The year was 2017 BCE, approximately.

The old kingdom was gone, and the new ruling household, the House of Keti, had established

effective control over northern Egypt, but upriver to the south, its power and influence had waned significantly, and the kings

of southern and northern Egypt were no longer kings of southern and northern Egypt.

Into this vacuum, great and powerful lords would make their own bids for rulership and

control of different lands.

The most famous of these, and the subject of this episode

is a man called Unk Tifi. Unk Tifi, or the One Who Will Live, is a famous lord of the first

intermediate period. He is best known for his elaborately decorated tomb at a community in the south, and for the extensive

biography recorded on the walls of that tomb, which describe Unctifie's territory and rule,

his attempts to expand that territory, and his conflicts with neighboring rulers and communities.

Unctifie is a good introduction to the early first intermediate period,

as royal power over the South broke down and conflict began.

It's quite a remarkable story.

Music Angtifi's most prominent title is Geri Tep Aya.

This translates as Great Chieftain or Great Overlord.

You will often find this word translated in a Greek version, which is Nomark.

It refers to the ruler or governor of a district. During the

Old Kingdom, Egypt had been divided into 42 administrative districts or provinces. There were

22 in the valley, running from Abu or Aswan all the way to Memphis or Cairo. Then there were an additional 20 in the Nile

Delta, the northernmost part of the country. The district system was an effective way of managing

the incredible length of the Nile Valley, which runs for hundreds of kilometers from

...