Ankhtifi
Encyclopedia
Ankhtifi was the nomarch
of Hierakonpolis and a supporter of the Herakleopolitan based 10th dynasty
which was locked in conflict with the Theban based 11th Dynasty
kingdom for control of Egypt. Hence, Ankhtifi was a rival to the Theban rulers Mentuhotep I
and Intef I
. He lived during the early First Intermediate Period
when the Egyptian Old Kingdom state had collapsed and chaos, hunger and famine stalked the land. Ankhtifi, as nomarch
or governor of the third nome of Upper Egypt, built and extensively decorated his tomb at El-Mo'alla
and inscribed the tomb’s walls with his autobiography which details his initiatives in re-establishing order in the land, his resistance against Thebes and the appalling suffering of the people of Egypt during his lifetime. It is one of the most significant inscriptions to come from the early First Intermediate Period after the collapse of the Old Kingdom. Ankhtifi states in his tomb autobiography:
(Inscriptions 1-3, 6-7, 10 and 12; Vandier, 1950, 161-242)
Ankhtifi's autobiography highlights the political fragmentation of Egypt during his career as nomarch of Hierakonpolis because he describes himself "first of all as the chief of his province" or of his three nomes rather than the governor of a region of Upper Egypt as Pepi I's confidant Weni did during the 6th dynasty. His autobiography also shows that he only became nomarch of Edfu after seizing it from Khuy, who was an ally of Thebes. While Thebes later defeated his forces and won control over Edfu, Hierakonpolis and Elephantine under the Theban kings Intef I
and Intef II
, the completion of his tomb suggests that Ankhtifi was not personally defeated in battle himself.
An Egyptian scientist, professor Fekri Hassan from University College London
has discovered clear evidence that a sudden global climate change caused the complete drying up of Lake Faiyum--a major body of water which was fed by the Nile and is 65 metres deep--between 2200 to 2150 BC, around the start of the Old Kingdom
's collapse. The evaporation of the lake's water, which occurred over a period of several years, hints at the severity of the drought which impacted Egypt during this time.
Nomarch
Nomarchs were the semi-feudal rulers of Ancient Egyptian provinces. Serving as provincial governors, they each held authority over one of the 42 nomes into which the country was divided. Both nome and nomarch are terms derived from the Greek nomos, meaning a province or district...
of Hierakonpolis and a supporter of the Herakleopolitan based 10th dynasty
Tenth dynasty of Egypt
The tenth dynasty of ancient Egypt is often combined with Dynasties VII, VIII, IX and XI under the group title First Intermediate Period...
which was locked in conflict with the Theban based 11th Dynasty
Eleventh dynasty of Egypt
The eleventh dynasty of ancient Egypt was one group of rulers, whose earlier members are grouped with the four preceding dynasties to form the First Intermediate Period, while the later members are considered part of the Middle Kingdom...
kingdom for control of Egypt. Hence, Ankhtifi was a rival to the Theban rulers Mentuhotep I
Mentuhotep I
Mentuhotep I was a local Egyptian prince at Thebes during the First Intermediate Period. He became the first openly acknowledged ruler of the Eleventh dynasty by assuming the title of first "supreme chief of Upper Egypt" and, later, declaring himself king over all Egypt. He is named as a nomarch in...
and Intef I
Intef I
Intef I was a local Egyptian ruler at Thebes, and a member of the Eleventh dynasty during the First Intermediate Period. He was the first of his dynasty to assume the title of Pharaoh, with the Horus name of Sehertawy, . Intef I was the son of Mentuhotep I...
. He lived during the early First Intermediate Period
First Intermediate Period of Egypt
The First Intermediate Period, often described as a “dark period” in ancient Egyptian history, spanned approximately one hundred years after the end of the Old Kingdom from ca. 2181-2055 BC. It included the seventh, eighth, ninth, tenth, and part of the eleventh dynasties. Very little monumental...
when the Egyptian Old Kingdom state had collapsed and chaos, hunger and famine stalked the land. Ankhtifi, as nomarch
Nomarch
Nomarchs were the semi-feudal rulers of Ancient Egyptian provinces. Serving as provincial governors, they each held authority over one of the 42 nomes into which the country was divided. Both nome and nomarch are terms derived from the Greek nomos, meaning a province or district...
or governor of the third nome of Upper Egypt, built and extensively decorated his tomb at El-Mo'alla
El-Mo'alla
El-Moa'alla is a town in Upper Egypt. It is the site of two important rock-cut tombs of the early First Intermediate Period; namely, those belonging to Ankhtifi and Sobekhotep. The town is located about 35 km south of Luxor, on the east bank of the Nile.-External links:*...
and inscribed the tomb’s walls with his autobiography which details his initiatives in re-establishing order in the land, his resistance against Thebes and the appalling suffering of the people of Egypt during his lifetime. It is one of the most significant inscriptions to come from the early First Intermediate Period after the collapse of the Old Kingdom. Ankhtifi states in his tomb autobiography:
"The Prince, Count, Royal Seal-bearer, Sole Companion, Lector-priest, General, Chief of scouts, Chief of foreign regions, Great Chief of the nomes of Edfu and Hierakonpolis, Ankhtifi, says: Horus brought me to the nome of Edfu for life, prosperity, healthAnkh wedja senebThe Ancient Egyptian phrase ankh, wedja, seneb meaning "life, prosperity, health" is an epithetic formula which often appears after the names of Egyptian kings or references to their household...
