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The plan of an honest ruler. Around 1300 BCE, as today, gold was big business. King Sety I personally led an expedition into the eastern desert, to establish a new mining operation. Back in the Nile Valley, high-ranking officials leave monuments testifying to their work delivering, securing, and recording that gold. And thanks to art and artefacts, we can reconstruct the items these gold-workers produced. From the Red Sea Mountains to the Temple of Abydos, we follow the paths of gold…
Logo image: Silver and gold statuette of a New Kingdom pharaoh, possibly Sety I (Louvre).
For records of Sety and his contemporaries, see Kenneth Kitchen. Ramesside Inscriptions, Volume I. Versions: Hieroglyphs; English translations; References and Commentary.
Photos of Sety’s Temple at Kanais in the Wadi Barramiya.
Sety’s monuments including the Abydos and Kanais temples, in P. J. Brand, The Monuments of Seti I: Epigraphic, Historical and Art Historical Analysis (2000). Available free online at Academia.edu.
Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.
Music and interludes by Keith Zizza www.keithzizza.net.
Music and interludes by Luke Chaos www.chaosmusick.com.
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Sety in the Desert. Around 1300 BCE, King Sety led an expedition into the Red Sea hills. His purpose? Gold. The King brought soldiers and charioteers out to mine precious metals for his treasuries. The journey was difficult, traversing a dry and rocky landscape far from the comforts of home. Fortunately, Sety left detailed descriptions of the event; and art and artefacts from this era allow us to reconstruct the journey...
Episode details:
Logo image: Soldiers make camp, setting up tents for commanders. Tomb of Horemheb at Saqqara (Martin 2016).
Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.
Music and interludes by Keith Zizza www.keithzizza.net.
Music and interludes by Luke Chaos www.chaosmusick.com.
The Wadi Barramiya, in which Sety’s expedition travelled, by Hakatani Tenfu at Flickr.com.
The Kanais Temple of Sety I, in the Wadi Barramiya, by Mutnedjmet at Flickr.com.
Select bibliography:
A. Dodson, Sethy I King of Egypt: His Life and Afterlife (Cairo, 2019).
H. Gauthier, ‘Le temple de l’Ouâdi Mîyah (el Knaïs)’, Bulletin de l’Institut Français d’Archéologie Orientale 17 (1920), 1--38. Available online.
K. A. Kitchen, Ramesside Inscriptions Historical and Biographical, I (Oxford, 1975).
R. Klemm and D. Klemm, Gold and Gold Mining in Ancient Egypt and Nubia: Geoarchaeology of the Ancient Gold Mining Sites in the Egyptian and Sudanese Eastern Deserts (Berlin, 2013).
G. T. Martin, Tutankhamun’s Regent: Scenes and Texts from the Memphite Tomb of Horemheb (EES Excavation Memoir 111; London, 2016).
C. D. Reader, A Gift of Geology: Ancient Egyptian Landscapes and Monuments (Cairo, 2022).
R. D. Rothe et al., Pharaonic Inscriptions from the Southern Eastern Desert of Egypt (Winona Lake, 2008).
B. M. Sampsell, The Geology of Egypt: A Traveler’s Handbook (Cairo, 2014).
See website for complete listing.
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Ramesses Rising. Traditionally, Egyptian princes are almost invisible. The pharaohs downplayed the presence of their sons, to reduce political competition and maintain religious order. Sety I (c.1300 BCE) changed this habit. In art and monuments, he promoted young Ramesses II to a position of prominence and power. The exact nature of this promotion is slightly controversial among Egyptologists. In this episode, we explore Ramesses’ rise and some of the thorny issues. Additionally, Prof. Peter Brand joins us to discuss some of the harder questions on these period.
Peter Brand, The Monuments of Sety I (2000), available free at Academia.edu.
Peter Brand, Ramesses II: Egypt’s Ultimate Pharaoh (2023) available from Lockwood Press.
Music and interludes by Keith Zizza www.keithzizza.net.
Music and interludes by Luke Chaos www.chaosmusick.com.
Outro music: “River Lullaby” from The Prince of Egypt (1998) – Harp cover by The Knitting Harpist (YouTube).
The History of Egypt Podcast:
Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.
Music and interludes by Keith Zizza www.keithzizza.net.
Music and interludes by Luke Chaos www.chaosmusick.com.
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In the Temple of Sety I at Abydos, an out-of-the-way corridor preserves a unique image. The King of Egypt, and his eldest son, wrangle and subdue a bull. This scene appears simple, at first glance. But it has a wealth of deeper symbolism and meanings. In this episode, we explore the idea of Bulls as images of power and violence, and their relationship with gods like Osiris and Seth…
Episode logo: Ramesses and the Bull, by artist Brenna Baines (commissioned by The History of Egypt Podcast). Full version available on my Patreon (link below).
The Bull Hall photos by Heidi Kontkanen at Flickr.com.
The Bull Hall in Peter Brand, Monuments of Sety I (2000) available free online.
