Chapters › Kush: Napata & Meroe · Egypt
Early Dynastic & Old Kingdom Egypt
3100 BCE – 2181 BCE Arabic under review
Approximate area of control
Research in progress No sourced map of this era's territory yet, so no area is drawn.
Key events
- Unification c.3100 BCE
- Giza pyramids
Capitals / sites
Memphis
Geopolitics
Egypt reached the Second Cataract at Buhen by the reign of Djer (1st Dynasty) (GHA II ch.8, p.234). Snefru's annals on the Palermo Stone record campaigns against the Nubians (ch.2, p.92). Adam gives the figures as 110,000 prisoners and 200,000 cattle from Ta-Seti (ch.8, p.235), while Zayed cites 7,000 men (ch.4, p.141 fn.14). In the 6th Dynasty, Harkhuf of Elephantine made four journeys to Yam and found Irtet, Setu and Wawat 'united under one chief' (ch.9, p.251).
Culture
From the Old Kingdom, Egypt saw the Sudan as a source of manpower and livestock. 'Ta-Seti', its name for Lower Nubia, means 'land of the bow' (GHA II ch.4, p.141 and fn.14). An Old Kingdom settlement at Buhen has Pharaonic seals from the late 4th and 5th Dynasties (ch.8, p.235). Harkhuf brought a dancing dwarf from Yam for the young Pepi II (ch.9, p.251).
Economy
From about 2500 BC the Egyptians set up furnaces at Buhen to smelt local copper, which proves 'African copper was produced at this time' (GHA II ch.4, p.142 fn.15; ch.8, p.235). Harkhuf returned from Yam 'with 300 donkeys loaded with incense, ebony, oil, panther skins, elephant tusks' and other goods (ch.9, p.251).
Regional power
Research in progress We have not yet read a source for this section. It will be added once one is checked; nothing is filled in by guesswork.
Open data flags
- regional_power: no actors scored
- Pass 20 text: [WORKING TRANSLATION – needs native Arabic review] for every Arabic field
- CONTESTED – Snefru's Nubian captives: 110,000 (GHA II p.235) vs 7,000 (p.141 fn.14)
Sources
- A. Abu Bakr (1981) Pharaonic Egypt, ch.2 (General History of Africa II) UNESCO / Heinemann / University of California Press link [en]
- A.H. Zayed (with J. Dévisse) (1981) Egypt's relations with the rest of Africa, ch.4 (General History of Africa II) UNESCO / Heinemann / University of California Press link [en]
- S. Adam (with J. Vercoutter) (1981) The importance of Nubia: a link between Central Africa and the Mediterranean, ch.8 (General History of Africa II) UNESCO / Heinemann / University of California Press link [en]
- N.M. Sherif (1981) Nubia before Napata (−3100 to −750), ch.9 (General History of Africa II) UNESCO / Heinemann / University of California Press link [en]
- K. Michałowski (1981) The spreading of Christianity in Nubia (General History of Africa II, ch.12) UNESCO link [en]
- Wikipedia contributors Old Kingdom of Egypt Wikipedia link [en]