Home Region:  Northeast Africa (Africa)

Egypt - Late Old Kingdom

2350 BCE 2150 BCE
EQ 2020  eg_old_k_2 / EgOldK2
Preceding Entity: Add one more here.
2650 BCE 2350 BCE Egypt - Classic Old Kingdom (eg_old_k_1)    [continuity]

Succeeding Entity: Add one more here.
2150 BCE 2016 BCE Egypt - Period of the Regions (eg_regions)    [None]

Displayed: 2300 BCE

-2300-2278-2256-2234-2212-2189-2167-2145-2123-2101


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  General Description   The Old Kingdom period of Egypt covers the Third to Sixth ruling Dynasties, a period stretching from about 2650 to 2150 BCE. Seshat divides this period into two groups, the ’Classic’ Old Kingdom period, covering the First through Fifth Dynasties (roughly 2650-2350 BCE), and the ’Late’ Old Kingdom, comprising turbulent Sixth Dynasty (2350-2150 BCE). This dynasty witnessed a decentralization of the king’s authority, leading to the First Intermediate Period, or Period of the Regions.
Population and political organization
The kings of the Sixth Dynasty were still based at the capital in Memphis. Lower Nubia, over 1000 km away from the Egyptian centre, was organized into six small chiefdoms under the Sixth Dynasty. [1] The hwt, once a royal possession and conveyor of central authority, was now dominated by a powerful provincial nobility that viewed their area of control as hereditary property [2] - a development enshrined in the governor’s new title, ’great chief of the nome’. [3] It appears that military institutions did not change significantly from the Early to the Late Old Kingdom: there was still no permanent, state-run standing army. [4]
Long viewed as an incarnation of an ancient sky and falcon god called Horus, from the Fourth Dynasty onward the Egyptian king also was considered the son of a sun god, Ra. [5] Ra grew in importance during the Old Kingdom and, around the beginning of the Fifth Dynasty, had essentially become an Egyptian state god. During the Sixth Dynasty the sun temples in which Ra was worshipped became large institutions maintained by donations and landed property. [6] In contrast to the earlier age, during the Sixth Dynasty it was promotion within the sun temples that became the route to high office within the palatial bureaucracy. [7] Priests would not become full-time professionals until the New Kingdom: at this time, they worked rotating shifts. [8] Nevertheless, large-scale temple building for a wide range of local gods, including Khenti-amentiu at Abydos; Min at Koptos; Hathor at Dendera; Horus at Hierankonpolis; and Satet at Elephantine, underlines the florescence of religious expression as well as the command of a large labour pool by the king and local elites more generally during the Sixth Dynasty. [9]
The growing power of local elites, commanding religious and administrative authority as well as great agricultural wealth and control over labour in the form of corvée dues, undermined the central power of Sixth-Dynasty rulers. After the death of King Pepi II (r. 2278-2184 BCE), there were repeated contests over the succession. [10] Eventually, these conflicts, coupled with the declining authority of the kings and possibly periods of famine caused by successive harvest failures due to poor Nile flooding, led to the collapse of centralized authority and the onset of the First Intermediate Period, or Period of the Regions.

[1]: (Spalinger 2013, 463) A. Spalinger. 2013. ’The Organization of the Pharaonic Army (Old to New Kingdom)’, in Ancient Egyptian Adminstration, edited by Juan Carlos Moreno García, 393-478. Leiden: Brill.

[2]: (Hassan 1993, 567) Kekri Hassan. 1993. ’Town and Village in Ancient Egypt: Ecology, Society and Urbanization’, in The Archaeology of Africa: Food, Metals and Towns, edited by Thurstan Shaw, Paul Sinclair, Bassey Andah and Alex Okpoko, 551-69. London: Routledge.

[3]: (Kemp 1983, 108) Barry J. Kemp. 1983. ’Old Kingdom, Middle Kingdom and Second Intermediate Period c. 2686-1552 BC’, in Ancient Egypt: A Social History, edited by Bruce G. Trigger, Barry J. Kemp, David O’Connor and Alan B. Lloyd, 71-182. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

[4]: (Spalinger 2013, 468-70) A. Spalinger. 2013. ’The Organization of the Pharaonic Army (Old to New Kingdom)’, in Ancient Egyptian Adminstration, edited by Juan Carlos Moreno García, 393-478. Leiden: Brill.

[5]: (Kemp 1983, 71-72) Barry J. Kemp. 1983. ’Old Kingdom, Middle Kingdom and Second Intermediate Period c. 2686-1552 BC’, in Ancient Egypt: A Social History, edited by Bruce G. Trigger, Barry J. Kemp, David O’Connor and Alan B. Lloyd, 71-182. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

[6]: (Malek 2000, 99) Jaromir Malek. 2000. ’The Old Kingdom (c. 2686-2160 BC)’, in The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt, edited by Ian Shaw, 83-107. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

[7]: (Moreno García 2013, 201) Juan Carlos Moreno García. 2013. ’Building the Pharaonic State: Territory, Elite, and Power in Ancient Egypt during the 3rd Millennium BCE’, in Experiencing Power - Generating Authority: Cosmos and Politics in Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia, edited by J. A. Hill, Ph. H. Jones, A. J. Morales, 185-217. Philadelphia, PA: University of Pennsylvania Press.