The History of Egypt Podcast:
Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.
Music and interludes by Keith Zizza www.keithzizza.net.
Sound effects purchased from Pond5.
Select Bibliography:
M. Abuel-Yazid, ‘Architecture of the Slaughterhouse of the Seti Temple at Abydos’, in I. Regulski (ed.), Abydos: The Sacred Land at the Western Horizon (2019), 7—24.
L. Baqué, ‘“On that Day When the Long-Horned Bull was Lassoed...” (PT [254] 286). A Scene in the “Corridor of the Bull” of the Cenotaph of Sethos I in Abydos: An Iconologic Approach’, Studien zur Altägyptischen Kultur 30 (2002), 43—51.
P. J. Brand, The Monuments of Seti I: Epigraphic, Historical and Art Historical Analysis (2000). Available free online.
R. H. Wilkinson, The Complete Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt (2003).
J. M. Galán, ‘Bullfight Scenes in Ancient Egyptian Tombs’, Journal of Egyptian Archaeology 80 (1994), 81—96.
See website for complete reference list.
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Warrior, protector, murderer. By 1300 BCE, the Egyptian god Seth had become a complex and multi-faceted deity. Chaotic and destructive, but not "evil," Seth played an important role in the gods' realm and our own. This legend developed and evolved over centuries, from the earliest religious literature to the imperial age. In this episode, we explore Seth's role, appearances, and descriptions in the Pyramid Texts, Coffin Texts, Book of the Dead, Amduat, and Book of Gates. And we try to get to grips with a god who was (quite literally) two-faced...
Episode details:
Date: c. 2400 - 1300 BCE (Old, Middle, and New Kingdoms up to the reign of Sety I).
Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.
Music intro and outro by Michael Levy.
Music interludes by Luke Chaos and Keith Zizza.
Logo image: The hybrid deity Herfy ("Two-Face"), combining the powers of Horus and Seth. Hour 10 of the Book of Gates, from the tomb of Tausret in the Valley of the Kings (Line drawing by Dominic Perry, based on photo by Erik Hornung).
General studies: Erik Hornung, The Ancient Egyptian Books of the Afterlife (1999) at Internet Archive. John Darnell and Colleen Manassa Darnell, The Ancient Egyptian Netherworld Books at JSTOR.org and the Society of Biblical Literature.
Pyramid Texts in English translation and Egyptian hieroglyphs (Pyramid Texts Online by Vincent Brown).
Coffin Texts in English translation by Raymond Faulkner (1973—1978): Volume I, Volume III. I have been unable to find a copy of Volume II online; if you are aware of one, please let me know. Egyptian Hieroglyphs available in Open Access via the University of Chicago.
Book of the Dead in English translation by Raymond Faulkner (1982 edition) at Internet Archive. Edited volume of scholarly articles available at The University of Chicago (2017, edited by Foy Scalf). Additional English translation, transliteration, and commentary by Stephen Quirke (2013).
The Amduat (Book of the Hidden Chamber) in English translation, transliteration, and Egyptian hieroglyphs by Erik Hornung (2007).
The Book of Gates in English translation, transliteration, and Egyptian hieroglyphs by Erik Hornung (2013).
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Identity crisis. Seth (aka Sutekh / Setekh / Suty) is a complicated deity. A master of storms, winds, deserts and seas, Seth dominates foreigners and the world outside Egypt. However, he is also treacherous, violent, and aggressive; a god who slew his own brother and tried to seize the throne for himself. As a result, Seth has a complicated relationship with the Egyptian kingship. Part defender and source of legitimacy, but also a threat to the stable order of the world (ma’at). Most kings navigated this relationship fairly easily. But then, most kings weren’t named after the god himself. As a pharaoh of Egypt, a living Horus, and the son of Osiris, King Sety I had to work hard to reconcile his personal identity with his divine. The results are visible on his monuments…Date: Reign of Sety I (c.1300 BCE).Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.Music intro, outro, and interludes: Michael Levy.Music interludes: Keith Zizza and Luke Chaos.Logo image: A Seth-headed-Sphinx, on an obelisk of Sety I, originally from Heliopolis but now in Alexandria (Line drawing by Dominic Perry, based on a photo by Heidi Kontkanen).Select Bibliography:J. P. Allen, The Ancient Egyptian Pyramid Texts (2nd edn, 2015).P. J. Brand, The Monuments of Seti I: Epigraphic, Historical and Art Historical Analysis (2000).E. Cruz-Uribe, ‘The Father of Ramses I: OI 11456’, Journal of Near Eastern Studies 37 (1978), 237—244.E. Cruz-Uribe, ‘Stḫ ꜥꜣ pḥty “Seth, God of Power and Might”’, Journal of the American Research Center in Egypt 45 (2009), 201—26.A. el-Sawi, ‘Some Variations of Writing of the