The Middle Kingdom rose following the First Intermediate Period (2181-2040 BCE), a time when the central government was diminished almost to the point of non-existence and the regional … See more

After the collapse of the Old Kingdom following the 6th Dynasty, there was no strong central government in Egypt. This came about, in part, because of the great works commissioned by the kings of the 4th Dynasty who built the p… See more

Scholars who claim that the Middle Kingdom only truly begins with the 12th Dynasty do so because of t… See more

Senusret I was succeeded by Amenemhat II (c. 1929-1895 BCE) who may have ruled jointly with him. A distinctive feature of the Middle Kingdom is the prac… See more

This realism even extends to how Senusret III is portrayed artistically. Whereas previous kings of Egypt are always depicted in statuar… See more

Although Mentuhotep II became the 'second Menes' who united Egypt and ushered in the era of the Middle Kingdom, the path to that unification was initiated by Intef I and made clear by his successors. Mentuhotep I (c. 2115 BCE… See more

Artistic expression, although still employed for the glory of the king or the gods, found new subject matter during the Middle Kingdom. Even a cursory examination of Old Kingdom texts shows t… See more

Senusret II was succeeded by Senusret III (c. 1878-1860 BCE), the most powerful king of the era whose reign was so prosperous he was deified … See more

The 13th Dynasty is traditionally seen as weaker than the 12th, and it was, but exactly when it began to decline is unclear because the historical reco… See more