FIRST INTERMEDIATE PERIOD

(c. 2181–2055 BC)

   The term used by Egyptologists to denote the period from the end of Dynasty 6 to the reunification of Egypt under Dynasty 11. The era is marked by the collapse of royal power and the growth of the authority of the local rulers or nomarchs of the nomes. Local autonomy also led to distinct provincial art styles. Following the disappearance of the ruling line in Memphis, the governors of Herakleopolis (Dynasty 9 and Dynasty 10) and Thebes (Dynasty 11) vied for supreme authority, and the period came to an end with the victory of Mentuhotep II of Thebes, who reunited the country under his rule.

   See also Middle Kingdom; Old Kingdom.