Egypt in the First Intermediate Period

Abstract

AbstractThe First Intermediate Period was a time of considerable transformation in Egypt. After a millennium of apparent political stability, major shifts in the circulation and control of wealth derived from international trade altered the balance of power between the crown and the provincial authorities, and the crown lost control over key regions situated at strategic commercial crossroads. In turn, Thebes and Herakleopolis became the centers of independent kingdoms. Meanwhile, Middle Egypt and the Elephantine region on the First Nile Cataract continued to thrive as indispensable trade mediators, and the western Nile delta flourished in a context of increasing fluvial trade and a sustained expansion of cities. Political support from these regions was crucial for the nascent kingdoms of Thebes and Herakleopolis, leading to a complex interplay of negotiation, alliances, and occasional warfare, from which also Nubia emerged as an important power of its own. As the tax system previously implemented by the centralized monarchy had collapsed, certain individuals were able to accumulate substantial wealth that allowed them to commission their own monuments, in whose inscriptions they emphasized their economic autonomy. Far from being a “dark age,” the First Intermediate Period in Egypt was a time of notable innovations in all domains, from politics to material culture, from religious beliefs to the expression of self-identities. Its durable impact on the organization of power was such that it inspired a rich body of literary compositions aiming to redefine royal authority, social hierarchy, and the expressions of authority itself.