Episode 15 The Beginning of the New Kingdom
The History of Ancient Egypt
Professor Robert Brier
Film Review
Egypt’s New Kingdom began with Dynasty XVIII. Ahmose (1570-1546 BC) became the first king of Dynasty XVIII after finally expelling the Hyksos (see Egypt’s Second Intermediate Period and Foreign Rule by the Hyksos) from northern Egypt. After introducing the use of standing armies to obtain tribute and booty, he established two capitols (an administrative capitol in Memphis and a religious capitol in Thebes) and becomes fantastically prosperous.
Women were more important in Egypt’s New Kingdom than any other ancient civilization. Ahmose granted his wife the title Queen Ahmose Nefetrari (meaning “married to Amun”). Her role was to run Egypt’s temples. A number of New Kingdom pharaohs were commoners who ascended to the throne by marrying a woman of royal blood.
Ahmose and his son (Amenhotep I) embark on a military campaign against Nubian bowmen on southern Egypt’s border.* As with most New Kingdom military expeditions they took scribes with them to keep track of food and other supplies, spoils of victory and the number of dead (by counting the right hands fellow warriors cut off when comrades died in battle). Ahmose and Amenhotep I returned from Nubia with captive bowmen, gold and slaves.
Amenhotep I had no sons. His successor Tuthmosis I (1524-1418 BC) was a military commoner who became pharaoh by marrying the daughter of Ahmose. He was the first pharaoh to lead his troops past the dangerous fourth Nile cataract. He did so by posting soldiers on both banks controlling the boat with ropes attached to its bow.
His tomb inscriptions indicate Tuthmosis conquered two separate Nubian tribes and “those who lived on sand (Bedouins).” He erected two large monolith: in Nubia marking Egypt’s southern border and at the Euphrates (after leading his troops into Mesopotamia) marking its northern border.
He erected Egypt’s tallest ever Obelisk at Karnak and was the first king to be buried in Wadi Ameluk (the Valley of the Kings). The soft limestone bedrock there was easy to chisel into 100-200 foot tunnel with Egyptian copper and bronze tools. It was alo easy to paint and polish.
*Numbian bowmen were often hired a mercenaries by various African and Mediterranean nations.
Film can be viewed free with a library card on Kanopy.
https://www.kanopy.com/en/pukeariki/watch/video/1492791/1492826
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