexander's conquest of the rest of the [[Persian Empire]]. Early in 331 BC he was ready to depart, and led his forces away to Phoenicia. He left [[Cleomenes of Naucratis|Cleomenes]] as the ruling [[nomarch]] to control Egypt in his absence. Alexander never returned to Egypt. Following Alexander's death in [[Babylon]] in 323 BC, a [[Diadochi|succession crisis]] erupted among his generals. Initially, [[Perdiccas]] ruled the empire as regent for Alexander's half-brother Arrhidaeus, who became [[Philip III of Macedon]], and then as regent for both Philip III and Alexander's infant son [[Alexander IV of Macedon]], who had not been born at the time of his father's death. Perdiccas appointed [[Ptolemy I Soter|Ptolemy]], one of Alexander's closest companions, to be [[satrap]] of Egypt. Ptolemy ruled Egypt from 323 BC, nominally in the name of the joint kings Philip III and Alexander IV. However, as Alexander the Great's empire disintegrated, Ptolemy soon established himself as ruler in his own right. Ptolemy successfully defended Egypt against an invasion by Perdiccas in 321 BC, and consolidated his position in Egypt and the surrounding areas during the [[Diadochi#Wars of the Diadochi (322-301 BC)|Wars of the Diadochi]] (322 BC-301 BC). In 305 BC, Ptolemy took the title of King. As [[Ptolemy I Soter]] ("Saviour"), he founded the [[Ptolemaic dynasty]] that was to rule Egypt for nearly 300 years. The later Ptolemies took on Egyptian traditions by marrying their siblings, had themselves portrayed on public monuments in Egyptian style and dress, and participated in Egyptian religious life.<ref>Bowman (1996) pp25-26</ref><ref>Stanwick (2003)</ref> Hellenistic culture thrived in Egypt well after the [[Muslim conquest of Egypt|Muslim conquest]]. The Ptolemies had to fight native rebellions and were involved in foreign and civil wars that led to the decline of the kingdom and its annexation by Rome. ==Notes and references== ===References=== {{reflist}} ===Bibliography=== ====Pharaonic Egypt==== *{{cite book|author=Adkins, L. and Adkins, R|year=2001|title=The Little Book of Egyptian Hieroglyphics|location=London|publisher=Hodder and Stoughton}} *{{cite book|author=[[John Baines|Baines, John]] and [[Jaromir Malek]]|title=The Cultural Atlas of Ancient Egypt|edition=revised edition|publisher=Facts on File|year=2000}} *{{cite book | last = Bard | first = KA | title = Encyclopedia of the Archaeology of Ancient Egypt | publisher = Routledge | location = NY, NY | year = 1999|isbn=0-415-18589-0}} *{{cite book |last=Bierbrier |first=Morris |title=The Tomb Builders of the Pharaohs |publisher=Charles Scribner's Sons |location=New York, NY |year=1984 |isbn=0-684-18229-7}} *{{cite book|last=Booth|first=Charlotte|title=The Hyksos Period in Egypt|publisher=Shire Egyptology|year=2005|isbn=0-7478-0638-1}} *{{cite book|last=Callender|first=Gae|title=The Middle Kingdom Renasissance|publisher=The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt|location=Oxford|year=2000}} *{{cite book|first =J|last=Cerny|title=Egypt from the Death of Ramesses III to the End of the Twenty-First Dynasty' in The Middle East and the Aegean Region c.1380-1000 BC|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=0-521-08691-4}} *{{cite book|title= Ancient Egyptian Construction and Architecture |last=Clarke |first=Somers |couthors=R. Engelbach |publisher=Dover Publications|year=1990 |isbn=0-486-26485-8}} *{{cite book|last=Clayton |first=Peter A. |title = Chronicle of the Pharaohs |publisher= Thames and Hudson | year= 1994 |isbn=0-500-05074-0 }} *{{cite book|author=Dodson, Aidan|coauthor=Hilton, Dyan|title=The Complete Royal Families of Ancient Egypt|publisher=Thames & Hudson |year=2004}} *{{cite journal|first=William F.|last=Edgerton|title=The Strikes in Ramses III's Twenty-Ninth Year|journal=JNES 10|edition=No. 3|month=July|year=1951}} *{{cite book|first=Richard J.|last=Gillings|title=Mathematics in the Time of the Pharaohs|year=1972|publiser=Dover|location=New York}} *{{cite book|last=Greaves |first=R.H. |coauthors=O.H. Little|title=Gold Resources of Egypt, Report of the XV International Geol. Congress, South Africa |year=1929}} *{{cite book|first=Nicolas|last=Grimal|title=A History of Ancient Egypt|publisher=Blackwell Books|year=1992}} *Herodotus ii. 55 and vii. 134 *{{cite book|author=[[Barry Kemp|Kemp, Barry]]|title=Ancient Egypt: Anatomy of a Civilization|publisher=Routledge|year=1991}} *{{cite book|last=Kitchen|first=Kenneth Anderson|year=1996|title=The Third Intermediate Period in Egypt (1100&ndash;650 BC)|edition=3rd ed.