User Guide

251
A Quick Guide to the History of Egypt
The Middle Kingdom also witnessed the expansion of trade rela-
tions. Partnerships were established with Syria, Lebanon and Palestine.
Aegean artifacts dating to the Middle Kingdom have also been found,
indicating trade with Aegean nations directly or through Lebanon.
Monument building in the Twelfth Dynasty shifted away from
rock-hewn tombs back to the traditional pyramid. The Twelfth Dynasty
pharaohs scattered their pyramids around Egypt. Several built their pyra-
mids at Dahshur, others built theirs outside of Itjtawy, and Amenemhat III
built his second pyramid at Hawara in the Fayuum. Most of the pyramids
were built of mudbrick with Tura limestone casings. One notable excep-
tion is Amenemhat III’s Black Pyramid. The Black Pyramid was built in
part with basalt, lending it its dark color.
Ancient Egyptian literature reached its height during the Twelfth
Dynasty. A new canon of texts emerged, and forms included instruction
texts and narratives. These texts were quite popular at the scribal schools,
and later scribes learned their art by copying the manuscripts over and
over. For example, there are four papyri, two drawing boards and about
100 ostraca, or shards of pottery, with
The Satire of the Trades inscribed
upon them. Although the manuscript was written during the Middle
Kingdom, all the extant copies date to the New Kingdom, indicating the
popularity of the text. It makes sense that
The Satire of the Trades was
appealing to aspiring scribes: it is an instructional text extolling the virtues
of being a scribe by humorously criticizing all other trades.
Egyptian theology continued to evolve through the Middle
Kingdom. In addition to the emergence of Amon, Osiris continued to
gain importance as the God of the Dead. The concept of judgement
before entrance into the afterlife had begun during the First Intermediate
Period, and Osiris was placed as the last judge during the Middle Kingdom.
Pharaohs sought to honor Osiris, and the numbers of fine monuments in
Abedju (Abydos), one of Osiris’ cities, attests to the god’s importance.
The end of the Twelfth Dynasty marked the beginning of the
250
A Quick Guide to the History of Egypt
With the influx of raw materials and the revitalization of the
nation’s coffers, Egyptian art and architecture again began to flourish.
Mentuhotep II built a large mortuary complex carved from a cliff at
Djeseru-Djeseru (Deir el-Bahri). Mentuhotep III built many temples
throughout southern Egypt, including temples at Abu (Elephantine),
Abedju (Abydos) and Waset (Thebes). The temples were decorated with
exquisite reliefs and drawings, showing that considerable artistic skill still
resided in Egypt in spite of the previous turmoil.
The last action undertaken by the Eleventh Dynasty was an expe-
dition into the Wadi Hammamat to quarry stone for Mentuhotep IV’s
sarcophagus. The leader of this mining expedition was Amenemhet,
Vizier of Upper Egypt. Amenemhet peaceably rose to the throne and
became Pharaoh, perhaps illustrating that even provincial rulers can rise to
become Pharaoh if they are particularly successful. He started the Twelfth
Dynasty, a dynasty that ruled Egypt for over 200 years.
After he came to power, Amenemhet founded a new capital for
Egypt. He chose a location in central Egypt about 30 miles south of
Memphis and called his new capital Itjtawy, or “Seizing the Two Lands.”
Amenemhat undertook an aggressive campaign to expand Egypt’s bor-
ders. To the south, he moved well into Nubia as far as the third cataract
and established the city of Heh (Semna) where Sesostris III would later
build an impressive fortification. Amenemhat also forced the Libyans out
of the Fayuum and re-established Egyptian settlements there. Coupled
with expansion were new fortifications to protect the borders. The most
famous of these fortifications is the Wall of the Prince, a series of fortress-
es along common inroads to Egypt.
While Amenemhat was away on foreign expeditions, rivals
attempted to usurp his throne. As a result, Amenenhat introduced the
practice of co-regency, which became one of the keys to the longevity of
his dynasty. In the twentieth year of his reign, he named his son and heir,
Sesostris, co-regent. They ruled together until Amenemhat’s death. With
the next pharaoh firmly in power before the current pharaoh’s death, pre-
tenders to the throne had a difficult time usurping a pharaoh’s power.