Upper Egypt - Ancient History: Egypt

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Question

The cataracts were __________.

Answer

The cataracts are a series of shallow, white water rapids found in stretches of the Nile River. During antiquity, the cataracts acted as a natural barrier that prevented trade from flourishing down the full extent of the Nile River into the heart of Africa.

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Question

Who was the oldest Egyptian king known by name?

Answer

Iry-Hor was the first king of Egypt known by name, and likely ruled during the early 32nd century BCE. His tomb is the oldest burial place in the Abydos necropolis, and there was once controversy over whether or not he was actually a king. However, excavations of the necropolis confirmed that his tomb was of royal proportions, and an inscription found near Sinai in 2012 showed his name in the format of a ruler, so the controversy has largely been laid to rest.

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Question

These two city-states came together in the predynastic era to form a unified Upper Egyptian state?

Answer

Nekhen (also called by its Greek name Hierakonpolis) and Naqada were two proto city-states which arose in Upper Egypt during the predynastic period. At some point, these two societies came together, along with numerous other smaller states, to form a unified Upper Egyptian society. Most likely they were slowly unified by a series of powerful predynastic rulers.

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Question

The ancient Egyptian city of Nekhen is more commonly called by its Greek name __________.

Answer

Many rulers and cities in ancient Egypt are known to Egyptologists by both an Egyptian name and a Greek name. This is because many of the earliest histories of ancient Egypt were written by Greek sources and the names they gave to people and places have been passed on by later historians. Generally, it is conventional to refer to people and places by the name most commonly used to describe them, regardless of whether the name is Egyptian or Greek in origin. One city that is commonly called by both its Egyptian and Greek name is Nekhen, also known as Hierakonpolis. Nekhen is one of the earliest cities of Upper Egypt and was important in the formation of predynastic Egyptian culture.

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