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The Early Dynastic or Archaeic
Period (3100-2686BC) :
This period is
shrouded in mythology. Little is known of Menes and his descendants
outside of their divine ancestry and that they developed a complex
social system, patronized the arts and constructed temples and many
public buildings.
The foundation of Memphis, the world's first imperial city, is
attributed to Menes. From Memphis the third and fifth kings of the
First Dynasty which extended from 3100 to
2890BC set out to conquer the Sinai.
During the First Dynasty culture became increasingly refined. The
royal burial grounds at Saqqara and Abydos became sites of highly
developed mastabas.
The Second Dynasty lasting from 2980 to
2686 BC was characterized by regional
disputes and a decentralization of Pharaonic authority, a process
which was only temporarily halted by the Pharaoh Raneb, also called
"HOTEPSEKHEMWY". These regional contentions were very likely the
outcome of the unresolved conflict between the two deities "HORUS"
in the south and Seth in the Delta. Theistic rivalry seems to have
been resolved by Khasekhem, the last Pharaoh of the Second Dynasty.
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