Page 277 - Encyclopedia Of World History

egypt—state formation 627

An Egyptian tomb painting showing Ramses II and his sons attacking a mountain fort.

tinction between the productive farmers and non- emerged in different parts of the country, most notably at
productive elites, who, for the purpose of stability at all Hierakonpolis,Abydos (Thinis), and in the north, whose
levels (political, economic, and social), required social sol- leaders were monarchs from powerful families with near
idarity as well as ideological validation. This the elites unlimited access to exotic long-distance trade goods, arti-
achieved by sponsoring cults of local deities and by sans, craft industries of local products, human and natu-
embellishing their sanctuaries, which provided a signifi- ral resources, as well as a body of personnel whose skills
cant religious and social focus for the wider community. were employed to develop an administrative system by
The leaders also developed an ideology centered on way of writing. This increasing segmentation of society
their own skills and supernatural powers, which was laid the foundation for the development of complex
expressed in symbolically charged art representations society in Egypt.
stylizing the leaders as the masters of the universe. As It has been suggested that neighboring city-states
well, coercion, or at least the threat of it, was always a maintained regular contact with each other and that they
potential tool to ensure stability within the community or thus not only engaged in trade and exchange of goods
even between neighboring polities. but also came to share cultural values, religious beliefs,
As much of the trade and transport were conducted and artistic conventions and ideologies.This premise pos-
along the river, it is possible that individuals regularly sibly allows us to explain the practically simultaneous
transgressed the boundaries of adjacent polities, which appearance of names of contemporary, but possibly com-
gave the leaders the incentive to secure the flow of prod- peting, rulers of different parts of the country, inscribed
ucts and the integrity of their territories and which in turn on objects such as cylinder seals and pottery vessels.The
encouraged competition and the need for ideological jus- same design principles were used each time in writing the
tification for claiming a territory beyond their borders various royal names, which indicates that these rulers
and defining and protecting its boundaries against poten- shared artistic and literary conventions.At a slightly later
tial competitors. It is possible that this peer competition stage the name of the ruler was augmented by the addi-
between polities for the control of the market centers and tion of a deity, the god Horus, which implies the sharing
hinterlands was for the most part responsible for the cre- also of religious beliefs for the expression of royalty in dif-
ation of larger centers of power, which subsequently be- ferent parts of the country. Interestingly, commodities
came the hearts of the early states. inscribed with royal names have been found at great dis-
tance from their places of origin. For example, pottery
The Second Stage vessels inscribed with the names of southern rulers have
There is evidence from around 3300 BCE that relatively been found in the north of Egypt. In the past, that would
large kingdoms with substantial urban centers had have been taken as evidence for control or conquest of