|location=Warminster|publisher=Aris & Phillips Limited}} *{{cite book|author=[[Mark Lehner|Lehner, Mark]]|title=The Complete Pyramids|location=London|publisher=Thames & Hudson|year=1997}} *{{cite book |last=Lucas |first=Alfred |title=Ancient Egyptian Materials and Industries, 4th Ed. |location=London |year=1962 |publisher=Edward Arnold Publishers}} *{{cite book|year=1998|author=Dr. Peter Der Manuelian|title=Egypt: The World of the Pharaohs|location=Bonner Straße, Cologne Germany|publisher=Könemann Verlagsgesellschaft mbH|isbn=3-89508-913-3}} *{{cite book |last=Myśliwiec|first=Karol|year=2000|title=The Twighlight of Ancient Egypt: First Millennium B.C.E.(trans. by David Lorton)|location=Ithaca and London|publisher=Cornell University Press}} *{{cite book |last=Nicholson |first=Paul T. et al |title=Ancient Egyptian Materials and Technology |publisher=Cambridge University Press |location=Cambridge, UK |year=2000}} *{{cite book |last=Robins |first=Gay |title=The Art of Ancient Egypt |publisher=Harvard University Press |year=2000 |isbn=0-674-00376-4 }} *{{cite book |last=Scheel |first=Bernd |title=Egyptian Metalworking and Tools |publisher= Shire Publications Ltd |location=Haverfordwest, Great Britain |year=1989}} *{{cite book|last=Shaw|first=Ian|title=The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2003|isbn=0-500-05074-0 }} *{{cite book|last=Wilkinson|first=R. H.|year=2000|title=The Complete Temples of Ancient Egypt|location=London|publisher=Thames and Hudson}} *{{cite book|last=Wilkinson|first=R.H.|title=The Complete Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt|location=London|publisher=Thames and Hudson|year=2003}} *{{cite journal|first=Frank J.|last=Yurco|title=End of the Late Bronze Age and Other Crisis Periods: A Volcanic Cause|journal=SAOC 58|year=1999}} ====Ptolemaic Egypt==== *{{cite book | last=Bowman | first = Alan K | title= Egypt after the Pharaohs 332 BC – AD 642 | publisher=University of California Press | location=Berkeley | year=1996 | edition=2nd ed. | pages=25-26 | isbn=0520205316}} *{{cite book|last=Lloyd|first=Alan Brian|year=2000|title=The Ptolemaic Period (332&ndash;30 BC) In The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt, edited by Ian Shaw|location=Oxford and New York|publisher=Oxford University Press}} *{{cite book | last=Stanwick | first = Paul Edmond | title= Portraits of the Ptolemies: Greek kings as Egyptian pharaohs | publisher=University of Texas Press | location=Austin | year=2003 | isbn=0292777728}} === External links=== * [http://www.aldokkan.com/egypt/egypt.htm Ancient Egyptian History - Aldokkan] * [http://www.glyphdoctors.com Glyphdoctors: Online courses in Egyptian hieroglyphics and history] * [http://www.ancient-egypt.org/ The Ancient Egypt Site] * [http://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/nof/nilefile Nile File] &mdash; an interactive introduction to ancient Egypt for children (and adults!) * [http://www.sevenwondersworld.com/ Seven Wonder of the World &mdash; Ancient Times] *[http://www.sacred-texts.com/egy/woe/index.htm Brian Brown (ed.) (1923) The Wisdom of the Egyptians. New York: Brentano's] *[http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN9004130489&id=qeApebusL_0C&dq=PtahHotep&as_brr=1&hl=nl Texts from the Pyramid Age Door Nigel C. Strudwick, Ronald J. Leprohon, 2005, Brill Academic Publishers] *[http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN0871692325&id=9ToLAAAAIAAJ&dq=PtahHotep&as_brr=1&hl=nl Ancient Egyptian Science: A Source Book Door Marshall Clagett, 1989] *[http://vlib.iue.it/history/chronological/ancient_egypt.html WWW-VL: History: Ancient Egypt] {{Ancient Egypt topics}} [[Category:Ancient Egypt|*]] [[ar:مصر الفرعونية]] [[be:Гісторыя Старажытнага Егіпта]] [[bs:Egipat iz doba faraona]] [[de:Geschichte des Alten Ägypten]] [[et:Vana-Egiptuse ajalugu]] [[fr:Histoire de l'Égypte antique]] [[hr:Povijest drevnog Egipta]] [[it:Storia dell'antico Egitto]] [[he:היסטוריה של מצרים העתיקה]] [[nl:Geschiedenis van Egypte in de Oudheid]] [[no:Oldtidens Egypt]] [[pt:História do Antigo Egipto]] [[ro:Istoria Egiptului Antic]] [[ru:История Древнего Египта]] [[sv:Det forntida Egypten]] [[zh:古埃及历史]]