Early Dynastic Egypt: The Complete History & Mysteries of Dynasties I & II (3000-2686 BC)

In this episode, we investigate the Early Dynastic Period (Dynasties 1 and 2), a critical era that laid the foundation for 3,000 years of pharaonic civilization. We explore the archaeological evidence behind the unification of Egypt and the identity of its first ruler - Narmer, Hor-Aha or someone else?

We’ll also uncover the grim reality of "retainer sacrifice" (human sacrifice) practiced by the First Dynasty kings, the rise of powerful women like Queen Merneith, and the mysterious collapse of order in the Second Dynasty that led to a possible and unique religious conflict between the followers of Horus and Seth towards the latter half of the Second Dynasty, and how it's last ruler, Khasekhemwy reunited the realm to pave the way for the Age of the Pyramids and the Old Kingdom.

Contents:

0:00 The Origins of Egypt: Narmer and the Menes Debate
4:38 Hor-Aha and Queen Neithhotep
9:30 The Grim Practice of Retainer Sacrifice
12:30 Djer
16:08 Building the State: Economics and Bureaucracy
20:30 Djet
21:18 Merneith: The First Female Pharaoh?
23:47 King Den and the Height of the First Dynasty
27:14 Anedjib
27:43 Semerkhet
28:33 Qa'a
29:26 Dynasty 2 and the Shift to Saqqara
31:11 Raneb / Nebra
32:30 Nynetjer and Cracks in the Kingdom
34:16 The "Gap": Civil War and Peribsen
42:45 Khasekhemwy: Reuniting the Two Lands
47:40 Thank You and Patrons

Related Videos:

Before the Pharaohs and Pyramids: The People and Cultures of Predynastic Egypt (c. 5000-3000 BC)
   • Before the Pharaohs and Pyramids: The Peop...  

Narmer: The King Who Forged Egypt (c. 3100-3000 BC)
   • Narmer: The King Who Forged Egypt (c. 3100...  

The Real Scorpion Kings of Egypt (3300-3000 BC)
   • The Real Scorpion Kings of Egypt (3300-300...  

Egypt’s Mysterious Early Kings (Predynastic Egyptian History 3300-3000 BC)
   • Egypt’s Mysterious Early Kings (Predynasti...  

Sources and Suggested Reading:

Early Dynastic Egypt - Toby Wilkinson
The Rise and Fall of Ancient Egypt - Toby Wilkinson
The First Pharaohs: Their Lives and Afterlives - Aidan Dodson
A History of Ancient Egypt: From the First Farmers to the Great Pyramid - John Romer
An Introduction to the Archaeology of Ancient Egypt - Kathryn A. Bard
The Complete Royal Families of Ancient Egypt - Aidan Dodson and Dyan Hilton
Monarchs of the Nile - Aidan Dodson
The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt - Ian Shaw
A History of Ancient Egypt - Marc Van De Mieroop
Inside the Egyptian Museum - Zahi Hawass
Before the Pyramids: The Origins of Egyptian Civilization - Edited by Emily Teeter
Encyclopedia of the Pharaohs: Predynastic to the Twentieth Dynasty 3300-1069 BC - Darrell D. Baker
In the Shadow of the Pyramids: Egyptian during the Old Kingdom - Jaromir Malek
Egypt: The World of the Pharaohs - Edited by Regine Schulz and Matthias Seidel
Chronicles of the Pharaohs: The Reign by Reign Record of the Rulers and Dynasties of Ancient Egypt - Peter A. Clayton
Egypt's Making: The Origins of Ancient Egypt 5000–2000 BC - Michael Rice

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