Names of Sety I at Abydos’, Annales du Services des Antiquités de l’Egypte 70 Supplement (1987), 53—63.J. G. Griffith, The Conflict of Horus and Seth from Egyptian and Classical Sources (1960).C. A. Hope, ‘Reconstructing the Image of Seth, Lord of the Oasis, in his Temple at Mut el-Kharab in Dakhleh Oasis’, Rich and Great: Studies in Honour of Anthony J. Spalinger on the Occasion of his 70th Feast of Thoth (2016), 123—145.K. A. Kitchen, Ramesside Inscriptions Translated and Annotated: Translations Volume I: Ramesses I, Sethos I and Contemporaries (Second Publication edn, 2017).W. M. F. Petrie and J. E. Quibell, Naqada and Ballas 1895 (1896).D. Schorsch and M. T. Wypyski, ‘Seth, “Figure of Mystery”’, Journal of the American Research Center in Egypt 45 (2009), 177—200.D. Stewart, ‘The Myth of Osiris in the Ancient Egyptian Pyramid Texts’, Unpublished PhD. Thesis, Monash University (2014).I. R. Taylor, ‘Deconstructing the Iconography of Seth’, Unpublished PhD. Thesis, University of Birmingham (2016).H. te Velde, ‘The Egyptian God Seth as a Trickster’, Journal of the American Research Center in Egypt 7 (1968), 37—40.H. te Velde, Seth, God of Confusion (1967).H. te Velde, ‘Seth’, in D. B. Redford (ed.), The Oxford Encyclopedia of Ancient Egypt, 3 (2001), 269—271.P. J. Turner, ‘Seth – A Misrepresented God in the Ancient Egyptian Pantheon?’, Unpublished PhD. Thesis, The University of Manchester (2012).R. H. Wilkinson, The Complete Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt (2003).H. E. Winlock, The Temple of Ramesses I at Abydos (1937).‘Stèle Cintrée E26017’, Musée du Louvre, accessed 2.2.2024.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Sety I reigned (approx.) 1303--1292 BCE. In the first half of his reign, the King's followers achieved significant and splendid deeds. We explore these achievements in aggregate, and what they all mean for the Egyptian people. Plus, what 19th Dynasty "expansion" means for our story of pharaohs, ordinary people, and the gods...
Logo image: Sety I, a painted panel from his tomb (Louvre Museum).
Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.
Music by Jeffrey Goodman www.jeffreygoodman.com.
Interludes by Keith Zizza www.keithzizza.net.
Interludes by Luke Chaos www.chaosmusick.com.
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Blade of Frontiers (not Wyll). In September 2024, the Ministry of Tourism & Antiquities announced new discoveries including a sword inscribed with the names of Ramesses II, King of Egypt. In this episode, we discuss the weapon and its origins, as well as the larger significance of the fortress in which this discovery occurred. Who did the sword belong to? What was this fortress guarding against?
Egyptian swords in museum collections:
https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/545558
https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/Y_EA5425
https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/Y_EA52850
https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/Y_EA36769
The Egyptian army and fortifications:
Video lecture series, "Perspectives on the Ramesside Military System" on YouTube.
The Old Kingdom (c.2500—2200 BCE): Spotify and Website.
Grave of the Unknown Warriors (c.2000 BCE): Spotify.
The Army of Sety I (c.1300 BCE), Part 1: Spotify.
The Army of Sety I (c.1300 BCE), Part 2: Spotify.
The New Kingdom (c.1500—1150 BCE): Spotify and YouTube.
Ian Shaw, Ancient Egyptian Warfare (Oxford, 2019).
C. Vogel, The Fortifications of Ancient Egypt 3000-1780 BC (Botley, 2010).
E. F. Morris, The Architecture of Imperialism: Military Bases and the Evolution of Foreign Policy in Egypt’s New Kingdom (Leiden, 2005).
B. McDermott, Warfare in Ancient Egypt (Stroud, 2004).
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These violent delights have violent ends. Between 1992 BCE and 1941 BCE, King Montu-Hotep (“Montu is Content”) ruled the southern kingdom. And he led efforts to expand Theban power, and ultimately reunify the Two Lands…
Logo image: Montu, in a chapel of Ramesses III at Karnak (Kairoinfo4u).
Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.
Music and interludes by Keith Zizza www.keithzizza.net.
Music and interludes by Luke Chaos www.chaosmusick.com.
Montuhotep’s Expansion into Wawat / Nubia and the records of the wars:
Darnell, ‘The Route of the Eleventh Dynasty Expansion into Nubia: An Interpretation Based on the Rock Inscriptions of Tjehemau at Abisko’, Zeitschrift für Ägyptische Sprache und Altertumskunde 131 (2004), 23—37. Available on Academia.edu.
Darnell, ‘The Eleventh Dynasty Royal Inscription from Deir el-Ballas’, Revue d’Égyptologie 59 (2008), 81—110. Available on Academia.edu.
Montuhotep’s Mahat Chapel at Abydos, discovered in 2014: Josef Wegner at Academia.edu and Damarany in Abydos: The Sacred Land (2019), JSTOR.