, to re-establish it, and I did (it)...I found the House of Khuy inundated like a marsh, abandoned by him who belonged to it, in the grip of the rebel, under the control of a wretch. I made a man embrace the slayer of his father, the slayer of his brother, so as to re-establish the nome of Edfu (...) I was as concerned for the lowest of men as for the highest. I was the man who found the solution when it was lacking in the country thanks to poor decisions, and my speech was clever and my bravery won the day when it was necessary to join the three provinces together. I am an honest man who has no equal, a man who can talk freely when others are obliged to be silent.
"The general of Armant said to me: 'Come, oh honest man. Sail with the current down to the fortress of Armant!' I then went down to the country to the west of Armant and I found that the forces of Thebes and Koptos had attacked the fortress of Armant (...) I reached the west bank of the Theban province (...) Then my courageous crack troops, yes my bold crack troops, ventured to the west and the east of the Theban nome, looking for an open battle. But no one dared to come out from Thebes because they were afraid of my troops."
(Inscriptions 1-3, 6-7, 10 and 12; Vandier, 1950, 161-242)
"I gave bread to the hungry and clothing to the naked; I anointed those who had no cosmetic oil; I gave sandals to the barefooted; I gave a wife to him who had no wife. I took care of the towns of Hefat [i.e. el-Moalla] and Hor-mer in every [situation of crisis, when] the sky was clouded and the earth [was parched (?) and when everybody died] of hunger on this sandbank of Apophis.The south came with its people and the north with its children; they brought finest oil in exchange for the barley which was given to them.
"The whole of Upper Egypt died of hunger and each individual had reached such a state of hunger that he ate his own children. But I refused to see anyone die of hunger and gave to the north grain of Upper Egypt. And I do not think that anything like this has been done by the provincial governors who came before me....I brought life to the provinces of Hierakonpolis and Edfu, Elephantine and Ombos!" (Inscriptions 1-3, 6-7, 10 and 12; Vandier, 1950, 161-242)
Ankhtifi's autobiography highlights the political fragmentation of Egypt during his career as nomarch of Hierakonpolis because he describes himself "first of all as the chief of his province" or of his three nomes rather than the governor of a region of Upper Egypt as Pepi I's confidant Weni did during the 6th dynasty. His autobiography also shows that he only became nomarch of Edfu after seizing it from Khuy, who was an ally of Thebes. While Thebes later defeated his forces and won control over Edfu, Hierakonpolis and Elephantine under the Theban kings Intef I
Intef I
Intef I was a local Egyptian ruler at Thebes, and a member of the Eleventh dynasty during the First Intermediate Period. He was the first of his dynasty to assume the title of Pharaoh, with the Horus name of Sehertawy, . Intef I was the son of Mentuhotep I...
and Intef II
Intef II
Intef II was a Pharaoh of the Eleventh dynasty during the First Intermediate Period. His capital was located at Thebes. At this time, Egypt was split between several local dynasties. After the death of the nomarch Ankhtifi, Intef II was able to unite all the southern nomes down to the First Cataract...
, the completion of his tomb suggests that Ankhtifi was not personally defeated in battle himself.
Economic crisis
Ankhtify's autobiography demonstrates that the fear of an economic crisis was endemic in the early First Intermediate Period when local town magnates publicly boasted of their ability to feed their own towns while the rest of Egypt was starving. Evidence that famine did afflict the land comes from a worker of a Koptos 'overseer of priests' who modestly relates that he "stood in the doorway of his excellency the overseer of priests Djefy handing out grain to (the inhabitants of) this entire town to support it in the painful years of famine." It was previously uncertain if a series of Low Annual Nile floods caused the mass famine rather than the outbreak of chaos following the collapse of the Old Kingdom since some archaeological observations from Elephantine appear to indicate that Egypt was actually experiencing slightly above average flood levels during the First Intermediate Period. However, more recent archaeological evidence since 2000 now suggests that Ankhtifi's comments concerning the severity of the famine--at least during the early First Intermediate Period--are indeed based on fact and not propaganda.An Egyptian scientist, professor Fekri Hassan from University College London
University College London
University College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London...
has discovered clear evidence that a sudden global climate change caused the complete drying up of Lake Faiyum--a major body of water which was fed by the Nile and is 65 metres deep--between 2200 to 2150 BC, around the start of the Old Kingdom
Old Kingdom
Old Kingdom is the name given to the period in the 3rd millennium BC when Egypt attained its first continuous peak of civilization in complexity and achievement – the first of three so-called "Kingdom" periods, which mark the high points of civilization in the lower Nile Valley .The term itself was...
's collapse. The evaporation of the lake's water, which occurred over a period of several years, hints at the severity of the drought which impacted Egypt during this time.