Home Region:  Northeast Africa (Africa)

Egypt - New Kingdom Thutmosid Period

1550 BCE 1293 BCE
EQ 2020  eg_new_k_1 / EgNKThu
Preceding Entity: Add one more here.
1720 BCE 1567 BCE Egypt - Thebes-Hyksos Period (eg_thebes_hyksos)    [None]

Succeeding Entity: Add one more here.
1293 BCE 1070 BCE Egypt - New Kingdom Ramesside Period (eg_new_k_2)    [continuity]

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  General Description  
During the New Kingdom, the Egyptian king acquired the title of ’pharaoh’, meaning ’great house’. In the Thutmosid Period, or Eighteenth Dynasty (1550-1293 BCE), the pharaohs turned the Egyptian ’home’ into a great empire stretching from Kush in northern Sudan (conquered by Thutmose I) to the south to Palestine and Syria in the northeast (taken by Thutmose III). [1] [2] For the first time, the capital of a great Egyptian state was in Upper Egypt, at Thebes (although in 1373 BCE Akhenaten briefly had the capital moved to El Amarna in Middle Egypt).
Population and political organization
The pharaoh, a living god-king, was also the chief priest, highest judge and top military commander; he usually fought in battle, as Thutmose III apparently did at the famous Bronze Age battle of Megiddo in the 15th century BCE. [3] The professional army was augmented by troops from conquered places such as Nubia and Libya. [4]
During the New Kingdom, labyrinthine networks of imperial power and wage-earning agents we know as scribes [5] were overseen by two viziers: one for the north and one for the south of Egypt. [6] The Egyptian vizier was the second-highest judge; [7] he supervised the activities of the state bureaucracy and served as a representative of the pharaoh’s interests. [8] Most of the viziers’ duties seem to have been judicial, involving dispute settlement, answering petitions, and authorizing transfers of property. [8] For most of the two to three million people who occupied New Kingdom Egypt, however, the law was usually administered at the local level, [7] under chiefs of towns (the capitals of nomes) and mayors of villages.
The resources commanded by the New Kingdom Egyptian state enabled the pharaohs to carry out grand architectural and tomb-building projects. [9] The most prolific builder of the Thutmosid Period was a female pharaoh called Hatshepsut. [10] At Deir el-Medina, in the Valley of the Kings, opposite Thebes, a workers’ village was created at the start of the Eighteenth Dynasty to house craftsmen dedicated to building royal tombs. [11] The community was managed by a palace scribe appointed by the vizier. The scribe oversaw supervisors, who managed two teams of five workers on ten-day shifts. [12] In the village, oracle statues attended by priests served as the ’highest local voice of authority’. [13]
Although not a typical town, documents written by skilled workers at Deir el-Medina reveal that writing was not confined to the elite, but had become important in wider society. [14] Major temples across Egypt included libraries and archives, most likely managed by scribes educated in local schools. [15] Documents attesting to the sophistication of this Late Bronze Age state include government archives, wills, title deeds, census lists, conscription lists, orders, memos, tax lists, letters, journals, inventories, regulations, and transcripts of trials. [7]

[1]: (Sherif 1981, 265) N. M. Sherif. 1981. ’Nubia before Napata (-3100 to -750)’, in General History of Africa, Vol II: Ancient Civilizations of Africa, edited by G. Mokhtar, 245-77. Paris: UNESCO.

[2]: (Dupuy and Dupuy 2007, 5) R. Ernest Dupuy and Trevor N. Dupuy. 2007. The Collins Encyclopedia of Military History: From 3500 B.C. to the Present. 4th ed. London: BCA.

[3]: (Morenz and Popko 2010, 111) Ludwig D. Morenz and Lutz Popko. 2010. ’The Second Intermediate Period and the New Kingdom’, in A Companion to Ancient Egypt, Volume 1, edited by Alan B. Lloyd, 101-19. Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell.

[4]: (Spalinger 2005, 6-7) Anthony J. Spalinger. 2005. War in Ancient Egypt: The New Kingdom. Malden, MA: Blackwell.