Scholarly debates on the timeline and events of the Reunification:
Brovarski, ‘The Hare and Oryx Nomes in the First Intermediate Period and Early Middle Kingdom’, in Egyptian Culture and Society: Studies in Honour of Naguib Kanawati, 1 (2010), 31—85. Available on Academia.edu. This was the study I followed in my reconstruction.
Willems, ‘The Nomarchs of the Hare Nome and Early Middle Kingdom History’, Jaarbericht van het Vooraziatisch-Egyptisch Genootschap Ex Oriente Lux 28 (1985), 80—102. Available at Researchgate.
Nubia – The Archaeology of Wawat and Kerma:
Kerma – Mission archéologique suisse à Kerma (Soudan)
C. Bonnet, ‘The Cities of Kerma and Pnubs-Dokki Gel’, in G. Emberling and B. B. Williams (eds), The Oxford Handbook of Ancient Nubia (Oxford, 2021), 201—212.
H. Hafsaas, ‘The C-Group People in Lower Nubia: Cattle Pastoralists on the Frontier Between Egypt and Kush’, in B. B. Williams and G. Emberling (eds), The Oxford Handbook of Ancient Nubia (Oxford, 2020), 157—177.
G. K. Meurer, ‘Nubians in Egypt from the Early Dynastic Period to the New Kingdom’, in B. B. Williams and G. Emberling (eds), The Oxford Handbook of Ancient Nubia (Oxford, 2020), 289—308.
B. B. Williams, ‘Kush in the Wider World During the Kerma Period’, in G. Emberling and B. B. Williams (eds), The Oxford Handbook of Ancient Nubia (Oxford, 2021), 179--200.
The Tomb of General Antef, with images of siege towers and naval forces:
B. Jaroš-Deckert, Grabung im Asasif. 1963-1970. Band 5: das Grab des Jnj-jtj.f. Die Wandmalereien der 11. Dynastie, 12 (1984).
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Ta-Wer howled. Around 2000 BCE, the southern kingdom was rising quickly. But the north was not out of the fight. Not by a long shot…
Episode chapters
Prologue – A Royal Inspection (00:30).
The Fall of Tjeni / Thinis (07:25).
The Long Reign of Intef II (11:58).
Intef’s Dogs (20:58).
Khety Merykara (34:03).
Making Ta-Wer Howl (47:25).
Conclusion (01:06:37).
Epilogue – Intef’s Hymns for Ra and Hathor (01:08:30).
Dendera excavations: Moeller and Marouard, The Development of Two Early Urban Centres - Edfu and Dendara (2018).
The History of Egypt Podcast:
Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.
Music and interludes by Keith Zizza www.keithzizza.net.
Music and interludes by Luke Chaos www.chaosmusick.com.
Logo image: The "Dog Stela" of Intef II, from his tomb at El-Tarif (Mariette 1858).
Select Bibliography:
A. E. Demidchik, ‘The Reign of Merikare Khety’, Göttinger Miszellen 192 (2003), 25--36.
A. Dodson and D. Hilton, The Complete Royal Families of Ancient Egypt (London, 2004).
C. Langer, ‘The Political Realism of the Egyptian Elite: A Comparison Between The Teaching for Merikare and Niccolò Machiavelli’s Il Principe’, Journal of Egyptian History 8 (2015), 49--79.
R. J. Leprohon, The Great Name: Ancient Egyptian Royal Titulary (Wilson, 2013).
M. Lichtheim, Ancient Egyptian Literature Volume I: The Old and Middle Kingdoms (Los Angeles, 1973).
M. Lichtheim, Ancient Egyptian Autobiographies Chiefly of the Middle Kingdom: A Study and an Anthology (Freiburg, 1988).
J. Malek, ‘King Merykare and his Pyramid’, in C. Berger et al. (eds), Hommages à Jean Leclant, 4, 4 vols (Cairo, 1994), 203--214.
G. Maspero, ‘On the Name of An Egyptian Dog’, Transactions of the Society of Biblical Archaeology V (1877), 127--128.
R. B. Parkinson, The Tale of Sinuhe and Other Ancient Egyptian Poems (1940—1640 BC) (Oxford, 1997).
R. B. Parkinson, Poetry and Culture in Middle Kingdom Egypt: A Dark Side to Perfection (London, 2002).
D. Polz, Die Sogenannte Hundestele des Königs Wah-Anch Intef aus el-Târif: Eine Forschungsgeschichte (Wiesbaden, 2019).
D. Polz, ‘Dra’ Abu el-Naga, Ägypten: ein angeblicher Fund aus Dra’ Abu el-Naga. Die sog. Hundestele des Königs Wah-Anch Intef. Eine Forschungsgeschichte’, e-Forschungsberichte des Deutschen Archäologischen Instituts 2020 (2020), 12--16.
S. Quirke, Egyptian Literature 1800 BC: Questions and Readings (London, 2004).
D. B. Spanel, ‘The Herakleopolitan Tombs of Kheti I, Jt(.j)jb(.j), and Kheti II at Asyut’, Orientalia 58 (1989), 301--314.
