Home Region: Northeast Africa (Africa)

Egypt - Late Old Kingdom

2350 BCE 2150 BCE

D G SC WF R CC

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]

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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

Identity and Location

1 Utm Zone

1 Original Name

1 Capital

2 Alternative Name

Temporal Bounds

1 Peak Years

1 Duration

Political and Cultural Relations

1 Suprapolity Relations

1 Succeeding Entity

1 Relationship to preceding Entity

2 Polity Succession

2 Degree of Centralization

Language

1 Linguistic Family

1 Language

Religion

Social Complexity Variables

Social Scale

1 Population of the Largest Settlement

1 Polity Territory

1 Polity Population

Hierarchical Complexity

1 Settlement Hierarchy

1 Religious Level

1 Military Level

1 Administrative Level

Professions

1 Professional Soldier

1 Professional Priesthood

1 Professional Military Officer

Bureaucracy Characteristics

1 Specialized Government Building

1 Merit Promotion

1 Full Time Bureaucrat

1 Examination System

Law

1 Professional Lawyer

2 Judge

1 Formal Legal Code

1 Court

Specialized Buildings: polity owned

2 Market

1 Irrigation System

1 Food Storage Site

1 Drinking Water Supply System

1 Entertainment Building

Transport Infrastructure

1 Road

1 Port

1 Canal

1 Bridge

Special-purpose Sites

1 Mines or Quarry

1 Trading Emporia

Information / Writing System

1 Written Record

1 Script

1 Phonetic Alphabetic Writing

1 Nonwritten Record

1 Non Phonetic Writing

Information / Kinds of Written Documents

1 Scientific Literature

1 Sacred Text

1 Religious Literature

1 Practical Literature

2 Philosophy

1 Lists Tables and Classification

1 History

1 Fiction

1 Calendar

Information / Money

1 Token

1 Precious Metal

1 Paper Currency

1 Indigenous Coin

1 Foreign Coin

1 Article

Information / Postal System

1 Postal Station

1 General Postal Service

1 Courier

Information / Measurement System

Warfare Variables (Military Technologies)

Fortifications

2 Wooden Palisade

1 Stone Walls Non Mortared

2 Stone Walls Mortared

1 Settlements in a Defensive Position

1 Modern Fortification

2 Moat

1 Fortified Camp

1 Earth Rampart

2 Ditch

1 Complex Fortification

1 Long Wall

Military use of Metals

1 Steel

1 Iron

1 Copper

1 Bronze

Projectiles

1 Tension Siege Engine

1 Sling Siege Engine

1 Sling

1 Self Bow

1 Javelin

1 Handheld Firearm

1 Gunpowder Siege Artillery

1 Crossbow

1 Composite Bow

1 Atlatl

Handheld weapons

1 War Club

1 Sword

1 Spear

1 Polearm

1 Dagger

1 Battle Axe

Animals used in warfare

1 Horse

1 Donkey

1 Dog

1 Camel

Armor

1 Wood Bark Etc

1 Shield

1 Scaled Armor

1 Plate Armor

1 Limb Protection

1 Leather Cloth

1 Laminar Armor

1 Helmet

1 Chainmail

1 Breastplate

Naval technology

1 Specialized Military Vessel

1 Small Vessels Canoes Etc

1 Merchant Ships Pressed Into Service

Economy Variables (Luxury Goods) Coding in Progress.

Religion Variables Coding in Progress.