[5]: (Van Dijk 2000, 298-99) Jacobus Van Dijk. 2003. ’The Amarna Period and the Later New Kingdom’, in The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt, edited by Ian Shaw, 265-307. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

[6]: (O’Connor 1983, 208) David O’Connor. 1983. ’Old Kingdom, Middle Kingdom and Second Intermediate Period c. 2686-1552 BC’, in Ancient Egypt: A Social History, edited by Bruce G. Trigger, Barry J. Kemp, David O’Connor and Alan B. Lloyd, 183-278. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

[7]: (Brewer and Teeter 1999, 73) Douglas J. Brewer and Emily Teeter. 1999. Egypt and the Egyptians. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

[8]: (Van De Mieroop 2011, 180) Marc Van De Mieroop. 2011. A History of Ancient Egypt. Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell.

[9]: (Van De Mieroop 2011, 182) Marc Van De Mieroop. 2011. A History of Ancient Egypt. Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell.

[10]: (Bryan 2000, 229) Betsy M. Bryan. 2000. ’The 18th Dynasty before The Amarna Period (c. 1550-1352 BC)’ in The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt, edited by Ian Shaw, 207-64. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

[11]: (Bryan 2000, 213) Betsy M. Bryan. 2000. ’The 18th Dynasty before The Amarna Period (c. 1550-1352 BC)’ in The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt, edited by Ian Shaw, 207-64. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

[12]: (Ziskind and Halioua 2007) Bernard Ziskind and Bruno Halioua. 2007. ’Occupational Medicine in Ancient Egypt’. Medical Hypotheses 69 (4): 942-45.

[13]: (Van De Mieroop 2011, 235) Marc Van De Mieroop. 2011. A History of Ancient Egypt. Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell.

[14]: (Van De Mieroop 2011, 156) Marc Van De Mieroop. 2011. A History of Ancient Egypt. Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell.

[15]: (Lazaridis 2016) Nikolaos Lazaridis. 2016. ’Education and Apprenticeship’, in UCLA Encyclopedia of Egyptology. Accessible online at https://uee.cdh.ucla.edu/articles/education_and_apprenticeship/?x=87&y=5.

Economy Variables (Luxury Goods) Coding in Progress.
Religion Variables Coding in Progress.

NGA Settlements:

Year Range Egypt - New Kingdom Thutmosid Period (eg_new_k_1) was in:
 (1550 BCE 1294 BCE) Upper Egypt
Home NGA: Upper Egypt

