Foreign contacts of ancient Egypt

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The following is a chronicle of ancient Egyptian foreign contacts up through 343 BC.

1 Predynastic Naqada (c. 4400-3100 BC)
2 Early Dynastic (before c. 2575 BC)
3 Old Kingdom (before c. 2134 BC)
4 Middle Kingdom (before c. 1648 BC)
5 New Kingdom (before c. 1070 BC)
6 Late Period (before c. 343 BC)
7 References

[edit] Predynastic Naqada (c. 4400-3100 BC)

Evidence of Naqadan contacts include pottery and other artifacts from the Levant that have been found in ancient Egypt^[1] and obsidian from Ethiopia and the Aegean.^[2] Egyptian artifacts dating to this era have been found in Canaan^[3] and other regions of the Near East, including Tell Brak^[4] and Uruk and Susa^[5] in Mesopotamia.

[edit] Early Dynastic (before c. 2575 BC)

Evidence of Early Dynastic contacts are basically a continuation of the predynastic above with further extensions into Sudan^[6]. There are also some indications of contact with the Aegean and Crete in this time period, but this evidence is weak.^[7]

Some First Dynasty Egyptian pottery has been found in southern Canaan,^[8] including some bearing the name of Narmer.^[9]

Other reflections of Near Eastern contact particularly include a design of a flint knife.^[10]

[edit] Old Kingdom (before c. 2134 BC)

Evidence of Old Kingdom trade (external map here) extends southward to Nubia (in modern Sudan and Ethiopia) and Punt (probably modern Ethiopia/Eritrea or the Eritreo-Sudanese borderlands, possibly Somalia), eastward to the Near East (Byblos and Ebla, Syria), northward to the Aegean and the Greek islands, and westward (limited evidence) with Libya.^[11]

[edit] Middle Kingdom (before c. 1648 BC)

Evidence of Middle Kingdom contacts (external map here) reaches southward to Nubia, in particular Buhen^[12] and Kerma.^[13] Nubians also lived in ancient Egypt in this time period.^[14]

Eastward contacts are represented by objects and motific works of ancient Egypt found in the Near East, including modern Anatolia and Byblos and those ancient regions around Palestine and Syria. Some kings of Byblos have been found buried with Egyptian items.^[15]

Westward, evidence of contact with Libya is generally limited to military expeditions.^[16]

Northward, evidence of contact with the Aegean includes Minoan relics found in Egypt.^[17]

[edit] New Kingdom (before c. 1070 BC)

New Kingdom contacts (everywhere except Greece) seem to have been dominated by military activities. Strong northerly contacts with Crete, Mycenea and the Helladic (on the Aegean islands) seem to have persisted during this time.^[18] Southward, Egypt conquered Nubia.^[19]

Eastward, the Egyptians attempted (unsuccessfully) to conquer ancient regions of Palestine and Syria, being opposed by the Mitanni and the Hittites. Although, limited trade between the regions seems to have continued, culminating in the world's earliest known peace treaty, between Ramesses II and the Hittites.^[20]

Westward, contact with Libya is again generally limited to military activities.^[21]

[edit] Late Period (before c. 343 BC)

Foreign contacts in the Late Period of Ancient Egypt seem to have been mere extensions of those of the New Kingdom. Military expeditions again persist, everywhere but in ancient Greece. In fact, there is in this time period evidence of Greek soldiers fighting for Egyptian pharaoahs and the establishment of a Greek trading post, called Naucratis, within Egypt.^[22]

Nubia is dominated by ancient Egypt in this time period. Eventually, however, by the 25th dynasty, Nubia conquers and controls Egypt, only themselves to become later ousted by the Assyrians. Further, some scholars believe the Assyrians were then later driven out by the Napatans.^[23]

Eastward, Egypt gains control over Cyprus but, despite numerous attempts, never the ancient Palestine regions.^[24]

Again Libyan contacts in this era are generally limited to military activities.^[25]