Page 56 - Key to Social Studies 4

The Middle Kingdom (2055–1786
B.C.E.)
After the assassination of King
Mentuhotep IV, the last ruler of the
eleventh dynasty, the position of ruler
moved to his vizier Amenemhet I, the
founder of the twelfth dynasty.
The new king built a new capital in
southern Memphis, while the main
religious center remained at the city of
Thebes.
The New Kingdom (1567–1085 B.C.E.)
Ahmose I, the rst king of the eighteenth
dynasty, uni ed Egypt, restored control
over Nubia, and began to expand Egypt's
borders. He built the world’s rst great
empire from Nubia to the Euphrates
River. The New Kingdom had great rulers:
• Amenhotep I
• Thutmose I
• Amenhotep III
• Hatshepsut
Hatshepsut was the rst female ruler to
rule as queen. She reigned for almost
twenty years and is one of the most
famous rulers of ancient Egyptian history.
Let’s Think
How Did the Ancient Egyptian Civilization A ect Modern Egypt?
The ancient Egyptian civilization has shaped modern Egypt. Without its rich and varied
ancient civilization, one of the oldest in the world, Egypt would not be the place it is
today. Many historians believe that the ancient Egyptian civilization a ected many other
cultures, too, introducing many ideas and practices that the world still wonders about
today. What do you think would have happened if Egypt had not been through all these

changes? How important is the ancient Egyptian civilization to the world? What kind of

ideas and practices originating from the Egyptian civilization have enlightened the whole

world?

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