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The war for Ta-Wer. The Thebans had seized the sacred city of Abdju (Abydos) in the district of Ta-Wer. The northern rulers, from the House of Khety, contested this violently. Inscriptions and art reveal the movements of armies, the clashes on field and river, and the sieging of major towns. Soon, things going downright apocalyptic. Also… dogs!Music and interludes by Keith Zizza www.keithzizza.net.Music and interludes by Jeffrey Goodman www.jeffreygoodman.com.Interludes by Luke Chaos www.chaosmusick.com.Logo image: Intef II, from a stela in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.Intro: Saruman's Speech from The Two Towers (2002), adapted by Dominic Perry.Fawlty Towers excerpts via Britbox Don't Mention the War | Fawlty Towers (youtube.com).The History of Egypt Podcast:Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.Partial Bibliography:M. D. Adams, ‘Community and Society in Egypt in the First Intermediate Period: An Archaeological Investigation of the Abydos Settlement Site’, Unpublished PhD. Thesis, University of Michigan (2005).D. Arnold, Gräber des Alten und Mittleren Reiches in El-Tarif (Mainz, 1976).D. D. Baker, Encyclopedia of the Pharaohs Volume I: Predynastic to the Twentieth Dynasty 3300 - 1069 BC (Cairo, 2008).H. Brunner, Die Texte aus den Gräbern der Herakleopolitenzeit von Siut mit Übersetzung und Erläuterungen (Glückstadt, 1937).J. J. Clère and J. Vandier, Textes de la Première Période Intermédiare et de la XIeme Dynastie (Brussels, 1948).J. C. Darnell and D. Darnell, ‘New Inscriptions of the Late First Intermediate Period from the Theban Western Desert and the Beginnings of the Northern Expansion of the Eleventh Dynasty’, Journal of Near Eastern Studies 56 (1997), 241--258.W. Ejsmond, ‘The Nubian Mercenaries of Gebelein in Light of Recent Field Research’, Journal of Ancient Egyptian Interconnections 14 (2017), 11--13.N. Fields, Soldier of the Pharaoh: Middle Kingdom Egypt 2055--1650 BC (2007).H. G. Fischer, Inscriptions from the Coptite Nome: Dynasties VI-XI (Analecta orientalia 40; Rome, 1964).H. G. Fischer, ‘Provincial Inscriptions of the Heracleopolitan Period’, Varia Nova, Egyptian Studies 3 (New York, 1996), 79--90.G. P. Gilbert, Weapons, Warriors, and Warfare in Early Egypt (Oxford, 2004).H. Goedicke, ‘The Inscription of Dmi’, Journal of Near Eastern Studies 19 (1960), 288--291.W. Grajetzki, The Middle Kingdom of Ancient Egypt (London, 2006 & 2024).R. Landgráfová, It Is My Good Name That You Should Remember: Egyptian Biographical Texts on Middle Kingdom Stelae (Prague, 2011).M. Lichtheim, Ancient Egyptian Literature Volume I: The Old and Middle Kingdoms (Los Angeles, 1973).M. Lichtheim, Ancient Egyptian Autobiographies Chiefly of the Middle Kingdom: A Study and an Anthology (Freiburg, 1988).D. O’Connor, Abydos: Egypt’s First Pharaohs and the Cult of Osiris (London, 2009).S. Seidlmayer, ‘The First Intermediate Period (c. 2160--2055 BC)’, in I. Shaw (ed.), The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt (Oxford, 2000), 108--136.I. Shaw, Ancient Egyptian Warfare (Oxford, 2019).J. Wegner, ‘The Stela of Idudju-Iker, Foremost-One of the Chiefs of Wawat: New Evidence on the Conquest of Thinis Under Wahankh Antef II’, Revue d’égyptologie 68 (2018), 153--209.T. Wilkinson, The Rise and Fall of Ancient Egypt: The History of a Civilisation from 3000 BC to Cleopatra (London, 2010).Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Intef the Great (c.2050—2000 BCE). The reign of Intef II, ruler of Waset (Thebes) shows a sudden surge in expansion and conflict. Seeking absolute power over the south, Intef brought major districts like Abu (Elephantine) into his territory. He made alliances with the rulers of Wawat (Nubia). Then, he sent his armies north to seize a sacred city…Episode details:Music and interludes by Keith Zizza www.keithzizza.net.Music and interludes by Jeffrey Goodman www.jeffreygoodman.com.Interludes by Luke Chaos www.chaosmusick.com.Logo image: Intef II, from a stela in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.The History of Egypt Podcast:Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.Select Bibligraphy:M. D. Adams, ‘Community and Society in Egypt in the First Intermediate Period: An Archaeological Investigation