The Egyptian Priest, Manetho (3rd Century BCE), was the first to create a history of Egypt, and devised the system of Dynasties that we still use today: 3000BCE 1500BCE Pharaonic Egypt from Unification of the State to the Age of Empire Dynasties 1-2: Early Dynastic Period (3150-2686BCE) Unification of the state Dynasties 3-6: Old Kingdom (2686-2182BCE) The great pyramid building era Dynasties 7-11: The First Intermediate Period (2181-2055BCE) Political fragmentation Dynasties 11-13: The Middle Kingdom (2055-1650BCE) A cultural high point Dynasties 14-17: The Second Intermediate Period (1650-1550) Another fragmented state, and where our story begins Dynasties 18-20: The New Kingdom (1550-1077BCE) The age of empire, and where we see most of the action in this course 2500BCE 2000BCE The Arrival of the Hurrians In the late 3rd Millennium, there is evidence of Hurrian-speaking peoples moving from the Zagros mountain region (possibly originating in Armenia) into the Near East. They appear to be taking advantage of power vacuums in northern Syria-Palestine created by other warring populations, an example of which can be seen shortly in this timeline. 1
1640BCE 1550BCE Egypt's Second Intermediate Period This is the period during which the Hyksos (a Palestinian immigrant elite) rise to power and occupy the North of Egypt, with their capital at Avaris (modern Tell el-daba in the Eastern Delta). The Egyptian kings operate from their southern Power-base, Thebes (modern Luxor). 1620BCE 1590BCE King Mursili I (Hittite) Conqueror of Aleppo and Byblon. He was eventually assassinated and the power vacuums in the Near East that he created were filled, in part, by Hurrian peoples (soon to become the Mitannian state). 1600BCE 1550BCE The emergence of an Ayro-Hurrian state Soon after their arrival in the Near East, the Hurrian groups start to form into an organised state. Indo- Aryan (South Asian) names also appear in the area at this time. The suggestion is that the Indo-Aryan cohort were in some way the catalyst for the imminent formation of an Ayro-Hurrian state, otherwise known as Mitanni. 1558BCE 1555BCE King Seqenenre (Egyptian) This penultimate Second Intermediate Period Egyptian king is known to have attempted to expel the Hyksos from Egypt, but was possibly killed in battle judging by the condition of his mummy. 2
1555BCE 1550BCE King Kamose (Egyptian) The last king of the Second Intermediate Period, Kamose, Continues from where Seqenenre left off, leading a war against the Hyksos with some success. However, he seems not to have been able to conquer Avaris, the Hyksos capital. 1550BCE 1135BCE Egypt s New Kingdom Ahmose s expulsion of the Hyksos and creation of a military elite mark a new era for the ancient Egyptians: an age of empire. 1550BCE 1529BCE King Hatusili I (Hittite) Founder of the Hittite state who expanded into northern Syria-Palestine, as demonstrated in a treaty between the Hittites and Aleppo. 1550BCE 1525BCE King Ahmose (Egyptian) King Ahmose is the first king of the New Kingdom, and the one to finally expel the Hyksos from Egypt. Ahmose s victory results in a country ready not only to defend itself, but also to push its borders further into the Ancient Near East. Ahmose s system of rewarding his troops with gold, land, and slaves also produces a new military elite, exemplified by soldiers like Ahmose son of Ibana, whose tomb inscription at el-kab provides much of the historical detail for this episode. 3
1550BCE 1200BCE The Late Bronze Age The Bronze Age is a period of time characterised chiefly by use of bronze. The chronological range of the Bronze Age varies, therefore, from culture to culture. Bronze Ages are sub-divided into Early Bronze Age, Middle Bronze Age, and Late Bronze Age. The chronological focus of our course happens to be the Late Bronze Age which, for all of our cultures (Egyptian, Hittite, Mitannian and Syro- Palestinian) is contemporaneous. 1504BCE 1492BCE King Tuthmosis I King Tuthmosis builds on Ahmose s work in the Near East, conducting a long-distance campaign to the Euphrates river, and celebrating this new frontier by hunting elephants at Niya on his return. 1504BCE 1479BCE Mitanni expands and exerts its influence into areas of Egyptian Interest After Tuthmosis I s campaigns, the Egyptians appear to withdraw from the northernmost reaches of Syria-Palestine. The Mitannians are able to expand and the scene is set for clashes between these two superpowers. 4
