The Organisation of a Nascent State: Egypt until the Beginning of the 4th Dynasty

Abstract

At the time of the 4th Dynasty, the reconstructed branches of authority are: the royal palace, the temples and the huge central administration that was subdivided into different agencies: the executive and juridical branch, the branch of works and expeditions, the archives, the treasury, the granary and the provincial administration. Administration seems to have evolved around the royal household: at the end of Dynasty 0 hardly more than the name of the king is necessary to indicate institution and product, and the two recognizable departments always sign together with the royal name. The royal household had to support all its members, not only the royal family, as well the royal mortuary cult. By the end of the 3rd Dynasty, the administration adapted to changing demands, sometimes gradually, sometimes with major restructuring. Keywords:4th Dynasty; administration; Egypt; nascent state