Restoration Texts in Ancient Egypt During the Second Intermediate Period

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Tourism Guidance-Faculty of Tourism & Hotel Managements- Suez Canal University

2 Ph.D. in Egyptology Inspector of antiquities Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities

3 Master's Degree in Egyptology Former Director of the Scientific Training Center in Central Delta Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities

Abstract

The Second Intermediate Period is considered one of the most obscure and complex eras in the history of ancient Egypt, due to the political unrest and the disintegration of central authority that characterized it. This period also suffers from weak official documentation and a scarcity of inscriptions and texts compared to the preceding and subsequent eras. The difficulty of dating this period becomes even more pronounced when addressing restoration and reconstruction activities, as most of the available information comes from scattered references in a limited number of inscribed stelae, with no comprehensive architectural records or official administrative archives.
In this context, the present study seeks to shed light on a selection of rare textual testimonies that document restoration activities during the Second Intermediate Period. These texts serve as a gateway to understanding the interaction between religion and politics in a time oof division, and represent a serious attempt to fill a historical gap whose details largely remain neglected.
The aim of this study is to highlight the role restoration activities played in reinforcing Egypt’s cultural and religious identity during this critical period. This is achieved through the analysis of a set of ancient Egyptian texts containing explicit or implicit references to restoration work, with a focus on the terms used, their meanings, and how they were employed in a context that reflects an effort to restore balance and maintain civilizational continuity in the face of disorder.

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