1504BCE 1492BCE The rise of Mitanni During his campaign as far as the Euphrates, Tuthmosis I encounters the fallen one of Nahrin. More explicitly, the Egyptians document his arrival at the foreign land of Mitanni so people call it and the enemy of Thebes. So by the beginning of Egypt s New Kingdom, we have sources that identify the state of Mitanni in northern Syria-Palestine as the enemies of Egypt. 1480BCE 1450BCE King Parrattarna (Mitannian) Idrimi s text tells us that Parrattarna was the early Mitannian king expanding his territory, and presumably therefore a contemporary (and enemy) of those Egyptian Tuthmosis kings. 1480BCE 1450BCE Idrimi of Alalakh Idrimi illustrates Mitannian expansion, and use of city-states as buffer zones between themselves and the neighbouring superpowers. Idrimi lost his throne in Aleppo, eventually becoming the ruler of Alalakh. Here, he was brought under the protection of the expanding Mitannian superpower, ruled by the Great King Parrattarna. Idrimi is allowed to expand his own domain, raiding Hittite towns with the surety of Mitannian backing. This Mitannian expansion is presumably the context in which we see, after Tuthmosis I s campaigns, the Egyptian withdraw from the northernmost reaches of Syria- Palestine. 5
1479BCE 1458BCE King Hatshepsut (Egyptian) Hatshepsut, one of Egypt s few female Pharaohs, conducts limited military campaigns into Syria- Palestine. One of her campaigns to Byblos highlights the importance of this maritime trading port, which enjoyed a long history of interaction with the Egyptians, dating back to the Old Kingdom. 1479BCE 1425BCE King Tuthmosis III (Egyptian) Tuthmosis III s first campaign takes him to Megiddo, where he faced a large coalition of rebellious citystates, led by the King of Kadesh. His numerous follow-up campaigns were attempts to annex parts of Syria-Palestine. He even came into direct contact with the Mitannians on two occasions. His relentless, strategically-informed series of campaigns has earned him the modern title the Napoleon of ancient Egypt 1478BCE 1425BCE Kings Parsatatar (Mitannian) 'Little is known of Parsatatar, along with his predecessors, Kirta and Shuttarna I. These kings possibly follow on from Parrattarna, and therefore they continued to oppose Egyptian expansion into Syria- Palestine. It seems plausible that one of these kings was the driving force behind the rebellious coalition of Syro-Palestinian city-states, led by the ruler of Kadesh, faced by Tuthmosis III at the Battle of Megiddo. 6
1427BCE 1400BCE King Amenhotep II Amenhotep II inherited a huge Egyptian empire after Tuthmosis III, but continued to deal with troublesome rebellions in Syria-Palestine. Kadesh, as ever, proved to be a source of rebellious behaviour, and so Amenhotep II captures and executes 7 of its princes, hanging their bodies from his boat on the return journey, and displaying 6 of them on the Theban city walls, and one down in Nubia as a warning against rebellions in Egypt s southernmost empire. 1427BCE 1400BCE King Saushtatar (Mitannian) King Saushtatar was probably a contemporary of Amenhotep II. Saushtatar is known from evidence at Nuzi, the eastern location of which suggests that this king presided over a vast empire. The Nuzi evidence also lists his predecessors (Kirta, Shuttarna, and Parsatatar), allowing us to draw up a tentative history. 7
1410BCE 1390BCE King Artatama I This king succeeded Shaushtatar and, with a new threat emerging, agrees peace with Amenhotep II. With the agreement of frontiers between Mitanni and Egypt, the relationship between these superpowers changed considerably. They were now partners, dividing their Syro-Palestinain territory between themselves, and sealing the deal in diplomatic marriages and gift-giving: Artatama is known to have ruled into Tuthmosis IV s reign (Amenhotep II s son), who marries one of Artatama s daughters. 1400BCE 1358BCE King Shuttarna II King of Mitanni, succeeding Artatama I and known to have sent a daughter to marry Amenhotep III. 1380BCE 1350BCE King Tushratta King of Mitanni ruling during the reigns of Amenhotep III and IV (Akhenaten), and known to have sent a daughter, Tadukhipa, to Egypt to marry into the Egyptian royal court. 1344BCE 1322BCE King Supiluliuma Expanded Hittite territory in all directions, including Syro-Palestine, where he brought the Egyptian vassals, Amurru and Kadesh, under Hittite influence. With a stake in the Near East, Supiluliuma attacked Mitanni directly, and supported a new regime to keep the growing Assyrian power at bay. Under Supiluliuma, the Hittites join the Superpowers club. 8
1330BCE 1295BCE King Mursili II This king dealt with a number of rebellions in Anatolia. It is during this king s reign that the Egyptians begin to re-enter the Near East under a military Pharaoh, king Horemheb (previously of Tutankhamen s General). 1274BCE The Battle of Kadesh This clash between Ramesses II s Egyptian forces, and Muwatalli s Hittite forces resulted in the Egyptians unable to reclaim Kadesh from Hittite control. Despite this, Ramesses II presented the battle as a victory in Egypt. 1258BCE The Treaty of Kadesh 16 years after the battle, Ramesses II and Hatusili III (who rules the Hittites a few reigns after Muwatali II) formed the so-called Treaty of Kadesh. Presumably, this partly came about in response to a growing Assyrian threat. 9