The History of Egypt Podcast Airwave Media

Why did the Old Kingdom disappear? Was it an overnight "collapse," or something more long term? In this episode, and the next, we explore the question in overview. This chapter focusses on the historical sources including King Lists, Classical authors like Herodotos and Manetho, and the fragmentary evidence for some of the "shadow kings" of this period…
Chronology and Historical Studies:

Overview of all sources and scholarship at Pharaoh.se.

M. Baud, ‘The Relative Chronology of Dynasties 6 and 8’, in E. Hornung et al. (eds), Ancient Egyptian Chronology (2006), 144—158. Available in pdf at Digital Giza.

J. von Beckerath, Handbuch der ägyptischen Königsnamen (1999).

W. Helck, ‘Anmerkungen zum Turiner Königspapyrus’, Studien zur Altägyptischen Kultur 19 (1992), 150–216. English translation available at Pharaoh.se.

R. J. Leprohon, The Great Name: Ancient Egyptian Royal Titulary (2013). Available at Internet Archive.

K. Ryholt, ‘The Turin King-List’, Ägypten und Levante / Egypt and the Levant 14 (2004), 135—155.

The History of Egypt Podcast:

Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.

Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.

Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.

Music and interludes by Keith Zizza www.keithzizza.net.


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Frustrated with the break from New Kingdom material? I hear you, and I can promise a return.
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Interview. How does copper cut stone? Martin Odler specialises in ancient Egyptian technology. Specifically, the manufacture and use of metal in tools and industry. In this interview, Dr. Odler shares some of his research insights on the production and use of copper, at sites like the Giza pyramids during the Old Kingdom. We also explore the use of metal in weaponry and daily life, and how scientists can experiment with reconstructed tools to examine their value and effectiveness. Today, Dr. Odler shares his methodical and wide-ranging interests. Personally, I learned a lot from speaking with him.

Logo image: A copper mirror of Reni-Seneb (c.1800 BCE), Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Martin Odler at Newcastle University.

Research papers by Martin Odler at Academia.edu.

Book: Copper in Ancient Egypt Before, During, and After the Pyramid Age (c.4000—1600 BC) (2023), published by Brill.

Book: Old Kingdom Copper Tools and Model Tools (2016), published by Archaeopress.


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Before the fall (c.2600 - 2200 BCE). Early Egyptians were fierce and active warriors. Our evidence for the Old Kingdom “army,” however, is scattered and fragmentary. Sifting through the pieces, we can reconstruct some elements of the early armed forces. In this episode, we explore royal texts that describe campaigns; pyramid art showing battles and soldiers training; and even images of siege warfare…
The History of Egypt Podcast:

Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.

Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.

Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.

Intro music by Stephen Rippy from Age of Empires (1997).

Outro music and interludes by Keith Zizza.

Music and interludes by Luke Chaos.


Episode Chapters:

Introduction 00:00

Dynasty IV Raids and Warriors 02:40

Army Organisation and Weapons 16:07

Battle Scenes of Unas and Ka-em-heset 25:58

Siege Scene of Inti 38:00


Notable artefacts (see Bibliography for full titles):

Archers from the reign of Khufu, MMA. See Goedicke 1971, MMA Open Access.

Sahura training scenes: Published in El Awady 2009.

Unas battle scene: First published by Selim Hassan 1938 (Archive.org).

Siege scene of Khaemheset: First published in Quibell and Hayter 1927. Archive.org.

Siege scene of Inti: See Shaw, Ancient Egyptian Warfare, 2019 (Pen & Sword). First published Petrie 1894. See also Kanawati and McFarlane 1993.


Examples of pre-New Kingdom Egyptian weapons in museum collections:

Wooden bows: Louvre, MMA (FIP or early MK).

Arrows: MMA (FIP or early MK), Louvre (Pre-Dynastic), MFA (FIP or early MK), ROM (FIP).

Maces: ROM (4th Dyn., Khafra), ROM (Pre-Dynastic), MMA (FIP or MK).

Spearheads: Louvre (FIP), Louvre (12th Dyn.), MMA (MK).

Axes: Louvre, (OK), Louvre (FIP), Louvre (MK).


