User Guide

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A Quick Guide to the History of Egypt
the reunification, Khasekhem took the name Khasekhemwy, which means
“two powers have appeared.”
By the end of the Archaic Period, Egypt was again unified under
one leader. Burial in a great mastaba tomb was the common practice for
the nobility. The potter’s wheel had been invented, resulting in stronger,
longer-lasting ceramic pieces. Trade with neighbors brought needed
goods and raw materials into the country. And, due to the conflict
between Khasekhemy and Peribsen, Horus was firmly established as the
deity of the pharaohs.
Old Kingdom
3rd-6th Dynasties
2649-2195 BC
The Old Kingdom was a time of prosperity in ancient Egypt.
Pharaohs firmly united the land with a highly centralized government.
Egypt was divided into nomes, each of which was led by a nomarch.
Generally, Nomarchs were close relatives of the pharaohs and very loyal to
them.
With the union between Upper and Lower Egypt solidified,
pharaohs turned their attention to foreign expeditions with the intention
of increasing the nation’s wealth. Egypt looked primarily to its south for
gold and to its east, most notable at Serabit el-Khadim in Sinai, for copper
and turquoise. The Egyptians founded settlements in these locations and
did battle with Bedouin, Nubians, Syrians, Canaanites and Palestinians.
The Egyptians also established settlements in the west at the Bahariya
Oasis in the Western Desert. This location was key to facilitating land
trade. The expeditions into these areas had the desired effect: Egypt’s
wealth increased, and pharaohs could afford to spend the country’s new-
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A Quick Guide to the History of Egypt
ally united Egypt first. In ancient Egyptian lore, the mythical pharaoh
Menes, who hailed from Thinis, is credited with the feat; however, no arti-
facts found during the time Menes would have lived mention his name.
Most historians are sure that Narmer was one of the first rulers of
Egypt, although no one is sure how much of Egypt he ruled. The Narmer
Palette, a stone artifact found at Thinis, depicts Narmer wearing the crown
of Upper Egypt on one side and Lower Egypt on the other. Some histori-
ans point to this palette as clear evidence that Narmer ruled both parts of
Egypt.
Historians are certain that Hor-Aha ruled a unified Egypt and
founded its first capital at Men-nefer. Hor-Aha selected a site in the mid-
dle of Egypt, between the two lands. He called his capital “White Walls,”
but it would be later referred to as Men-nefer (Memphis). Land for the
capital city was created by diverting the flow of the Nile by using a large
dike. Hor-Aha also established Ptah as the primary god, and undertook
military and trade expeditions to Nubia, Lebanon and Sinai.
Hor-Aha’s successors followed his pattern of leadership, and
Egyptian culture flourished. Papyrus and hieroglyphics were in use, and
the ability to centralize the government was aided significantly by record
keeping. The Egyptian government also measured the Nile’s inundations
and directly managed farm labor. Medical papyri were written, and stone
was first used in buildings and sculptures. Nobility were buried in finely
decorated mastabas at Abedju (Abydos) and Saqqara.
Several pharaohs followed Hor-Aha, shoring up the union and
adding land. At the end of the second dynasty, however, the union broke
down. Two men, Persiben and Khasekhem, claimed the throne.
Departing from the standard, Persiben took a “Seth name” instead of the
traditional “Horus name.” In addition to being closely associated with
Lower Egypt, Seth, in Egyptian mythology, is Horus’ enemy. Khasekhem
retained the practice of taking a “Horus Name.” During the conflict,
Khasekhem was forced southward to Nehken (Hierakopolis), but ulti-
mately managed to defeat Persiben and his forces, reuniting Egypt. After