Lower Egypt

Map of Upper Egypt showing important sites that were occupied during the Protodynastic Period of Egypt (clickable map)

Deshret, the Red Crown of Lower Egypt

Map of Lower Egypt with its historical nomes

Lower Egypt (Egyptian Arabic:Maṣr El-sofla) is the northernmost region of Egypt: the fertile Nile Delta, between Upper Egypt and the Mediterranean Sea — from El-Aiyat, south of modern-day Cairo, and Zawyet Dahshur.

Geography

In ancient times, Pliny the Elder (N.H. 5.11) said that upon reaching the delta the Nile split into seven branches (from east to west): the Pelusiac, the Tanitic, the Mendesian, the Phatnitic, the Sebennytic, the Bolbitine, and the Canopic. Today there are two principal channels that the Nile takes through the river's delta: one in the west at Rashid and one in the east at Damietta.

The delta region is well watered, crisscrossed by channels and canals.

The climate in Lower Egypt is milder than that of Upper Egypt owing primarily to its proximity to the Mediterranean Sea. Temperatures are less extreme and rainfall is more abundant.

History

Lower Egypt was known as Ta-Mehu which means "land of papyrus." It was divided into twenty districts called nomes, the first of which was at el-Lisht. Because Lower Egypt was mostly undeveloped scrubland, undeveloped for human life and filled with all types of plant life such as grasses and herbs, the organization of the nomes underwent several changes.

The capital of Lower Egypt was Memphis. Its patron Goddess was the cobra goddess Wadjet. Lower Egypt was represented by the Low Red Crown Deshret, and its symbols were the papyrus and the bee.

By about 3600 BC, neolithic Egyptian societies along the Nile River had based their culture on the raising of crops and the domestication of animals.^[1] Shortly after 3600 BC Egyptian society began to grow and advance rapidly toward refined civilization.^[2] A new and distinctive pottery, which was related to the pottery in the Southern Levant, appeared during this time. Extensive use of copper became common during this time.^[2] The Mesopotamian process of sun-dried bricks, and architectural building principles—including the use of the arch and recessed walls for decorative effect—became popular during this time.^[2]

Concurrent with these cultural advances, a process of unification of the societies and towns of the upper Nile River, or Upper Egypt, occurred. At the same time the societies of the Nile Delta, or Lower Egypt also underwent a unification process.^[2] Warfare between Upper and Lower Egypt occurred often.^[2] During his reign in Upper Egypt, King Narmer defeated his enemies on the Delta and merged both the Kingdom of Upper and Lower Egypt under his single rule.^[3]

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List of kings of the Predynastic Period of Lower Egypt

Dynasties of Ancient Egypt

All years (rightmost column) are BC (BCE)

Early

First Dynasty	I	c. 3150–2890
Second Dynasty	II	2890–2686

Old Kingdom

Third Dynasty	III	2686–2613
Fourth Dynasty	IV	2613–2498
Fifth Dynasty	V	2498–2345
Sixth Dynasty	VI	2345–2181

First Intermediate

Seventh and Eighth Dynasties	VII/VIII	2181–2160
Ninth Dynasty	IX	2160–2130
Tenth Dynasty	X	2130–2040
Early Eleventh Dynasty	XI	2134–2061

Middle Kingdom

Late Eleventh Dynasty	XI	2061–1991
Twelfth Dynasty	XII	1991–1803
Thirteenth Dynasty	XIII	1803–1649
Fourteenth Dynasty	XIV	1705–1690

Second Intermediate

Fifteenth Dynasty	XV	1674–1535
Sixteenth Dynasty	XVI	1660–1600
Abydos Dynasty		1650–1600
Seventeenth Dynasty	XVII	1580–1549

New Kingdom

Eighteenth Dynasty	XVIII	1549–1292
Nineteenth Dynasty	XIX	1292–1189
Twentieth Dynasty	XX	1189–1077

Third Intermediate

Twenty-first Dynasty	XXI	1069–945
Twenty-second Dynasty	XXII	945–720
Twenty-third Dynasty	XXIII	837–728
Twenty-fourth Dynasty	XXIV	732–720
Twenty-fifth Dynasty	XXV	732–653

Late Period

Twenty-sixth Dynasty	XXVI	672–525
Twenty-seventh Dynasty (1st Persian Period)	XXVII	525–404
Twenty-eighth Dynasty	XXVIII	404–398
Twenty-ninth Dynasty	XXIX	398–380
Thirtieth Dynasty	XXX	380–343
Thirty-first Dynasty (2nd Persian Period)	XXXI	343–332

