This marked the beginning of the first Egyptian dynasty, and King Menes became the first pharaoh, or supreme ruler. Senusret III is considered the model for the legend of Sesostris, the great Egyptian Pharaoh who, according to Herodotus, campaigned in and colonized Europe and, according to Diodorus Siculus, conquered the entire known world. It took a little time, but through wise governing, common laws, and new religious practices, the Two Lands became one Egypt under one pharaoh, or supreme ruler, namely, King Menes, who established the first Egyptian dynasty. Hunting would have been common for Egyptians and this is also the period during which many animals would have been first domesticated. However, this is not necessarily the only route, as Iteru gives very versatile bonuses provided you have the right terrain. A distinctive feature of the Middle Kingdom is the practice of co-regency whereby a younger man, the king's chosen successor (usually a son) would rule with the king in order to learn the position and ensure a smooth transition of power. They were armed with staffs and used dogs. [15] It lasted from 1975 BC to 1640 BC. Even though the Middle Kingdom may not have the grand pyramids of Egypt's past or the power which lay in the future, the contributions made by this era contributed enormously to the definition of Egyptian culture as it is recognized in the present day. [13] From these digressions, it is evident that the Middle Kingdom was a time where the centralized power in Egypt was weakened. [14] The Middle Kingdom was the second peak period of the Ancient Egyptian civilization (the other two being the Old Kingdom and the New Kingdom). [19] [1] His mortuary complex in Thebes contained some of the earliest known depictions of Amon-Re, the dynastic god of the Middle Kingdom and the New Kingdom. [1] �88�╚p�f���g�����ӧ���B�|GXN`'c�ex;ܲC�cq� ,���V[����x�ى�‹�%v�vV�>}��PĪG�? [17] Much of what we know of the kingdoms and administrations of Egyptian kings are from the public and private stelae that recorded bureaucratic titles and other administrative information. [13] Flashcards. Coffin Texts evolved from the previous Pyramid texts of the Old Kingdom, expanding and introducing spells that were more relatable to nobles and non-royal Egyptians. Unlike the Old Kingdom, however, Middle Kingdom royal pyramids were not quite as well constructed, and so few of them remain as pyramid structures today. [10], Besides the early pyramids built for the deceased kings in the Old Kingdom, later kings congregated their tombs and temples to almost form a city of the dead, or the necropolis, such as the Saqqara, Giza, in the Old and Middle Kingdoms, to the Valley of the Kings on the west bank of the Nile River near Thebes, in the New Kingdom. [13] [22] Describe some of the achievements of the Middle Kingdom of ancient Egypt. Even though the Middle Kingdom may not have the grand pyramids of Egypt's past or the power which lay in the future, the contributions made by this era contributed enormously to the definition of Egyptian culture as it is recognized in the present day. [7] [1] [11], Egyptian Kings This website lists all of the monarchs of ancient Egypt and provides many links to short biographies detailing their lives and accomplishments. By the time of the Middle Kingdom (circa 2050 - 1800 BC), the overlapping system of employing soldiers (or ex-soldiers) as guards were relegated in favor of raising a full-time professional police force. : �!��1��ߩ3k~M��Elu`�y잋+k:rcaFnӜ�œ�|r��vXZڽ�"�C{d���\���{�BG����E�|�G��}���O�8� �-/> ��섃]Y6*�� �����-2��;�gX`��*�Xc�L�g�|X %�������d�gX�O���j����$��М. In Ancient Egypt, the Middle Kingdom is seen as one of its finest ages. [5] [22], A variety of factors combined to make the New Kingdom one of the most creative cultures of the ancient world. [27], Egypt was a leading Middle Eastern power again between 612 and 525 BCE, and the Macedonian conqueror Alexander the Great felt the need to have himself crowned as pharaoh in 332 BCE which suggests that the civilization of the pharaohs still had life in it. [15], The New Kingdom of ancient Egypt was a golden age of architecture and art. As a ruler, Thutmosis III began a long series of military campaigns and conquered lands all around the Egyptian Kingdom. During the Middle Kingdom, Egyptians outside of the elite levels of society gained access to this funerary literature and began incorporating it into their own burials. The Pharaoh Senusret III was one of the most powerful leaders of the Middle Kingdom. [27] No, it rose and fell through droughts and invasions. STUDY. The king had his nobles and priests around him as well as much of the upper class. [22] Art took on new styles and techniques, like the block style, where art was produced from large blocks of stone. His death was a turning point in the Egyptian monarchy and saw the rise of the priestly class as the Pharaohs held less power. Around about 3100 B.C.E., the two kingdoms of Upper and Lower Egypt were united and the first dynasty was established. [27] They are, after all, two of the most iconic structures in Egypt's history. ;���X�����w����=r=��Q�ى�E�'�a<2� �L�3O�����..