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| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Recurso digital |
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Zenodo
2025
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17769282 |
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Table of Contents:
- This paper re-examines the pivotal Early Dynastic Period of ancient Egypt, focusing on the intertwined developments of statecraft under the legendary figure of Menes (often identified with Narmer) and the architectural revolution epitomized by Djoser's Step Pyramid. The initial unification of Upper and Lower Egypt, traditionally attributed to Menes around 3100 BCE, established a centralized administrative system and a powerful divine kingship. This foundational era, characterized by the emergence of a unified writing system, standardized economic practices, and a hierarchical administration, laid the groundwork for a cohesive state. Concurrently, the subsequent innovation of monumental stone architecture, particularly the Step Pyramid complex at Saqqara designed by Imhotep during Djoser's Third Dynasty reign, transformed royal funerary practices and significantly reinforced royal authority. This study synthesizes archaeological evidence and historical interpretations to argue that these two phenomena were not isolated but rather mutually reinforcing. Menes' legacy provided the ideological and administrative framework for a centralized state, while the Step Pyramid visually manifested and ritually sustained this burgeoning power, solidifying the pharaoh's divine status and the stability of the nascent Egyptian state. By exploring the strategic integration of political, religious, and architectural innovations, this paper offers a reconsidered perspective on the sophistication of Early Dynastic statecraft and the enduring impact of its monumental expressions.