2150 – 2000 BCE: The First Intermediate Period

The Age of Montu (First Intermediate Period 07 / Finale)These violent delights have violent ends. Between 1992 BCE and 1941 BCE, King Montu-Hotep (“Montu is Content”) ruled the southern kingdom.…

The civil war continues. Around 2000 BCE, the southern kingdom was rising quickly. But the north was not out of the fight. Not by a long shot. King Intef II…

Part 1: 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,…

The first phase is over, and the war is heating up. Around 2055 BCE (approximately), a lord of Waset/Thebes/Luxor named Intef I promotes himself far above the established norms. Sending…

Around 2060 BCE, the Overlord Ankhtyfy was riding high. Then, a crisis hit southern Egypt. Drought, food shortages, and famine swept through the region. From sites like Elephantine, Edfu, and…

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. He did…

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…

First Intermediate Period (Part III): Khety versus Intef.After years of intermittent conflict and sparring, the time has come for a final showdown between the competing royal families of the North…

The First Intermediate (Part II): A Kingdom Divided The House of Khety still rules the North, but now its authority is challenged by a family of newcomers. In the city…