General Variables
Identity and Location Egypt - New Kingdom Thutmosid Period (eg_new_k_1)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Utm Zone 36 R Expert 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Original Name Egypt - New Kingdom Thutmosid Period Expert 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Capital 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Alternative Name New Kingdom Expert 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Alternative Name 18th Dynasty Expert 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Temporal Bounds Egypt - New Kingdom Thutmosid Period (eg_new_k_1)
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Peak Years
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Duration
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Political and Cultural Relations Egypt - New Kingdom Thutmosid Period (eg_new_k_1)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Suprapolity Relations none Expert 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Succeeding Entity Ramesside period Expert 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Succeeding Entity
1293 BCE 1070 BCE
Egypt - New Kingdom Ramesside Period (eg_new_k_2)   [continuity]  Expert
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Preceding Entity
1720 BCE 1567 BCE
Egypt - Thebes-Hyksos Period (eg_thebes_hyksos)   [None]  Expert
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Degree of Centralization unitary state Expert 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Language Egypt - New Kingdom Thutmosid Period (eg_new_k_1)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Linguistic Family Afro-Asiatic Expert 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Language 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Religion Egypt - New Kingdom Thutmosid Period (eg_new_k_1)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Religion Genus Egyptian Religions Expert 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Religion Family Atenism Expert 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Alternate Religion Uncoded Undecided Expert 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Social Complexity Variables
Social Scale Egypt - New Kingdom Thutmosid Period (eg_new_k_1)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Population of the Largest Settlement 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Polity Territory 1500 BCE 1451 BCE
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Polity Territory 1450 BCE 1351 BCE
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Polity Territory 1350 BCE 1294 BCE
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Polity Population 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Hierarchical Complexity Egypt - New Kingdom Thutmosid Period (eg_new_k_1)
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Settlement Hierarchy 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Religious Level 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Military Level 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Administrative Level 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Professions Egypt - New Kingdom Thutmosid Period (eg_new_k_1)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Professional Soldier 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Professional Priesthood 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Professional Military Officer 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Bureaucracy Characteristics Egypt - New Kingdom Thutmosid Period (eg_new_k_1)
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Specialized Government Building 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Merit Promotion 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Full Time Bureaucrat 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Examination System 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Law Egypt - New Kingdom Thutmosid Period (eg_new_k_1)
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Professional Lawyer 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Judge 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Court 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Specialized Buildings: polity owned Egypt - New Kingdom Thutmosid Period (eg_new_k_1)
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Market 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Irrigation System 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Food Storage Site 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Drinking Water Supply System 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Transport Infrastructure Egypt - New Kingdom Thutmosid Period (eg_new_k_1)
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Road 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Port 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Canal 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Bridge 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Special-purpose Sites Egypt - New Kingdom Thutmosid Period (eg_new_k_1)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Mines or Quarry Present 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Information / Writing System Egypt - New Kingdom Thutmosid Period (eg_new_k_1)
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Written Record 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Script 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Phonetic Alphabetic Writing 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Nonwritten Record 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Non Phonetic Writing 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Mnemonic Device Unknown Suspected 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Information / Kinds of Written Documents Egypt - New Kingdom Thutmosid Period (eg_new_k_1)
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Scientific Literature 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Sacred Text 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Religious Literature 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Practical Literature 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Philosophy 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Lists Tables and Classification Present 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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History 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Fiction 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Calendar 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Information / Money Egypt - New Kingdom Thutmosid Period (eg_new_k_1)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Token Unknown Suspected 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Precious Metal Present Inferred 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Paper Currency Absent 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Indigenous Coin Absent 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Foreign Coin Absent 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Article 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Information / Postal System Egypt - New Kingdom Thutmosid Period (eg_new_k_1)
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Postal Station 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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General Postal Service Absent 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Courier 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Information / Measurement System Egypt - New Kingdom Thutmosid Period (eg_new_k_1)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Warfare Variables (Military Technologies)
Fortifications Egypt - New Kingdom Thutmosid Period (eg_new_k_1)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Wooden Palisade Unknown Suspected 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Stone Walls Non Mortared 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Stone Walls Mortared 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Settlements in a Defensive Position 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Modern Fortification Absent 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Moat Unknown Suspected 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Fortified Camp Present 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Earth Rampart 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Ditch Unknown Suspected 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Complex Fortification 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Military use of Metals Egypt - New Kingdom Thutmosid Period (eg_new_k_1)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Steel Absent Inferred 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Iron 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Copper 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Bronze 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Projectiles Egypt - New Kingdom Thutmosid Period (eg_new_k_1)
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Tension Siege Engine 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Sling Siege Engine 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Sling 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Self Bow Present 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Javelin 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Handheld Firearm 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Gunpowder Siege Artillery 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Crossbow 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Composite Bow 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Atlatl 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Handheld weapons Egypt - New Kingdom Thutmosid Period (eg_new_k_1)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
War Club 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Sword 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Spear Present 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Polearm 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Dagger 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Battle Axe 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Animals used in warfare Egypt - New Kingdom Thutmosid Period (eg_new_k_1)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Horse 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Elephant 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Donkey 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Dog Absent Inferred 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Camel 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Armor Egypt - New Kingdom Thutmosid Period (eg_new_k_1)
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Wood Bark Etc 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Shield 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Scaled Armor 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Plate Armor 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Limb Protection 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Laminar Armor 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Helmet 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Chainmail 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Breastplate 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Naval technology Egypt - New Kingdom Thutmosid Period (eg_new_k_1)
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Specialized Military Vessel 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Small Vessels Canoes Etc Present 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Merchant Ships Pressed Into Service Unknown Suspected 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Economy Variables (Luxury Goods)
Religion Variables
Moralizing Supernatural Punishment and Reward Egypt - New Kingdom Thutmosid Period (eg_new_k_1)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Moralizing Enforcement is Broad 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Moralizing Supernatural Concern is Primary 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Agentic 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Moralizing Enforcement in This Life 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Moralizing Supernatural Punishment And Reward 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Moralizing Religion Adopted by Commoners 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Targeted 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Moralizing Enforcement in Afterlife 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Moralizing Religion Adopted by Elites 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Moralizing Enforcement of Rulers 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Certain 1550 BCE  1293 BCE
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Human Sacrifice Egypt - New Kingdom Thutmosid Period (eg_new_k_1)
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Instability Data
Power Transitions