Egypt in the First Intermediate Period
Egypt in the First Intermediate Period
The first transitional period of ancient Egypt began when the centralized monarchy of the Old Kingdom weakened, as provincial governors called nomarchs became powerful, and ended when the King of Thebes controlled all of Egypt. Dating from 2160-2055 BCE, the Old Kingdom of Ancient Egypt is described as ending with the longest-ruling pharaoh in Egyptian history, Pepi II.
After construction projects in the tombs around the capital Memphis were halted, construction resumed at the end of the First Interregnum, with Menhotep II at Deir el-Bahri in Thebes. The Egyptian intermediate periods are times when the centralized government weakened and rivals seized the throne. The first transition period is often characterized as chaotic and miserable, with deteriorating art - a dark age.
During the first transition period, the cartonnage was developed. Cartonnage is a word for the plaster and colored linen that covers the face of a mummy. Earlier, only the elite were buried with specialized funerary goods, more people were buried with these specialized products. This suggests that provincial areas were able to afford non-working artisans, something that only the Pharaonic capital had done before.
By the second half of the year, there were two names competing with their kings, and the king of Thebes, King Mentuhotep II, defeated his unknown rival at Heracleopolitan.
