Introduction


This assignment is a simulation that places you in the position of a community leader over several years in the aftermath of the collapse of Egypt's New Kingdom Empire around 1070 BC. This period was a time of political and social upheaval, with power shifting from a centralized government under a single Pharaoh, to parallel dynasties ruling at the same time, each with it’s own Pharaoh (Dynasties 22, 23, 24, and 25). Nubians played an important role in Egyptian politics during this time, eventually ruling as Pharaohs over all of Egypt. Egypt was finally conquered by the Assyrian king Assurbanipal in 663 BC.

The Cities:


Tanis

Tanis was the home of the Pharaohs of the 21 st and 22 nd dynasties. Powerful rulers like Sheshonk I led military campaigns into Syro-Palestine. Sheshonk laid siege to Jerusalem and carried the riches of Solomon's Temple back to the capital (lost Ark anyone?). In 1939, French archaeologists Pierre Montet discovered the intact burials of several of these Pharaohs dripping in gold and silver. The huge city held a temple to Amun, and it’s strategic location in the Nile Delta made it a key center for trade to the Middle East and through the Mediterranean.

Sais

The warrior goddess Neith was the patron deity of Sais, another important Delta city. A key religious and political center from the beginnings of Egyptian history, Sais moved into prominence during our period when its ruler Tefnakht founded the 24 th dynasty and vied with the Nubians for the control of Egypt. Eventually, the Saites came out on top with the help of the Assyrians as the 26 th dynasty.

Thebes

Thebes was simply known as "the City" and remained Egypt's religious center even after the end of the New Kingdom. It's leaders wielded great influence and sometimes took on royal airs even though they ultimately acknowledged the authority of the Pharaohs ruling from the Delta. The great temple of Amun was the largest religious complex in Egypt and arguably in the world. It's wealth gave the rulers of Thebes great power. They eventually allied with the Nubians and helped usher in the 25th dynasty.

Nubia

Nubia went from subjugated territory to the saviors of Egypt during this period. Heading north from Napata and the sacred mountain at Gebel Barkal, Nubian Pharaoh Piye felt that he was the guy to restore order and unite Egypt against the Assyrian threat. Rulers like Shabako fought successfully against the Assyrians, but ultimately to no avail. Nubia had access to gold and the wealth of sub-Saharan Africa, including ivory, ebony and incense. At the fourth cataract of the Nile, Nubian Pharaohs revived the practice of pyramid building and expanded the temples to Amun at Gebel Barkal, creating a southern rival to Thebes in the north.

Your goal is to ensure the gradual expansion of your community's influence over other communities up and down the Nile, without getting conquered or deposed. You have a range of variables that you must track in order to manage effectively. These include population growth and decline, land area under cultivation, temple construction, the size of your civil service, military size, and defensive walls to mention some of the most important. Note that this is a turn-based simulation, so you will be running the simulation against other students in your study group, so competition and cooperation will come into play.

 

 

There are three versions of the simulation, one for MacOS X, MacOS 9 and Windows. Please download the version appropriate for the computer you are currently running.

MacOS X | MacOS 9 |Windows

The Players:


Psusennes I (The star that appears in Thebes)

  • Ruled Tanis 1039-991 BC, during the 21st Dynasty.
  • Rival of the Thebans.
  • Eventually united Egypt by marrying his daughter off to high priest of Amun.
  • Stole the sarcophagus of Mernepth to use as his own.
   

Montuemhet

  • Prince of Thebes 690-650 B.C.
  • Controlled all of southern Egypt during the Nubian Dynasty.
  • The original survivor, through craft politics survived the transition from Dynasty 25 through the Assyrian occupation and was still around in Dynasty 26 during the restoration of Egyptian power.
  • Largest tomb of the period, bigger even than Pharaoh's tomb.
   

Taharqo

  • Nubian Pharaoh who ruled from 690-664 B.C.
  • Famous for great building projects in Egypt and Nubia.
  • Fought back and forth with the Assyrians, but was eventually defeated, leading to the capture of most of the royal family who were carried off to Assyria.
  • Montuemhet was his right hand man until he defected to the Assyrians.
   
Nechoii
  • 2nd ruler of the 26th Dynasty
  • Reigned from 610-595 B.C. at Sais
  • Hire Greek mercenaries to form Egyptian Navy
  • Dug a canal between Nile and the Red Sea.
  • Conquered Palestine