Around 2060 BCE, the Overlord Ankhtyfy was riding high. Then, a crisis hit southern Egypt. Drought, food shortages, and famine swept through the region. From sites like Elephantine, Edfu, and historical texts, we get a picture of Egypt in difficulty.

Excavations at EDFU:

The History of Egypt Podcast:

become-a-patron

Discover beautiful reproductions of ancient Egyptian art with Wonderful Things! Use code EGYPTPODCAST for 30% off your order (3 or more items)!

Discover amazing cosmetics based on ancient Egyptian products and recipes, with Ra Egyptian! Use code EGYPT to enjoy 30% off your order!

Special Thanks to my Priest and Noble Patrons!

Priests

Arthur Markham

James Bowlby

Veronica Moreno

Ashley Welch

Nidden

Kyla

Andy & Chelsea Lientz

Meicost Ettal

Jolle Kirpensteijn

TJ Kahn

Terri Jones

Eric J Holmes

Linda Yancey

Hereditary Nobles

Donald Johnston

Joel Hadary

Brian K Barnes

Joseph Stashkevetch

Misty Bastian

Grace Devery

Bethany Killian

Lucas Wilson

TV Liew

Rae Knowler

Jenny Granum

Joseph Snow

Ronald Hall

Rodney Shuff

William Tracy

Setnakht

Andrew Flaherty

Rabia Altaf

Shawn Knight

David Pepper

Inkymonkey

Karin W.

James Waters

Stephen King

Kate Potter

Peter Culicover

Katherine Lewis

Pernille Engberg

Simone 

RA EGYPTIAN

Elna Nilsson

Skip Howard

Sandi & Stuart

Chrissi Ross

Nancy Bastek

Bibliography

  1. M. Bárta, Analyzing Collapse: The Rise and Fall of the Old Kingdom (2019).
  2. B. Bell, ‘The Oldest Records of the Nile Floods’, The Geographical Journal 136 (1970), 569—573.
  3. L. Bestock, Violence and Power in Ancient Egypt: Image and Ideology Before the New Kingdom (2018).
  4. E. Brovarski, ‘Overseers of Upper Egypt in the Old to Middle Kingdoms’, Zeitschrift für ägyptische Sprache und Altertumskunde 140 (2013), 91—111.
  5. J. Bunbury, The Nile and Ancient Egypt: Changing Land- and Waterscapes, from the Neolithic to the Roman Era (2019).
  6. K. W. Butzer, ‘Collapse, Environment, and Society’, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 109 (2012), 3632—3639.
  7. K. W. Butzer, ‘Landscapes and Environmental History of the Nile Valley: A Critical Review and Prospectus’, in E. Bloxam and I. Shaw (eds), The Oxford Handbook of Egyptology (Oxford, 2020), 99—124.
  8. K. W. Butzer and G. H. Endfield, ‘Critical Perspectives on Historical Collapse’, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 109 (2012), 3628—3631.
  9. A. Demidchik, ‘“I Gave Grain to All of Dendera in its Entirety:” Mentions of Large-Scale Food Donations in the VIth Upper Egyptian Nome in the First Intermediate Period’, Egypt and the Levant 32 (2022), 47—56.
  10. H. G. Fischer, Inscriptions from the Coptite Nome: Dynasties VI-XI (1964).
  11. J. Gee, ‘Did the Old Kingdom Collapse? A New View of the First Intermediate Period’, in P. D. Manuelian and T. Schneider (eds), Towards A New History for the Egyptian Old Kingdom: Perspectives on the Pyramid Age (2015), 60—75.
  12. F. A. Hassan, ‘Droughts, Famine and the Collapse of the Old Kingdom: Re-Reading Ipuwer’, The Archaeology and Art of Ancient Egypt: Studies in Honour of David B. O’Connor, I (Cairo, 2007), 357—377.
  13. R. Ismail, Beni Hassan in the Middle Kingdom: Archaeological and Historical Studies (2023).
  14. N. Kanawati and J. Swinton, Egypt in the Sixth Dynasty: Challenges and Responses (2018).
  15. G. Marouard and N. Moeller, ‘Two Sister-Sites During the Old Kingdom: The Recent Results from the Settlement Excavations at Tell Edfu and Dendara’, in P. Piacentini and A. Delli Castelli (eds), Old Kingdom Art and Archaeology 7: Proceedings of the International Conference; Università degli studi di Milano 3-7 July 2017, 1 (2019), 205—215.
  16. N. Moeller, The Archaeology of Urbanism in Ancient Egypt: From the Predynastic Period to the End of the Middle Kingdom (2016).
  17. N. Moeller, ‘The Origins of Two Provincial Capitals in Upper Egypt’, The Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures (2017). YouTube.
  18. N. Moeller, ‘The Role of Settlements and Urban Society for the History of Ancient Egypt: The Case Study of Tell Edfu During the Late Old Kingdom’, in T. Schneider and C. L. Johnston (eds), The Gift of the Nile? Ancient Egypt and the Environment (Tucson, 2020), 87—105.
  19. N. Moeller and G. Marouard, ‘The Development of Two Early Urban Centres in Upper Egypt During the 3rd Millennium BC’, in J. Budka and J. Auenmüller (eds), From Microcosm to Macrocosm: Individual Households and Cities in Ancient Egypt and Nubia (Leiden, 2018), 29—58.
  20. N. Moeller and G. Marouard, ‘New Insights into Relations Between Center and Periphery: Tell Edfu During the Old Kingdom’, Nekhen News 31 (2019), 22—24.
  21. N. Moeller and G. Marouard, ‘Excavations on the Old Kingdom Settlement at Tell Edfu’, The Oriental Institute News & Notes 244 (2020), 10—17.
  22. L. D. Morenz, ‘Power and Status. Ankhtifi the Hero, Founder of a New Residence?’, CRIPEL 28 (2009), 177—192.
  23. E. Morris, ‘Writing Trauma: Ipuwer and the Curation of Cultural Memory’, in K. L. Younger and R. E. Averbeck (eds), ‘An Excellent Fortress for his Armies, A Refuge for the People’: Egyptological, Archaeological, and Biblical Studies in Honor of James K. Hoffmeier (2020), 231—252.
  24. E. Morris, Famine and Feast in Ancient Egypt (2023).
  25. J. Vandier, ‘La famine dans l’Égypte ancienne’, Bulletin de la Société des amis du Musée de Dijon (1946), 15—20.
  26. J. Vandier, Mo’alla: La Tombe d’Ankhtifi et la tombe de Sébekhotep (1950).
  27. ‘Tell Edfu Project | Yale Egyptology’, https://egyptology.yale.edu/expeditions/current-expeditions/tell-edfu-project.
  28. ‘The Tell Edfu Project (TEP) – ARCE’, https://arce.org/project/tell-edfu-project-tep/.