The Narmer Palette, an ancient Egyptiancermonial engraving, depicts the great king Narmer (c. 3150 BCE) conquering his enemies with the support and approval of his gods. This piece, dating from c. 3200-3000 BCE, was initially thought to be an accurate historical depiction of the unification of Egypt under Narmer, the first king of the First Dynasty. Recent revisions in scholarship, […]

  Pi-Ramses, an ancient city in the Nile delta, was established by Ramses 2 and used for his campaigns in Syria. This city is mentioned in the Bible, as a place where Israelites were forced to work for the Pharaoh. Another ancient city, Abydos (known for its mythological inscriptions) was used by Ramses II to record the history […]

Ramses II Biography: Architectural Accomplishments   © Richard White – Ramesseum from the air Perhaps the best-known achievements of Ramses the Great are his architectural endeavors, most notable the Ramesseum and the temples of Abu Simbel. Ramses II’s interest in architecture resulted in the erection of more monuments than any of the other ancient Egyptian pharaohs. A significant number of architectural tributes […]

Thutmose III’s Family Tree The son of Thutmose II and a secondary wife, Iset, Thutmose III rose to co-regency with Hatshepsut (his father’s chief wife) when Thutmose II died in 1479 BC. However, because Thutmose III was still a young boy of only seven, Hatshepsut ruled on her own while Thutmose III spent much of his time […]

Monuments One of the ways Pharaohs are remembered are by the monuments they leave behind. Since Hatshepsut had her husband’s name removed from many monuments, it’s hard to determine what was originally built by him. However, a few monuments do remain including some in Kumma, Semna and Elephantine. The largest monument credited to his reign is a […]

Thutmose II’s Family Tree Thutmose II was born to Thutmose I and a secondary wife, Mutnofret. Thutmose II’s older brothers, Wadjmose and Amenmose, died before they could ascend to their father’s (Thutmose I’s) throne. This made Thutmose II the heir. Thutmose II was a weak man, but cunning enough to realize he should marry into true […]

History of Ancient Egypt’s Government Before the Old Kingdom Scholars have found few government records from before the Old Kingdom Period. Evidence shows that Egypt was a united kingdom with a single ruler, which indicates that the first pharaohs must have set up a form of central government and established an economic system. Before the Persian Period, […]

Ancient Egypt’s Social Pyramid The Pharaoh High government officials like the vizier (the pharaoh’s right hand man), the chief treasurer and the army general Priests and nobles (who serve as lesser government officials) Soldiers and scribes (who write down important events and calculate taxes) Craftsmen and merchants Farmers and unskilled workers Slaves Often, people from a single […]

The Narmer Palette, an ancient Egyptiancermonial engraving, depicts the great king Narmer (c. 3150 BCE) conquering his enemies with the support and approval of his gods. This piece, dating from c. 3200-3000 BCE, was initially thought to be an accurate historical depiction of the unification of Egypt under Narmer, the first king of the First Dynasty. Recent revisions in scholarship, […]

Reputation in History © Nick Taylor – Relief of Xerxes I Modern and ancient scholars often portray Xerxes I as a tyrant. His rule over ancient Egypt was harsh, disregarding local customs and beliefs left and right. Xerxes decided not to follow the ideas set by his predecessors, the notion that ruling with a fair, light […]