[8]: (Doxey 2001, 69-70) D. M. Doxey. 2001. ’Priesthood’, in The Oxford Encyclopedia of Ancient Egypt, Volume 3, edited by D. B. Redford, 69-70. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

[9]: (Malek 2000, 105) Jaromir Malek. 2000. ’The Old Kingdom (c. 2686-2160 BC)’, in The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt, edited by Ian Shaw, 83-107. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

[10]: (Van De Mieroop 2011) Marc Van De Mieroop. 2011. A History of Ancient Egypt. Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell. Chichester.

General Variables
Social Complexity Variables
Social Scale
Hierarchical Complexity
Professions
Bureaucracy Characteristics
Law
Specialized Buildings: polity owned
Transport Infrastructure
Special-purpose Sites
Information / Writing System
Information / Kinds of Written Documents
Information / Money
Information / Postal System
Information / Measurement System
Warfare Variables (Military Technologies)
Economy Variables (Luxury Goods) Coding in Progress.
Religion Variables Coding in Progress.
Crisis Consequences Coding in Progress.
Power Transitions Coding in Progress.

NGA Settlements:

Year Range Egypt - Late Old Kingdom (eg_old_k_2) was in:
 (2350 BCE 2151 BCE)   Upper Egypt
Home NGA: Upper Egypt
General Variables
Identity and Location Egypt - Late Old Kingdom (eg_old_k_2)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
Utm Zone 36 R Confident Expert 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Original Name Egypt - Late Old Kingdom Confident Expert 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Capital Memphis Confident Expert 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Alternative Name Late Old Kingdom Confident Expert 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Alternative Name Old Kingdom of Egypt Confident Expert 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Temporal Bounds Egypt - Late Old Kingdom (eg_old_k_2)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
Peak Years 2300 BCE Confident Expert
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Duration [2350 BCE ➜ 2150 BCE] Confident Expert
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Political and Cultural Relations Egypt - Late Old Kingdom (eg_old_k_2)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
Suprapolity Relations none Confident Expert 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Succeeding Entity Egypt - Period of the Regions Confident Expert 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Relationship to Preceding Entity continuity Confident Expert 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Succeeding Entity
2150 BCE 2016 BCE
Egypt - Period of the Regions (eg_regions)   [None]  Confident Expert
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Preceding Entity
2650 BCE 2350 BCE
Egypt - Classic Old Kingdom (eg_old_k_1)   [continuity]  Confident Expert
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Degree of Centralization loose Confident Expert 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Degree of Centralization unitary state Confident Expert 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Language Egypt - Late Old Kingdom (eg_old_k_2)
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Linguistic Family Afro-Asiatic Confident Expert 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Language Ancient Egyptian Confident Expert 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Religion Egypt - Late Old Kingdom (eg_old_k_2)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
Social Complexity Variables
Social Scale Egypt - Late Old Kingdom (eg_old_k_2)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
Population of the Largest Settlement [30,000 to 50,000] people Confident 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Polity Territory [75,000 to 300,000] km2 Confident 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Polity Population 1,500,000 people Confident 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Hierarchical Complexity Egypt - Late Old Kingdom (eg_old_k_2)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
Settlement Hierarchy [4 to 5] Confident 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Religious Level 6 Confident 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Military Level [3 to 7] Confident 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Administrative Level 7 Confident 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Professions Egypt - Late Old Kingdom (eg_old_k_2)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
Professional Soldier Unknown Suspected 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Professional Priesthood Absent Confident 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Professional Military Officer Present Inferred 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Bureaucracy Characteristics Egypt - Late Old Kingdom (eg_old_k_2)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
Specialized Government Building Present Inferred 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Merit Promotion Present Inferred 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Full Time Bureaucrat Present Confident 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Examination System Absent Confident 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Law Egypt - Late Old Kingdom (eg_old_k_2)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
Professional Lawyer Present Inferred 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Judge Present Confident Disputed 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Judge Absent Confident Disputed 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Absent Inferred 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
Court Present Confident 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Specialized Buildings: polity owned Egypt - Late Old Kingdom (eg_old_k_2)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
Market Present Confident Disputed 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Market Absent Confident Disputed 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Irrigation System Present Inferred 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Food Storage Site Present Confident 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Drinking Water Supply System Absent Confident 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Entertainment Building Uncoded Undecided 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Transport Infrastructure Egypt - Late Old Kingdom (eg_old_k_2)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
Road Present Confident 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Port Present Confident 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Canal Present Confident 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Bridge Present Inferred 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Special-purpose Sites Egypt - Late Old Kingdom (eg_old_k_2)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
Mines or Quarry Present Confident 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Trading Emporia Uncoded Undecided 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Information / Writing System Egypt - Late Old Kingdom (eg_old_k_2)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
Written Record Present Confident 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Script Present Confident 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Phonetic Alphabetic Writing Absent Confident 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Nonwritten Record Present Confident 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Non Phonetic Writing Present Confident 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Information / Kinds of Written Documents Egypt - Late Old Kingdom (eg_old_k_2)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
