First Intermediate Period of Egypt

The First Intermediate Period was a time of change in ancient Egyptian history, lasting about 125 years from around 2181 to 2055 BC. It began after the end of the Old Kingdom and included parts of several dynasties, such as the Seventh, Eighth, Ninth, Tenth, and part of the Eleventh Dynasties. The idea of calling this time the "First Intermediate Period" was first used in 1926 by two experts named Georg Steindorff and Henri Frankfort.

During this period, Egypt was split between two main places of power. One was in Heracleopolis in Lower Egypt, near the Faiyum area, and the other was in Thebes in Upper Egypt. Because of this split, there was a lot of trouble, and many important buildings and artworks were damaged.

Eventually, the kings from Thebes fought against the rulers in the north and won. One king, Mentuhotep II, brought the two parts of Egypt back together again. This reunion started the Middle Kingdom of Egypt, a time when Egypt grew strong and prosperous once more.

History

Events leading to the First Intermediate Period

The end of the Old Kingdom in ancient Egypt led to a time of confusion and disorder. Many reasons caused this downfall. One big reason was the very long rule of Pepi II, the last major pharaoh of the 6th Dynasty. He ruled from a very young age until he was very old, outliving many of his heirs, which caused problems with who would be the next ruler. Another problem was that local leaders, called nomarchs, became very powerful. They started to act more independently and even built their own armies. This led to fights between nearby areas. A third reason was that the Nile River did not flood as much, which may have caused poorer harvests and hunger in Egypt.

The Seventh and Eighth Dynasties at Memphis

Main articles: Seventh Dynasty of Egypt and Eighth Dynasty of Egypt

The Seventh and Eighth Dynasties are not well known because there is very little information about the rulers from these times. The historian Manetho described 70 kings who ruled for 70 days, but this was likely an exaggeration to show how disorganized things were. These dynasties ruled from Memphis, but we know very little about them. Some small artifacts, like scarabs and a green jasper cylinder, have been found and are thought to belong to kings from these dynasties. A small pyramid at Saqqara is also believed to have been built by a king named Ibi.

Rise of the Heracleopolitan kings

Main articles: Ninth Dynasty of Egypt and Tenth Dynasty of Egypt

After the Seventh and Eighth Dynasties, new rulers came from Heracleopolis in Lower Egypt. They formed the Ninth and Tenth Dynasties. Not much is known about how they took power, but it seems the population in the Nile Valley became much smaller. One of their early kings, Akhthoes or Akhtoy, was described as a harmful ruler who was later killed by a crocodile, though this might be a made-up story. The kings of these dynasties were not as powerful as the old pharaohs of the Old Kingdom.

Ankhtifi

Main article: Ankhtifi

In the southern part of Egypt, local leaders took control. The most famous was Ankhtifi, a leader from Hierakonpolis. He expanded his control to nearby areas but was not able to take over Thebes. Ankhtifi’s tomb, found in 1928, shows that he provided food to people during hard times and acted as the main ruler in his area. Egypt was divided, and each leader ruled their own region without a single king in charge.

Rise of the Theban kings

It is thought that around the same time, new rulers arose in Thebes in Upper Egypt, starting the Eleventh Dynasty. They were descendants of Intef, a local leader who helped organize the southern part of Egypt. Later, one of these kings, Mentuhotep II, defeated the rulers from Heracleopolis around 2033 BC and brought all of Egypt back together, starting the Middle Kingdom.

The Ipuwer Papyrus

Main article: Ipuwer Papyrus

During the First Intermediate Period, new types of writing began to appear. One important piece is the Ipuwer Papyrus, also known as the Lamentations or Admonitions of Ipuwer. While it might not be from this exact time, it talks about changes in international relations and harder times for people in Egypt.

The art and architecture of the First Intermediate Period

The First Intermediate Period in Egypt had two main areas: one around Memphis and the other around Thebes. The kings in Memphis tried to keep the old styles of art from earlier times. The kings in Thebes, far from Memphis, created their own special art style called the "Pre-Unification Theban Style." This style helped show their power and importance.

We know more about the Theban style because many artworks from there have survived. These artworks show people with narrow shoulders, rounded limbs, and special facial features like large eyes and deep noses. One famous example is the Stela of the Gatekeeper Maati, made during the rule of Mentuhotep II. Artworks from this time also include statues and reliefs with unique ways of showing men and women.