�۩QQ�E5�����-��ތ]�WG�cMxp�\��G"��� Ŋg��9��a7O�>,l�� Kv����+r�F�3P�vc��2�����Um(�d�z��]հz��e�̓��;�1p}��$F��5W�Z���7;H�����I��w���ν���#��W+U]�^���w���h���tM�>0 mʮ��s����a2�G���"��/;����mw����ĝ�n�;��f��. Neither rich nor poor citizens were above the law and punishments ranged from confiscation of property, beating and mutilation (including the cutting off of ears and noses) to death without a proper burial. [24] [5], Although the later Egyptian histories would characterize the time of the Hyksos as a dark period for the country, the archaeological record argues otherwise. [5], For the first time in Ancient Egyptian history, writing was used for entertainment including writing stories and recording religious philosophy. Senusret III is considered to be perhaps the most powerful Egyptian ruler of the dynasty and led the kingdom to an era of peace and prosperity. The "Middle Kingdom" is a period of time during the history of Ancient Egypt. [1] [18] [1], In simplistic terms we can point to the pyramids as the Old Kingdom's defining characteristic and at the empire for the New Kingdom ; no comparable single feature describes the Middle Kingdom. The fear of loss evident in the texts of the Middle Kingdom was realized with the dissolution of the 13th Dynasty and the coming of another period of disunity and uncertainty. The Middle Kingdom Egypt has a great history that witnessed many achievements from culture, civilization, buildings, and more explore it now! [29] [11] ! [1] Arguably, however, the successor to Egyptian civilization was humanity itself, since Egypt bequeathed many ideas and concepts to the world in addition to mathematical and astronomological knowledge. Test. During the Middle Kingdom Egypt began to conquer and control lands outside _____. Pyramids actually started being constructed before the Old Kingdom as Pharaoh Djoser began the practice of constructing step pyramids, which were a sort of rough, proto-pyramid structure. [11], His name was Hellenized by later Greek historians as Sesostris, a name which was then given to a conflation of Senusret and several New Kingdom warrior pharaohs. Records from his reign indicate that Upper and Lower Egypt were divided into separate waret and governed by separate administrators. [7] Middle Kingdom:Egypt in the Twelfth and Thirteenth dynasties, between 2055 BC and 1650 BC. The Middle Kingdom was the second peak period of the Ancient Egyptian civilization (the other two being the Old Kingdom and the New Kingdom). [12] [16] [6] [14] Reign of the Warrior-King Senusret III, the most powerful ruler of the Middle Kingdom. [1] [7], They are joined by dozens of large and small obelisks, which are pointed stone pillars that the pharaohs and other prominent Egyptians built to commemorate their great deeds, worship the sun god Ra, and provide magical protection and stability for Egypt's tombs, temples, and kingdom. Egypt. His defeat of invaders from Southwest Asia marked the beginning of Egypt's New Kingdom. The New Kingdom brought luxury, power and wealth for Egypt. Between the kingdoms, the time periods were known as Intermediate Periods. During this time all of Egypt was united under a single government and Pharaoh. [24] One of the cultural achievements of the Egyptians was their writing system: hieroglyphics, a pictographic language used primarily for religious purposes. Like most ancient societies, the Egyptians during the Old Kingdom phase relied on local warriors and privately employed guards (who were paid by rich landowners and nobles) to guard their strongholds, religious buildings, and more importantly storehouses. Amun combined the earlier aspects of the sun god Ra and the creator god Atum into an all-powerful god whose priests (like those of Ra in the past) would eventually amass more land and wealth than the pharaohs of the New Kingdom and would actually eventually topple the New Kingdom. Despite these improved defenses, the Middle Kingdom fell to invaders around 1650 BC. ), and the New Kingdom (about 1550B.C.