of the Abydos Settlement Site’, Unpublished PhD. Thesis, University of Michigan (2005).D. Arnold, Gräber des Alten und Mittleren Reiches in El-Tarif (Mainz, 1976).D. D. Baker, Encyclopedia of the Pharaohs Volume I: Predynastic to the Twentieth Dynasty 3300 - 1069 BC (Cairo, 2008).H. Brunner, Die Texte aus den Gräbern der Herakleopolitenzeit von Siut mit Übersetzung und Erläuterungen (Glückstadt, 1937).J. J. Clère and J. Vandier, Textes de la Première Période Intermédiare et de la XIeme Dynastie (Brussels, 1948).J. C. Darnell and D. Darnell, ‘New Inscriptions of the Late First Intermediate Period from the Theban Western Desert and the Beginnings of the Northern Expansion of the Eleventh Dynasty’, Journal of Near Eastern Studies 56 (1997), 241--258.W. Ejsmond, ‘The Nubian Mercenaries of Gebelein in Light of Recent Field Research’, Journal of Ancient Egyptian Interconnections 14 (2017), 11--13.N. Fields, Soldier of the Pharaoh: Middle Kingdom Egypt 2055--1650 BC (2007).H. G. Fischer, Inscriptions from the Coptite Nome: Dynasties VI-XI (Analecta orientalia 40; Rome, 1964).H. G. Fischer, ‘Provincial Inscriptions of the Heracleopolitan Period’, Varia Nova, Egyptian Studies 3 (New York, 1996), 79--90.G. P. Gilbert, Weapons, Warriors, and Warfare in Early Egypt (Oxford, 2004).H. Goedicke, ‘The Inscription of Dmi’, Journal of Near Eastern Studies 19 (1960), 288--291.W. Grajetzki, The Middle Kingdom of Ancient Egypt (London, 2006 & 2024).R. Landgráfová, It Is My Good Name That You Should Remember: Egyptian Biographical Texts on Middle Kingdom Stelae (Prague, 2011).M. Lichtheim, Ancient Egyptian Literature Volume I: The Old and Middle Kingdoms (Los Angeles, 1973).M. Lichtheim, Ancient Egyptian Autobiographies Chiefly of the Middle Kingdom: A Study and an Anthology (Freiburg, 1988).D. O’Connor, Abydos: Egypt’s First Pharaohs and the Cult of Osiris (London, 2009).S. Seidlmayer, ‘The First Intermediate Period (c. 2160--2055 BC)’, in I. Shaw (ed.), The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt (Oxford, 2000), 108--136.I. Shaw, Ancient Egyptian Warfare (Oxford, 2019).J. Wegner, ‘The Stela of Idudju-Iker, Foremost-One of the Chiefs of Wawat: New Evidence on the Conquest of Thinis Under Wahankh Antef II’, Revue d’égyptologie 68 (2018), 153--209.T. Wilkinson, The Rise and Fall of Ancient Egypt: The History of a Civilisation from 3000 BC to Cleopatra (London, 2010).Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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The first phase is over, and the war is heating up. Around 2055 BCE, a lord of Waset/Thebes/Luxor named Intef I promoted himself far above the established norms. Sending representatives to treat with the other rulers, Intef nonetheless began to push his military power further afield. Soon, he began to isolate and attack the loyalist governors nearby…
Episode details:
The Qena Bend and locations referenced in this episode.
Logo image: Model soldiers from a First Intermediate Period tomb (Brooklyn MFA).
“Godfather” Walz theme by Andrea Giuffredi.
“Declare Independence” by Björk, instrumental version.
Music and interludes by Keith Zizza www.keithzizza.net.
Music and interludes by Luke Chaos www.chaosmusick.com.
The History of Egypt Podcast:
Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.
Select Bibliography:
D. D. Baker, Encyclopedia of the Pharaohs Volume I: Predynastic to the Twentieth Dynasty 3300 - 1069 BC (2008).
E. Brovarski, ‘Overseers of Upper Egypt in the Old to Middle Kingdoms’, Zeitschrift für ägyptische Sprache und Altertumskunde 140 (2013), 91—111. Available online.
J. J. Clère and J. Vandier, Textes de la Première Période Intermédiare et de la XIeme Dynastie (1948).
J. C. Darnell, Theban Desert Road Survey in the Egyptian Western Desert, I: Gebel Tjauti Rock Inscriptions 1-45 and Wadi el-Hôl Rock Inscriptions 1-45 (2002).
J. C. Darnell and D. Darnell, ‘New Inscriptions of the Late First Intermediate Period from the Theban Western Desert and the Beginnings of the Northern Expansion of the Eleventh Dynasty’, Journal of Near Eastern Studies 56 (1997), 241—258. JSTOR.
A. E. Demidchik, ‘The History of the Heracleopolitan Kings’ Domain’, in H.-W. Fischer-Elfert and R. B. Parkinson (eds), Studies on the Middle Kingdom in Memory of Detlef Franke (2013), 93—106. Online.