Select Bibliography (see website for full details):

L. Bestock, Violence and Power in Ancient Egypt: Image and Ideology Before the New Kingdom (2018).

T. El Awady, Sahure: The Pyramid Causeway: History and Decoration Program in the Old Kingdom (2009).

H. Goedicke, Re-Used Blocks from the Pyramid of Amenemhat I at Lisht (1971). MMA Open Access.

S. Hassan, ‘Excavations at Saqqara 1937--1938’, Annales du Services des Antiquités de l’Egypte 38 (1938), 503—514. Archive.org.

N. Kanawati and A. McFarlane, Deshasha: The Tombs of Inti, Shedu and Others (1993).

A. Labrousse and A. Moussa, La chaussée du complexe funéraire du roi Ounas, I (2002).

F. Monnier, ‘Les techniques de siège décrites dans la documentation pharaonique’, Égypte Nilotique et Méditerranéenne 15 (2022), 51—73. ENIM.fr.

A.-L. Mourad, ‘Siege Scenes of the Old Kingdom’, Bulletin of the Australian Centre of Egyptology 22 (2011), 135—158. Academia.edu.

J. E. Quibell and A. G. K. Hayter, Excavations at Saqqara: Teti Pyramid, North Side (1927). Archive.org.

I. Shaw, Ancient Egyptian Warfare (2019).

N. Strudwick, Texts from the Pyramid Age (2005).


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A new tour for February 2025 is now ready to announce and book. The tour includes a return to Amarna (Akhet-Aten), to explore the city of Akhenaten and Nefertiti. We visit some new sites, not seen on previous tours. And we have special permits for the tomb of Senuseret III at Abydos, and the tombs of Thutmose III and Horemheb in the Valley of the Kings. It's a great itinerary with a mix of famous favourites and new adventures. If you'd like to visit Egypt, come along in 2025!
Website with itinerary and cost breakdown: The History of Egypt Podcast 2025 — Ancient World Tours.
Questions about history/sites - egyptpodcast@gmail.com.
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A tomb revisited. In 1923 CE, excavations at Luxor revealed the graves of ancient Egyptian soldiers. They bore scars of battle on their bones and flesh; and their story may belong to one of several major conflicts within the Nile Valley, around 2000—1900 BCE. In this episode, we revisit an old topic, and describe the tale anew…
Note: This episode has an extended version on Patreon (link below).

Dates: 1923—1926 CE (excavation); c. 2000—1900 BCE (ancient burial).

Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.

Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.

Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.

Music and interludes by Keith Zizza www.keithzizza.net.

Music and interludes by Luke Chaos www.chaosmusick.com.

Select Bibliography:

H. E. Winlock, The Slain Soldiers of Neb-Hepet-Re Mentu-Hotpe (1945). Available in Open Access via MMA.

C. Vogel, ‘Fallen Heroes? Winlock’s “Slain Soldiers” Reconsidered’, The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology 89 (2003), 239—245. Access via Academia.edu and JSTOR.org.

P. Chudzik, ‘Middle Kingdom tombs in the North Asasif Necropolis: Field Seasons 2018/2019 and 2020’, Polish Archaeology in the Mediterranean (2020), 177—202. Open Access via Academia.edu.

Wikipedia, ‘MMA 507,’ https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=MMA_507&oldid=1151562120.

J. Heath, ‘The Slain Soldiers of Tomb 507: An Egyptological Mystery’, Ancient Egypt: The History, People and Culture of the Nile Valley 118 (2020), 28-33. Note: I became aware of this article after publication of this episode, but I include it here as the author reaches similar conclusions to mine.

Artefacts from the tomb at the Metropolitan Museum of Art:

Archers’ wrist guard.

Folded linen with hieratic text of Sobekhotep Son-of-Imeny. Additional pieces at MMA Collections (objects dated .1961 – 1917 BC).

Skull fragment with arrow in eye (images restricted).

Model weapons of the early Middle Kingdom: shield, spear, quiver.

The tomb of Queen Neferu at Deir el-Bahari: Wikipedia, photos at Flickr.com.


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