At the end of the New Kingdom, c. 1069 BC, Egypt split into a northern kingdom and a southern one run by priests. For nearly four centuries, the Third Intermediate Period (c. 1069–664 BC), power stayed divided, shared among kings, priests and local chiefs.
Key idea
| Dynasty | Dates (c.) | Who |
|---|---|---|
| 21st | c. 1069–945 BC | kings at Tanis; high priests of Amun at Thebes |
| 22nd | c. 945–715 BC | Libyan kings, beginning with Shoshenq I |
| 23rd | c. 818–715 BC | a rival line of Libyan kings, at the same time as the 22nd |
| 24th | c. 727–715 BC | kings of Sais in the western Delta |
| 25th | c. 747–656 BC | Kushite kings from Napata |
Tanis
The 21st Dynasty kings built their capital at Tanis, reusing statues and blocks brought from older sites such as Pi-Ramesses. In 1939–40 the French archaeologist Pierre Montet found royal tombs inside the temple enclosure at Tanis, including that of Psusennes I with a silver coffin and a gold mask: a treasure that rivals Tutankhamun's.
Thebes and the royal mummies
At Thebes the high priests ran the south and, faced with robbers, moved the mummies of New Kingdom kings from their tombs into hidden caches for safety. One cache, at Deir el-Bahari, was found in the 1870s and cleared in 1881, with Seti I, Ramesses II and many others.
Why it works
Worked example: Overlapping dynasties
- The 25th starts c. 747 BC, before the 22nd ends c. 715 BC.
- So for about 30 years both existed.
- They ruled different regions: the 22nd in the Delta, the Kushite kings from Napata, spreading north.
Answer: Yes: they overlapped, ruling different parts of the land.
Common mistake