The Middle Kingdom of Ancient Egypt

For the ancient Egyptians, the Middle Kingdom (c. 2000-1700 BC) was a classical period of art, history and literature. The Twelfth Dynasty was one of the strongest ever to rule on the banks of the Nile: some of its kings were later worshipped as local gods, and were made famous by classical Greek authors. Yet Egyptologists tend not to look beyond the extraordinary royal sculpture and literary masterpieces of the time. Although the picture is fragmentary, as with any archaeological record, the last two hundred years of exploration and excavation have revealed much of the splendour of the period. This book examines the evidence for the culture, history and society of both central and provincial Egypt at the time, revealing the wealth of the entire country. In this second edition, Wolfram Grajetzki incorporates recent discoveries, discussions and publications which have emerged over the intervening fifteen years, including new excavation reports for the mastabas at Lisht and excavations at Abydos. Too often overshadowed by the better-preserved architecture of other periods, Middle Kingdom Egypt emerges for the reader as a fascinating age in its own right.

Wolfram Grajetzki is Honorary Senior Research Fellow in Egyptology at University College London, UK. He is the author of The Middle Kingdom of Ancient Egypt: History, Archaeology and Society (2006), Court Officials of the Egyptian Middle Kingdom (2009), Tomb Treasures of the Late Middle Kingdom (2013) and The People of the Cobra Province in Egypt: A Local History, 4500 to 1500 BC (2020).

List of Illustrations
Preface
Chronology
Introduction

1. History
1.1. The End of the Old Kingdom
1.2. The Heracleopolitan Kings (c. 2161/2131-1990/1970 BC)
1.3. The Early Eleventh Dynasty at Thebes (pre-2065-2008 BC)
1.4. The Second Part of the Eleventh Dynasty (c. 2008-1938 BC)
1.5. The Early Twelfth Dynasty (c. 1938-1837 BC)
1.6. The Late Twelfth Dynasty (c. 1837-1759 BC)
1.7. The Thirteenth Dynasty (c. 1759-1685 BC)
2. Archaeology and Geography
2.1. Upper Egypt
2.2. Lower Egypt
2.3. The Neighbouring Lands
3. Society
3.1. Outside the Ruling Classes
3.2. The Ruling Classes: People with Administrative Titles
3.3. The King and his Family
Appendices
A. Kings of the Middle Kingdom
B. Viziers of the Middle Kingdom
C. Treasurers of the Middle Kingdom
Notes
Bibliography
Index