1 102 C Middle Kingdom Egypt @ The reunification of Egypt in 1991 BC opened a period of great prosperity. Egypt's efficient armies expanded its foreign territories, maintaining power through a chain of garrisoned strongholds, and trade prospered. At home, fortified towns disappeared as the kings brought Egypt once again under strong central government, though this unity lasted only until 1786 BC.
# Middle Kingdom Egypt, model from daily life - girl with tray of loaves
2 102 A New Kingdom Egypt @ During the New Kingdom, from 1567 BC, Egypt expanded to rule much of the Levant as well as Upper Nubia. The splendours of royal tombs in the Valley of Kings are hinted at by those of the small and modestly furnished tomb of Tutankhamun. City life is best known from the short-lived capital at Amarna.
# New Kingdom Egypt, richly painted tomb in Valley of Kings
3 102 B Nubia @ During the Egyptian Middle Kingdom strong fortresses on the Nile controlled Lower Nubia and secured access to goods from Upper Nubia, particularly gold. When the Middle Kingdom collapsed around 1786, the Kingdom of Kush in Upper Nubia for a while gained control of the former Egyptian colonies. Kings were buried with their retainers in large burial mounds.
# Nubia, Nile fortress or Kush royal burial
4 102 E Farming in Sub-Saharan Africa @ On the forest margins of West Africa farming began around the 18th century BC; the pottery used here reflects influences from the north and west. People kept cattle and goats and their crops included oil palm nuts and cowpeas (a type of pulse). A common pottery object may have used for grating yams (direct evidence of yam cultivation is elusive).
# Expanding farming in Sub-Saharan Africa, Pottery grater
5 102 D Ethiopia @ Although Ethiopia is still little known it was the home of several native African crops, probably including finger millet. In northern Ethiopia, the presence of wheat, barley, sheep and goat and the plough indicate contacts with Egypt. This region may be the Land of Punt from which the Egyptian queen Hatshepsut brought incense trees.
