Lower Egypt

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Lower Egypt
ⲧⲥⲁϧⲏⲧ, ⲡⲥⲁⲙⲉⲛϩⲓⲧ
مصر السفلى
c. 3500 BC–c. 3100 BC
CapitalMemphis
Common languagesAncient Egyptian
Religion
Ancient Egyptian religion
GovernmentMonarchy
King 
• Unknown
Unknown (first)
• c. 3150 BC
Unknown (last)
History 
• Established
c. 3500 BC
• Disestablished
c. 3100 BC
Preceded by		 Succeeded by
Prehistoric Egypt
Early Dynastic Period (Egypt)
Today part ofEgypt
Lower Egypt is located in Egypt
Memphis
class=notpageimage|
Map of Lower Egypt showing important sites that were occupied during the Protodynastic Period of Egypt
(clickable map)
Deshret
, the Red Crown of Lower Egypt
Map of Lower Egypt with its historical nomes

Lower Egypt (

Arabic: مصر السفلى Miṣr as-Suflā; Coptic: ⲧⲥⲁϧⲏⲧ, romanized: Tsakhet) is the northernmost region of Egypt, which consists of the fertile Nile Delta between Upper Egypt and the Mediterranean Sea, from El Aiyat, south of modern-day Cairo, and Dahshur
. Historically, the Nile River split into seven branches of the delta in Lower Egypt.

Lower Egypt was divided into

Arabic
: بحر موَيس, "waterway of Moses").

Name

In

Ancient Greek: Πτιμυρις mentioned by Stephanus of Byzantium, but it is unclear if this is a separate region or just a Greek rendering of the name Bashmur.[4]

After the

Arabic: الهوف) meaning "edge, fringe".[6]

Geography

Today, there are two principal channels that the Nile takes through the river delta: one in the west at Rashid and one in the east at Damietta.

The delta region is well watered, crisscrossed by channels and canals.

Owing primarily to its proximity to the Mediterranean Sea, the climate in Lower Egypt is milder than that of Upper Egypt, the southern portion of the country. Temperatures are less extreme and rainfall is more abundant in Lower Egypt.

History

It was divided into twenty districts called

herbs
, the organization of the nomes underwent several changes.

The capital of Lower Egypt was Memphis. Its patron goddess was the goddess Wadjet, depicted as a cobra. Lower Egypt was represented by the Red Crown Deshret, and its symbols were the papyrus and the bee. After unification, the patron deities of both Lower Egypt and Upper Egypt were represented together as the Two Ladies, Wadjet and Nekhbet (depicted as a vulture), to protect all of the ancient Egyptians.

By approximately 3600 BC, Neolithic Egyptian societies along the

pottery in the Southern Levant, appeared during this time. Extensive use of copper became common during this time.[1] The Mesopotamian process of sun-dried bricks, and architectural building principles—including the use of the arch and recessed walls for decorative effect—became popular during this time.[1]

Concurrent with these cultural advances, a process of unification of the societies and towns of the upper Nile River, or Upper Egypt, occurred. At the same time, the societies of the Nile Delta, or Lower Egypt also underwent a unification process.[1] Warfare between Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt occurred often.[1] During his reign in Upper Egypt, King Narmer defeated his enemies in the Delta and merged the kingdoms of Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt under his single rule.[8]

List of kings of the Predynastic Period of Lower Egypt

Periods and dynasties of ancient Egypt
All years are
BC
Early
Pre-dynastic period
First Dynasty I c. 3150–2890
Second Dynasty II 2890–2686
Old Kingdom
Third Dynasty III 2686–2613
Fourth Dynasty IV 2613–2498
Fifth Dynasty V 2498–2345
Sixth Dynasty VI 2345–2181
First Intermediate
Seventh Dynasty VII spurious
Eighth Dynasty VIII 2181–2160
Ninth Dynasty IX 2160–2130
Tenth Dynasty X 2130–2040
Early Eleventh Dynasty XI 2134–2061
Middle Kingdom
Late Eleventh Dynasty XI 2061–1991
Twelfth Dynasty XII 1991–1803
Thirteenth Dynasty XIII 1803–1649
Second Intermediate
Fourteenth Dynasty XIV 1705–1690
Fifteenth Dynasty (Hyksos) XV 1674–1535
Sixteenth Dynasty XVI 1660–1600
Abydos Dynasty 1650–1600
Seventeenth Dynasty XVII 1580–1549
New Kingdom
Eighteenth Dynasty XVIII 1549–1292
Nineteenth Dynasty XIX 1292–1189
Twentieth Dynasty XX 1189–1077
Third Intermediate
Twenty-first Dynasty XXI 1069–945
Twenty-second Dynasty XXII 945–720
Twenty-third Dynasty XXIII 837–728
Twenty-fourth Dynasty XXIV 732–720
Twenty-fifth Dynasty (Nubian) XXV 732–653
Late Period
Twenty-sixth Dynasty XXVI 672–525
XXVII 525–404
Twenty-eighth Dynasty XXVIII 404–398
Twenty-ninth Dynasty XXIX 398–380
Thirtieth Dynasty XXX 380–343
XXXI 343–332
Thirty-third Dynasty
 XXXIII 305–30
Roman Egypt
XXXIV 30–313 AD

The

Palermo stone, a royal annal written in the mid Fifth Dynasty (c. 2490 BC – c. 2350 BC) records a number of kings reigning over Lower Egypt before Narmer
. These are completely unattested outside these inscriptions:

Name
Hsekiu[9]
Khayu[9]
Tiu[9]
Thesh[9]
Neheb[9]
Wazner[9]
Mekh[9]
(destroyed)[9]

In contrast, the following kings are attested through archeological finds from Sinai and Lower Egypt: Double Falcon, Crocodile.

List of nomes

Part of a series on the
History of Egypt
All Gizah Pyramids.jpg
Predynastic
6000–3150 BC