Scientific Literature Present Confident 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Sacred Text Present Confident 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Religious Literature Present Confident 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Practical Literature Present Confident 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Philosophy Present Confident Disputed 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Philosophy Absent Confident Disputed 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Lists Tables and Classification Present Confident 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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History Present Confident 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Fiction Present Inferred 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Calendar Present Confident 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Information / Money Egypt - Late Old Kingdom (eg_old_k_2)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
Token Present Confident 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Precious Metal Present Inferred 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Paper Currency Absent Inferred 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Indigenous Coin Absent Inferred 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Foreign Coin Absent Inferred 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Article Present Confident 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Information / Postal System Egypt - Late Old Kingdom (eg_old_k_2)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
Postal Station Absent Inferred 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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General Postal Service Absent Inferred 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Courier Present Confident 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Information / Measurement System Egypt - Late Old Kingdom (eg_old_k_2)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
Warfare Variables (Military Technologies)
Fortifications Egypt - Late Old Kingdom (eg_old_k_2)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
Wooden Palisade Present Confident Uncertain 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Wooden Palisade Absent Confident Uncertain 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Stone Walls Non Mortared Present Confident 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Stone Walls Mortared Present Confident Uncertain 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Stone Walls Mortared Absent Confident Uncertain 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Settlements in a Defensive Position Present Confident 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Modern Fortification Absent Confident 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Moat Present Confident Uncertain 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Moat Absent Confident Uncertain 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Fortified Camp Present Confident 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Earth Rampart Present Inferred 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Ditch Present Confident Uncertain 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Ditch Absent Confident Uncertain 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Complex Fortification Absent Inferred 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Long Wall absent Confident 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Military use of Metals Egypt - Late Old Kingdom (eg_old_k_2)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
Steel Absent Confident 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Iron Absent Confident 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Copper Present Inferred 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Bronze Present Inferred 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Projectiles Egypt - Late Old Kingdom (eg_old_k_2)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
Tension Siege Engine Absent Confident 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Sling Siege Engine Absent Confident 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Sling Present Confident 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Self Bow Present Confident 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Javelin Absent Inferred 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Handheld Firearm Absent Confident 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Gunpowder Siege Artillery Absent Confident 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Crossbow Absent Confident 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Composite Bow Absent Confident 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Atlatl Absent Confident 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Handheld weapons Egypt - Late Old Kingdom (eg_old_k_2)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
War Club Present Inferred 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Sword Absent Inferred 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Spear Present Confident 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Polearm Present Confident 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Dagger Present Inferred 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Battle Axe Present Confident 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Animals used in warfare Egypt - Late Old Kingdom (eg_old_k_2)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
Horse Absent Confident 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Donkey Present Confident 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Dog Absent Confident 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Camel Absent Inferred 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Armor Egypt - Late Old Kingdom (eg_old_k_2)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
Wood Bark Etc Absent Confident 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Shield Present Confident 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Scaled Armor Absent Confident 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Plate Armor Absent Confident 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Limb Protection Absent Confident 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Leather Cloth Present Confident 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Laminar Armor Absent Confident 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Helmet Absent Confident 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Chainmail Absent Confident 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Breastplate Absent Confident 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Naval technology Egypt - Late Old Kingdom (eg_old_k_2)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
Specialized Military Vessel Present Confident 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Small Vessels Canoes Etc Present Confident 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Merchant Ships Pressed Into Service Absent Confident 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Economy Variables (Luxury Goods)
Religion Variables
Moralizing Supernatural Punishment and Reward Egypt - Late Old Kingdom (eg_old_k_2)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
Moralizing Enforcement is Broad Present Confident 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Moralizing Supernatural Concern is Primary Present Confident 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Agentic Present Confident 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Moralizing Enforcement in This Life Present Confident 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Moralizing Supernatural Punishment And Reward Present Confident 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Moralizing Religion Adopted by Commoners Unknown Confident 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Targeted Present Confident 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Moralizing Enforcement in Afterlife Present Confident 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Moralizing Religion Adopted by Elites Present Confident 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Moralizing Enforcement of Rulers Transitional (Absent -> Present) Confident 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Certain Transitional (Absent -> Present) Confident 2350 BCE  2150 BCE
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Human Sacrifice Egypt - Late Old Kingdom (eg_old_k_2)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
Instability Data
Power Transitions