Post by s***@gmail.comI then to lean towards the 18th or 19 dynasties as being the most
influential and pertinent to modern society, perhaps due to the
popularity of Tutankhamen and his mostly intact tomb and its effect on
Egyptology, understanding of ancient culture etc. What is meant by
greatest anyway? This is only meant to start a discussion of what
periods, or leaders of ancient Egyptian society impacted modern
society the most (in your opinion), or at least what effected the
members of this discussion the most in our pursuit of our hobby.
What you are basically saying is that the empire period is the most
significant period of Egyptian history, as the 18th and 19th dynasties
encompass the main imperial period of ancient Egypt. Many would
disagree, IMO, as many would comment that the Middle Kingdom dynasties
saw the greatest development of Egyptian literature and arts, or that
later periods saw the development of quasi-scientific investigation,
in medicine particularly. Others would state that the rise of the
"big-man"/"God-king" society of the Old Kingdom, with its attendant
monument builing of pyramids, would indicate a much more significant
period of ancient Egyptian history, while others would see the proto-
and pre-dynastic period, where the elements of a nation-state were
developed, as even more significant. There are very exciting periods
throughout most of pharaonic history, so I can't think that any one
dynasty or period is the "greatest" period: each have their very
significant accomplishments and must be appreciated in those respects.
Modern society might see the "imperial" period as perhaps being close
to modern nation-state activity, but the emphasis of the Egyptian
imperial political activity, particularly in diplomacy, is not quite
the same. Kings referred to each other as a fraternity of "brothers",
and maintained diplomatic relations via marriages and on later
occasions treaties (Ramses II created the first non-aggression treaty,
to be sure, though basially it was against an equally strong
aggressive nation with whom he was stalemated).
Probably the best works which describes the significance of each
period of ancient Egyptian history, and their contribution to overall
civilisational development are
Kemp, B. J. 1989. _Ancient Egypt: Anatomy of a Civilization_. London:
Routledge.
Trigger, B. G., B. Kemp, et al. 1983. _Ancient Egypt: A Social
History_. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
For more information of Egyptian imperial activities, see
Cohen, R. and R. Westbook, Eds. 2000. _Amarna Diplomacy: The Beginning
of International Relations_. Baltimore: John Hopkins University Press.
Galán, J. M. 1995. _Victory and Border: Terminology related to
Egyptian Imperialism in the XVIIIth Dynasty_. Hildesheimer
Ägyptologische Beiträge 40. A. Eggebrecht and B. Schmitz. Hildesheim:
Gerstenberg Verlag.
Jakob, S. 2006. Pharaoh and his Brothers. BMSAES 6: 12-30.
Lorton, D. 1974. _The Juridical Terminology of International Relations
in Egyptian Texts through Dyn. XVIII_. Johns Hopkins Near Eastern
Studies. H. Goedicke. Baltimore and London: Johns Hopkins University
Press.
Redford, D. B. 1992. _Egypt, Canaan, and Israel in Ancient Times_.
Princeton: Princeton University Press.
___________. 1990. _Egypt and Canaan in the New Kingdom_. Beer-Sheva
IV. S. Ahituv. Beer-Sheva: Ben Gurion University of the Negev Press.
HTH.
Regards --
---
Katherine Griffis-Greenberg, MA (Lon)
Member, International Association of Egyptologists
American Research Center in Egypt, SSEA, ASOR
Oriental Institute
Oriental Studies Doctoral Program [Egyptology]
University of Oxford
Oxford, United Kingdom
http://www.griffis-consulting.com