H. G. Fischer, Inscriptions from the Coptite Nome: Dynasties VI-XI (1964).
H. G. Fischer, Dendera in the Third Millennium BC Down to the Theban Domination of Upper Egypt (1968).
W. Grajetzki, The Middle Kingdom of Ancient Egypt (2006 & 2024).
R. J. Leprohon, The Great Name: Ancient Egyptian Royal Titulary (2013).
M. Lichtheim, Ancient Egyptian Literature Volume I: The Old and Middle Kingdoms (1973).
S. Seidlmayer, ‘The First Intermediate Period (c. 2160--2055 BC)’, in I. Shaw (ed.), The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt (2000), 108—136.
N. Strudwick, Texts from the Pyramid Age (2005).
T. Wilkinson, The Rise and Fall of Ancient Egypt: The History of a Civilisation from 3000 BC to Cleopatra (2010).
T. Wilkinson, Lives of the Ancient Egyptians (2019).
H. Willems, ‘The First Intermediate Period and the Middle Kingdom’, in A. B. Lloyd (ed.), A Companion to Ancient Egypt, 1 (2010), 81—100.
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The complete autobiography of Ankhtyfy (Ankhtifi) from his tomb at el-Mo'alla.
Sources:
J. Vandier, Mo’alla: La Tombe d’Ankhtifi et la tombe de Sébekhotep (1950). French translation of hieroglyphs.
Logo image: Ankhtyfy, from his tomb at Mo'alla (Wikimedia Public Domain).
The tomb of Ankhtyfy at Osirisnet. English translation of Vandier (1950).
Minor re-translations and edits of the text by Dominic Perry (2024).
Photos of Ankhtyfy's tomb by M. Attia, ‘Tombs of Ankhtifi and Sobekhotep el-Moalla Egypt’, https://flickr.com/photos/130870_040871/albums/72157676972946976/.
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Famine and resilience. Around 2060 BCE, the Overlord Ankhtyfy was riding high. Then, a crisis hit southern Egypt. Drought, food shortages, and starvation swept through the region. From sites like Elephantine, Edfu, and historical texts, we get a picture of Egypt in difficulty. But also, a sense of communities perservering and rebuilding...
Logo image: Apophis from the tomb of Inerkhau at Deir el-Medina (Dynasty 19). Photo by Chris Ward.
The tomb of Ankhtyfy at el-Mo’alla by Merja Attia https://flickr.com/photos/130870_040871/albums/72157676972946976/.
Excavations at Edfu: Nadine Moeller and Gregory Marouard The Origins of Two Provincial Capitals in Upper Egypt (2017) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPUPQabHL04.
Intro music by Ihab.
Music and interludes by Keith Zizza www.keithzizza.net.
Music and interludes by Luke Chaos www.chaosmusick.com.
Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.
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The rise of Ankhtyfy. In southern Egypt, a "Great Overlord" named Ankh-tyfy began to expand his power. From his home base at Nekhen (Hierakonpolis), he annexed neighbouring territories like Edfu. He did this with some elaborate justifications, and perhaps inspired by the example of ancestors. Alas, his rapid rise soon brought him into conflict with other regional lords and their soldiers...
Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.
Logo image: Ankhtyfy’s archers, photo by Mutnedjmet.
Photos of the tomb of Ankhtyfy by Merja Attia.
Intro music by Ihab and Ancient Lyric www.bettinajoydeguzman.com.
Music and interludes by Keith Zizza www.keithzizza.net.
Music and interludes by Luke Chaos www.chaosmusick.com.
Select bibliography:
M. Attia, ‘Tombs of Ankhtifi and Sobekhotep el-Moalla Egypt’, https://flickr.com/photos/130870_040871/albums/72157676972946976/.
H. Goedicke, ‘’Ankhtyfy’s Fights’, Chronique d’Égypte 73 (1998), 29-41.
N. Moeller, ‘The Origins of Two Provincial Capitals in Upper Egypt’, The Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures (2017).
L. D. Morenz, ‘Power and Status. Ankhtifi the Hero, Founder of a New Residence?’, CRIPEL 28 (2009), 177-192.
J. Vandier, Mo’alla: La Tombe d’Ankhtifi et la tombe de Sébekhotep (1950).
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By 2100 BCE, Egypt’s royal house was in trouble. A line of kings, known as the pr-Hty (“House of Khety”) claimed authority over the whole Nile Valley. But archaeological and historical data paint a different picture: of a growing division between communities in the north and south of Egypt. The “Two Lands” were separating, and government was too weak to stop it…
Logo image: A northern official named Ipi. From his tomb at the cemetery of Ihnaysa el-Medina (Photo Perez Die 2016).
The History of Egypt Podcast:
Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.
Music and interludes by Keith Zizza www.keithzizza.net.
Music and interludes by Luke Chaos www.chaosmusick.com.
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Don’t swim for at least 30 minutes after a banquet… Around 2150 BCE, so the story goes, the Queen-King Nitocris sought vengeance on those who had wronged her. This tale comes from Herodotos, and in 1928 a young Tennessee Williams published his own version of the gothic stroy. In this bonus episode, I read Williams’ work for a bit of spooky storytelling…
Herodotos, Histories, Book II, via Perseus.