Crisis Consequence Cases

1 Crisis Consequence

Power Transitions

6 Power Transition

Instability Events

5 Instability Event

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 / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Utm Zone	36 R Expert	2350 BCE 2150 BCE
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Original Name	Egypt - Late Old Kingdom Expert	2350 BCE 2150 BCE
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Capital	Memphis Expert	2350 BCE 2150 BCE
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Alternative Name	Late Old Kingdom Expert	2350 BCE 2150 BCE
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Alternative Name	Old Kingdom of Egypt Expert	2350 BCE 2150 BCE
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Temporal Bounds Egypt - Late Old Kingdom (eg_old_k_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More
Peak Years	2300 BCE Expert
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Duration	[2350 BCE ➜ 2150 BCE] Expert
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Political and Cultural Relations Egypt - Late Old Kingdom (eg_old_k_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Suprapolity Relations	none Expert	2350 BCE 2150 BCE
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Succeeding Entity	Egypt - Period of the Regions Expert	2350 BCE 2150 BCE
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Relationship to Preceding Entity	continuity Expert	2350 BCE 2150 BCE
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Succeeding Entity 2150 BCE 2016 BCE	Egypt - Period of the Regions (eg_regions) [None] Expert
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Preceding Entity 2650 BCE 2350 BCE	Egypt - Classic Old Kingdom (eg_old_k_1) [continuity] Expert
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Degree of Centralization	loose Expert	2350 BCE 2150 BCE
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Degree of Centralization	unitary state Expert	2350 BCE 2150 BCE
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Language Egypt - Late Old Kingdom (eg_old_k_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Linguistic Family	Afro-Asiatic Expert	2350 BCE 2150 BCE
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Language	Ancient Egyptian Expert	2350 BCE 2150 BCE
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Religion Egypt - Late Old Kingdom (eg_old_k_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More

Social Complexity Variables

Social Scale Egypt - Late Old Kingdom (eg_old_k_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Population of the Largest Settlement	[30,000 to 50,000] people	2350 BCE 2150 BCE
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Polity Territory	[75,000 to 300,000] km²	2350 BCE 2150 BCE
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Polity Population	1,500,000 people	2350 BCE 2150 BCE
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Hierarchical Complexity Egypt - Late Old Kingdom (eg_old_k_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Settlement Hierarchy	[4 to 5]	2350 BCE 2150 BCE
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Religious Level	6	2350 BCE 2150 BCE
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Military Level	[3 to 7]	2350 BCE 2150 BCE
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Administrative Level	7	2350 BCE 2150 BCE
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Professions Egypt - Late Old Kingdom (eg_old_k_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Professional Soldier	Unknown Suspected	2350 BCE 2150 BCE
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Professional Priesthood	Absent	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 / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
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	2350 BCE 2150 BCE
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Examination System	Absent	2350 BCE 2150 BCE
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Law Egypt - Late Old Kingdom (eg_old_k_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Professional Lawyer	Present Inferred	2350 BCE 2150 BCE
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Judge	Present Disputed	2350 BCE 2150 BCE
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Judge	Absent Disputed	2350 BCE 2150 BCE
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Formal Legal Code	Absent Inferred	2350 BCE 2150 BCE
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Court	Present	2350 BCE 2150 BCE
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Specialized Buildings: polity owned Egypt - Late Old Kingdom (eg_old_k_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Market	Present Disputed	2350 BCE 2150 BCE
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Market	Absent 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	2350 BCE 2150 BCE
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Drinking Water Supply System	Absent	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 / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Road	Present	2350 BCE 2150 BCE
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Port	Present	2350 BCE 2150 BCE
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Canal	Present	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 / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Mines or Quarry	Present	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 / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Written Record	Present	2350 BCE 2150 BCE
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Script	Present	2350 BCE 2150 BCE
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Phonetic Alphabetic Writing	Absent	2350 BCE 2150 BCE
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Nonwritten Record	Present	2350 BCE 2150 BCE
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Non Phonetic Writing	Present	2350 BCE 2150 BCE
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Information / Kinds of Written Documents Egypt - Late Old Kingdom (eg_old_k_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Scientific Literature	Present	2350 BCE 2150 BCE
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Sacred Text	Present	2350 BCE 2150 BCE
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Religious Literature	Present	2350 BCE 2150 BCE
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Practical Literature	Present	2350 BCE 2150 BCE
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Philosophy	Present Disputed	2350 BCE 2150 BCE
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Philosophy	Absent Disputed	2350 BCE 2150 BCE
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Lists Tables and Classification	Present	2350 BCE 2150 BCE
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History	Present	2350 BCE 2150 BCE
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Fiction	Present Inferred	2350 BCE 2150 BCE
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Calendar	Present	2350 BCE 2150 BCE
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Information / Money Egypt - Late Old Kingdom (eg_old_k_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Token	Present	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	2350 BCE 2150 BCE
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Information / Postal System Egypt - Late Old Kingdom (eg_old_k_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
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	2350 BCE 2150 BCE
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Information / Measurement System Egypt - Late Old Kingdom (eg_old_k_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More

Warfare Variables (Military Technologies)