-1100B.C.). Around 1650 BC, as the power of the Middle Kingdom pharaohs weakened, Asiatic immigrants living in the Eastern Delta town of Avaris seized control of the region and forced the central government to retreat to Thebes, where the pharaoh was treated as a vassal and expected to pay tribute. Middle Kingdom of Egypt - Ancient History Encyclopedia, The Middle Kingdom | Boundless Art History, What are some achievements of the Middle Kingdom of Ancient Egypt, Human Legacy Course/The Kingdom of Egypt - Wikiversity, Ancient Egypt was located in the Nile Valley, famous for Great Pyramids, The 3 Kingdoms of Ancient Egypt: Old, Middle And New, 12 Incredible Ancient Egyptian Inventions You Should Know About, Egyptian Achievements: Unification, Pyramids, Hieroglyphics & Calendar - Video & Lesson Transcript | Study.com, Middle Kingdom Advancements | Archaeology of Ancient Egypt, Old Kingdom Egypt: Developments & Achievements | Study.com, Achievements and Weaknesses of the Middle Kingdom and. Irrigation projects at the Faiyum, a large oasis on the west bank of the Nile in Lower Egypt, increased harvests. The New Kingdom was followed by a period called the Late New Kingdom, which lasted to about 343 B.C.E. [9] © Copyright 2017, Power Text Solutions, All It lasted from 1975 BC to 1640 BC. (Kings tend to rule from a central place, which is why the early dynastic period is not considered a kingdom.) Those periods which are marked by the country's unification under a strong central government are called 'kingdoms' while the times of disunity or long-term political or social unrest are known as 'intermediate periods.' For much of Egyptian history, including the Middle Kingdom, obelisks erected in pairs were used to mark the entrances of temples. [9], By the year 2700 BC, the Egyptians had developed the base of 10 enumerations (Shaw, 27). Dynasties 7 to 11, called the First Intermediate Period, have been described as a time of political disunity, economic depression, and cultural decline separating the impressive achievements of the Old Kingdom from those of the Middle Kingdom. [13] Raiders from Syria whom the Egyptians called the Hyksos invaded the Nile Delta and conquered Lower Egypt. [7] [5] [7], Decentralization during the First Intermediate Period left the individual Egyptian provinces, or Nomes, under the control of powerful families who held the hereditary title of Great Chief of the Nome, or Nomarch. 1630 bce) and the Second Intermediate period (c. 1630–1540 bce): Mentuhotep II campaigned in Lower Nubia, where he may have been preceded by the Inyotefs. [9] Thebes emerged as a major town for the first time, serving as both capital and artistic center during the Eleventh Dynasty. [13], The pharaoh was the ruler of these two kingdoms and headed the ancient Egyptian state structure. His accomplishments are important aspects of Ancient Egyptian history as he brought Egyptian culture to a high that rivaled that of the Old Kingdom. god. Egyptian Civilization The Egyptians used measurements from the stars to align their pyramids accurately. [7] After his victories, Senusret built a series of massive forts throughout the country to establish the formal boundary between Egyptian conquests and unconquered Nubia at Semna. The oldest mathematical text from ancient Egypt discovered so far, though, is the Moscow Papyrus, which dates from the Egyptian Middle Kingdom around 2000 - 1800 BCE. While not exactly pertaining to one of the Egyptian inventions, analysis of bones of ancient Nubian people made in 2010 revealed the presence of tetracycline, an antibiotic that is also used in our modern times for treating bacterial infections. [24] [6] Richard B. Parkinson and Ludwig D. Morenz write that ancient Egyptian literature--narrowly defined as belles-lettres ("beautiful writing")--were not recorded in written form until the early Twelfth dynasty of the Middle Kingdom. Egyptian literature was not only used for entertainment in story form, but it was used for many other things such as coffin texts, instructions, and discourses. After the end of the Old Kingdom of Egypt, there has been a fight between the tenth & the eleventh dynasties. Some may regard the civilization of Egypt under the Ptolemies as being more Greek than Egyptian, but the older civilization was still