Tennessee Williams ‘The Vengeance of Nitocris’ at Wikipedia and Wikisource.
The Vengeance of Nitocris by Rejected Princesses.
Music by Kevin Manthei, from Vampire: The Masquerade: Redemption (2000). I played this a lot as a child, and it seemed to fit the tone.
Outro music, “Killer Queen – Medieval Rock Cover” by Medieval Rock. Less tonally consistent, but when the Queen gives an order...
Logo image: "The Vengeance of Nitocris," from Weird Tales magazine.
The History of Egypt Podcast:
Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.
Music and interludes by Keith Zizza www.keithzizza.net.
Music and interludes by Luke Chaos www.chaosmusick.com.
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Between 2500—2200 BCE, Egypt witnessed a period of surprisingly high rainfall. While the Old Kingdom was much wetter than today, archaeologists have found strong evidence for huge downpours, sweeping across northern Egypt and flooding tombs, cities, and forcing the ancients to adapt…
This episode is a brief epilogue to the Decline & Fall of the Old Kingdom series.
Intro music: Michael Jackson – Stranger in Moscow (Instrumental Version).
Outro music: Toto – Africa (Bardcore) by Stravitticus.
Logo image: Rain spout/gutter at the pyramid complex of Niuserrra (c.2400 BCE). Photo by Kairoinfo4u.
References used in this episode:
K. W. Butzer, ‘When the Desert Was in Flood: Environmental History of the Giza Plateau’, AERAgram 5 (2001), 3—5.
K. W. Butzer et al., ‘Urban Geoarchaeology and Environmental History at the Lost City of the Pyramids, Giza: Synthesis and Review’, Journal of Archaeological Science 40 (2013), 3340—3366.
K. O. Kuraszkiewicz, ‘Architectural Innovations Influenced by Climatic Phenomena (4.2 KA Event) in the Late Old Kingdom (Saqqara, Egypt)’, Studia Quaternaria 33 (2016), 27—34.
S. Rzepka et al., ‘Preliminary Report on Engineering Properties and Environmental Resistance of Ancient Mud Bricks from Tell el-Retaba Archaeological Site in the Nile Delta’, Studia Quaternaria 33 (2016), 47—56.
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Why did it all go so wrong? We’ve explored the historical overview of Old Kingdom decline; but what was driving it? There are three major factors that caused this fall. Two originate in the climate, the third comes from the political structure of the kingdom and its society. From the deserts of Sahara to the depths of the Nile, we uncover the causes of decline…
Note: An extended version of this episode is available at Patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
The History of Egypt Podcast:
Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.
Music and interludes by Keith Zizza www.keithzizza.net.
Music and interludes by Luke Chaos www.chaosmusick.com.
Logo image: The “Starving Bedouin” from the Pyramid of Unas. Photo by Sarah Murray.
Select Bibliography:
M. Bárta, Analyzing Collapse: The Rise and Fall of the Old Kingdom (2019).
B. Bell, ‘The Oldest Records of the Nile Floods’, The Geographical Journal 136 (1970), 569—573.
K. W. Butzer, ‘When the Desert Was in Flood: Environmental History of the Giza Plateau’, AERAgram 5 (2001), 3—5.
K. W. Butzer, ‘Landscapes and Environmental History of the Nile Valley: A Critical Review and Prospectus’, in E. Bloxam and I. Shaw (eds), The Oxford Handbook of Egyptology (Oxford, 2020), 99—124.
N. Kanawati and J. Swinton, Egypt in the Sixth Dynasty: Challenges and Responses (2018).
K. O. Kuraszkiewicz, ‘Architectural Innovations Influenced by Climatic Phenomena (4.2 KA Event) in the Late Old Kingdom (Saqqara, Egypt)’, Studia Quaternaria 33 (2016), 27—34.
M. van de Mieroop, A History of Ancient Egypt (2nd edn, 2021).
N. Moeller, ‘The First Intermediate Period: A Time of Famine and Climate Change?’, Egypt and the Levant 15 (2005), 153—167.
J. C. Moreno García, ‘Climatic Change or Sociopolitical Transformation? Reassessing Late 3rd Millennium BC in Egypt’, in J. C. Moreno García et al. (eds), 2200 BC - A Climatic Breakdown as a Cause for the Collapse of the Old World? 2 vols (2015), 79—94.
S. Rzepka et al., ‘Preliminary Report on Engineering Properties and Environmental Resistance of Ancient Mud Bricks from Tell el-Retaba Archaeological Site in the Nile Delta’, Studia Quaternaria 33 (2016), 47—56.
J.-D. Stanley et al., ‘Nile Flow Failure at the End of the Old Kingdom, Egypt: Strontium Isotopic and Petrologic Evidence’, Geoarchaeology 18 (2003), 395—402.
P. Tallet and M. Lehner, The Red Sea Scrolls: How Ancient Papyri Reveal the Secrets of the Pyramids (2021).
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