Fortifications Egypt - Late Old Kingdom (eg_old_k_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Wooden Palisade	Present Uncertain	2350 BCE 2150 BCE
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Wooden Palisade	Absent Uncertain	2350 BCE 2150 BCE
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Stone Walls Non Mortared	Present	2350 BCE 2150 BCE
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Stone Walls Mortared	Present Uncertain	2350 BCE 2150 BCE
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Stone Walls Mortared	Absent Uncertain	2350 BCE 2150 BCE
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Settlements in a Defensive Position	Present	2350 BCE 2150 BCE
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Modern Fortification	Absent	2350 BCE 2150 BCE
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Moat	Present Uncertain	2350 BCE 2150 BCE
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Moat	Absent Uncertain	2350 BCE 2150 BCE
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Fortified Camp	Present	2350 BCE 2150 BCE
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Earth Rampart	Present Inferred	2350 BCE 2150 BCE
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Ditch	Present Uncertain	2350 BCE 2150 BCE
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Ditch	Absent Uncertain	2350 BCE 2150 BCE
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Complex Fortification	Absent Inferred	2350 BCE 2150 BCE
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Long Wall	absent	2350 BCE 2150 BCE
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Military use of Metals Egypt - Late Old Kingdom (eg_old_k_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Steel	Absent	2350 BCE 2150 BCE
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Iron	Absent	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 / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Tension Siege Engine	Absent	2350 BCE 2150 BCE
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Sling Siege Engine	Absent	2350 BCE 2150 BCE
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Sling	Present	2350 BCE 2150 BCE
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Self Bow	Present	2350 BCE 2150 BCE
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Javelin	Absent Inferred	2350 BCE 2150 BCE
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Handheld Firearm	Absent	2350 BCE 2150 BCE
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Gunpowder Siege Artillery	Absent	2350 BCE 2150 BCE
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Crossbow	Absent	2350 BCE 2150 BCE
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Composite Bow	Absent	2350 BCE 2150 BCE
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Atlatl	Absent	2350 BCE 2150 BCE
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Handheld weapons Egypt - Late Old Kingdom (eg_old_k_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
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	2350 BCE 2150 BCE
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Polearm	Present	2350 BCE 2150 BCE
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Dagger	Present Inferred	2350 BCE 2150 BCE
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Battle Axe	Present	2350 BCE 2150 BCE
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Animals used in warfare Egypt - Late Old Kingdom (eg_old_k_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Horse	Absent	2350 BCE 2150 BCE
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Donkey	Present	2350 BCE 2150 BCE
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Dog	Absent	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 / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Wood Bark Etc	Absent	2350 BCE 2150 BCE
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Shield	Present	2350 BCE 2150 BCE
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Scaled Armor	Absent	2350 BCE 2150 BCE
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Plate Armor	Absent	2350 BCE 2150 BCE
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Limb Protection	Absent	2350 BCE 2150 BCE
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Leather Cloth	Present	2350 BCE 2150 BCE
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Laminar Armor	Absent	2350 BCE 2150 BCE
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Helmet	Absent	2350 BCE 2150 BCE
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Chainmail	Absent	2350 BCE 2150 BCE
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Breastplate	Absent	2350 BCE 2150 BCE
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Naval technology Egypt - Late Old Kingdom (eg_old_k_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Specialized Military Vessel	Present	2350 BCE 2150 BCE
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Small Vessels Canoes Etc	Present	2350 BCE 2150 BCE
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Merchant Ships Pressed Into Service	Absent	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 / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Moralizing Enforcement is Broad	Present	2350 BCE 2150 BCE
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Moralizing Supernatural Concern is Primary	Present	2350 BCE 2150 BCE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Agentic	Present	2350 BCE 2150 BCE
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Moralizing Enforcement in This Life	Present	2350 BCE 2150 BCE
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Moralizing Supernatural Punishment And Reward	Present	2350 BCE 2150 BCE
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Moralizing Religion Adopted by Commoners	Unknown	2350 BCE 2150 BCE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Targeted	Present	2350 BCE 2150 BCE
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Moralizing Enforcement in Afterlife	Present	2350 BCE 2150 BCE
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Moralizing Religion Adopted by Elites	Present	2350 BCE 2150 BCE
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Moralizing Enforcement of Rulers	Transitional (Absent -> Present)	2350 BCE 2150 BCE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Certain	Transitional (Absent -> Present)	2350 BCE 2150 BCE
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Human Sacrifice Egypt - Late Old Kingdom (eg_old_k_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More