the middle kingdom

	Early Dynastic		Old Kingdom		Intermediate Periods		Middle Kingdom
	New Kingdom		Late Period		Ptolemaic Period

c.2055 - c.1650 BC±. Chronological phase that begins with the reunification of Egypt under the fourth king of the 11th Dynasty Mentuhotep I and ends during the latter half of the 13th Dynasty.

Earlier historians considered that the 11th and 12th Dynasties marked the full extent of the Middle Kingdom, but more recent scholarship shows clearly that at least the first half of the so called 13th Dynasty also belongs to the Middle Kingdom period. There was no shift in location of the capital or royal residence, and the activities of the government continued pretty much as they had done previously. There was however, a significant decline in large scale monumental building projects during this period.

Prior to Mentuhotep I's reign, there had been three previous rulers, all Theban nomarchs (governors) all known as Intef. Mentuhotep's reign reached its pinnacle some years after he came to the throne, with the reunification of the country, and his funerary monument at Deir el-Bahri (near Thebes) is considered to be one of the finest achievements of this period.

The diverse literature of the Middle Kingdom also provides us some insights into the social and political concerns of the period. Agricultural development commenced in the area of Faiyum, and the pyramid came back into fashion as a funerary monument. Abydos became particularly important as a centre of pilgrimage as a result of the increasing significance of the god Osiris, whose burial place was associated with that region.

Pharaohs of the 11th and 12th dynasties, and their funerary monuments:

The end of the Middle Kingdom phase

Amenemhet III was the last great ruler of the Middle Kingdom. Economic growth reached its zenith under his reign, interest in the agricultural potential of the Faiyum increased, and a huge temple to the local god Sobek was erected at Kiman Faris. Little is known about either Amenemhet IV or Queen Sobeknefru, as neither feature much in written records, although it is presumed that Amenemhet IV died prematurely and Queen Sobeknefru acted as regent, ruling later in her own right for a short period.

The 13th Dynasty apparently bears no resemblance to a proper political dynasty, and for this reason was often considered as part of the Second Intermediate Period. However scholars now consider at least the first part of this dynasty to be regarded as the end of the Middle Kingdom period.

After around 250 years of strong centralised government, the state system collapsed, and once again Egypt entered a dark period of so-called chaos and disruption.

Related pages: You can find out more about the pyramids of the Middle Kingdom in our dedicated "Pyramid" page in the main site.

±IMPORTANT NOTE: The precise dates of the Egyptian Dynasties and of individual reigns are still the subject of much scholarly debate. Students and other individuals who use this website should therefore be aware that the dates shown for the dynasties and individual reigns throughout this site may sometimes differ to the dates that are used in other publications.