On the 12th April 2025 we were delighted to welcome Dr Criscenzo-Laycock to speak to us about the First Intermediate Period: so often overlooked and yet such a fascinating period of Egyptian history. Gina started by explaining the development of the ancient Egyptian “nomes” and how they were governed by people appointed by the king, at least initially, and how those “Nomarchs” gradually increased their independence from the king, but did this eventually come to threaten the unity of the nation as is often suggested? Eventually the nation was roughly equally divided between two competing power bases, one at Herakleopolis and one at Thebes.
The evidence from the archaeology is very patchy, but then we are talking about a long, long time ago – about 2180-2055 BCE. Was it a period of catastrophic climate change? The evidence is conflicted. Was there constant warring between Nomarchs? Probably not. Was the reduction in size of pyramids an indication of the decline of central power? Debatable. Did it all end in a civil war which came to an end with the reunification of Egypt during the reign of Montuhotep II? Almost certainly – and that period must have been an awful 25 years to be alive in the Nile Valley!
Dr Criscenzo-Laycock made good use of her PhD based on this period, and the examination of the evidence was fascinating. We were introduced to major players such as Ankhtify, Pepiankh Hery-Ib, Queen Nitocris, Kakari-Ibi, Iti-Iby and, finally, the Intefs. Each of these will provide the student of Ancient Egypt an interesting focus for study. Many thanks to Dr Criscenzo-Laycock for agreeing to talk to us and we hope to see her again at another Hapy Society evening.
