"Building the Pharaonic state: Territory, elite, and power in ancient Egypt during the 3rd millennium BCE". In: J. A. Hill, Ph. H. Jones, A. J. Morales (eds.), Experiencing Power—Generating Authority : Cosmos and Politics in Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia, Philadelphia, 2013, p. 185-217. (original) (raw)

This chapter examines the construction and transformation of state administration and its connection to royal authority in ancient Egypt during the 3rd millennium BCE. It highlights the unique stability of Pharaonic Egypt compared to contemporaneous Near Eastern polities, exploring the role of Upper Egypt in statehood and the dynamics between regional powers and pharaonic governance. The text emphasizes the importance of reconceptualizing the early Pharaonic state by considering authority, politics, and territorial organization.