The Second Intermediate Period designates the 250 year period (18001550 BC) which separates the two glorious periods of the Middle Kingdom and the New Kingdom. During the 19th century BC, an invasion by Caanite tribes into the Delta took place. Around 1800 BC these people proclaimed their own king and the Delta thus became independent from the rest of Egypt. Egypt remained split between the Canaanitic rulers in North and the native Egyptian Kings in the South for the rest of the Second Intermediate Period. The division of Egypt brought about an economic decline, and the entire period is characterized by a lack of royal monuments. This circumstance has greatly hampered any attempts to establish a chronology of the period, and as a consequence it has been very difficult to date many sources which are relevant for the social and political situation of the period. The Second Intermediate Period has therefore remained one of the most obscure periods of Egypt's ancient history. The dissertation is a new attempt to establish a chronology for the Second Intermediate Period and define the different kingdoms, their territories and political relations. The study consists of four main chapters, three appendixes, a catalogue of sources, bibliography and indices. Included is a catalogue of all the historical sources, about 1500, known to certify the names of the Egyptian kings of the Second Intermediate Period. Each source is described in terms of type, origin and present location, followed by bibliographical references.

During the 18th-16th centuries BC, from the late Middle Kingdom to the early New Kingdom, pharaonic Egypt went through a period of great political and cultural change. Kings came and went at unprecedented speed, saw their power reduced, and failed to keep the land under one sceptre. In the eastern Nile Delta, a community of Asiatic origin proclaimed its own rulers, known later as the Hyksos, who ultimately controlled the entire northern half of Egypt. Kings at Thebes maintained a fragile independence, then went to war and defeated the Hyksos, restoring national unity. Ongoing fieldwork and research have thrown new light on all stages and aspects of this fascinating era. This volume, resulting from an international colloquium at The British Museum, assembles work of prime importance from leading scholars in the field, and will long be a major source of reference for researchers as well as the interested layman.

In Three Hundred Years of Death: The Egyptian Funerary Industry in the Ptolemaic Period, Maria Cannata discusses how necropolises and funerary priests, as well as the mummification, funeral, burial, and the deceased’s mortuary cult, were organised in Ptolemaic Egypt.

The first economic history of ancient Egypt employing a New Institutional Economics approach and covering the entire pharaonic period, 3000-30 BCE.

The Hyksos, foreign rulers of Egypt in the Second Intermediate Period--from about 1700 to 1550 B.C.--have been a source of continuing debate among archaeologists and historians. Mr. Van Seters approaches the problems of their rise to power, their dynasties, the nature of their rule, and their religion from the joint perspectives of archaeology and literary criticism. Archaeological investigation shows the Middle Bronze culture of Syria-Palestine to have had highly developed fortifications, advanced urban life, fine buildings and temples, and a high quality of practical and artistic craftsmanship. Based on a revised date for the long-known The Admonitions of Ipuwer, this study offers a fresh explanation of the Hyksos' rise to power. A new examination of the location of Avaris, their capital, indicates that the previous identification with Tanis must give way to the region near Qantir. The Hyksos were not Hurrians or Indo-Aryans, but Ammurite princes who rose to power in Egypt following the dynastic weaknesses at the end of the Middle Kingdom.

Unravel the history behind of one of the most fascinating ancient civilisations with this engaging, entertaining and educational guide to the ancient Egyptians. With a complete rundown of ancient Egyptian history and culture alongside insights in to the everyday lives of the Egyptians, you’ll discover how they kept themselves entertained, the gory details of mummification, the amazing creation of the pyramids, the deciphering of hieroglyphs and much more.

This volume deals with the chronology of Ancient Egypt from the fourth millennium until the Hellenistic Period. An initial section reviews the foundations of Egyptian chronology, both ancient and modern, from annals and kinglists to C14 analyses of archaeological data. Specialists discuss sources, compile lists of known dates, and analyze biographical information in the section devoted to relative chronology. The editors are responsible for the final section which attempts a synthesis of the entire range of available data to arrive at alternative absolute chronologies. The prospective readership includes specialists in Near Eastern and Aegean studies as well as Egyptologists.

The Middle Kingdom (ca. 2030–1650 B.C.) was a transformational period in ancient Egypt, during which older artistic conventions, cultural principles, religious beliefs, and political systems were revived and reimagined. Ancient Egypt Transformed presents a comprehensive picture of the art of the Middle Kingdom, arguably the least known of Egypt’s three kingdoms and yet one that saw the creation of powerful, compelling works rendered with great subtlety and sensitivity. The book brings together nearly 300 diverse works— including sculpture, relief decoration, stelae, jewelry, coffins, funerary objects, and personal possessions from the world’s leading collections of Egyptian art. Essays on architecture, statuary, tomb and temple relief decoration, and stele explore how Middle Kingdom artists adapted forms and iconography of the Old Kingdom, using existing conventions to create strikingly original works. Twelve lavishly illustrated chapters, each with a scholarly essay and entries on related objects, begin with discussions of the distinctive art that arose in the south during the early Middle Kingdom, the artistic developments that followed the return to Egypt’s traditional capital in the north, and the renewed construction of pyramid complexes. Thematic chapters devoted to the pharaoh, royal women, the court, and the vital role of family explore art created for different strata of Egyptian society, while others provide insight into Egypt’s expanding relations with foreign lands and the themes of Middle Kingdom literature. The era’s religious beliefs and practices, such as the pilgrimage to Abydos, are revealed through magnificent objects created for tombs, chapels, and temples. Finally, the book discusses Middle Kingdom archaeological sites, including excavations undertaken by the Metropolitan Museum over a number of decades. Written by an international team of respected Egyptologists and Middle Kingdom specialists, the text provides recent scholarship and fresh insights, making the book an authoritative resource.

This book presents the latest archaeological evidence that makes a case for Egypt as an early urban society. It traces the emergence of urban features during the Predynastic Period up to the disintegration of the powerful Middle Kingdom state (ca. 3500-1650 BC).

Manetho's obscure reference to a race of invaders has been a constant source of debate and controversy. This book assesses the rise to power of the Hyksos, exploring the preliminary stages that enabled them to gain control over a portion of Egyptian territory and thus to merit a small mention in Manetho's history.