Egyptian cities, temples, and tombs of the second millennium bc

Although never dominant in the archaeological record of dynastic Egypt, cities do come into better focus during the second millennium BC, in contrast with earlier times. The best known is Akhetaten, modern Tell el-Amarna, created as a new capital in the fourteenth century BC. We shall also examine Kahun, a Middle Kingdom town, and Thebes, the administrative center of Upper Egypt during the New Kingdom, at least for the monumental temples and tombs built in its environs. Finally, this chapter will introduce two sites from Nubia, the frontier region south of Aswan: first, Buhen, a fortress from the Middle Kingdom, and second, Abu Simbel, famous for its Temple of Ramses II.