The History of Egypt Podcast

Newly researched and updated in 2024. Intef the Great (c.2050—2000 BCE), Part 1. The reign of Intef II, ruler of Waset (Thebes) shows a sudden surge in expansion and conflict. Seeking absolute power over the south, Intef brought major districts like Abu (Elephantine) into his territory. He made alliances with the rulers of Wawat (Nubia). Then, he sent his armies north to seize a sacred city… Episo...

Newly researched and updated in 2024. The first phase is over, and the war is heating up. Around 2055 BCE, a lord of Waset/Thebes/Luxor named Intef I promoted himself far above the established norms. Sending representatives to treat with the other rulers, Intef nonetheless began to push his military power further afield. Soon, he began to isolate and attack the loyalist governors nearby… Episode d...

Researched and written in 2024. Famine and resilience. Around 2060 BCE, the Overlord Ankhtyfy was riding high. Then, a crisis hit southern Egypt. Drought, food shortages, and starvation swept through the region. From sites like Elephantine, Edfu, and historical texts, we get a picture of Egypt in difficulty. But also, a sense of communities perservering and rebuilding... Logo image: Apophis from t...

Researched and written in 2024. The rise of Ankhtyfy. In southern Egypt, a "Great Overlord" named Ankh-tyfy began to expand his power. From his home base at Nekhen (Hierakonpolis), he annexed neighbouring territories like Edfu. He did this with some elaborate justifications, and perhaps inspired by the example of ancestors. Alas, his rapid rise soon brought him into conflict with other regional lo...

By 2100 BCE, Egypt’s royal house was in trouble. A line of kings, known as the pr-Hty (“House of Khety”) claimed authority over the whole Nile Valley. But archaeological and historical data paint a different picture: of a growing division between communities in the north and south of Egypt. The “Two Lands” were separating, and government was too weak to stop it… Researched and written in 2024. Log...

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 warfa...

Don’t swim for at least 30 minutes after a banquet… Around 2150 BCE, so the story goes, the Queen-King Nitocris sought vengeance on those who had wronged her. This tale comes from Herodotos, and in 1928 a young Tennessee Williams published his own version of the gothic stroy. In this bonus episode, I read Williams’ work for a bit of spooky storytelling… Herodotos, Histories, Book II, via Perseus....

Updated with new research. Between 2500—2200 BCE, Egypt witnessed a period of surprisingly high rainfall. While the Old Kingdom was much wetter than today, archaeologists have found strong evidence for huge downpours, sweeping across northern Egypt and flooding tombs, cities, and forcing the ancients to adapt… This episode is a brief epilogue to the Decline & Fall of the Old Kingdom series. Intro...

Why did it all go so wrong? We’ve explored the historical overview of Old Kingdom decline; but what was driving it? There are three major factors that caused this fall. Two originate in the climate, the third comes from the political structure of the kingdom and its society. From the deserts of Sahara to the depths of the Nile, we uncover the causes of decline… Note: An extended version of this ep...

Recorded 2024. 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 sci...

Recorded 2021. Dr. Martin Odler is a researcher at the Czech Institute of Egyptology, at Charles University in Prague. He studies the tools and objects that Egyptians used to build their famous monuments. Martin has worked on many excavations, and his research has added greatly to our knowledge of technology. He sat down with me to discuss this work, and the insights we can gain from ancient tools...

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...

A Long, Long Reign. King Pepy ruled more than sixty years, by some estimates. In his later years, this long reign was becoming an issue. The aging monarch was losing influence, and his children were dying before he did... Date c. 2240 - 2220 BCE. Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.  Music...

Ruling the World. King Pepy ruled long and his authority reached far and wide. To understand Egyptian society in this period, we must meet the important families (nobility) who served Pepy, and see how their actions shape our understanding of history... Date c.2260 - 2240 BCE. Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. Make a one-time donati...

Around 2285 BCE, a new ruler came to power. King Pepy II was a little boy, just six years old. His reign would be one of the longest, and most impactful, in the Old Kingdom... Date c.2285 - 2260 BCE. Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.  Music by Keith Zizza www.keithzizza.com. Select Bibli...

The Great Explorer. Around 2300 BCE, King Pepy I died. His successor was a man named Mer-en-Re ("Beloved of Re"). In this period, the explorer Weni the Elder continued his travels, now going far south into Sudan on missions for the King... Date c.2300 BCE. Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. Make a one-time donation via PayPal payment...

Pepy and Weni the Elder (Part 1). Around 2355 BCE, King Pepy I came to power. The new king had trouble establishing his authority, and he had to deal with the effects of his predecessor Teti's murder. Along the way, Pepy even had to deal with a conspiracy against himself... Date c. 2550 - 2540 BCE. Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast....

Assassins! Around 2355 BCE, King Teti died. Legend tells us that the king was murdered by members of his own family. If this is true, it is the first time in Egyptian history that we hear about royal assassination. Of course, there are many questions about what happened... Date c.2350 BCE. Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. Make a on...

The Sixth Dynasty, and its wisdom. Around 2380 BCE, King Teti inaugurated the Sixth Dynasty of Egyptian rulers. Teti married into the royal family and began a new (male) bloodline. This period was creatively fertile, producing famous works like the Wisdom Texts of Ptah-Hotep and Kagemni... Date c.2380 - 2360 BCE. Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. The Teaching of Ptah-Hotep in English transl...

Beer, Bread and Pharaoh's Power. Recorded 2019. My guest today is Prof. Leslie Anne Warden, Associate Professor of art history and archaeology at Roanoke College in Virginia, USA. An insightful scholar, Prof. Warden is here to share her investigations into the world of ancient economics, particularly how beer and bread can reveal the inner-workings of Egyptian society. From ceramics to experiments...

Unas in the sky with deities. Around 2320 BCE, King Unas did something interesting. His pyramid, at Saqqraa, is the first (surviving) monument to feature the Pyramid Texts. These elaborate hieroglyph texts reveal the religious rituals, references, and philosophy of the Old Kingdom Egyptians. In this episode, we begin a journey deep into the night and up to the sky, as King Unas travels to his immo...

Djedkare and Unas (c.2400-2350 BCE). The Fifth Dynasty ends. The Cannibal Hymn: Spoken reconstruction by Orlando Mezzabotta on YouTube. The Pyramid Texts of Unas in English translation and hieroglyph transcription via Pyramid Texts Online. Date c.2410 - 2380 BCE Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. Make a one-time donation via PayPal p...

Dynasty 6 and new ideas. Around 2440 BCE, a new king came to power. King Djed-ka-Re ("The Spirit of Re Endures") was an effective ruler, who reformed the government and left a rich artistic and written record... Date c. 2440 - 2410 BCE Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.  Music by Keith Zi...

The reign of King Niuserre was not a bed of lotuses. After a rocky start, the young ruler worked to make his household and kingdom prosperous. We see this trend in a flowering of artistic and written culture... Date c.2445 BCE Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments.  Music by Keith Zizza www.k...

I Got You, Fam. After a series of short reigns, King Ny-User-Re came to power and brought some much-needed stability. In his long reign, Niuserre strengthened the power of his government and household. Many records survive from this period, like fascinating tales of the King's hairdressers Nyankhkhnum and Khnumhotep. These two men might be the earliest recorded homosexual couple in ancient Egyptia...