Second Intermediate Period of Egypt

A period of political fragmentation in ancient Egypt between the Middle Kingdom and New Kingdom, traditionally dated around 1650–1550 BCE. Rival dynasties ruled parts of Egypt, while the Hyksos controlled the north.

Hyksos: A population of West Asian origin that ruled much of northern Egypt during the Second Intermediate Period. Their rule at Avaris defined the northern power that Theban rulers eventually challenged.
Middle Kingdom of Egypt: A period of centralized rule and cultural achievement in ancient Egypt, conventionally spanning the Eleventh and Twelfth Dynasties. Its decline and loss of central authority set the conditions for later fragmentation.
Nefertari (queen of Ahmose I): A queen of the early Eighteenth Dynasty and wife of Ahmose I, known from inscriptions and monuments. Her titles and memorials show how royal women were represented during reunification.
Rhind Mathematical Papyrus: An ancient Egyptian mathematical papyrus copied by the scribe Ahmes during the Second Intermediate Period. Its colophon places a surviving scholarly work within the period’s chronology.
Seventeenth Dynasty of Egypt: A Theban dynasty that ruled southern Egypt during the Second Intermediate Period. Its kings organized resistance against Hyksos power and began the reunification campaigns.
Thirteenth Dynasty of Egypt: A dynasty that ruled Egypt after the Twelfth Dynasty, with a succession of short-reigning kings. Its weakening central government is often placed near the beginning of the period.
Seqenenre Tao: A Theban king of the Seventeenth Dynasty whose mummy bears severe head wounds. His death is linked to the violent struggle between Thebes and the Hyksos.
Kamose Stelae: Inscriptions describing Kamose’s campaigns against the Hyksos and his claims to rule Egypt. They preserve a royal account of the war from the Theban side.
Avaris: An ancient city in the eastern Nile Delta that served as the Hyksos capital. This fortified center anchored Hyksos rule in northern Egypt.
Fourteenth Dynasty of Egypt: A poorly documented dynasty associated with rule in the eastern Nile Delta during Egypt’s political fragmentation. Its uncertain chronology illustrates why the period’s dynastic boundaries remain debated.

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