Ptolemaic (Hellenistic)

Argead Dynasty	332–305
Ptolemaic Kingdom	305–30

The Palermo stone, a royal annal written in the mid Fifth Dynasty (c. 2490 BC – c. 2350 BC) records a number of kings reigning over Lower Egypt before Narmer. These are completely unattested outside these inscriptions:

Name
Hsekiu^[4]
Khayu^[4]
Tiu^[4]
Thesh^[4]
Neheb^[4]
Wazner^[4]
Mekh^[4]
(destroyed)^[4]

In contrast the following kings are attested through archeological finds from Sinai and Lower Egypt: Double Falcon, Crocodile.

List of nomes

Part of a series on the

History of Egypt

Prehistoric Egypt

pre–3100 BC

Ancient Egypt
Early Dynastic Period	3100–2686 BC
Old Kingdom	2686–2181 BC
1st Intermediate Period	2181–2055 BC
Middle Kingdom	2055–1650 BC
2nd Intermediate Period	1650–1550 BC
New Kingdom	1550–1069 BC
3rd Intermediate Period	1069–664 BC
Late Period	664–332 BC
Achaemenid Egypt	525–332 BC

Classical antiquity
Macedonian and Ptolemaic Egypt	332–30 BC
Roman and Byzantine Egypt	30 BC–641 AD
Sasanian Egypt	619–629

Middle Ages
Arab Egypt	641–969
Fatimid Egypt	969–1171
Ayyubid Egypt	1171–1250
Mamluk Egypt	1250–1517

Early modern
Ottoman Egypt	1517–1867
French occupation	1798–1801
Egypt under Muhammad Ali	1805–1882
Khedivate of Egypt	1867–1914

Modern Egypt
British occupation	1882–1922
Sultanate of Egypt	1914–1922
Kingdom of Egypt	1922–1953
Republic	1953–present

Egypt portal

Number	Egyptian Name	Capital	Modern name of capital site	Translation
1	Aneb-Hetch	Ineb Hedj / Men-nefer / Menfe (Memphis)	Mit Rahina	White Walls
2	Khensu	Khem (Letopolis)	Ausim	Cow's thigh
3	Ahment	Imu (Apis)	Kom el-Hisn	West
4	Sapi-Res	Ptkheka	Tanta	Southern shield
5	Sap-Meh	Zau (Sais)	Sa el-Hagar	Northern shield
6	Khaset	Khasu (Xois)	Sakha	Mountain bull
7	A-ment	(Hermopolis Parva, Metelis)	Damanhur	West harpoon
8	A-bt	Tjeku / Per-Atum (Heroonpolis, Pithom)	Tell al-Maskhuta	East harpoon
9	Ati	Djed (Busiris)	Abu Sir Bara	Andjeti
10	Ka-khem	Hut-hery-ib (Athribis)	Banha (Tell Atrib)	Black bull
11	Ka-heseb	Taremu (Leontopolis)	Tell al-Urydam	Heseb bull
12	Theb-ka	Tjebnutjer (Sebennytos)	Samanud	Calf and Cow
13	Heq-At	Iunu (Heliopolis)	Materiya (suburb of Cairo)	Prospering Sceptre
14	Khent-abt	Tjaru (Sile, Tanis)	Tell Abu Sefa	Eastmost
15	Tehut	Ba'h / Weprehwy (Hermopolis Parva)	Baqliya	Ibis
16	Kha	Djedet (Mendes)	Tell al-Rubˁ	Fish
17	Semabehdet	Semabehdet (Diospolis Inferior)	Tell el-Balamun	The throne
18	Am-Khent	Per-Bastet (Bubastis)	Tell Bastah (near Zagazig)	Prince of the South
19	Am-Pehu	Dja'net (Leontopolis Tanis)	Tell Nebesha or San el-Hagar	Prince of the North
20	Sopdu	Per-Sopdu	Saft al-Henna	Plumed Falcon

References

↑ Carl Roebuck, The World of Ancient Times (Charles Scribner's Sons Publishing: New York, 1966) p. 51.
1 2 3 4 5 Carl Roebuck, The World of Ancient Times (Charles Scribner's Sons: New York, 1966) p. 52-53.
↑ Carl Roebuck, The World of Ancient Times (Charles Scribner's Sons Publishers: New York, 1966), p. 53.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Breasted (1909) p.36

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