vital enough for the kings to feel the need to present themselves to their subjects in the traditional style of the pharaohs. [22] The ancient Egyptians themselves used no such names for their eras in history. As early as the Naqada I Period, predynastic Egyptians imported obsidian from Ethiopia, used to shape blades and other objects from flakes. The New Kingdom was followed by a period called the Late New Kingdom, which lasted to about 343 B.C.E. [13] Circa 1550 B.C.E. Mentuhotep II was able to end the war between the tribes of Thebeans and Heracleapolitan when the Thebans dynasty won and consolidated their rule of the kingdom. [15] Architectural achievements in ancient Egypt were built of stone. Egyptian History: Dynasties This useful timeline lists the dynasties and their pharaohs and provides links to additional information. [3] The Middle Kingdom of Egypt (also known as The Period of Reunification ) is the period in the history of ancient Egypt between circa 2050 BC and 1710 BC, stretching from the reunification of Egypt under the impulse of Mentuhotep II of the Eleventh Dynasty to the end of the Twelfth Dynasty. Egypt was divided into three waret, or administrative divisions: North, South, and Head of the South (perhaps Lower Egypt, most of Upper Egypt, and the nomes of the original Theban kingdom during the war with Herakleopolis, respectively). Following the First Intermediate Period was the Middle Kingdom Period, spanning from the 11th to part of the 13th Dynasties (some historians consider even the 14th Dynasty part of the Middle Kingdom). In 332 BC, Alexander the Great conquered Egypt with little resistance from the Persians and was welcomed by the Egyptians as a deliverer. [7] [22], The pharaoh was a living embodiment of the Egyptian Gods, and had absolute power in society. [7] The Middle Kingdom has been labeled by historians as a the Golden Age due to the economic, social and political stability of the time period. [1] Mentuhotep II, also called Nebhapetre, king (ruled 2008-1957 bce ) of ancient Egypt ’s 11th dynasty (2081-1938 bce ) who, starting as the ruler of southernmost Egypt in about 2008 bce, reunified the country by defeating his rivals and ushered in the period known as the Middle Kingdom (1938- c. 1630 bce ). [17] [15] [11] The last important monument built during the Old Kingdom was the Pyramid of Pepi II at Saqqara. Art, literature, and architecture flourished under his rein. In Nubia, Senusret was worshiped as a patron God by Egyptian settlers. Note: Footnotes & Links provided to all original resources. [9] Ancient Egypt was divided into two kingdoms, known as Upper and Lower Egypt. [14] Mentuhotep II was the first pharaoh of the Middle Kingdom, restoring stability after a period of pharaonic weakness and civil war. The people of the New Kingdom of Egypt made many astronomical achievements that brought us to where we are today, and developed a calendar using their knowledge about the solar system. [29], Towards the end of Ancient Egyptian civilization that is around 500 BC a new form of writing emerged called the Demotic. Describe the various characteristics of Sensuret III’s rule during the height of the Middle Kingdom. [6] There were also chancellor, overseer, and governors of Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt. [21] The Middle Kingdom (1975-1640 BCE) was founded by Mentuhotep II.During the Middle Kingdom upper and lower Egypt were united andThebes became the capital city of the Pharaohs. [29] He inherited a realm that had already spent some 60 years in intermittent warfare with the Heracleopolitan kingdom, which ruled Middle and Lower Egypt, as each state sought to control the whole country. Each of these eras has their own defining quality, including the Middle Kingdom, but scholars have claimed this period is more difficult to connect to any central image or accomplishment. From the Middle Kingdom, constellations were often depicted on coffins as star clocks, showing the length of time stars were visible or invisible. [12], In the New kingdom, Egypt's power reached its peak, pharaohs increased trade and more monuments were built. James H. Breasted, the then-director of University of Chicago Oriental Institute, ascertained in 1930 that the original source was an Egyptian composite manuscript that was written between the period of 3000 - 2500 BC, probably by the renowned high priest, architect, and medicine practitioner Imhotep. 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